Progression Design
Purpose
Structure long-term and short-term progression so players experience growth, goals, and retention without uncontrolled complexity.
Use When
- adding unlocks, levels, upgrades, or mastery layers
- players lack motivation between sessions
- content cadence needs stronger reward structure
Inputs
- core loop
- content cadence
- session goals
- economy assumptions
Process
- define progression layers and how they reinforce the core loop
- set reward timing, pacing, and gating rules
- prevent front-loaded complexity and dead progression lanes
- identify reset, catch-up, and balance risks
- map telemetry needed to monitor progression health
Outputs
- progression model
- reward pacing rules
- gating logic
- progression metrics
Quality Bar
- supports the core fantasy and player goals
- defines readable rules, edge cases, and feedback
- creates concrete hooks for tuning, telemetry, and QA
Common Failure Modes
- adding systems that do not serve the core loop
- shipping vague rules that QA and engineering must guess at
- tuning without instrumentation or hypotheses
Related Agents
- systems-designer
- economy-designer
- telemetry-analyst
Related Commands
- gdd
- economy-balance
- telemetry-plan
Notes
- Keep this skill aligned with the relevant rules layer and current project documentation.
- If engine-specific constraints materially change the workflow, hand off to the matching engine skill or engine-specific reviewer.
