which phase in the systems development life cycle is the most critical when building a video game
These four elements of gameplay have been described as the four phases of a 4X computer game session.
4X
These four elements of gameplay have been described as the four phases of a 4X computer game session. These phases often overlap with each other and vary in length depending on the game design. For example, the "Space Empires" series and "" have a long expansion phase, because players must make large investments in research to explore and expand into every area.
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4X [SEP] Definition
The term "4X" originates from a 1993 preview of "Master of Orion" in "Computer Gaming World" by game writer Alan Emrich where he rated the game "XXXX" as a pun on the XXX rating for pornography. The four Xs were an abbreviation for "EXplore, EXpand, EXploit and EXterminate". Since then, others have adopted the term to describe games of similar scope and design. By February 1994 another author in the magazine said that "Command Adventures: Starship" "only pays lip service to the four X's", and other game commentators adopted the "4X" label to describe a game genre with specific gameplay conventions: These four elements of gameplay have been described as the four phases of a 4X computer game session.