Priority

Mechanism · II – Allocation & Selection immediate · irreversible / conditional · open · competitive / asymmetric

Priority governs precedence when several agents want to access the same resource, position or action at once: a ranking rule produces an ordered assignment.

Design question – Who goes first in your game when several agents raise the same claim?

Reference example – Puerto Rico: whoever chooses a role carries out its action first and gets the privilege. Agricola: whoever takes the starting-player space places first in the next round. Pokémon: Speed decides who attacks first; Quick Attack always goes first. Agricola (Worker Placement) · Fresco (Turn Order Bidding) · Eurogames (Tiebreaker System)

Structural pattern

Input -> transformation -> output: several competing claims become an ordered assignment (first-access right) via a ranking rule.

Regulated in permitting mode (whoever has priority takes first; ways to bypass priority), constraining mode (what another has already taken is blocked; priority for a time or permanently) and conditioning mode (priority goes to whoever is first, stronger, more or faster; it rotates, depends on performance or is random).

Design parameters

• Determination – fixed ↔ rotating/auctioned/performance-based
• Blocking – none ↔ hard (locked)
• Compensation – none ↔ laggard bonus/catch-up
• Visibility – open ↔ hidden
• Persistence – per turn ↔ permanent

Related Mechanisms

• Placement (MEC-10) – Frequently combined: who places first.
• Selection (MEC-07) – Frequently combined: who chooses first.
• Auction (MEC-06) – Frequently combined: auction for priority.
• Schedule (MEC-14) – Frequently combined: order shapes the flow of play.

Ludic Organisational Structures

Hierarchy (core) · Combat System (dynamic)