Simulations as Mechanisms

The word 'simulation' is used to describe such very different things that I admit I find it distressing. What is worse, for me, is that the word isn't even being misused. According to Wikipedia, "a simulation is an approximate imitation of the operation of a process or system that represent its operation over time." In other words, what a simulation looks like depends on what you are simulating. 

Serious simulations are used for training and for making improvements to the system itself. Medical simulators have been used in training for such procedures as laparoscopic surgery. In addition to a realistic learning environment, such a simulation can help with dexterity and muscle memory for delicate procedures. Flight simulators are used in training as a way to master controls before ever leaving the ground. 

Virtual reality seeks to simulate the presence of the user in the virtual environment through haptic feedback and the ability of the user to interact with the environment in addition to the realistic visuals. 

War games are frequently called simulations. In this case, they are simulating the tactical and strategic decisions being made that result in troop movements and battles. 

Certain video games are considered "life simulation" games, such as SimCity. (I find this category somewhat troubling, as my friends who play these games tend to play them in ways that do not simulate real life but rather trend toward the ridiculous.) 

Wikipedia notes that "key issues in simulation include the acquisition of valid sources of information about the relevant selection of key characteristics and behaviors." Any entertainment game might fail scrutiny here: we don't really see WWII scholars designing war games or sociologists designing life sim games.  Non-serious simulations are designed to give an experience but cannot be relied upon too much for fidelity. 

However, I think there is an important design lesson here. Each example used above simulated something different: dexterity, machinery, environment, strategy, society. And each abstracts something else in order for the important element to be prioritized. 

I believe simulative actions can be a powerful tool in experience-driven game design. The most important question to ask when designing simulative actions is "What is this simulating?" I tend to lean towards embodiment when thinking about simulative actions- that by physically performing the action the player can be more emotionally drawn into the game. This is not the only way to add elements of simulation to games. Fog of Love is a relationship simulator, for instance. 

I would argue that simulations in entertainment games are best used to create emotional responses in players. War gamers would probably take issue with me, but I have never been interested in historical accuracy for the sake of historical accuracy. (There are other reasons for historical accuracy, such as telling stories that are less well known.) 

But to return to my point, simulations can tap into emotions. A game does not have to be a fully immersive experience to use micro-simulations, such as simulative actions, to create an emotional response. Use of simulative actions also will make a theme feel more integrated with the mechanics. And by modeling mechanics after something outside of games, we can create mechanisms that feel fresh and help our designs to stand out.