#FACTORIO VS INFINIFACTORY FULL#
#FACTORIO VS INFINIFACTORY SOFTWARE#

Linearity is the enemy of emergent game design, no matter how open the world is. Many AAA titles that try their hand at open world design still lead the player around and tell them what to do in any given situation. However, in order for it to be seen as emergent by the player, they need to figure things out on their own.Įmergent design is about presenting the player with tools that work together to create something bigger In some cases, the designer will integrate some of the possibilities into the game itself.

#FACTORIO VS INFINIFACTORY SOFTWARE#

ID Software had no idea that their mechanics worked like that, but it was quickly adopted as a part of the game.Įmergent game design is never about just one mechanic, but a collection interacting with each other. The evolution of the “rocket jump” in Quake was figured out by combining different elements of the design. How mechanics interact with each other, whether or not explicitly designed, is a major part of designing tools.

In both examples, fire has a specific use, but the potential application is different. As a tool, fire could cook food, destroy wooden structures, heat up water to create steam and so on. If this was a key, then the fire spell could only be used in combat or to destroy specific things. If I have a fire spell in a fantasy game, we can look at the difference of a tool vs. The idea is that a mechanic/item has a set function, but it can be applied to multiple elements in the game. Creating a tool is about designing mechanics with applications and a world that can handle it. Tooling Around:Įmergent game design is usually seen in open-ended games due to the wide berth of systems at play. Thinking about what it means to design a tool is a prerequisite for emergent gameplay. These games provide you with a variety of mechanics that can be combined in interesting ways. Games like Factorio, Infinifactory, Minecraft and so on, are built around tools. The abilities that you pick up for Lara can only be used at specified points in the world and have no other uses.įrameborder='0' allow='accelerometer autoplay encrypted-media gyroscope picture-in-picture' allowfullscreen> The modern Tomb Raider games are guilty of this.

#FACTORIO VS INFINIFACTORY FULL#

The AAA genre is full of games that give you a variety of mechanics, but they are simply keys. A key on the other hand has a specific purpose, but a limited application. A tool has a very specific purpose, but a wide set of applications. You’re not creating explicit mechanics with only one purpose, but creating something with a variety of applications. This kind of design requires a special way of thinking and building your game. For today’s post, I want to talk about a very simple philosophy of design, and how it can lead to very big things.Įmergent game design is all about simple mechanics that interact and grow with each other. Creating mechanics that can lead to new elements or systems is a Holy Grail concept. Emergent game design is one of the hardest, if not the hardest part of game design.

Factorio vs infinifactory