Hardware Versions
Network Maintenance now exists in two physical device generations. Both Version 1 and Version 2 operate within the same networked artwork and share the same core gameplay logic, authority model, and maintenance structure.
This documentation describes the shared system behavior across the series unless a version-specific distinction is explicitly noted.
60-Second Guide
- Read the top incident card and right-side maintenance tasks.
- Run matching actions in your current state to reduce incident pressure.
- Collect packages and keep resources in healthy ranges.
- Use COMMS for node-to-node coordination and @CHANNEL broadcast.
- Spend packages on upgrades to improve unattended and collective performance.
Primary objective: maintain both node health and network health over long, low-frequency play sessions.
Resource Reference
| Resource | Core Purpose | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| COMPUTE | Immediate work capacity | Most direct actions: repairs, scans, boosts, maintenance operations |
| MEMORY | Continuity and resilience | Preventive and higher-grade operations, upgrade requirements |
| BANDWIDTH | Coordination throughput | Synchronization and collective actions, traffic handling |
| RESONANCE | Collective coherence energy | Collective windows, selected advanced upgrades |
| PACKAGES | Persistent progression currency | Upgrade purchases and long-horizon progression |
Gameplay Loops
| Loop | Time Scale | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Loop | Seconds-minutes | Run actions, resolve pressure, generate resources, collect packages. |
| Maintenance Loop | Hours-day | Prevent decay, handle incidents, keep node health out of critical/decayed states. |
| Collective Loop | Day-week | Coordinate in windows for resonance rewards and network stabilization. |
| Progression Loop | Week+ | Invest packages in upgrades to change long-term behavior. |
Active Visual States
| State | Role | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| default | Baseline package loop and stabilization | HARVEST, COLLECT, ANALYZE |
| maintenance | Repair, cleanup, and integrity recovery | CLEAN, REPAIR, DEEP_CLEAN |
| traffic_flow | Routing optimization and congestion control | CHANNEL, PRUNE, RESTORE, CIRCULATE |
| security | Threat hardening and mitigation | SCAN, PATCH, FIREWALL, TRACE |
| commune | Coherence and social synchronization | SIGNAL, OFFER, RESONATE |
| entanglement | Advanced coherence lattice shaping | WEAVE, PHASE, ANCHOR, COLLAPSE |
| containment | Quarantine and rare-instability control | ISOLATE, SEAL, QUARANTINE, PURGE |
| forecast | Predictive/preventive planning | MODEL, HEDGE, BUFFER, PREPARE |
| care_collective | Healing-specialized cooperative recovery | HEAL, SHARE, REVITALIZE, TETHER |
| resource_share | Cross-node balancing support | BALANCE, EQUALIZE, REFRESH |
| transmute | Resource conversion utility | C→M, C→B, M→C, P→* |
| comms | Direct node messaging and channel communication | SEND, target select, read/ack |
| upgrade | Skill-tree progression mode | browse, inspect, purchase, exit |
| decayed | Collapsed node emergency state | REQUEST_HELP |
Legacy/disabled states are excluded from active gameplay docs.
Incident System
Incidents are deterministic gameplay pressure units with rarity tiers and severity (`minor`, `major`, `critical`). They affect decay, passive generation, package yield, and action priorities.
| Incident Type | Default Suggested State | Resolver Actions (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| load_drift | traffic_flow | BOOST, HARVEST, CLEAN, ANALYZE |
| integrity_fault | maintenance | REPAIR, PATCH, DEBUG, DEEP_CLEAN |
| congestion | traffic_flow | CHANNEL, PRUNE, RESTORE, CIRCULATE |
| coherence_loss | commune | RESONATE, SYNCHRONIZE, SIGNAL, ATTUNE |
| package_corruption | default | COLLECT, SCAN, PATCH, ANALYZE, REPAIR |
- Rarity tiers: common, uncommon, rare.
- Morphing is deterministic: incidents can escalate, de-escalate, or mutate according to config.
