{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"practice/three-workshop-shifts","type":"practice","id":"three-workshop-shifts","lang":"en","title":"Three workshop shifts","summary":"Check progression pacing through action costs and changes to available decisions.","updatedAt":"2026-10-20","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/practice/three-workshop-shifts/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/practice/three-workshop-shifts.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/practice/three-workshop-shifts.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Chance and balance"],"sourceIds":["source-3e6c21889ae768e0","source-6f794a271cd60b9c"],"sources":[{"id":"source-3e6c21889ae768e0","title":"Challenges for Game Designers: author website","url":"https://designgames.wordpress.com/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-6f794a271cd60b9c","title":"Challenges for Game Designers: table of contents","url":"https://designgames.wordpress.com/toc/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"goal","title":"Goal","body":"Check progression pacing through action costs and changes to available decisions."},{"id":"example","title":"Scenario and materials","body":"The player repairs devices, earns parts and upgrades two tools. Design three stages: the start, a first upgrade and specialization. The numbers are experiment parameters rather than a ready-made balance.\n\nA spreadsheet, calculator and paper prototype"},{"id":"constraints","title":"Constraints","body":"- Use two tools, one resource and three stages. Specify the cost of one repair at each stage.\n- At least one upgrade changes an action rule rather than only a reward multiplier.\n- Record action time separately from resource cost."},{"id":"steps","title":"Steps","body":"1. Tabulate upgrade prices, repair times and income; calculate the action count before each purchase.\n2. Compare two purchase orders on the same task sequence. Record where each tool is preferable.\n3. Add a random reward and compare independent rolls with a predefined sequence; retain attempt-level results.\n4. Change one price threshold and repeat the check: which decisions become available earlier or later?"},{"id":"outcome","title":"Deliverable","body":"A three-stage table, two comparable purchase logs and an explanation of the pacing change after one edit."},{"id":"checks","title":"Check your work","body":"- Action counts account for rounding up to a whole repair.\n- Each tool has at least one situation in which it is useful.\n- The rule-changing upgrade changes a player decision alongside the displayed number.\n- An average reward expectation is not presented as a guarantee for a short sequence."},{"id":"reflection","title":"Reflect","body":"Where does the player repeat a solved task without a new choice? How can you shorten that section while keeping the next goal understandable?"}],"relations":[{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"lesson/progression-pacing","title":"Progression: capabilities and pacing","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/progression-pacing/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/progression-pacing.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/progression-pacing.md"},{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"lesson/controlled-randomness","title":"Randomness and unlucky streaks","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/controlled-randomness/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/controlled-randomness.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/controlled-randomness.md"},{"type":"practices","direction":"incoming","label":"What this helps you learn","key":"path/balance","title":"Balance and progression","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/learn/balance/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/path/balance.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/path/balance.md"},{"type":"uses","direction":"outgoing","label":"Sources in the selection","key":"resource/challenges-for-game-designers","title":"Challenges for Game Designers","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-challenges-for-game-designers","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/resource/challenges-for-game-designers.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/resource/challenges-for-game-designers.md"}],"placements":[{"title":"In the original collection","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/practice/#three-workshop-shifts"}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"topic":"chance","level":"intermediate","minutes":60},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Thematic inspiration: Challenges for Game Designers by Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber. These scenarios, constraints and checks are independently written around broad game-design learning topics. This is not a translation or a sequential retelling of the book exercises.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors"}}