GeekNights Tuesday - Phases of Games

MrPeriod

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of a fascinating article on whether or not the first decision one can make in a Civ V game matters, we discuss the phases of games and how decision trees evolve. Most games break down to three fairly distinct phases: the early, mid, and late game. Why is this the case? In the news, Rym runs afoul of an out of date Civilopedia and Jungle Speed's 20th anniversary comes with a new release.

• Skeletor has ADHD
• Quick-sort with Hungarian folk dance

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jmerm

I would say that high level starcraft sometimes hits a 4th phase.

Earlygame is the opening build, midgame is when you choose one tech path to focus on (bio units or mech units for example) and expand economically, lategame is when you explore the other tech paths, expand further economically and produce units like crazy. Games sometimes hit a 4th phase where the map is running out of resources and you can barely produce units but still have all tech paths open.

Luke Burrage

You have used Hungarian dancing sort algorithms as a Thing of the Day before, I'm pretty sure.

lackofcheese

Yep, they have.

Starfox

I've had exactly the same Civ V experience as Rym vis-à-vis cultural victory. When I just play the game in whatever fashion, I usually end up being able to pick how I want to win. Diplomatic victory? Just pay everyone enough to like you, then trigger a vote. Military? Build some tanks and roll everyone. Scientific? Launch that sucker before anyone can blink.

I went all-in on cultural victory from turn 1 once. Once! I ended up having no gold at the end and unable to do anything meaningful about it. I could build enough military to defend myself, but my economy wasn't there. Ethiopia ended up conquering everyone but me and one other guy, and won in a points landslide.

sK0pe

jmerm said:

I would say that high level starcraft sometimes hits a 4th phase.

Earlygame is the opening build, midgame is when you choose one tech path to focus on (bio units or mech units for example) and expand economically, lategame is when you explore the other tech paths, expand further economically and produce units like crazy. Games sometimes hit a 4th phase where the map is running out of resources and you can barely produce units but still have all tech paths open.

Your midgame is still early game.

Proper late game is when resources are super scarce.

You can win in early, mid or late game.

An opening does not = early game. That would be like saying that an opening technique is the entire early game in chess or deciding on the batting lineup and fielding lineup in (insert bat related game) is the early game.

jmerm

Proper late game is when resources are super scarce..

I'd say there are three distinct phases before resources become scarce. For Zerg there is hatchery-tech, lair-tech and hive-tech. For Protoss there is gateway army, largely gateway with robo or templar or air army and largely robo+templar+air army. Admittedly my distinction doesn't follow as cleanly for Terran but a Terran player needs to be aware of the phase the Zerg or Protoss player is in to react appropriately.

I see why it would make sense to categorize the game into economic expansion, economic stability and economic decline but I think that there are two pretty distinct pieces to the economic expansion phase.