science

Theorycraft

Theorycraft is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Theorycraft rather than just read about it. In short: Theorycraft (or theorycrafting) is the mathematical analysis of game mechanics (usually in video games) to discover optimal strategies and tactics. Theorycraft involves analyzing statistics, hidden systems or underlying game code in order to glean information that is not apparent during normal gameplay.

Key takeaways

Theorycraft belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Theorycraft to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Theorycraft from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Theorycraft (or theorycrafting) is the mathematical analysis of game mechanics (usually in video games) to discover optimal strategies and tactics. Theorycraft involves analyzing statistics, hidden systems or underlying game code in order to glean information that is not apparent during normal gameplay. Theorycraft is similar to analyses performed in sports or other games such as baseball's sabermetrics. The term has been said to come from StarCraft players as a portmanteau of "game theory" and "StarCraft". Theorycraft is prominent in competitive gaming (such as multiplayer games, speedrunning and racing events), where players attempt to gain competitive advantage by analyzing game systems. As a result, theorycraft can lower barriers between players and game designers. Game designers must consider that players will have a comprehensive understanding of game systems and players can influence design by exploiting game systems and discovering dominant or unintended strategies. Theorycrafting proven to be potent usually finds inclusion in the metagame. Theorycrafting knowledge is often communicated through online communities. The way players theorycraft varies from game to game but often games under the same genres will have similar theorycrafting methods. Communities develop standardized ways to communicate their findings, including use of specialized tools to measure and record game data; terminology; and simulations to represent certain data. The term theorycraft can be used in a pejorative sense. In this sense, "theorycraft" refers to naïve or impractical theorizing that would not succeed during actual gameplay.

See also Econometrics Reverse engineering

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Theorycraft

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Theorycraft claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Theorycraft before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Theorycraft ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Theorycraft

In research: Theorycraft appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Theorycraft in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Theorycraft is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Game theory, Video game studies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Theorycraft outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Theorycraft in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Theorycraft means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Theorycraft out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Theorycraft in simple terms?

Why does Theorycraft matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Theorycraft?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Theorycraft.