Using math to make your games better with Emerson Matsuuchi

In this BGDL rewind from December of 2020, I chat with Emerson Matsuuch about all the many ways a designer can use math to create better games. We talk spreadsheets, game balance, mathmatical models, and more!
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[@Aannon]

Very interesting topic. As a non math-centric person, it was very relieving him Emerson to explain that math doesn't need to necessarily be at the forefront in the design process, but that soon or later it must come into play (balance, design space, mechanism validation).

[@zirkereuler5242]

im at around 42:00 when Emerson mentions how he hasn't figured out an application of calculus, I think calculus helps a lot with understanding functions that model how resources vary through time, concepts like derivatives and taylor series give more intuition as to why certain functions outpace others and clears up the confusion between polynomial and exponential growth, a lot of theory crafting that players end up doing also uses calculus for calculating which stats to pick that maximize for example a damage formula, which game designers should take into account when thinking of damage calculation works.

[@sail-into-the-sunset]

Thanks very much for bringing up such various topics. I have just been wondering how to go about "math" of my prototype, and Emerson gave some great points where to start.

[@anotherdimension6053]

Great interview. Interestingly I do some of the things Emerson mentions here, and I'm also come from a software engineering background :)

[@蘇維明]

I need a summary

[@FersusSwingo]

the math comedian probably was @standupmaths: ruclips.net/video/UBX2QQHlQ_I/видео.html