Simulation Games

<div id= "box">Hello there! This will take you through some of the ways that simulation games can and have modeled systems, and their benefits. Click [[words]] that are highlighted to go to other pages. There may be [[multiple->words]] words on screen, but don't worry: there's a back button on the left so if you get stuck press it.</div>

<div id= "box">Game theory can be applied to urban systems to understand them greatly. There are many types of simulation games, from ones made for fun, or science, or health etc. Games focused on the aspects of urban life areespecially intriguing because city life is composed of so many interlocking systems. There is the use of [[Transportation]]. the management of limited [[Resources]], amd the use of [[Land]] within these urban sprawls.

<div id= "box">Agent based simulation uses something similar to the persona research method we studied. The agents, orcharacters, are given attributes, such as what their generosity vs frugalness, or what job they have. Examples: [[Humans of New York]]

<div id= "box">A narrative tree is what you are playing right now! Its essentially a bunch of choices that lead to each other, like a choose-your-own adventure book. The choices are in sequential order, requiring previous input to continue. Examples: [[narrative tree example]]

<div id= "box">Humans of New York is a simulation of an urban neighborhood, packed with people going about their daily lives, eating food, getting jobs, calling in sick, etc. The basic building block of the game is the agents, or people. This type of simulation is called [[agent-based simulation->Agent based]]. To illustrate how it works, here's a [[mock->agent-based simulation]] example <img src= http://i.imgur.com/3kOy2P5.gif>

[[blec]]

<div id= "box">(put: (prompt: "What's your name?") into $name) Your name is $name(if: $name is "")[Heather]. You have $(random: 100,1) in your wallet. Living in your home is a (put: (either: "cat", "dog", "fish", "sheep") into $pet) $pet named (put: (either: "Sardine", "Smelly", "Rocket", "Catfish") into $petName)$petName. You are (put: (either: "frugal", "generous") into $greed)$greed and (put: (either: "introverted", "outgoing") into $social)$social. What do you want to do? [[Get a job]] [[Talk to $pet->Pet]] [[Make a freind]]

<div id= "box">Many narrative trees have what is called a 'bell curve'. They branch first outward, the first few options leeading to a variaty of situations. As these desicsions branch out, culmutivly the tree exapnds. It is miday. There is a tree in front of you. [[Sleep under the tree]] [[Crawl up the tree]]

<div id= "box">You take a nap under the tree and contemplate how your choice led to a diffrent world. [[Dream]] [[Wake up]]

<div id= "box">As you climb the tree you contemplate how your choice led to a diffrent world. There is a bird nest up here. [[Grab an egg->Fall]] [[Climb higher]]

<div id= "box">Double-click this passage to edit it. [[Wake up]]

<div id= "box">[[Wake up]]

Oddly, you feel like your choices may have not had as many consquences as you orginally thought. Almost like they all converge back into themselves so as to not become ungainly.

<div id= "box">You climb to the top...

<div id= "box">Oddly, you feel like your choices may have not had as many consquences as you orginally thought. Almost like they all converge back into themselves so as to not become ungainly.

<div id= "box">//The role of an agent in a system is a very important definition of what their purpose is. By playing this part they can change its makeup. This is essential in Humans of a Simulated New York to how the ecconomy of the game is shaped// (if: $social is "outgoing")[You do pretty well in the interview and landed the job, thanks to your outgoing nature!](else: you flub the interview and life) [[Go to lunch]] [[Take a nap]] [[Work]]

<div id= "box">(if: $social is "outgoing")[You have an extremely conginitve talk with speech with $petName.] (if: $social is "introverted")[You can barely bring yourself to talk to $petName.] [[Get a job]] [[Make a freind]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/fRRyewq.png><div id= "box">Transportation is a vital part of modern life. //Mini Metro// is a simulation game of subway systems.The core mechanic, the most essential interaction in the game, is building subway lines between stations. [[Continue]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/ROXQdXb.png><div id= "box">Resources are important there is a game called Block'Hood. Everything we use has to come from somewhere and will still exist in some form after our use. Understanding the path that objects can take over time is essential to [[coexisting with the world]].

<div id= "box">Communities are a very relatable system because they form the basis of soical interactions. They also share a lot in common with games, from the needs (goals) of people and their actions to attain those needs (play). Simulations can excel at modeling and facileting social ____. One such game is [[Humans of New York]].

