Pinky of Zeus Productions

Apocalypse Tower One liner description

Game Design Documentation Steam Project

Project I

All work ©2014 Pinky of Zeus Productions Written by Benjamin Wagner

Version 1.3 Edited 12/20/14

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Table of Contents Change Log Game Overview Gameplay

Game Start ­ Introduction to Hero Management ‘Hero’ Resident Skills/Attributes ‘Hero’ Resident Categories The Tower ­ Introduction to Tower Management The Meat and Potatoes (Merging Sim & Crisis/Resident Management) ‘Star’ Levels and Progression Structures

Structure Effects Types of Structures Shops, Restaurants & Service­Providing Structures

Revenue vs. Operating Costs Establishment Categories Determinants of Success Calculating Revenue/Sales

Business Plans ­ Customization & Sales Management Housing

Game Events Challenges Business Deals Disasters Hunting Scavenging Raids

Residents & Visitors Tower Capacity Demographics Stress

Calculating Stress Morale

Effects of Morale Calculating Morale

Satisfaction/Happiness Calculating Satisfaction

Hero Characters / Assignable Permanent Residents Attributes Jobs Tasks

Reputation (WiP) Weather & Environmental Effects

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Ordinary Weather Extreme Weather

Save State Management Disasters

Scheduled (Non­Recurring) Conditional Random

Feature Set General Features

Gameplay Game World

Backstory Races & Creatures

Human Survivors Mutants Machines Beastkin (Tentative) Monsters

Characters Story Characters NPC Factions (WiP)

Imperators (Oldworlders) The Braintrust (Oldworlders) The Skybound (Cult) Jesters (Raiders)

Hero Characters Attributes of Hero Characters / Assignable Permanent Residents

User Interface Game Objects By Category (Work in Progress)

Restaurants Stores & Businesses Housing Services Utilities Transportation Special Event Technology List Other

Musical Score and Sound Effects Sound Effects

Textures GUI events

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Scheduled Events On­Demand Events Misc. / Other events Voice­over

Notepad Proposed Game Design Changes Addressed Notes

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Change Log Version # v0.1

Drafted game overview and feature sections. Set up document skeleton. v0.2

Elaborated on game features and world overview. Added tentative categories for ‘hero’ or special residents. Updated starter character bio.

v0.3 Section added on businesses, their functions and their success factors.

v0.4 Added section on weather and resident stress & satisfaction.

v 0.5 Updated list of sound assets.

v0.6 Added a section on hero residents. Added a section on housing and tower capacity. Revised description of barn.

v0.7 Began work on event descriptions and lists.

v0.8 Added notes on game design changes to notepad.

v0.9 Began adding game objects to their respective categories

v1.0 Added additional game objects.

v1.1 General updates, comment responses, began work on Reputation and Disaster sections.

v1.2 Added section on Races & Monsters, laid foundation for NPC factions.

v1.3 Added details for following factions: Imperators, The Braintrust, the Jesters, The Skybound

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Game Overview Apocalypse Tower is a Sim Tower inspired game for Steam (and mobile?) set in a nuclear post­apocalyptic world. The player’s tower serves as an oasis in the wasteland, full of attractions such as hotels, supply stores, restaurants and entertainment mediums. Over time the tower progresses from a place to acquire “the bare essentials” of surviving the nuclear wasteland to a successful capitalist venture and attraction, replete with themed restaurants, movie theaters, and other attractions too implausible for the wild wasteland. The tower’s progress measures the slow return of normality to the wasteland, and eventually competing towers may spring up. The player’s primary goal is to rebuild society (in other words, to achieve a 5 star tower rating), but over the course of gameplay they will be beset by many crises and challenges (some of which are opportunities in disguise). A tower poorly prepared to deal with bands of raiding mutants on the hunt for man­flesh, or the extortion of human raiders, will have it’s business suffer, and some of its residents forcibly and violently removed from the tower.

Gameplay

Game Start - Introduction to Hero Management You start the game with a single character; a young adult wandering one region of a post­apocalyptic world. Born into a world of devastation, much of his/her life has been spent moving from place to place, hiding and fighting for his/her survival, constantly separated from the people he/she knows and loves. Fed up with a nomadic lifestyle, the character stumbles across a barn, relatively untouched since the bombs went off, and decides to stake their claim and build something all their own. The early game serves as a learn­by­doing tutorial for managing your residents jobs and needs, dealing with basic crises and resource needs. After the player reaches a certain milestone, their scouting party will stumble across the stable foundation of a battered shopping mall or office tower, and decide to move their camp. On their arrival, the player is introduced more heavily to the tower building mechanics and crisis management takes the back seat to the sim/tycoon management for a period. The game begins with the First Resident’s discovery of an abandoned barn. Somewhat decrepit, the structure is stable enough, and serves as shelter from some of the Wastes’ many dangers. The barn serves as the player’s first structure, and the centerpiece of the small settlement which springs up around it. After its inhabitants migrate to the Tower, the camp’s structures are effectively lost to the player.

