The Art of Place

Construction is the discipline of shaping the world itself. It is the art of turning a patch of barren ground into a thriving homestead, an empty cavern into a fortified bunker, or a collection of raw asteroids into a living starship. This is the discipline that creates the very stage upon which all other stories are told.

This system is a deliberate synthesis of two gameplay styles: the freeform architectural design of life simulation games and the resource-driven, logistical challenges of real-time strategy games. The player is both the Architect, dreaming up a perfect space, and the Foreman, orchestrating the labor and resources required to make that dream a reality.

The Universal System: Blueprint & Build

All construction, from a simple wooden shack to a miles-long capital ship, follows a universal, three-stage lifecycle.

Stage 1: The Blueprint Mode (The Architect’s Dream)

This is the player’s design phase, a direct homage to the intuitive building tools of The Sims.

• The Interface: The player enters a “Blueprint Mode,” a tactical overlay of the world. Here, they can freely place “ghost images” or holographic guides for walls, floors, furniture, and machinery. Time is paused. There are no material costs yet. This is a space for pure, creative planning.
• The Tools: The interface provides tools for drawing walls, defining rooms, placing objects, and copying/pasting layouts. The player designs the final state of their creation.
• The Output: When the player exits Blueprint Mode, the game generates a list of required materials and a series of construction tasks for the designated area. The dream is designed; now the work begins.

Stage 2: Phased Construction (The Foreman’s Work)

This is the RTS-inspired implementation phase. Agents (the player or their assigned workers) must now carry the required materials to the blueprint sites and build the structures in a logical, multi-stage process.

• Phase I: Framing (The Skeleton): Workers first erect the skeletal structure of a building or a ship’s hull. This provides the basic shape and structural integrity.
• Phase II: Systems (The Organs & Nerves): Next, workers install the vital internal systems: Power Conduits, Data Cables, Life Support Ducts, and Plumbing.
• Phase III: Finishing (The Skin): Finally, the interior and exterior walls, floors, and ceilings are installed. This seals the structure, makes it habitable, and provides the final aesthetic appearance.

The “Smart Renovation” Mandate

The phased approach creates immersion but risks making simple renovations tedious. To solve this, the game uses a “Smart Renovation” system. When a player wants to, for example, run a new power line through an existing wall, they simply place the new conduit in Blueprint Mode. The system automatically generates the necessary sequence of jobs for workers: [Deconstruct Wall Section] → [Install Conduit Frame] → [Install Conduit] → [Re-Finish Wall Section]. The player only has to make the design choice; their workers intelligently handle the deconstruction and reconstruction required.

Stage 3: Long-Term Maintenance (The War Against Entropy)

A structure, once built, begins its life. It is now subject to the stresses of time, use, and the environment. Maintenance is the ongoing, quiet story of stewardship, the constant, necessary fight to hold back decay.

• Structural Integrity: Every building, ship, and piece of machinery has a Structural Integrity value, the architectural equivalent of Durability. This value degrades slowly over time, or rapidly due to damage from combat or environmental hazards.
• Architectural Flaws: As Integrity decreases, the structure can develop systemic Flaws. These are not just cosmetic; they have direct gameplay effects.
  • [Leaky Roof] or [Minor Hull Breach] can lower the temperature and morale of a room.
  • A [Power Grid Fault] can cause lights to flicker or machinery to fail intermittently.
  • [Infestation] can take hold in a neglected hydroponics bay.
• The Repair Process: Repairing a structural flaw is a multi-step job for a skilled worker. It requires a Diagnostic action to identify the cause of the problem, followed by a Repair action that consumes specific materials to fix it.

The Flavors of Construction & Decay: An Ethos in Architecture

The player’s chosen crafting philosophy and technology level are expressed in the very materials and methods they use to build, and in the unique ways their creations live and decay.

Mechanical Construction (The Hegemonic Style)

• Aesthetic: The familiar language of industry. Steel I-beams, riveted plating, poured concrete.
• Process: The most direct translation of the Phased Construction model. Workers carry girders, run cables, and weld plates.
• Decay & Maintenance: Mechanical structures suffer from [Metal Fatigue], [Rust], and [Component Burnout]. Maintenance is a job for an Engineer, requiring [Spare Parts], [Welding Gas], and regular inspections to prevent catastrophic failure.

Biological Construction (The Arborian Method)

• Aesthetic: Architecture is horticulture. Structures are grown, not built. “Walls” might be woven from living wood, “windows” from hardened, transparent amber. The sounds are of creaking wood and the slow pulse of flowing sap.
• Process: The Phased Construction is organic. Sapling Scaffolds are planted, Weaver-Beetles spin the vascular systems, and the structure is “matured” into its final form.
• Decay & Maintenance: Bio-structures do not rust; they get sick. They are vulnerable to [Blight], [Parasitic Infestations], and [Genetic Drift]. Maintenance is a job for a Xenobotanist or Farmer, requiring [Herbal Fungicides], the introduction of predator species to control pests, and sometimes, the difficult act of [Pruning] a diseased section to save the whole. A healthy structure can slowly self-repair minor damage.

Psionic Construction (The Esoteric Art)

• Aesthetic: Structures are made of crystallized thought and focused energy. Architecture is a silent, glowing artifice of seamless crystal and humming energy fields.
• Process: The Phased Construction is metaphysical. A Containment Field defines the shape, Intent is infused to create systems, and a final ritual causes the structure to [Solidify Reality].
• Decay & Maintenance: Psionic structures do not break; they drift. They suffer from [Resonance Decay], causing their forms to become unstable or “out of phase.” They can be corrupted by [Psychic Static] from nearby metaphysical events. Maintenance is a job for a Psion or Ritualist, who must perform a [Ritual of Attunement] to realign the structure’s crystalline matrix and purge it of negative eidetic influence.

Interpersonal Construction (The Social Engine)

• Aesthetic: A bustling construction site. The sounds are of coordinated work crews and communal effort.
• Process: A management puzzle of assigning jobs, managing schedules, and keeping morale high.
• Decay & Maintenance: The structure itself may be Mechanical or Biological, but its true Integrity is social. The “decay” here is societal. Flaws are not cracked walls, but [Low Morale], [Factional Dispute], and [Criminal Activity]. Maintenance is the work of a Leader or Administrator. “Repair” is done not with a wrench, but in the Social Arena; through [Negotiation], by providing better amenities, by throwing a [Feast] to boost morale, or by using [Intimidation] to suppress dissent.