Construction and management simulator

Economics

The economy is of paramount importance in the simulators of construction and management, since in these games the construction of various objects takes place in the conditions of economic constraints ^[6] . In some games, the user needs to explore or come to an understanding of the game principles, but most games pose an economic problem for the player. In other words, these games are aimed at ensuring growth ^[6] . For these games, settings are used, where there is a manageable economy, as a rule, it is a kind of community, organization or empire ^[2] . The role of a player rarely corresponds to analogues in real life, since usually a player is more involved in making small decisions than a manager or administrator in reality ^[6] . The player usually has two types of tools - one designed for construction, the other for management ^[1] .

In construction and management simulators, there is a tendency for two types of construction to exist in games: “plan and build” ( Eng. Plan-and-build ), where the construction is being built gradually, and “buy and place” ( Eng. Purchase and place ), when construction takes place instantly ^[6] . Accidental disasters create additional problems for construction ^[1] , and in some games there are restrictions on how different objects should be built ^[6] . However, usually the construction operation is carried out very simply ^[6] , and the main task in the construction and management simulators is finding the resources required for the construction ^[1] . The player must manage resources, ensuring the growth of an economy in which resources are produced, spent and exchanged ^[1] . Resources are extracted from the source as money from a bank or gold from a mine. In some construction and management simulators, a player can transform resources of one type into another, for example, rum can be made from sugar by fermentation ^[1] . Common resources include money, people, and building materials ^[6] . Resources are used in one of the following ways: for construction, when a player builds or buys objects to achieve some goals, or for maintenance, when a player makes regular payments to prevent losses or destruction ^[1] . In some cases, the demolition of buildings requires a waste of resources, but more often it does not require resources ^[6] .

Goals

Simulators of construction and management, as a rule, provide the player only single-player mode. As a result, competition forces players to avoid being creative for greater efficiency in competition for resources ^[6] . In games, there is usually a free construction mode in which the player can build as he sees fit, which reflects the player’s creative approach and his desire for control ^[6] . Essentially, construction and management simulators lack clear criteria for victory. However, a player may lose at any time due to bankruptcy due to lack of resources ^[1] . In these games, emphasis is placed on growth, so players must successfully manage their economies to be able to build larger facilities and gain even more creative power ^[6] .

Unlike most other games, in the construction and management simulators, progress on the storyline is rarely present, and the level design is an ordinary space where the player can build. Some games offer pre-created scenarios in which victory conditions can be set such as reaching a certain level of wealth or overcoming a difficult situation. However, success in one scenario rarely has an effect in another scenario, so players often select them randomly ^[6] .

Interface

Due to the fact that the player controls a complex game economy, construction and management simulators are often developed with a window interface ^[6] . Compared to action games , construction and control simulators provide the player with computer-style control, for example, using drop-down menus and buttons. The player can assess the state of the economy using graphs and other analytical tools. Also, the player often has assistants who warn the player about problems or describe current needs ^[6] . In general, the interface in construction and control simulators is one of the most complex in computer games in general ^[1] . These games can be quite popular without using the latest advances in computer graphics ^[1] .

The player in the construction and management simulators is usually ubiquitous and does not even have an avatar. The player is often provided with an isometric view of the game world or, in modern three-dimensional games, a freely moving camera that "takes" from the air ^[6] . In the game world, there is usually a technique or people who react to the player’s actions, but the player rarely has the ability to give direct orders ^[6] .

One of the first games where the player controlled the city-state economy was The Sumer Game for PDP-8 computers, a later version of which is known as Hamurabi . This is a fairly simple game that works in text mode.

The Utopia game, released in 1982 on the Intellivision console, became known as the game, thanks to which the genre of construction and management simulators arose ^[7] . The player becomes responsible for the island, he submits to the entire economy and all troops. It is necessary that the population remain happy, and the troops are strong enough to suppress the rebels and repel the attacks of the pirates. The player is required to come to complex conclusions, while other games of that time relied mainly on reflexes. Sales went well enough, and the game itself influenced games of all genres ^[8] .

