While preparing for the production of Copa City, we made several very important decisions regarding the basic design of the game. One of them is the maximum neutralization of the stadiums where matches take place in Copa City, which the player must prepare, as this is the core of the gameplay. In today’s article, I want to explain why we made this decision.
Gameplay in Copa City revolves around two key elements – the city, including the stadiums, and licensed football clubs. The player's goal is to take on the role of event organizer and achieve the best possible results in the match organization process, measured by the satisfaction of the fans coming to the city and the revenue generated. This approach makes the player's role in relation to the clubs neutral in terms of main gameplay service – the goal is to satisfy the needs of both groups of fans, as well as to maintain a proper level of safety and balance between them, which is also one of the components of the player's success in the game.
To achieve an ideal balance between the clubs, we decided on an agnostic approach regarding cities. In this way, we simulate a match situation, drawing inspiration from events such as the National Cup Final, the Champions League Final, or the Europa League. This approach allows the player to fully focus on the organizational challenges behind match day without having to deal with the “home/away” aspect. In our opinion, introducing this element would disrupt the balance of the game at the level of the core economic principles in Copa City.
Of course, at the same time, nothing prevents the player from making such a decision in their own mind and choosing to focus exclusively on the needs of their favorite club, thereby disrupting this balance. Paradoxically, this approach means that Copa City can also be challenging in terms of maintaining safe balance, disrupted by such player behavior, who will be catering to the needs of their favorite club's fans.
When choosing cities, and consequently stadiums, we also considered their topographical characteristics and the saturation of urban space with symbols associated with football. As a result, the game’s design will allow for map differentiation not only in terms of appearance but also in the style and nature of gameplay. This is one way to keep the player’s attention for a longer time.
Thank you for your support and for reading this post to the end!