Machinations
Is a tool that allows the creation of interactive loops, making it an excellent platform for creating feedback loops.
Link to Machinations tool: https://machinations.io/
Syntax:
Feedback
Humans tend to think of everything in terms of feedback. It‘s no surprise that games are also built around this relation. That said, this type of thinking usually results in quick information that will frequently be accurate enough to make a good decision. Most of the time the information gained is wrong or just one of many plausible options.
- I‘ve eaten too much, so now I feel sick
- I‘ve got new glasses, so now I can see better
Feedback loops allow to inspect these mental building blocks and manipulate them to create the desired effect, while also making sure that the information gathered is correct and complete.
- Allow looking at a mechanic or concept in detail
- Are used to investigate the effect of changing variables
Feedback concepts are general approaches for creating a consistent behaviour trend. There are many feedback concepts. Positive & negative feedback is frequently attractive for games.
Relevant behaviour trends:
- Positive Feedback -> Move further into the trend‘s direction
- Negative Feedback -> Move away from the trend‘s direction
- Static Feedback -> Follow the trend‘s direction
- Random Feedback -> Move in a direction independent from the trend
- Different types of randomness can be used to affect a trend in the desired way
Positive Feedback
- Boosts the current trend
- Destabilizes a system
Examples:
- Building workers in Starcraft
- Beating enemies in League of Legends
Negative Feedback
- Counteracts the current trend
- Stabilizes a system
Examples:
- Upkeep in Warcraft 3
- Rubberbanding in Mario Kart
Balancing through Feedback
Products can be balanced in multiple ways, common approaches are:
- Feature-based balancing -> Adding a feature to solve a problem
- Static value-based balancing -> Change a value like health to tweak the experience
- Feedback-based balancing -> Make the product react to its own state
Using a feedback-based balancing approach requires finding something that will address the current state of the product based on the state it is in. So finding the thing that does change the product in the desired way is the first step. Creating a feedback loop for this is a great way to determine exactly what it will do.
Skinner Box
This research is outdated, while the fundamental idea will still get close to the desired results the reason behind it is false and requires a broader understanding of how we think.
Here is a good starting point: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL848F2368C90DDC3D
A chamber that allows inspecting the behaviour of a test subject within a space that is isolated of feedback elements with the exception of the ones tested for. This can easily be reproduced at a prototype level to test how users interact with a specific element of the game or feature.
- An isolated chamber that allows inspecting or conditioning behaviour patterns
- The test subject will perform an action to avoid punishment or gain a reward
Relevant results for game design:
- Ensured rewards will result in minimum effort
- Not obtaining this reward will result in anger
- High workloads make rewards undesirable
- Varying rewards will increase acceptance
- Uncontrolled rewards won‘t affect engagement
- Punishments are avoided at all costs
Additional Reading
Feedback loops
- Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design; Ernest Adams, Joris Dormans
