Key Points in Designing Game Economic Systems

The game economy system plays an important role in game design, not only limiting certain aspects of the gaming experience, but also supporting character development, rewarding players, promoting social interactions, and introducing difficult choices. However, designing an efficient economy system is a daunting task. This article introduces the basics of economy systems from the perspective of game design and explores some potentially useful tools, techniques, and design points to help designers create better economy systems.

What is an economic system

The economic system in the game is similar to the supply and demand market in real life, revolving around currency and resources. Some game economic systems are very complex, even hiring economists to publish economic reports. The benefits of the economic system include the distribution of power, support for specialization, and the promotion of player interaction and role-playing. However, not every game requires the same depth and complexity of the economic system. Currency and resources are the core parts of various economic systems.

Currency and Resources

In simple terms, currency is a conventionally accepted medium of exchange used to purchase goods or services. The key is "exchange." However, in games, the so-called currency is not always real currency, but rather resources used to gain extra lives or protection. The essence of currency is not related to its rarity or value, but to its function as a medium of exchange. Currency often has multiple uses, but it can also have limited uses. Resources play a key role in the currency system, while currency acts as a bridge connecting different parts of the player experience. At the same time, resources can exist completely independent of currency or act as currency themselves. Resources have inherent value, which is usually assigned by converting them into currency.

Key point 1: Identify the currencies and resources in the game. While there may be controversy, taking this step helps to better understand the ecosystem being created.

However, the economic system is not just a list of currencies; it also includes the dynamic relationships between them: the ways they are converted, the paths they take to be generated, and their uses and consumption methods. The commonly used terms in the industry to define these conversion relationships are "sources" and "consumption."

Sources and Sinks

Essentially, the two terms are very straightforward: income is the means of acquiring currency, such as selling items, opening treasure chests, or defeating enemies, while expenditure is the way to spend currency, such as purchasing items, dying, or repairing and upgrading equipment.

Economic designers need to focus on two important aspects of these resource sources and consumption: how many sources and consumption points each currency will have, and the balance between these sources and consumption, which we refer to as "generosity".

Source and consumption quantity

In the game, there are no strict regulations on the number of sources and consumption points. Multiple sources can funnel into a single consumption point, or there can be only one source, for example, the loot obtained from defeating a boss in a Roguelike game, which opens up the endgame system by providing corresponding currency consumption points. The required sources and consumption points for each currency depend on the game system and the expected player experience. Various ways to acquire currency can promote player freedom of choice and individual expression, provided that the sources are balanced. If the game encourages participation in a specific system or rewards specific actions, designing a dedicated currency will immediately stimulate player motivation or create key bottlenecks in the main process.

Having multiple consumption points provides players with meaningful choices and priorities (, such as "What to buy?" or "What to buy first?" ), while having only one consumption point focuses player actions and gameplay on a single, unmissable goal.

Key Point 2: By determining the source of the currency and the number of consumption points, decide the player's initiative and progress in the game.

( generosity

Generosity is crucial for player engagement in economic systems, and it depends on the balance between sources and consumption points. Excessive generosity may lead to players losing interest, while insufficient generosity may cause players to abandon the game. Balance is key.

Excessive generosity can yield short-term benefits, but in the long run, it can lead to disaster, weaken the game system, and affect player motivation. Both extremes can drive players away from the game. Therefore, finding the right level of generosity is crucial to maintaining player interest and engagement.

Key Point 3: Being overly generous or not generous enough can lead to a decrease in player motivation, and designers should carefully track and adjust.

Trying two extremes at different stages of player experience is a feasible suggestion. At the beginning of the game, being overly generous with sources exceeding consumption ) can give players a strong sense of control and progress, enticing them to keep playing. This taps into the psychological need for accumulation that people have, providing immediate feelings of victory. As the game progresses, players' desires and needs become more specific and defined. In this shift, reducing sources and increasing consumption will better satisfy these desires, enhancing player retention and the need to master the game.

Key Point 4: The balance between the source and consumption of currency can change over time: Use this relationship to guide player behavior, satisfying their current needs and motivations.

Of course, in design, every situation is unique, and this balance can take many different forms: do not be afraid to experiment to find the perfect balance that suits the game.

To balance sources and consumption, designers can use a global metric: currency earnings per minute. This metric tells us how much currency players can earn within a certain time frame, allowing for adjustments to consumption points. Applying this metric across the entire game can provide a clear design direction, while applying it to each system can create opportunities. Slightly granting more currency within a certain system relative to the global average is an effective way to incentivize player participation in that system.

