A Belief is the cognitive architecture of an Incarnation’s mind; the set of assumptions, convictions, and interpretive frameworks that translates the raw data of existence into a coherent worldview.

Within ATET, Beliefs are not static lore entries. They are dynamic, living systems that actively shape perception, guide action, and form the very bedrock of an Incarnation’s identity. They are the lenses through which Fact is viewed, and the soil in which Fiction can grow into Faith.

Purpose

To model belief as an emergent, symbolic structure formed through memory, social influence, and cultural inheritance. Beliefs determine perception, behavior, memory distortion, quest salience, and the capacity for faith or doubt.

Core Concepts

• Beliefs are Constructed: Not innate truths, beliefs arise from recurring symbolic patterns in memory and social exchange.
• Beliefs are Symbolically Encoded: Each belief is built from SymbolTags, reflecting archetypal values or metaphysical claims.
• Faith Systems Bind Beliefs: Collections of beliefs may cohere into Faiths; symbolic meta-structures that influence ritual, identity, and truthmaking.
• Beliefs Shape Perception and Behavior: What an agent sees, recalls, values, or fears is framed by belief.

Core Philosophy: Nature and Nurture

The purpose of the Belief system is to mechanize an Incarnation’s “mind.” An agent’s behavior is not just a reaction to stimulus; it is a performance of its beliefs about the world.

This system is built on a synthesis of nature (innate predisposition) and nurture (lived experience).

• Nature: The components of an Incarnation’s Psyche provide the foundational clay. Its attunements to various Archetypes create powerful, innate predispositions; the core convictions the soul brings with it into the world.
• Nurture: The experiences of a life, the Memories it forms, the culture it absorbs, the traumas it endures; act as the sculptor’s hands, shaping that raw clay into a unique and detailed form.

A core tenet of the design is that Beliefs are not necessarily “true.” They are, however, always functional. The game is less interested in whether a Belief is right or wrong, and more interested in what an Incarnation does because of it.

Gameplay Function

The Belief system is a cornerstone of the emergent narrative, influencing gameplay in several critical ways:

• Guiding Action and Appraisal: Beliefs are the primary drivers of the Action Appraisal. An agent evaluates potential actions through the filter of its Beliefs, making its choices a direct expression of its worldview.
• Shaping the Subjective Interface: Beliefs directly alter how an Incarnation perceives the world.
  • An Incarnation with the Belief that Technology is Corrupting might see advanced machinery with a sickly, distorted visual filter.
  • A character who Believes The Forest is Sacred might see it in vibrant, hyper-real color.
• Creating Narrative Tension (Cognitive Dissonance): The conflict between an Incarnation’s Beliefs and its lived experience is a powerful story engine. When a hard Fact collides with a strong Belief, it creates a tangible state of cognitive dissonance that can lead to psychological stress or an emergent Quest to resolve the contradiction.
• Driving Social Dynamics: Shared Beliefs bind factions together, while conflicting Beliefs ignite wars. An Incarnation’s AgentBeliefStore acts as its “ideological passport.”

The Anatomy of a Belief

Every Belief is defined by two key axes: Strength and Confidence.

• Strength: Represents how deeply ingrained and emotionally potent a Belief is. A high-strength Belief dictates behavior even against logic. It’s the gut feeling, the ingrained dogma. Strength is hard to change and is often derived from the Strength of a Psychic Component’s attunement or a highly traumatic memory.
• Confidence: Represents the degree of certainty an Incarnation has in a Belief’s factual accuracy. It is built from the volume and consistency of supporting evidence (memories, hearsay). Confidence is more fluid and susceptible to new evidence.

The Origins of Belief

Beliefs are not assigned; they are grown from four primary sources.

1. Innate Predisposition (from the Psyche): This is the “nature” aspect. The Valence & Attunement Model of an Incarnation’s Psychic Components automatically generates a set of foundational, high-strength Beliefs.

   • Example: A Psychic Component { Archetype:[order], Strength:0.9, Valence:+0.8 } seeds the AgentBeliefStore with an innate, high-strength Belief that Order IS_GOOD. This is a core part of the soul’s identity.

2. Experience (from Memory Patterns): The most common source of “nurture.” An agent that is attacked every time it enters a forest develops a high-confidence, high-strength Belief that The_Forest IS_DANGEROUS. This process refines and adds to the innate predispositions.

3. Culture (from Hearsay & Social Proof): Beliefs are contagious. An Incarnation can adopt a Belief by being told it repeatedly by trusted sources or by observing the consensus of its community. This is how Fiction becomes Faith.

4. Trauma (from Significant Events): A single, highly significant and emotional event can forge a powerful, high-strength Belief instantly, overriding or reinforcing innate tendencies.

Design Intent

Why this system exists:

• To give agents a simulated “mind,” making their behaviors feel motivated by a consistent personality, born from both nature and nurture.
• To create a powerful engine for emergent narrative, where internal mental conflicts are as important as external physical ones.
• To mechanically link an Incarnation’s anatomy and experiences directly to its future choices and perception of the world.
• To explore the game’s core themes by making the very act of believing a central and dynamic mechanic.