Game Analysis : Frostpunk Resource Analysis by Izzan

Image Source : gog.com

GAME ANALYSIS REPORT Frostpunk by 11 bit studios

By Izzan Bacharrudin Soedarsono Game Analysis Course - Aalto University - Game Design and Productions

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Structure 1.

Introduction a. What is Frostpunk b. Why Frostpunk c. Core Gameplay d. Resource Analysis

2.

Game Mechanics a. Core Element in Frostpunk b. Heating i. Central Heater ii. Steam Hub iii. Heater c.

Resources i. Coal Production Comparison ii. Wood Production iii. Steel Production

3.

Game Analysis a. Consumption vs Production b. Steam Hub vs Heater

4.

Conclusion a. Findings b. Suggestions

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Introduction

A.

What is Frostpunk ?

“Become a leader of a steam-powered City, the last bastion of humanity.

Oversee your society, manage resources and make difficult, ambiguous choices. But whatever you do, always remember: The City Must Survive

Frostpunk is a city building survival game where heat means life and the player need goal is need to maintain heat. Players will become the leader of a steam-powered City to survive in the alternate-time frozen world, by controlling and optimization resource management, thoughtful and emphatic decision making, and develop steam-powered technology to oppose the overwhelming colds [1]. As the synopsis of Frostpunk said [1] :

“In the summer of 1886 the snowstorms began. Crops failed, people starved.

Millions fled south. They met only chaos, famine, and death. In the farthest reaches of the resource-rich north, the British Empire began construction of heat-bearing generators, where a chosen few could survive safe from the chaos of crumbling civilization. They ran out of time. An apocalyptic ice storm came from the south, devouring all in its path. People fled in panic. Some managed to cross the seas and reach the site of a generator only to find it frozen solid. The generator was designed to power a city capable of weathering the end of the world. It falls to us to build it.�

As city building games fans, I perceive Frostpunk is unique on the genre because it has a survival mechanism based on resource management, city planning, and decision making. Empathic and thoughtful decision making become an important element that enchants. The unique gameplay mechanic makes Frostpunk awarded as Best Sim 2018 Game by PCGamer [2].

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Introduction

B.

Why Analyze Frostpunk ?

This game mechanic where using the skill of resource management as a way to survive is the hook why I intrigued to investigate Frostpunk. The reason I choose Frostpunk as my game analysis topic because I want to discover moreover of the formula that determines the resource management game mechanics. This insight can beneficially for me to learn about how to design the resource mechanic in the game that will build the game to be balanced. Balancing game with judging how resources can be achieved and consume are the skills that can be implemented for designing my own strategy games in the future.

C.

Core Gameplay

Survival is the main goal of the game by maintaining heat to oppose of the overwhelming coldness. Player will play as Leader, who is responsible to keep city alive. Leader need to maintain the main source of heat, Generator. To keep generator turn on, player need resource coal to light up the generator. The weather temperature can be drop gradually over time and require more advance technology generator to generate higher temperature, but consume more coal. Facilities need to be upgraded in order increasing coal production and building additional building that can help city alive, such as medical facility. To upgrade and build new building, player need metal and wood resources.

People need to be assigned in particular job to gain the resource, finding food, or working in workshop. If the tech already reach in certain level, it’s possible to using machine to substitute human. Leader also have to maintain the citizen food and health to keep them alive. Sometimes there is some accident where force player to choose the decision. The decision can be useful for the current time but will threaten the future, or vice versa. Citizen can also coup d'etat the leader if they are not satisfied with the him/her.

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Introduction In my opinion, after playing and analyzing Frostpunk for weeks, there are three important element that affecting on resource management in the game :

Resource :

Heating :

Workforce :

Resource that used for keep

In order to keep alive in

Facilities, building, or mine

generator on, create building,

struggling cold, generator

need to be run by people or

keep people alive, and creating

need turn on to keep the heat.

machine to be active.

new tech.

Requires coal to fuel the

Sometimes, there will be occur

generator.

obstacle such as accident, broken machine, or death that will affecting the effectiveness of the building.

D.

Analysis Focus

For this analysis report, I will be focus on analyzing Resource and Heating elements in the Frostpunk. The reason I choose these element because in my opinion these elements is inseparable core mechanic that determine the make Frostpunk balance.

Workforce element also determine the the resource production effecient, but it has vary factor that can be affecting. In this analysis, the workforce effectiveness will be set at 100% in order to reveals the capability and the balance of the resources. All the data in this analysis obtained from writer own data and Frostpunk gamepedia. (https://frostpunk.gamepedia.com/Frostpunk)

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Game Mechanics A.

CORE MECHANICS

Resource, Heating, and Workforce are three important element that affecting resource in order to survive facing the overwhelming coldness. Maintaining Heating to keep the city alive that requires coal, Resources that affecting the city development (coal, wood, steel). In this analysis, the workforce effectiveness will be set at 100% efficiency in order to reveals the capability and the balance of the resources.