Key Point 5: Determine the global per-minute currency earnings for players, then adjust each system accordingly to modify consumption points, helping to shape the overall gaming experience.

In summary, let us recap what we have defined here: the economic system of a game consists of all the currencies and resources, as well as their connections to each system within the game. It plays a central role in the player's gaming experience and greatly influences how players engage and participate in the game. Currency serves as a medium of exchange, enabling transactions through sources and consumption, and the balance between sources and consumption has a significant impact on player motivation and retention.

Designing an economic system is not easy, and one of the biggest challenges is not knowing where to start. Below, some useful methods will be introduced.

Economic Pillar

Before designing an economic system, it is very important to determine the application areas of currency. Instead of just listing different game systems, we should consider how to enhance aspects or pillars in the game through the economic system, and whether there are connections between them. For example, the exploration pillar can be achieved by rewarding players for discovering scarce resources in the region. The cooperation/social pillar can be strengthened through the circulation and appreciation of currency among players, used to purchase community goods to enhance cooperation and interaction. The endgame phase can provide a new ending experience by unlocking unique shops and upgrades with micro-currencies obtained after defeating the game's highest challenges. In the design, we can prioritize these ideas based on the importance and connections of the pillars.

Please note: The game does not require too many economic pillars ( or game pillars ). Take enough time to correctly define what really constitutes your game and include all the game mechanics.

Key Point 6: First, carefully define and outline the economic pillars of the game and understand the interrelationships between them. This will help provide an extremely solid foundation.

Now that we have this foundation, we can start creating currencies! But first, how many types of currencies do we need?

![Game Section: Key Points of Economic System Design]###https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-b21246eb6884b4bbe691feb162be89fb.webp(

Number of Currencies

When designing a game economy system, determining the required amount of currency is a complex issue without a definitive answer. One extreme is having only one currency, associated with all systems, which may lead players to lose the sense of game constraints. The other extreme is having multiple currencies, with each micro-system having its own currency, but this may weaken player agency and the coherence of the game.

A good design should find the right balance point. For example, "Hades" divides currency into three main pillars, each with its own source and consumption. This design aligns with the core mechanics of Rogue-Like games, providing a foundation for an efficient gameplay loop, encouraging players to try again, and offering the best gaming experience.

Therefore, designers need to comprehensively consider factors such as game type, player motivation, and system interaction to find a suitable economic system balance point for the game.

Key Point 7: The required amount of currency will be received by the system, the relationship between them, the game's demands on player initiative and freedom, as well as the constraints on the protective mechanisms that need to be set for key systems.

Suggestion:

Currency is the most basic reward: in every game loop, rewards are at the core, whether external or internal. The simplest and most basic reward to give players is some currency. It is recommended to use sufficiently segmented currency to provide these small rewards.

Caution in currency exchange: Many systems have failed because of situations like this: gems can be exchanged for equipment, equipment can be exchanged for coins, coins can buy tokens, tokens can... Ultimately, all these currencies are interrelated, forming a unified currency system that brings many potential problems. Care should be taken in the exchange between these currencies, or they should be restricted based on the situation. The poor broker in "Hades" provides a way for currency exchange, but at a very high cost.

Design currencies to meet the needs of different player styles: There are various ways to create currencies to achieve specific goals. One efficient solution is to integrate it with the game's economy and core gameplay. Another approach is to consider how players engage in the game: reward their time investment ), for example, by defeating monsters (, rewarding their skill performance ), such as defeating bosses or achieving milestones (, or even rewarding their loyalty ), for example, by gifting daily rewards or offering cross-game universal currencies (.

When designing a currency with specific goals, there is another particularly effective method:

![Game Section: Key Points of Economic System Design])https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-7e2f872fd861eb0542ae38aae29cea9a.webp(

) currency semantics

For each currency, list the relevant verbs as follows:

Coins: Plunder/Sell/Buy/Repair/Earn/Obtain Diamond: Discover/Exchange/Reward/Steal/Protect Iron Ore: Smelting/Trading/Negotiation/Bargaining/Upgrading Other

Doing so can highlight the interactions between different currencies and help you focus on a specific currency, removing or creating new currencies. At the same time, this can bring about entirely new system ideas that may not have been considered before, further enhancing the gaming experience. For example, storing diamonds might make you a target for thieves, and the more diamonds you store, the more protection measures you will need.

Key Point 8: Draw the semantics of currency! This is a