Multiple worlds in simulation games for spatial decision making: Concept and architecture

In this paper we present the use of ¿what-if¿-analysis in simulation games for spatial decision making by introducing the concept of multiple worlds. We expect that ¿what-if¿-analysis in games enables the trainees to achieve more robust results, which is defined as the ability to achieve the required goals given different scenarios. Scenarios are defined as exogenous variables on the multiple worlds. Viable decisions for a particular world are assessed by splitting the given world into multiple ones and running simulations for these new worlds. This assessment is performed by a) comparing the alternatives represented by each world and b) exploring the timeline of each world by selecting specific time instants. The navigation both through multiple worlds and through time should provide the users the possibility to formulate a robust answer for the specified problem. We will present a viable architecture and 4 distinct modes of game-play for the simulation game.