B.

HEATING

In Frostpunk, there are 3 kind of heating system. Generator is the main central of the heating and located on the center of the city, Steam Hub is the miniature version of generator that will heat surrounding area and has same temperature with the generator that player used. Heater is a heating system that can be installed in every buildings and generate its own temperature.

Every heating system requires different coal, depends on the temperature setting.

Basically, Generator and Steam Hub has similarity heat level. If player upgrade the generator heat level, Steam Hub will follow it. Heater is exceptional, where its has their own temperature level and not based with the Generator.

HEATER

GENERATOR .“

STEAM HUB

6 Image Source : pwrdown.com

Game Mechanics GENERATOR Generator will consume different coal based on the generator Heat Level and Heat Range.

The bigger heat level on generator, the higher temperature that will generate but more coal will be needed. The bigger heat range level will produce bigger radius of heat, and also will required more coal. Generator can upgrade to 2 level of efficiency. The first upgrade give 10% less coal, and the second upgrade give 10% less coal. The chart below show how many total coal will be needed in daily basis (24 hour)

No Efficiency Upgrade

Efficiency Upgrade LV1

Efficiency Upgrade LV2

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Game Mechanics STEAM HUB Similar with generator, steam hub also has some mechanics with generator. But what makes differences with generator are static heat radius and follows main generator heat level. Steam hub can be upgrade for raise the heat radius and coal consumption efficiency. Steam hub can be useful for installing heating system in some place that far from the central generator. The chart below show how many total coal will be needed in daily basis (24 hour) per steam hub.

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Game Mechanics HEATER Heater has its own temperature level and can be upgrade up to 3 level in total. Unlike in generator and steam hub, Heater temperature can’t be adjustable overtime. Heater can be useful for increasing heat in specific building. By the combination of heat from generator or steam hub, heater can provide a hot temperature that can be comfortable for workers in the building. Heater usually can only installed in working building type. The chart below show how many total coal will be needed in daily basis (24 hour)) per heater (or per building).

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Game Mechanics C.

RESOURCE

In Frostpunk, there are 4 resources. Coal is the fuel of generator (heating system), Iron and Wood is for material that required in construction building, create automaton, or upgrade tech, and Food for providing ration to citizens.

1.

Coal Production There are two ways in order to gain coals in the game. Mining by retrieving coal from underground, Collecting by retrieving coal that can be found in the surface, and Kiln by burning some wood and turns into coal.

A. Mining Player can build Coal Mine on specific location that provide coal in underground.

Coal mine can be upgrade into to level, Steam Coal Mine, and Advance Coal Mine.

Coal mine also have two upgrade that can improve total of coal production. The chart shows coal production in 10 hours (working hours).

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Game Mechanics B. Collecting

Player can build gathering post or directly assign worker to the source to collect coals. Collecting also can upgrade twice to make the collecting process faster.

Coal Thumper building can provide coals, but it’s only put out the coal to surface, so another workforce is needed to collect those. The chart shows coal collect in 10 hours (working hours).

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Game Mechanics C.. Kiln

Player can build Kiln that can provide coal by burning certain amount of wood (70 Wood producing 320 Coal). Kiln can upgrade to improve the amount of coals production and make the process faster. The chart shows coal production using kiln in 10 hours (working hours)

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Game Mechanics

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Game Mechanics 2. Wood Production There are two ways in order to gain wood in the game, which are building Saw Mill and Wall Drill. Saw Mill is retrieving wood from trees that appear in surface of the map., Wall Drill is by drilling frozen wood in the wall that surrounded the city. Wood can also retrieve from collecting wood wreckage, but because the wood capacity in wreckage is limited, so the data not calculated in this analysis.

A. Sawmill Player can build Saw Mill to cut trees on surrounding of the building in certain radius. Saw Mill can be upgrade into to one level, Steam Saw Mill. Sawmill mine also have two upgrade that can improve the radius of cut and raise the productivity. The chart shows wood production in 10 hours (working hours).

.“

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Game Mechanics B. Wall Drill

Player can build Wall Mine on specific location that provide wood in the wall. Wall Drill can be upgrade into to level, Steam Wall Drill, and Advance Wall Drill. No upgrade available in Wall Drill type. The chart wood coal production in 10 hours (working hours)

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Game Mechanics

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Game Mechanics 3. Steel Production There is only one building, which is Steel Works. Steel can also retrieve from collecting wood wreckage, but because the Steel capacity in wreckage is limited, so the data not calculated in this analysis.

The steel capacity in wreckage is limited, so the data not calculated in this analysis.

A. Steel Works Player can build Steel Works to mine steel that hidden in the underground. Steel Works can be upgrade into to twolevel, Steam Steel Works and Advance Steel Works. Steel Works doesn’t have any upgrade. The chart shows steel production in 10 hours (working hours).

.“

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Game Analysis A.

