The social landscape of ATET is governed by the internal worlds of its agents. An Incarnation’s personality is not a static list of traits, but a dynamic and often conflicted system of competing drives. The Social Needs form the core mechanic that models this internal social soul.

This system moves beyond a simplistic model of authenticity versus deception. It recognizes that the human (and non-human) experience of self in relation to others is a complex interplay of three fundamental, often warring, desires: the need to be true to oneself (Authenticity), the need to protect oneself from being truly seen (Exposure), and for some, the need to actively control the narrative through deception (Obfuscation).

The relative strength and interplay of these three Needs, derived directly from an Incarnation’s Psyche, determines its social “personality,” its vulnerabilities, and its primary mode of engaging with the Social Arena. This creates a deeply nuanced and psychologically grounded model for social behavior.

Refining the Art of Performance: Masking as an Emergent Skill

The act of “passing” or performing a persona is not a single skill. It is a complex social negotiation, an emergent outcome of a contest between the performer’s craft and the observer’s insight.

• Mechanic: The Contested Roll of Perception The success of Masking is determined by a passive, constant, Contested Roll between the agent attempting to maintain a persona and any agent observing them.

  • The Performer’s Roll (The Mask’s Strength): dice + (Charisma + Intellect + Deception Skill) + Situational Modifiers

  • The Observer’s Roll (The Gaze’s Strength): dice + (Perception + Willpower + Insight Skill) + Situational Modifiers

  A successful roll for the performer means their mask holds. A successful roll for the observer means they have “clocked” the performer, potentially revealing their true Social Tags or intentions, which can unlock unique dialogue options or alter their social disposition.

The Needs of the Social Psyche

The AuthenticityNeed (The Need to Be Real)

• Core Concept: The innate drive to have one’s internal self and external actions be in alignment. It is fulfilled by honest self-expression and being correctly perceived by others.
• Source: Generated by a Psyche with a strong positive Valence toward Archetypes like [self], [honesty], [vulnerability], or [truth].
• Mechanics:
  • Fulfilled By: Acting in accordance with one’s core Beliefs, succeeding at honest Persuasion checks, engaging in genuine emotional connection, and having one’s true identity validated by others.
  • Drained By: Masking, telling a lie, acting against one’s Faith, or being misperceived/misgendered.
• Consequences of a Critical Need: A critically low AuthenticityNeed induces severe psychological distress. The Incarnation may suffer from [Depression] and [Anxiety], a continuous drain on Willpower, and penalties to all social checks. The Subjective Interface might become desaturated or feel “hollow.”

The ExposureNeed (The Need to Be Hidden)

• Core Concept: The innate drive to protect the inner self from the vulnerability of being truly seen. It is the need for a mask, an armor of persona.
• Source: Generated by a Psyche with a strong negative Valence toward Archetypes like [vulnerability], [trust], or [intimacy]. Often born from trauma, paranoia, or a deep-seated belief in a hostile social world.
• Mechanics:
  • Fulfilled By: Successfully Masking, maintaining emotional distance, winning social conflicts through intimidation, and having one’s persona accepted as reality by others.
  • Drained By: Moments of genuine vulnerability, forced self-disclosure, being correctly “read” by another agent, or receiving unexpected and unscripted empathy.
• Consequences of a Critical Need: This is the “lashing out” you described. A critically low ExposureNeed triggers a state of acute psychological threat. The Incarnation becomes [Agitated] and [Paranoid]. The Subjective Interface may feel claustrophobic. The agent has a high chance of abruptly terminating social interactions, rejecting aid, or initiating Conflict to re-establish distance and control.

The ObfuscationNeed (The Need to Deceive)

• Core Concept: An active, predatory drive to control and manipulate the narrative through deception. This is not a defensive need, but a craving to engage in the “Great Game” of social intrigue.
• Source: Generated by a Psyche with a strong positive Valence toward Archetypes like [deception], [intrigue], [chaos], or [power]. This is the need of the trickster, the spy, the puppet master.
• Mechanics:
  • Fulfilled By: Successful acts of deception, manipulating another agent, discovering a secret you can use as leverage, or successfully “clocking” another agent’s mask while yours remains intact.
  • Drained By: Prolonged periods of stability, honesty, and transparency.
• Consequences of a Critical Need: A critically low ObfuscationNeed induces a state of [Restlessness] and [Boredom]. The Incarnation suffers debuffs to simple, honest interactions. Their internal monologue becomes a stream of tactical analysis, constantly probing for weaknesses and opportunities in those around them. They feel a compulsion to create intrigue, not necessarily for a specific outcome, but to satisfy the need to play the game.

Consent Needs

Depending on an agent’s Beliefs, they may interpret Consent through different perspectives, each giving rise to distinct core Social Needs.

Some common needs include:

• AgencyNeed: The need for autonomy and freedom of choice. High Consent Integrity fulfills this need, while low integrity undermines it.
• TrustNeed: The need for reliable and trustworthy relationships. High Consent Integrity fosters trust, while low integrity diminishes it.

Other possible needs might be:

• ManipulationNeed: The desire to be influenced or shaped by others’ perceptions and actions. Low Consent Integrity can be experienced as affirming or desirable for agents with this need.
• DominanceNeed: The desire to assert control or superiority over others. Low Consent Integrity may serve as a means to fulfill this need, though it can introduce instability into relationships.

These needs reflect the diverse ways agents may relate to the concept of consent within the social system.

The Interplay of Needs as a Personality Engine

An Incarnation’s social identity is not defined by one of these needs, but by the balance and tension between all three. This dynamic interplay is the engine that generates a vast spectrum of complex, believable, and often deeply conflicted social personalities.

Design Intent & Gameplay Implications

The implementation of the Triad of Social Needs serves several critical design goals:

• Psychological Depth: It moves agent personality beyond simple traits into a system of dynamic, often conflicting, internal drives.
• Emergent Narrative: It creates a powerful engine for personal stories. A character’s core struggle might be the battle between their AuthenticityNeed and their ExposureNeed. A quest might force a player with a high ObfuscationNeed into a situation demanding total transparency, creating immense mechanical and role-playing tension.
• Enriching the Social Arena: This system gives every social interaction a new layer of depth. The player isn’t just trying to persuade an NPC; they are navigating that NPC’s complex internal landscape of needs and fears.
• Player Agency: It gives the player profound control over their character’s development. Through the Belief Crystallization system, a player can actively work to change the Valence of their Psychic Components, fundamentally altering their relationship with this triad and staging their own journey of healing or corruption.

Ultimately, the goal of the Triad of Social Needs is to transform the social simulation of ATET into a mirror for the complex, contradictory, and beautiful ways we navigate our relationships with ourselves and others.