Hey everyone! 
So here's a game puzzle for you all. I'm trying to put together a wheel of magic for the purpose of designing a balanced rule system for RPG stories using basic elements (like air, water, fire, etc.) I've been trying to come up with a rock-paper-scissors styled rule system using 9 different elements, but I'm stuck in a loop and I need your help.
Here's what 9 elements I proposed:
Air
Water
Rock
Wood
Metal
Fire
Ice
Lightning
Darkness
If you propose something different, but similar to this, that is okay too; as long as you use basic elements. So the proposal is the first step. We will consider that the easy part.
The next step is the hard part. It has to then be balanced perfectly in a rock-paper-scissors fashion. For example: fire burns wood, wood absorbs water, water extinguishes fire, etc. only you must include all 9 elements into the magic wheel. Think you can do that?
Well, good luck.
So here's a game puzzle for you all. I'm trying to put together a wheel of magic for the purpose of designing a balanced rule system for RPG stories using basic elements (like air, water, fire, etc.) I've been trying to come up with a rock-paper-scissors styled rule system using 9 different elements, but I'm stuck in a loop and I need your help.
Here's what 9 elements I proposed:
Air
Water
Rock
Wood
Metal
Fire
Ice
Lightning
Darkness
If you propose something different, but similar to this, that is okay too; as long as you use basic elements. So the proposal is the first step. We will consider that the easy part.
The next step is the hard part. It has to then be balanced perfectly in a rock-paper-scissors fashion. For example: fire burns wood, wood absorbs water, water extinguishes fire, etc. only you must include all 9 elements into the magic wheel. Think you can do that?
Well, good luck.
Hey! So I assume nobody has done this, if they have go ahead and ignore this - but I figured since it was unanswered, I might as well be helpful and knock something out for you! This sort of thing is actually really rather simple (it took all of about ten minutes!!), although a few of my reasonings for the wins/losses are fairly arbitrary (they're explained below, beneath the collapses).
First I organised it all with a table, which makes it super easy to make sure everything had the right win/loss ratios (basically, every element has to beat four and lose to four). The way this table works is in reference to the element on the top row - so, for example, water would lose to air, rock would win to air, and so on. Obviously, an element played against itself results in a draw. (W - win, L - lose, X - draw)
Then, because you wanted it as a wheel, I figured I might as well do that too. This is messily made but it demonstrates the idea. In this one, the element the arrow is pointing away from would win, and the element the arrow is pointing at would lose (the arrows are also colour coded to the winning element's colour), so, for example, air would beat water, water would beat rock.
And the win/loss reasons - under a collapse, because this is long!
It's pretty easy to rearrange the elements if you don't like the outcomes I've ascribed, especially if you use the table first. Hopefully this is what you wanted and it's helpful
First I organised it all with a table, which makes it super easy to make sure everything had the right win/loss ratios (basically, every element has to beat four and lose to four). The way this table works is in reference to the element on the top row - so, for example, water would lose to air, rock would win to air, and so on. Obviously, an element played against itself results in a draw. (W - win, L - lose, X - draw)
table
Then, because you wanted it as a wheel, I figured I might as well do that too. This is messily made but it demonstrates the idea. In this one, the element the arrow is pointing away from would win, and the element the arrow is pointing at would lose (the arrows are also colour coded to the winning element's colour), so, for example, air would beat water, water would beat rock.
wheel
And the win/loss reasons - under a collapse, because this is long!
reasons for win/losses
Air beats water - I just needed it to for the table to work; also I guess warm air helps evaporate water?
Air beats metal - some metals react with oxygen, so air wins
Air beats fire - blowing out a fire
Air beats lightning - high air temperatures causes lightning, lightning needs air I guess? I dunno I think this was another where I just needed it to for the table to work.
Water beats rock - water erodes rock
Water beats metal - some metals react in water
Water beats fire - water douses the fire
Water beats lightning - water conducts the lightning
Rock beats air - I guess rocks go through air/can trap air?
Rock beats wood - rock would probably smash wood. probably. I guess. I'm not a lumberjack.
Rock beats fire - rock can stamp out a fire/fire can't burn rock
Rock beats lightning - lightning can't burn rock? I dunno on this one honestly
Wood beats air - wood can go through air?
Wood beats water - wood soaks up the water
Wood beats ice - wood soaks up the ice
Wood beats darkness - sort of just needed this one for it to work
Metal beats rock - bronze age replaced stone age
Metal beats wood - metal weapons hurt a lot more than wooden ones
Metal beats ice - metal.... lasts longer? I'm not sure on this one
Metal beats darkness - honestly I don't even know
Fire beats wood - it burns it
Fire beats metal - it melts it
Fire beats ice - it melts it
Fire beats darkness - it makes light
Ice beats air - it... cools the air down?
Ice beats water - it freezes it
Ice beats rock - it... freezes it?
Ice beats lightning - it conducts it
Lightning beats wood - sets it on fire
Lightning beats metal - uses it as a conductor
Lightning beats fire - it causes fire? I guess?
Lightning beats darkness - light beats dark
Darkness beats air - darknesss makes the air dark??
Darkness beats water - it makes the water dark??
Darkness beats rock - can you tell I had problems with my reasoning for darkness
Darkness beats ice - who even knows at this point
Air beats water - I just needed it to for the table to work; also I guess warm air helps evaporate water?
Air beats metal - some metals react with oxygen, so air wins
Air beats fire - blowing out a fire
Air beats lightning - high air temperatures causes lightning, lightning needs air I guess? I dunno I think this was another where I just needed it to for the table to work.
Water beats rock - water erodes rock
Water beats metal - some metals react in water
Water beats fire - water douses the fire
Water beats lightning - water conducts the lightning
Rock beats air - I guess rocks go through air/can trap air?
Rock beats wood - rock would probably smash wood. probably. I guess. I'm not a lumberjack.
Rock beats fire - rock can stamp out a fire/fire can't burn rock
Rock beats lightning - lightning can't burn rock? I dunno on this one honestly
Wood beats air - wood can go through air?
Wood beats water - wood soaks up the water
Wood beats ice - wood soaks up the ice
Wood beats darkness - sort of just needed this one for it to work
Metal beats rock - bronze age replaced stone age
Metal beats wood - metal weapons hurt a lot more than wooden ones
Metal beats ice - metal.... lasts longer? I'm not sure on this one
Metal beats darkness - honestly I don't even know
Fire beats wood - it burns it
Fire beats metal - it melts it
Fire beats ice - it melts it
Fire beats darkness - it makes light
Ice beats air - it... cools the air down?
Ice beats water - it freezes it
Ice beats rock - it... freezes it?
Ice beats lightning - it conducts it
Lightning beats wood - sets it on fire
Lightning beats metal - uses it as a conductor
Lightning beats fire - it causes fire? I guess?
Lightning beats darkness - light beats dark
Darkness beats air - darknesss makes the air dark??
Darkness beats water - it makes the water dark??
Darkness beats rock - can you tell I had problems with my reasoning for darkness
Darkness beats ice - who even knows at this point
It's pretty easy to rearrange the elements if you don't like the outcomes I've ascribed, especially if you use the table first. Hopefully this is what you wanted and it's helpful
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