Using Mathematical Models in Game Design: A Survival Mechanics Case

Abstract

Game Mechanics are the methods that players use to interact with and play the game; each stage’s progress depends on their design. The type of mechanics employed at a game depends on the feelings that game designers want the players to feel. Most mechanics are straightforward and require little to no optimization whereas some mechanics can be complex enough to make players spend hours, if not days, to learn and master them. While every game revolves through a set of rules, the element of unpredictability should be integrated in the game so as to sustain the player’s eagerness to keep playing. The design should be focused on setting scenarios that allow the players to show their skills and strategies. The game as an end product is obtained through a complex trial and error process, which can be better handled by the fundamentals of mathematics. Starting from the basic mechanisms to the most essential ones, a variety of factors influence their development throughout the game. Especially for survival games, stats such as thirst, stamina, hunger, sleep requirements, might be modeled as dependent on the effects of variations on these elements. Also, the correlation between each variation’s effects to mechanic elements can only be explained by clear mathematical models. In this study, we will be creating a mathematical model framework for survival mechanics that will consist of various nonlinear functions that affect each other, and in exchange affected by different consumables or states that players will face in the game.