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‘Hero’ Resident Skills/Attributes Your permanent residents arrive with their own random set of skills which are divided into a handful of overarching categories (likely color­coded): Stats (Tentative)

Hunting/Exploration (Dexterity?) Physical Labor (clearing & constructing buildings, resistance to illness & death

[Endurance?]) Intelligence (artistic & creative roles, design & engineering, tactics) Charisma (skills as a merchant/negotiator/businessman)

‘Hero’ Resident Categories Each resident under your control will be defined by two groups of categories: age and skill­class. Age Groups There are three functional age groups: child, adult, and late adult (40s­60s), anyone younger or older will likely not be able to be assigned to tasks. Children will have the lowest stats, and will likely not be assignable to tasks with the threat of death, adults will have the highest stats, and late adults will have reduced adult stats to represent the decline in abilities that comes with age. Building / acquiring the right assets (such as elementary schools) allows you to create permanent stat bonuses to given age groups, as such, the most stat­advanced characters would likely be born into the tower late game, and survive until adulthood. Skill­Class Characters are organized by invisible archetypes which determine their stats. A “braniac” would have their highest stat in intelligence, whereas a “warrior’s” would be in dexterity. With the exception of special characters, most early game characters will have one peak stat, while at the beginning of mid­game (2+stars), the player would begin to acquire more characters with two peak stats. Late game characters might naturally have as many as three peak stats (of four), or alternatively two very high ones and two very low ones. Peaks stats have higher minimum and maximum values, but remain randomly generated, like all stats. To balance stats, each category of skill­class will likely have a minimum and maximum total point value.

More on character stats More on hero characters

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The Tower - Introduction to Tower Management The tower lobby serves as the initial camp for the player’s residents, while they ‘clear out the rubble’ (IE: build) in the floors directly above, and begin placing their resources (a designated ‘bathroom’ [before running water]), a ‘kitchen’, and sleeping quarters. Currency begins to play a heavier role as each resident is expected to pull their weight. There are multiple kinds of construction location, all of which function relatively the same (as a foundation for businesses/structures) but are unlocked in different ways.

Good to go as­is Clearing rubble (basic) ­ Primarily cleanup, available from the get­go ‘Build’ asset to access (IE: a ladder [rope/metal/wood] to get through a hole in the roof) Shore up floor (requires craftsmen & wood resources?) Build a floor from scratch (higher levels, requires construction crane)

As the player’s tower grows and they acquire assets), they begin to unlock real businesses that attract paying customers (a general store, a cafeteria, washrooms, dormitories). Your tower’s “Star” level (?) tracks your progress. Each star introduces new challenges and options. The player’s progress marks the return of normalcy and order to the wasteland as the tower slowly transitions from one thing to the next: from a place of refuge to one relief, a home to a vacation spot and shopping destination, and finally a veritable theme park and spa.

The Meat and Potatoes (Merging Sim & Crisis/Resident Management) After the player’s had time to establish the roots of their tower business, the crises and tasks begin to trickle back into the game. The player must secure water caravan deals, access to food, trade deals with scavengers and nearby settlements, etc. For some of these challenges, the player can assign residents to influence the outcome. Initially the water caravans might move fine on their own, but soon raiders will take notice—if you don’t assign a guard, you might lose a shipment. Likewise, residents of other talents can contribute in different ways. A suave and grizzled warrior like Darryl (from the Walking Dead) with high charisma can help land negotiations (through charm or intimidation). Businesses will begin to open that require someone with experience to helm or at least research (IE: cooking/carpentry, etc). Before long the player will acquire ways to improve the attributes of their permanent residents (schools, training facilities, gyms).

‘Star’ Levels and Progression The player’s progress is measured by a number of factors such as their business success, the construction of key objects, and their resident & guests’ quality of life and happiness. When the player’s tower reaches the second “star” or progress level, they will acquire a host of new construction options, and with them, new challenges. Raiders will try to extort your tower for

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‘protection money,’ mutants will attack your tower, hurting business and killing/injuring some of your permanent residents.

Structures Structures refer to any construct­able object placed directly onto the tower, from vending machines to movie theaters and sports arenas. Each structure has its own purpose, many of which fall into broad categories (IE: restaurants exist to draw revenue, attract guests, and reduce traffic congestion around other food sources). Structures have preset dimensions (anything from 1x1 to 6x3) and can be placed wherever there is sufficient space cleared (providing you can afford the cost).

