Game Systems
This section is the math. Each page explains how a system computes its numbers, with the formulas and the tuning knobs that drive them. It is reference-first: tables and formulas over prose.
Map of the systems
| System | What it decides | Core formula lives in |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | How the layers fit together | high-level overview |
| Entities | Every pawn type, its purpose and goals | the roster |
| GOAP | Which goal a pawn pursues this tick | priority math |
| Atomic Goals | Why stories emerge instead of being scripted | design principle |
| Traits | Who a pawn is and what they unlock | threshold tables |
| Trait Catalog | All 552 traits with descriptions | full reference |
| Historian | A pawn's starting past and seeded traits | worldgen |
| Drama | Betrayal, defection, breakdowns | trait thresholds + events |
| Director | When pressure fires an event, honeymoon to kingpin | threat score + phases |
| Director Tools | Presets, export/import, debug firing | tuning workflow |
| Heat | Crime pressure per block, police pull | heat gain and decay |
| Combat | Fight, flee, arrest, or surrender | outcome scoring |
| Intelligence | Buying info: sources and dossiers | prices and reveals |
| Investigations & RICO | Cases, warrants, federal prosecution | evidence and exposure |
| Map | Real cities, layers, navigation, prices | OSM + real price data |
| Real Estate | Stashes, labs, fronts, acquisition | costs, income, heat |
| Economy | Money flow and drug margins | money model + laundering split |
| Betrayal | Defection, contagion, recruit-back | loyalty-band tuning |
| Territory | Turf control and pressure | section ownership |
How to read a formula on this wiki
- Named weights and thresholds (for example
cashWeight,eventThreshold) are config keys. You can change them. The Modding section shows where. - Default values shown are the current baseline. The base game rebalances over time, so trust the formula shape over any single number.
- Where a value is derived (not a raw config key), the derivation is written out.
IMPORTANT
This wiki documents the observable rules and tunable knobs, not the engine internals. It is enough to play well, mod deeply, and reason about why the simulation behaves as it does. It is not an engine teardown.