The table is here to help us explaining some general ideas about designing computer games of a particular kind. We shall talk only about so called RT games or "real time games".
         Let us first try to define what does it mean "a real time game". The term "real time" will have quite different meaning in some other areas of computer science. Here it means that in the game you will see only the landscape and architecture, animals and people as they actually were looking in a certain well defined period of time in human history. We shall talk about all games that can be labeled as RT games. Whatever further classification you may accept (e.g.: strategies, adventures, trigger-happiness etc.) shall be of no concern to us.

         Like in any other design, so also in game designing, you are going to face some decisions, choices and defining of priorities. The first one of them is: how much of the element of war you want in your game. Beware! There are no simple and effective answers to that question. There are two very famous examples in that respect:

         First example is Caesar 3 from Mr. David Lester and Mr. Simon Bradbury. A player is likely to spend much more time in the constructing part of the game than in the war. Caesar 3 was the best-seller until recently. It was not only the peace-makers who bought it. In fact much more of those who thrill in blood sheds where attracted to it. Is there a trick? Yes there is. We shall come back to explain the trick later on. Let it suffice for the time being to say that Caesar 3 is an example showing that there are no simple formulas to satisfy your audience.
         The second example is Age of Kings from Microsoft. Very much like it's predecessor (Age of Empires), Age of Kings owes it's success to the outstanding graphics and animations. It managed to make up for some very weak points in game designing. The decision to put as much as possible of the element of war does not seem to have appealed to the audience. Perpetual flogging could beat out all of the fun. There is much of it but without a finesse that makes all the difference. However, Age of Kings and Age of Empires are among the best RT games ever.

         The second choice is: how big is going to be the task to establish good transportation in your game?

         Anno 1602 was a great success. The success was repeated by it's follower 1602 AD. What is their secret. Transportation task is a very big one, but still very well proportioned. All other tasks (including the war) are dependant on resolving the transportation problem. The transportation task is not independent from other tasks (defense, production, finances, trade, supplies, construction, satisfaction of the people). The multitasking effort of the player gives to him impression of an realistic situation. It gives him also an element of suspension. On the other hand, the obvious dominant importance of one task, gives to the player the sense that he/she knows what is going on and is thus able to cope with the task in spite of the complexity of the problem. All together the player is more satisfied after he/she wins.
         Caesar 3 has also the transportation problem as it's main task. There is also multitasking, a sense of reality and suspension. However, the transportation task has extremely bizarre solutions. The player has to build a thick chain of granaries with small carts dragging supplies from one granary to another, and there is no other way. The same tactic with warehouses fails regularly. There is another task at the end of the supply lines. It is the distribution task - a unique feature of Caesar 3. Markets are an easy solution to the distribution task, but only after the transportation task has been resolved. Markets can not contribute to the transportation, but the player is repeatedly mislead by the instructions suggesting the opposite.
         All together the player can hardly have the idea of the importance of the transportation, even though it is a main task. Even more unlikely is that the player will come to the bizarre idea to make a wall of granaries. This is the only reason why Caesar 3 turn out to be so time consuming. Killing time is something that the part of the audience might like, but we still think that a simple wagon for the transportation would have doubled the numerous army of Caesar 3 fans. It is our opinion that the transportation task has remained the weakest point of Caesar 3.
         Again, the significant weak point in game design is being covered by otherwise outstanding features of the game. Here not only graphics and animation, multimedia and atmosphere, but also the game design itself (apart from the mentioned confusion with transportation) is very original and very effective.

         Once you have decided about the war element and transportation in your game you can go to the details of our table with 30 elements of a game. The table was not meant as a rule, but rather as an example of what may be the elements of an RT game.
         Take, for instance, the group of elements titled as "provisions". An element from this group that will appear in every RT game is the food. Others may or may not appear, but in the most of the games you will have at least one more element from the group. We put the clothes as the other element, but it may be any of them. In more ambitious projects you will have more than two elements from the provisions group. Caesar 3 has six of them.
         Next group of elements is titled "protection". The more of the war element you have in your game - the less of the protection elements you should use and vice versa. In most of the games you will find two protection elements: a doctor and a fireman. In Caesar 3 you have also the protection against the wolves. In Anno 1602 there is the protection against the outlaws (pirates) as well.
         Almost every RT game will have the three elements from "production" group. These three are: farms, sources of raw materials and workshops. Most of them lack production of houses. Houses are usually just being pasted on the screen. Here we ought to give credits to Microsoft once more. In both "Ages" you see workers erecting houses and buildings. Most of the players enjoy the scene.
         The "trade" group again has three standard elements: warehouses, markets, vehicles & vessels for the transportation. Here again building of a vehicle or a vessel (like in Anno 1602) is much more fun for the player, than just picking it from some dialog box.
          "Services" group is another standard group with three standard elements: entertainment, education and religion. An often time repeated mistake in game designing is overemphasized element of entertainment. Contrary to the dogma of some game designers and their employers, overemphasized element of entertainment is a bad advertising for the game.

         Finally, let us go back to the element of war. Usually, there are going to be three kinds of units in a game: infantry, mounted and units with long range weapons. Some kind of a fortification has also become a standard in RT games. What we are recommending as the most effective elements (components of the war element) are the last two in our table - those that are printed in red letters. The two are: maneuvers and music. In these two there is a trick that we have mentioned. Consider the example of Caesar 3. Barbarians are numerous and very strong. They threaten to destroy everything you have build. The music emphasizes the drama and suspension. The player has confidence. His army is able to make a collective and effective effort - the maneuvers unknown to wild and brutal barbaric bullies. All the more the player will enjoy the victory. After winning the battle, music again emphasizes the achievement of the player. In Anno 1602 likewise, a skillful maneuvering wins the battle over the more numerous enemy, which makes them barbarians again. As a player, you become much stronger and much wiser man/woman than you have ever known yourself. Ask any shrink and he/she will tell you.

         If and when you think you can use some of these - please do. We wish you a success in your work.