thread: 2006-03-06 : Unpopular Idea #2: Punish the Loser
On 2006-03-07, Roger wrote:
Maybe it's time for a bit of definition:
Death Spiral, or Vicious Circle, or Positive Feedback Loop: A property of game systems by which the result of one resolution makes that same result more likely for future resolutions. (See also attractor.)
Example 1: If a character is hit by his opponent in combat, he suffers some condition which makes it easier for his opponent to hit him again.
Example 2: A character's ability to increase his wealth is a function of his current wealth, so that the richer he is, the easier it is to become richer still.
The attractor in Example 1 is character death. The attractor in Example 2 is infinite character wealth.
Counter-Example 1: If a character is hit by his opponent in combat, he loses some amount of HP currency, but his ability to retaliate is not affected. There is no feedback mechanism in this system.
Counter-Example 2: If a character is hit by his opponent in combat, he loses some amount of HP currency, but gains some amount of Rage currency, which makes it easier for him to retaliate. This is a Negative Feedback Loop.
Counter-Example 3: The richer a character is, the easier it is to become richer still, but wealth becomes less and less useful as it increases. This is Diminishing Returns, which moderates (but does not eliminate) the effects of a Positive Feedback Loop. (It moves the attractor, in other words.)
Cheers,
Roger
