using-systems-as-experience

# Using Systems-as-Experience (Meta-Skill Router)

**Your entry point to the systems-as-experience skillpack.** Routes you to the right combination of specialized skills for your game design challenge.

## Purpose

This **meta-skill**:
1. ✅ **Routes** you to the correct skills in this pack
2. ✅ **Combines** multiple skills for complex projects
3. ✅ **Provides** quick-start workflows for common game types
4. ✅ **Explains** the pack's philosophy and when to use it

---

## Core Philosophy: Systems AS Experience

### The Central Idea

**Traditional game design:** Systems support content
- Design story → build mechanics to express it
- Content is king, systems are servants

**Systems-as-experience:** Systems ARE the content
- Design orthogonal mechanics → emergence creates "content"
- Design constraints → player creativity becomes gameplay
- Systems are king, authored content is optional

### When This Philosophy Applies

**✅ Use systems-as-experience when:**
- Core loop is experimentation, creativity, or optimization
- Replayability through emergent outcomes is desired
- Player agency and expression are paramount
- Systems have inherent depth worth discovering

**❌ Don't use systems-as-experience when:**
- Authored narrative is primary experience
- Linear progression with fixed setpieces
- Hand-crafted, bespoke content is the appeal

**Hybrid approach:** Most games blend both (BotW has authored Ganon encounter + emergent physics sandbox)

---

## How to Access Reference Sheets

**IMPORTANT**: All reference sheets are located in the SAME DIRECTORY as this SKILL.md file.

When this skill is loaded from:
  `skills/using-systems-as-experience/SKILL.md`

Reference sheets like `emergent-gameplay-design.md` are at:
  `skills/using-systems-as-experience/emergent-gameplay-design.md`

NOT at:
  `skills/emergent-gameplay-design.md` ← WRONG PATH

---

## Pack Overview: 8 Core Skills

### Wave 1: Foundation (Core Concepts)

| Skill | When to Use | Examples | Time |
|-------|-------