To Perceive is not merely to see; it is to filter, to focus, to notice. It is the faculty of awareness through which the raw, objective data of the Tapestry is translated into the subjective experience of an Incarnation.

Within ATET, Perception is not a perfect, omniscient camera. It is a fallible, biased, and deeply personal filter. It governs not what is, but what is noticed. The Tapestry is a text rich with detail, and an Incarnation’s Perception determines how many of its words it is capable of reading.

Design Philosophy

The purpose of the Perception system is to transform a passive stat into an active, expressive, and character-defining mechanic. It is the engine that drives the Design Pillar of the Subjective Interface. While other systems determine how an agent thinks (Belief) or feels (Need), the Perception system determines the very input for those thoughts and feelings.

This system is designed to create a meaningful difference between a perceptive Incarnation and an oblivious one. One who is highly perceptive doesn’t just have a better chance to find a hidden trap; they experience a fundamentally richer, more detailed world. The environment itself becomes a puzzle, a story, and a resource that only reveals its secrets to those who know how to look.

Ultimately, Perception is the bridge between the objective world of the simulation and the subjective reality of the character. The player does not have a camera; they have the character’s senses. The UI is not a neutral window; it is the output of the Perception system, constantly shaped by what the Incarnation is capable of, and biased towards, noticing. Exploration is the act of moving through the world, but Perception is the act of truly seeing it.

The Dual-Layer System of Awareness

Perception operates on the same Dual-Layer model as Attributes and Skills, separating the cold, mechanical process of detection from the rich, subjective experience of awareness.

Objective Layer (The Sensory Check)

This is the “under the hood” process managed by the game’s PerceptionSystem. It answers the simple, binary question: “Is entity or phenomenon X within the sensory range of agent Y?”

• This system uses the agent’s SensoryCapabilities (e.g., range of sight, hearing acuity) and the SpatialHash to generate a list of all potential things the agent could be aware of in a given moment.
• When a new, significant entity enters this range, the system dispatches a NewEntityInPerceptionRangeEvent, triggering the agent’s cognitive processes.
• This layer is purely mechanical. It provides the raw data feed for the subjective filter.

Subjective Layer (The Filter of Consciousness)

This is the core of the Perception system. The raw data from the Sensory Check is passed through a series of filters that determine what the agent actually becomes conscious of, and how that information is framed.

1. The Perception Attribute Filter: This is the primary gatekeeper. An Incarnation’s Perception attribute score directly determines the level of detail it can passively extract from the environment.

   • Low Perception: An agent notices only the most obvious details. A hidden switch is just part of the wall. The subtle tremble in a liar’s voice goes unheard. The world feels simpler, more direct, but with much of its richness and opportunity obscured.
   • High Perception: The agent’s mind is constantly supplied with a stream of subtle details. The Subjective Interface will highlight a loose floorboard, a strange pattern of wear on a stone step, or the fact that an NPC’s gaze keeps darting towards a specific door.

2. The Need Filter (The Bias of Urgency): An agent’s critical Needs actively bias its perception, causing it to subconsciously prioritize information relevant to its survival.

   • An agent with a critical SustenanceNeed is far more likely to notice a patch of edible berries from a distance, or to overhear a conversation about a hidden food cache. The rest of the world fades slightly in importance.
   • An agent with a critical SafetyNeed will be hyper-aware of potential threats—a snapped twig, a shadow that moves unnaturally, the glint of a drawn weapon in a crowd.

3. The Belief Filter (The Bias of Worldview): An agent’s Beliefs actively color and re-frame what it perceives. The system doesn’t just present facts; it presents them through the lens of what the agent holds to be true.

   • An agent with a Faith that “All technology is corrupt” won’t just perceive a plasma rifle; they will perceive a “Heretical Contraption” or a “Soul-Searing Device,” with the UI reflecting this hostile interpretation.
   • An agent who believes Joric IS_UNTRUSTWORTHY will perceive his neutral statements as having a “Deceptive” or “Suspicious” undertone.

The Player’s Experience

For the player, their Incarnation’s Perception score and internal state directly shape the gameplay experience, turning awareness into a core mechanic and a rewarding progression path.

• An Interactive World: A high-Perception character’s playthrough is fundamentally different. More objects in the world become highlighted and interactive. More details are available for examination. The environment itself becomes a deeper puzzle to be solved.
• Information as a Resource: Perception is the primary way the player gathers the raw information needed to succeed in other systems. Noticing an NPC’s worn-out boots (Perception) allows you to infer their poverty (Insight/Skill), which informs your strategy when you Trade with them.
• The Subjective UI in Action: The player feels their character’s perception.
  • When a critical Need is active, relevant objects in the world might literally glow with a subtle, alluring aura.
  • When a strong Belief is triggered, descriptive text in the UI will change. “A Rifle” becomes “A Tool of the Oppressor.”
  • When your Perception Attribute allows you to notice a hidden detail, it might manifest as an intuitive audio cue, a shimmer in the world, or a line of internal monologue text appearing on screen: “…that carving on the hilt… I’ve seen it before.”