- Server remains gameplay-authoritative; LLM text is narrative-only.
- Incidents do not stack infinitely per node (bounded active slots).
Incidents are the main punishment channel. Maintenance task expiry does not punish players.
Maintenance Tasks
- Tasks are visual-state specific and server-authored.
- Task cap is constrained to 1-2 tasks per state per day (configurable).
- Each state has a configurable resolve window.
- When all active tasks are complete, the cycle is marked complete.
- Completion can grant deterministic rewards (for example packages/resonance).
- If a window expires, tasks close without penalty.
HUD status model: active, completed, window closed. Completed/expired items auto-clear after display retention.
Collective Windows
- Timed collaboration windows with deterministic success/failure outcomes.
- Requires a minimum number of distinct participating nodes to activate.
- Success distributes resonance rewards (affected by coordination upgrades).
- Failure can apply configured resonance penalties.
- Window summaries remain visible for a short retention period.
Upgrade Pipeline v1
Upgrades are server-authoritative and package-funded, organized as a multi-rank skill tree with prerequisites and unlock paths.
| Branch | Purpose | Typical Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Lower friction, better yield | Action cost reduction, package yield multipliers |
| Resilience | Survive neglect and incident pressure | Health decay reduction, incident penalty reduction |
| Automation | Better unattended progression | Passive generation multipliers, auto-collect, auto-mitigation chance |
| Coordination | Strengthen collective outcomes | Collective reward multipliers, share efficiency |
Core Effect Keys
| Effect Key | What It Changes |
|---|---|
| actionCostMultiplier | Lowers action resource costs |
| packageYieldMultiplier | Improves package gain from collection flow |
| healthDecayMultiplier | Reduces health decay speed |
| incidentDecayPenaltyMultiplier | Reduces added decay pressure from incidents |
| passiveGenerationMultiplier | Boosts unattended resource generation |
| packageAutoCollectPerTick | Adds passive package collection per tick |
| collectiveRewardMultiplier | Improves collective resonance rewards |
| autoMitigationChance | Chance to auto-reduce incident pressure |
| shareEfficiencyBonus | Improves cooperative resource-sharing outcomes |
Upgrade screen is an explicit visual state with dedicated 8-button navigation and transition lock protection.
Comms System
- Direct node-to-node messaging with delivery ACK/failure behavior.
- Persistent unread tracking per node and per sender.
- Global
@CHANNELbroadcast mode (IRC-like open channel). - Unread comms are surfaced in HUD and remain until marked read.
- Incoming messages can trigger quick-open affordance on physical controls.
State Transition Model
- Manual/player-selected state changes are respected with hold windows.
- Server auto-transitions can be enabled/disabled independently.
- When enabled, auto transitions use cooldowns, per-state holds, and hysteresis ticks to reduce jitter.
- Default fallback is conservative and can be blocked by active incidents and minimum hold times.
- Locked states (for example
upgrade,comms) defer non-critical transitions. - Critical safety transitions (for example decayed flows) remain allowed.
8-Button Interface Model
- Each visual state defines a full 1-8 button map.
- No popup or critical flow should require an unmapped input.
- Long-press actions are used for utility entry/exit paths (for example upgrades).
- COMMS and Upgrade states are explicitly designed around physical-button navigation.
Runtime target is physical devices at 1024x768 with low-frequency player interaction patterns.
Long-Press Shortcuts
Global long-press timeout is 3 seconds. These shortcuts are available regardless of state unless blocked by browser focus loss.
| Button | Long-Press Action | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reload Client | Hard refreshes the current node UI. |
| 2 | Open COMMS | Transitions directly to comms state. |
| 4 | Open Debug | Transitions to debug state (tooling/internal use). |
| 8 | Toggle Upgrades | Enter upgrade state; if already in upgrade, exit back to previous state (fallback default). |
Player-facing primary shortcut: Hold 8 for upgrades.