Lessons in Analytics From Mobile Gaming — Pocket Mortys
Strategy, Analogies, Perspective And More…
Leave it to Rick and Morty (and Adult Swim Games) to deliver a mobile game app as only they could. A blatant parody of Pokemon with perspective wrenching dialogue that is uniquely Rick Sanchez.
This whole thing is just really cruel!
And yet nobody is being forced to live in a ball… In fact, the whole play on Pocket Monsters — is really just to be sure you get the jokes. Now many other aspects of the game are “borrowed” from Pokemon. Most present is how each Morty (except the original) can be hunted, collected, combined, and mutated (eh, evolved).
If you expect nothing, you will never be disappointed. A little word of wisdom there.
Game play is simple enough, it is combination of collection, crafting, and Rochambeau. It is classic and elegant from an analytic standpoint (that was the point of this article). Simple and iterative game concepts are layered together. Time-based investing and training, turn-based attacks, head-to-head competitions, badges, rewards, currency — nothing complex or overwhelming. But more than enough to suck you in and entertain you for a while.
Pattern Recognition
At the heart of Pocket Mortys is a basic game of Rochambeau. It is the heart of the head-to-head fighting and the core of the game. It also tests a skill that is very helpful for success in this game and analytics.
Come on, Morty. What do you think this is a game or something?
During this game, if you can do a better job than your opponent (or AI) in understanding which Morty to “swap” in — you have a distinct advantage. You could rely on rote memorization of Mortys. Or you could recognize some patterns and “cheats”. First many Mortys give you name and visual clues. Rock Morty is easy. Stoner Morty a bit harder… as his hippy friends are paper. Each Morty also has a heritage (remember they evolve) but do not change their designation (rock, paper, scissors) as they do.
Weights, Scores, and Other Typical Game Analytics
Games nearly always include some basic analytics. Pocket Mortys is clearly no exception. It also wasn’t surprising to find a host of documentation wikis and customer spreadsheets created by users. Gamers are nerdy after all. Don’t fight it. Just own it.
There really isn’t anything fancy, at least in the campaign (single player) version of the game. Attacks have set damage weights that are adjusted by a simple decision tree logic based on rules associated with various dimensions.
Various types of feedback can be collected. This includes experience (XP), badges (event based rewards), and Schmeckles (the single player currency). Most of these forms of feedback get scored using straightforward addition. But the game also layers on a little complexity using the concept of crafting.
Crafting, Recipes, and Discovery
Like Pokemon, Pocket Mortys has its own crafting angle complete with recipes. It is a formula-based concept that encourages discovery. The game itself requires players to discover what works via simple trial and error (another nice analytic concept).
A simple google search quickly provides a complete list. It is a nice model for synthesis and adds a little extra to the game. This also brings pedestrian but still nominally important concepts like constraints and inventories into the game. Not advanced by game standards or analytic, but core concepts regardless.
Wh..Why are we doing this?
Pocket Mortys, like any game, is a model. Not one that mimics much that exists anywhere in our known universe, but a model none the less. It is also a game, but not one that asks to be taken too seriously (quite the opposite). It is a game that challenges perspective, in classic Rick & Morty style. As such it made a great first subject for this new series.
Gaming is typically part of most analysts background. While they are made to entertain, there is no reason not to take an opportunity to consider other values. Games are models and models teach, even if they are not trying to…
Thanks for reading!