<img src= http://imgur.com/bnskw20.png><div id= "box">Farming, one of the most important human inovations. Time to make some crops! [[Great!->coexisting with the world]]

<div id= "box">//An important part of agent based simulations is the interaction between diffrent people and how their attributes effect the event.// You leave your apartment and (if: $social is "outgoing")[immediatly make many freinds. Too many in fact!](else:)[you are so self absorbed as to forget that the reason you went out was to make freinds]

MDA (Mechanics, Dynamics, and Asethics There are many types of simulation games, from ones made for fun, or science, or health etc. Games focused on the aspects of urban life areespecially intriguing because city life is composed of so many interlocking systems.

<div id= "box">The use of land can be seen through the lense of games. When studying property development in the Netherlands, Ary Samsura, Erwin Van der Krabben, and Adrian Van Deemen applied game theory to land policy. They used a [[Narrative Tree]] tree, where each choice leads to a particular outcome, whose value had been calculated for relevant parties.

<img src= http://imgur.com/mqcxU2P.png><div id= "box">The reason they are called narrative trees is because they branch outward, becoming increasingly expansive. This is true of //A game theory approach to the analysis of land//. It maps out land developer's choices for what land to buy. [[Emulation of land development->Buy more land]] (set: $owned to "A house, ") (set: $cash to 20000) (set: $income to 100)

You go to eat lunch. [[Get a sandwich]]($7) [[Cup of Soup]]($6) [[Handful of walnuts]]($2)

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There are two stations (random: 0,9) Street Station and (random: "Simulation", "Game", "Agent", "Narrative") (random: "Square", "Junction", "Center", "Garden", "Terminal"). Passengers need to get between the two and bus service is not enough. [[Build a subway line between the two]] [[Extend an existing line between the stations]]

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//Mini Metro's limits on the number of subway lines the player can build restricts them from unrealistcly building too many trains// Because you are not having to build a completly new subway line it is much more cost effective.

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(set: $buildings to (datamap:"empty lot", 1500, "apartment complex", 25000, "cafe", 15000, "office", 40000, "house", 10000, "deli", 12000))(set: $production to (datamap: "empty lot", 0, "apartment complex", 2500, "cafe", 2000, "office", 5000, "house", 500, "deli", 2200))(set: $building to (either: "empty lot", (either: "apartment complex", "cafe", "office", "house", "deli")))(set: $building to (either: "empty lot", (either: "apartment complex", "cafe", "office", "house", "deli")))(set: $cost to ($buildings's $building))(if: $building is "office")[<img src= http://imgur.com/pWiMy76.png>](elseif: $building is "apartment complex")[<img src= http://imgur.com/4jRc0hP.png>](elseif: $building is "cafe")[<img src= http://imgur.com/RSXxk8R.png>](elseif: $building is "deli")[<img src= http://imgur.com/wv4ARpb.png>](else:)[<img src= http://imgur.com/0z7NE2K.png>]<div id= "box">The building costs $$cost and you have $$cash. It generates $(print: $production's $building) every month. (if: $cash >= $cost)[ [[Buy]]](elseif: $cash < $cost)[Too expensive] [[Create a joint venture for purchase]] [[Pass]]

(if: $building is "office")[<img src= http://imgur.com/pWiMy76.png>](elseif: $building is "apartment complex")[<img src= http://imgur.com/4jRc0hP.png>](elseif: $building is "cafe")[<img src= http://imgur.com/RSXxk8R.png>](elseif: $building is "deli")[<img src= http://imgur.com/wv4ARpb.png>](else:)[<img src= http://imgur.com/0z7NE2K.png>]<div id= "box">You buy the $building for (print: $cost)(set: $owned to $owned + "a " + $building + ", ")(set: $cash to $cash - $cost). You own: $owned (set: $income to $income + $product) You currently have $cash and have an income of $$income every month. [[Buy more land]] [[Sell land]] [[Develop land]](set: $building to "")(set: $cash to $cash + $income)

(if: $building is "office")[<img src= http://imgur.com/pWiMy76.png>](elseif: $building is "apartment complex")[<img src= http://imgur.com/4jRc0hP.png>](elseif: $building is "cafe")[<img src= http://imgur.com/RSXxk8R.png>](elseif: $building is "deli")[<img src= http://imgur.com/wv4ARpb.png>](else:)[<img src= http://imgur.com/0z7NE2K.png>]<div id= "box">You own: $owned (set: $income to $income + $product) You currently have $cash and have an income of $$income every month. [[Buy more land]] [[Sell land]] [[Develop land]] [[Back out->words]](set: $building to "")(set: $cash to $cash + $income)