CONSUMPTION vs PRODUCTION

The key goal to win in Frostpunk how players can maintain coal resource to keep the generator heating the city in order to face the overwhelming cold that can be drop gradually. Player need maintain the balancing between coal production and coal consumption, and to make sure that all the productivity can be retrieve maximum productivity (by providing food, health, and raising morale to increase efficiency for workers) In order to analyze, I compare the chart between coal consumption in generating heat and coal production in coal mine. The reason why I use coal mine sample is because the graph shows that coal mine is the best way to retrieving coal.

In this chart, the amount of coal consumption by generator in 24h will be compare with the total coal production in one Coal Mine series (Coal Mine, Steam Coal Mine, and Advance Coal Mine).

All the Coal Mine works in working hours (10 hours) and 100% Efficiency. The generator doesn’t have efficiency coal upgrade (reducing coal consumption) to know the maximum potential of usage. Every heat line have 4 steps, and that represents of the range level.

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Game Analysis

In this chart, the generator will have a maximum efficiency coal upgrade (reducing coal consumption) to know the minimum potential of coal usage. The same chart will be compare with the coal production chart that comes from Coal Mine series. Every heat line have 4 steps, and that represents of the range level.

From the both chart, it shows that : â—?

First Chart shows that a single Advance Coal Mine without any generator efficiency upgrade can only cover maximum level 2 heat and level 3 range generator.

â—?

Second Chart shows that with generator efficiency upgrade, one Advance Coal Mine can cover maximum level 3 heat and level 3 range generator.

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Game Analysis

FINDINGS

●

Generator efficiency is only able to cover to one heat level. Based on data shows that generator efficiency is not a significant way to pushing coal consumption. It’s better to create

●

Coal

Production

resource.

In order to able cover coal consumption on maximum level heat and range of generator, player

●

another

need

to

create

more

than

one

coal

production.

Please bear in mind that the data only show the coal consumption in generator. Player also need to consider the coal consumption on heater and steam hub.

Based on the findings of coal consumption and production chart, I found that Frostpunk is already have a quite balance coal resource mechanics. By this calculation will trigger player to think better strategies. For example, reducing the usage of generator if not needed, investing in which coal that can be more effective to produce coals.

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Game Analysis B.

Steam Hub vs Heater

Steam Hub and Heater has similar function, to provide additional heat in the city. What makes difference among them is Steam Hub is based on radius heating, and Heater is single heating system. This analysis aims is to know what is the best option that can heat city most efficient, Steam Hub or Heater.

Steam Hub Radius

.“ Heater

Generator Radius

If use the screenshot in the games, it shows a single steam hub can cover around 5 building, and can reach around 10 building if reach the heat radius upgrade (not shown in the picture).

Meanwhile, heater only can heat one particular building. From the image, we can conclude that :

1 SH (no Upgrade) = 5 Heater and 1 SH (Range Upgrade) = 10 Heater.

From the formula, for a glance it shows that Steam hub is more efficient rather than heater. But how about based on coal consumption on both heating system ?

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Game Analysis

The chart shows that Steam Hub can be more efficient and consume less coal rather than coal and also steam hub can provide level 4 Heat, not like Heater. Heater only can provide maximum level 3 Heat.

FINDINGS ●

A well prepared City Layouting plan need to be done in order to give a effective heat cover by Steam Hub.

●

Steam Hub can be best solution to use rather than heater, but only works in crowded place. If the Steam Hub can only cover under than 3 building, considered to use heater.

●

Heater can be useful to add additional heating for building if the temperature is drastically down below.

●

Steam Hub is good place on building that doesn’t have heater system, such as living house.

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Conclusion A.

Findings

New Challenge for City Simulation Games.

Based on my analysis on resources mechanic in Frostpunk, I think that Frostpunk has an unique mechanic. The survival elements make the resource management really crucial. The formula behind the resource consumption and production is already balance and challenging. Different with another city simulation games, where the player possible to have unlimited resource and feel overpower. The twist event such as temperature drop, broken facility, and some unexpected event that can drop workforce efficiency (coup d'etat, protest, food ration being robbed, etc.) makes the game more challenging. For now, Frostpunk developer don’t have any significant update that change the way of play. They only update some scenario that can provide an unique experience for player.

B.

Suggestion

●

Adding some additional resource that can trigger a twist. For example, a rare resource that will create a chaos in your city because lot of people looking for it.

●

For me, Steam Hub coal consumption seems overpowered if compared with steam.

Looking

●

forward

to

increasing

the

coal

consumption

for

Steam

Hub.

In my opinion, Frostpunk can be develop into a multiplayer games with an unique gameplay. The idea is by creating Last Man Standing game. The concept is creating a fast forward gameplay (around 15 / 20 min per games by calibrating the resource formula) , and both player “fights” for retrieving available resource that place on the same place.

The winning player is the one who stand the cold temperature.

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By Izzan Bacharrudin Soedarsono Game Analysis Course - Aalto University - Game Design and Productions

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