In 1983, Koei released the historic Nobunaga's Ambition game. In it, the player assumes the role of the historical person of Oda Nobunaga and must conquer, unify and rule the Japanese people. The game combines complex mathematical calculations, the history of Japan , global strategy , as well as aspects such as raising taxes or sending rice to prefectures ^[9] . Nobunaga's Ambition continued to refine and define standards for most games in the genre of simulations on video game consoles ^[10] . After the game, many sequels were released in which Koei continued to create games in the genre of simulations, including the series of games Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1986) and Bandit Kings of Ancient China (1989). Also in 1989, Capcom released its own simulation game - Destiny of an Emperor , the action in which is based on the history of China ^[9] .

Utopia also had a significant impact on the SimCity game, which was released in 1989 ^[8] and is considered the first major success among construction and management games ^{[6] [7]} . SimCity allows the player to build a city on unoccupied land and manage it. In the course of this, he solves such problems as balancing the budget and maintaining public opinion. After the release, the game was rated as a complex simulator of urban development ^[11] . Since the game did not have typical for that time high-speed, intense gameplay, the game was not intended for the widest possible audience ^[6] . The game also gained fame for refusing to use the win-or-lose system, traditional for the games of its time. ^[11] After SimCity , a large number of sequels and spinoffs were released ^[12] . The game was recognized for the invention of the genre of urban simulation ^[13] . SimCity's ideas also led to other successful construction and management simulators. These are games such as SimTower and SimFarm ^[6] . Thanks to them, game designer Will Wright has become one of the most influential people in the computer games industry ^[14] . The game ultimately influenced the games of the Tycoon series, which also became important representatives of the genre ^[6] .

Over time, the genre developed into several varieties.

Urban Simulator

A city-planning simulator is a kind of genre of construction and management simulators in which the player acts as a city-planning designer or the head of the city. Usually the player observes the city from above (“from the sky”) and at the same time controls the development of the virtual city. The player manages the allocation of land for development and controls such features of urban management as determining salaries and work priorities, while in fact the construction is carried out by game citizens who are non - player characters . Elements of urban simulation can be found in many games of the genre of construction and management simulators. At the same time, the game can simulate not a city, but, for example, an empire (as in Goodgame Empire or Age of Empires ), a zoo or any other territory where construction and management are possible, as well as their simulation.

Economic Simulator

Economic simulators are a subspecies of the genre of construction and management simulators, where the subject of the simulation is a certain business or other economic object. In these games, control is usually more represented than construction. Instead of acquiring buildings directly, construction can be presented in a more abstract form, for example, in the form of an acquisition of shares.

A typical example of a “pure” economic simulator is the game Capitalism, the goal of which is to create an industrial and financial empire. Another example of an economic simulator is Transport Tycoon .

Political Simulator

Political simulator is a game that simulates the government and politics of the whole country or some part of it. In these games, there may be a geopolitical component (including the formation and conduct of foreign policy), the creation of internal political rules, or the simulation of political campaigns ^[15] . They differ from the games of the wargame genre by the rejection of military or action elements or their abstract character.

Games based on elections or geopolitics existed long before the advent of personal computers and their ability to quickly process large amounts of statistical data. One of the earliest such games is The Game of Politics , created by Oswald Lord in 1935 ^[16] , which remained popular until 1960. In 1954, the board game " Diplomacy " was created, which, unlike other wargames , contains the phase of "negotiations". In this phase, players can negotiate with each other to subsequently conduct military operations simultaneously ^[17] . National politics remained an important part of board games, which was manifested in the creation of games such as Die Macher (1986), based on the elections in Germany ^[18] , or Wreck the Nation , which ridicules US policy since the presidency of George W. Bush ^[19] .

Amusement park management

The first known game based on managing an amusement park is Theme Park . The idea of ​​creating such games is attributed to Peter Molyneux , who believed that this genre is worthy of attention ^[20] . Another game in the genre, RollerCoaster Tycoon , was created by Chris Sawyer ^[21] . This series of games was successful, and a series of sequels was created, including RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 .

After the release of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, interest in the genre disappeared for about a decade ^[22] . In 2016, several games were released in the genre, for example, RollerCoaster Tycoon World and Planet Coaster . In the same year, Parkitect was released on Steam’s Early Access Site ^[23] .

Colony Management

Colony management is a subspecies of the genre of construction and management simulators. The number of games in this subspecies of the genre is relatively small due to their niche nature. In these games, both construction and management are widely used with higher detail than in other games. Examples of such games can be Dwarf Fortress or RimWorld , and the authors of the latter game drew inspiration from the first ^[24] .