<img src= http://imgur.com/oYQxeqW.png><div id= "box">Algae farms are one of the ways to recycle greywater, or waste water, and sanitize it for reuse. It also can be used as a powerful biofuel for creating power. [[Water solved.->coexisting with the world]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/BYj28UE.png><div id= "box">Fog collectors use a large vertical canvas to pick up water droplets and condense them into usable liquid. [[Water solved.->coexisting with the world]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/4P13BZr.png><div id= "box">Solar panels can produce power from the sun and can even be cheaper in some areas. [[Great->coexisting with the world]]

<div id= "box">.There are things essential to daily urban life such as water, food and vertical that are taken for granted. How could you produce these things for yourself? (if: (history:) contains "Water")[Water is solved.](else:)[ [[Water]]] (if: (history:) contains "Farms")[Food is sorted.](else:)[ [[Food]]] (if: (history:) contains "Electricity")[Power nominal.](else:)[ [[Electricity]]] (if: (history:) contains "Water")[(if: (history:) contains "Farms")[(if: (history:) contains "Electricity")[ [[Autarky is now yours!->words]]]

<div id= "box">Water is one of the most important things to our survival. How can you produce water in a cyclic and self involved way? [[Algae farm]] [[Fog collector]] [[Well]]

<div id= "box">(if: (history:) contains "Water")[Being able to procure food is essential to living. Where our food is coming from and how it is produced is an increasingly important question to be asking as our modern agricultural system becomes further disconnected from people. You could produce food through: [[Farms]] ](else:)[You are going to need water to produce any food. [[Back->coexisting with the world]]]

<div id= "box">Electricity is needed for a myriad of functions in modern urban life. [[Solar paneling]] [[Biofuel]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/vl2JIbi.png><div id= "box"><img src= http://imgur.com/vl2JIbi.png>Digging for water is one way to gain it, but it is a comparatively linear method. Once the water has been extracted, without rainfall the well will dry up. [[Water solved... for now.->coexisting with the world]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/bdS5jb1.png><div id= "box">Biofuel can be made of renewable organic material, and already cover 10% of the world's energy demmands, most of this coming from fuel wood. [[Go green->coexisting with the world]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/Hvcq3oM.png><div id= "box">There are two subway lines red and blue. A developing part of the city is now in desperate need of a connection to the network. How should it be connected? [[Build a new line for the area]] [[Extend the red line to the area]] [[Extend the blue line to the area]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/phoSgya.png><div id= "box"> Building a new line is expensive, and also inefficient. Passengers who need to transfer to the blue line must also take the red line, slowing down their travel. [[But more is better...->words]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/2PbxWpd.png><div id= "box"> The red line new turn slows down the train as well as the Passengers ride. They also need have to take an extra stop to connect to the blue route, further slowing down many rides. [[Wrong wire?->words]]

<img src= http://imgur.com/Foyov3a.png><div id= "box">Extending the blue line is the most logical, since it gives people an easy transfer to the red line as well as not adding any new turns to the train's route. [[Right choice!->words]]

<img srchttp://imgur.com/cPzRLXG><div id= "box">The goal is to transfer passengers to their end destinations without overcrowding stations. Even in these basic mechanics two key issues are represented: people’s need for fast transport from one part of the city to another and the overtaxing of public transport. Here's a [[simple puzzle]] to illustrate this game mechanic being applied to an urban space.

(set: $buildings to (datamap:"empty lot", 1500, "apartment complex", 25000, "cafe", 15000, "office", 40000, "house", 10000, "deli", 12000))(set: $production to (datamap: "empty lot", 0, "apartment complex", 2500, "cafe", 2000, "office", 5000, "house", 500, "deli", 2200))(set: $product to (round: $production's $building / (either: 2, 3, 4)))(set: $cost to ($buildings's $building)/2)(if: $building is "office")[<img src= http://imgur.com/pWiMy76.png>](elseif: $building is "apartment complex")[<img src= http://imgur.com/4jRc0hP.png>](elseif: $building is "cafe")[<img src= http://imgur.com/RSXxk8R.png>](elseif: $building is "deli")[<img src= http://imgur.com/wv4ARpb.png>](else:)[<img src= http://imgur.com/0z7NE2K.png>]<div id= "box">By sharing the costs with another developer, you have reduced the cost down to $$cost. You have $$cash. You will be getting $(print: $product) from the buildings income. (if: $cash >= $cost)[ [[Buy]]](elseif: $cash < $cost)[Too expensive] [[Pass]]

<div id= "box">You can sell the following parcels of land: $owned [[Buy more land]] [[Develop land]]

Not implemented yet.

(set: $buildings to (datamap:"empty lot", 1500, "apartment complex", 25000, "cafe", 15000, "office", 40000, "house", 10000, "deli", 12000))

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