Big Changes in a Small Game

An analysis of the Systems Theory applied within the development cycle of a competitive table top game.

Cody Martell

Article Review

• The Article that stems this slide show comes from early May, 2014. It was the first article discussing Wave IV for the X-Wing Miniatures game.

• What made this one stand out from past Wave articles was the expansion pack it focused on. The expansion pack had new content that would have drastic effects on the meta-game for years to come.

• New Waves of content are always being made through a constant development cycle, much like that of the Systems Theory.

Systems Theory

• The development cycle of any competitive and/or marketable game is never ending. New content is always needed to the keep the business alive and organic changes must occur for a healthy game-meta.

• The Systems Theory holding the balance of ‘Input-Throughput-Output’, is critical to this development cycle.

• It allows for a loop of the developer’s ideas to organically mesh with it’s player base, only for the results of one cycle to affect the following ones.

Phase I: Input

• For a game like X-Wing to continue to grow, the game needs new content that can help address issues with the current game; while still introducing new ideas and directions for it to grow.

• These problems that need to be addressed and the creative ideas for the future serve as the baseline of the ‘Input’ for the development process.

The Meta Crisis of 2014

• At the time that the article had been published, the meta of the game was uneven. One faction had superior tactical options than the other, and the common match-up was the same.

• Imagine if in a game of football every player on each team was playing as a quarter back.

• There is no longer a purpose to the game as there are many components needed to make it a game at all.

Click here for an easy definition on Meta-Game

• If the game is stuck in a loop where every player uses the same strategy, people get upset.

• Games aren’t fun if there’s no variety, if there’s no fun no wants to play, if no one wants to the play profits go down.

• The factors of a poor Meta-Game combined with an itch to make something new, resulted in the creation of Wave IV.

Phase II: Throughput

• Throughput is defined in the Systems Theory as the push-and-pull process that is refining the solution to the given Input. Many parts coming together to create something bigger than the sum of the different parts.

• The refining, testing, and balancing of a new expansion for a competitive game is exactly that. A game company simply cannot produce a new product without ensuring that it will mesh well with the already existing game.

Approaching from Multiple Angles

• In this process, there is more than one direction that the problems/solutions are tackled. There are many things within the game itself that will all be effected by everything that the new product will hold.

• This refining and balancing of ideas eventually boil down to the outcome that game developers want. Maybe they see more of X and less of Y as the proper way for things to balance out, for Z amount of reasons.

• Many outside sources can be drawn upon for ideas for this phase, whether it be from current players, statistics, past experiences, etc.

Hopes of Good Output• The cause-and-effect balance shapes up to

what the developers hope to the be Output that they want out of the Throughput process.

• Ideally, they want to address all issues from the Input phase while incorporating the baseline of an Output that will mesh with the past cycle’s Output.

• This in turn creates the next cycle’s Input phase, but hopefully one without actual issues. Although this rarely happens.

What Did They Come Up With?• The final product is what the original article was about.

The “TIE Phantom”. While to the average person it doesn’t really mean anything, this expansion had drastic, rippling effects on the Meta-Game

• What it did was add a ship to the game with significantly higher damage output than the rest of the faction it belonged too; while incorporating an entirely new movement-mechanic to go in addition to only that ship.

• Imagine a V8, 12 cylinder engine and 40-inch tires on a Prius.

Phase III: Output

• The Output phase is the end result and while it is definitively the last phase, it is only the end of one cycle in context to game development.

• The simplest comparison to the Output would be what the new Meta-Game evolves into; in response to the new content.

• Players will ultimately tinker with the new capabilities of the game and push it to its limits. Even limits that the developers may not have foreseen.

It Is What It Is

• The TIE Phantom was created in response to the current Meta of its time. What the developers didn’t expect however, was that this new expansion wouldn’t balance the Meta. It instead overtook it and became the problem it was meant to solve.

• Players took the new possibilities and essentially performed their own ‘Throughput’ phase to create their own ‘Output’ phase. This resulted in an even worse Meta-Game than before the TIE Phantom’s arrival.

An Imperfect Cycle

• This new imbalance of the game resulted in the game of football described earlier. Every player wanted to be the quarterback, or in this case, everyone wanted to utilize the TIE Phantom to its maximum potential.

• The then-emerging Meta-Game was the final form of the Output phase, it was the result. With this new Meta of course, new problems surfaced and changes were needed.

• So how does FFG respond?

The Response

• FFG later published this article to address the TIE Phantom issue and a few other small things. Rather than go through the whole cycle again to only create another monstrosity they issued out this errata article to change the rules.

• It actually worked to a good degree and was the smart move. If creating one problem to solve another didn’t work, it’s nice to see they didn’t repeat the mistake.

Improvements?

• So how could these fiascos be avoided in the future? FFG could certainly spend more time testing their ideas before officially publishing them. Or maybe it’s not a matter of time but instead a matter of resources.

• The issue with all waves of content created for this game and others like it is the unforeseen future of the respective game’s player base.

Improvements.• So instead of continually waiting to see how

players respond months down the line, what if they brought those very people into the testing teams?

• Much like the hacker who got past Sony’s network and is now their Cyber Security Officer.

• The individuals who find the hidden issues with products could serve the team well with doing exactly that. Just before they release instead of after now.

Alphas & Betas

• The video game industry often hosts Alpha and Beta testing. Some are closed to the public while others are open. These tests serve the purpose of what the past two slides discussed.

• Thorough testing done by the user base before anything officially releases.

• Could the table top game industry try this? Since they’re not digital like video games; how?

Expanding Horizons• There are various different programs

online that board game simulators. Vassal and TTS, to name a few. The developers could release digital versions of their expansions for a limited time.

• This allows the developers to have at least a glimpse at their Output phase before it actually happens. Rather than being completely blind.

Two people playing virtual Othello on TTS

Recap

• The Systems Theory ties in closely with the development cycle of expansions for board games. Developers must react to the past, incorporate their own creativity, and still predict the future of their game; then react to that.

• While it is not a perfect system, there are quick solutions. Errata’s rule changes can reverse poor decisions but ultimately look shameful on the developers track record.

• There’s no perfect solution, but certainly alternatives and possibilities.

Works Cited

• FFG. "Cloaked In Battle." Fantasy Flight Games. FFG, 4 May. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2017

• FFG. "Updated Pilot Manuals." Fantasy Flight Games. FFG, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.