Structure Effects Structures have a number of effects and conditions which are determined by their placement:

Noise: Significant traffic to an area results in congestion, which in turn creates noise (which devalues neighboring properties not immune to noise, lowers the satisfaction and raises the stress of said properties’ tenants). Generally speaking, businesses that generate a lot of noise are immune to its effects, as are utilities like restrooms and power generators. Some businesses are inherently noisy, like pubs or movie theaters. Power Needs: From the mid­game on, certain structures will require power to operate, which means proximity to a power source. Waste Disposal: Upon access to trash facilities (early­middle game), businesses like restaurants will begin to generate waste. If employees don’t have direct access to a waste disposal facility (via stairs or service elevators), or if all accessible disposal facilities are overburdened, they will accumulate waste until they are forced to shut down. Hygiene: hotel rooms require sufficient housekeeping facilities to maintain—dirty rooms will result in reduced customer satisfaction and eventually the room’s condemnation. Restroom access: Employees require direct access to a restroom, whether by stairs, or by placing one on the same level. General Access: Employees and visitors alike cannot access a location without a direct route (stairs, elevator, etc.). If workers cannot reach their job, the business will be forced to halt operation. Traffic Congestion: Insufficient transportation for trafficked areas will result in lines (queues) of people waiting. The longer they wait, the higher their stress and the lower their satisfaction. This influences individuals’ desire to revisit or remain in the tower.

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Types of Structures (And Examples) Offices (monthly rent) Building Facilities

latrines/Restrooms Security rooms Medics/Doctor’s office/hospital Power Generator rooms (provide power) trash facility (collect trash) parking Schools

Restaurants

Chinese/Italian/Mexican/Japanese/Other Ethnicity Shop Ice Cream Shop Coffee Shop Fast Food Shop (Same brand)

Shops

Grocery Stores Book Shops (salvaged books, knowledge from the wasteland) Drug Stores

Transit Systems

Ladders/Stairs Escalators Elevators/Jumbo elevator / service elevator/express elevator Teleportal Beam?

Hotels

Front desk housekeeping single double suite Lobby

Residential

Camp/Dormitories/Apartments (Monthly rent) Condos (Sold)

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Penthouse (Sold) Basic Facilities

Clear floor/construct floor Clear / construct lobby shore up damaged floor/infrastructure build skybridge?

Attractions

Movie theaters Event centers (concerts/speeches/religious rallies) casinos arcades

Miscellaneous

Railroad/subway

Shops, Restaurants & Service-Providing Structures Shops and Restaurants are both categories of constructible establishments which return revenue based on the sale of their merchandise. Restaurants fulfill a number of functions: they help satisfy demand for restaurant­category attractions, they serve as a source of food for residents (while operational), they can bring in a modest amount of revenue, and they attract citizens to your tower. Shops are very similar in function, but tend to have less impact on meeting resource needs and more of a focus on profitability and attracting visitors.

Revenue vs. Operating Costs Contrary to other structures like Apartments (which pay monthly), shops and restaurants cash­in their revenue at the end of every business day. Their revenue is the total of their daily sales, subtracted by daily operating costs, which can equal a negative number. Each business’s operating cost is unique, static (predetermined), and determined on the basis of its size, scope, and the cost of the goods sold there.

Establishment Categories Almost every structure in the tower is put into a demographic category which determines what kinds of customers and visitors will go there. For example: an office will be filled with both Young Office Workers and Office Workers, but there’s no reason to find School Children or a Single Father there.

Determinants of Success A number of factors go into determining whether a business will be successful.

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Accessibility ­ First and foremost, in order for a business to operate, it must be geographically accessible by both its employees and visitors alike. This means creating a route between the establishment and the rest of the tower (although this is true of nearly any structure). Demographic Demand ­ Every business has a predetermined demographic table which determines which demographic groups will ever utilize its services, and their individual preference for the service. The demographic breakdown of your tower’s total population will determine how successfully a business performs in a given day. For example, 60% of your population is adult office workers while only 10% are Teenagers, it does not make much immediate economic sense to open a business whose chief demographic is Teenagers. The sum of individuals capable of visiting a business is always limited to your tower’s population of that demographic (this includes visitors). However, each establishment will attract new visitors to your tower which makes it possible to intentionally draw new guests of a particular demographic to your tower (as an office must be staffed by office workers). The sum total of your structures will determine your tower’s maximum visitor capacity.

Market Saturation ­ Market saturation is the calculation of the number of structures a given establishment has compared to all other establishments you own in that category (for example: if you have ten restaurants and eight of them are Japanese food, the market for Japanese food will be extremely oversaturated). Oversaturation results in a reduction in foot traffic and sales. Oversaturation only occurs when there are at least two of a given establishment in the relevant vicinity (see Local vs. Global) There are two types of Saturation:

Local Market Saturation ­ The relative demand for another business of its type in a given vicinity (In example: the length of one horizontal floor, and one floor above and below). The effects of oversaturating locally are much less pronounced than globally. Global Market Saturation ­ The relative demand for another business of its type inside your tower. Global Oversaturation results in a steep decline in foot traffic, and therefore revenue. The Effects of Oversaturation ­ Numerically, every establishment over the global saturation point number will have its business suffer greatly. While all businesses of an oversaturated type will be impacted, those that are least impacted will be selected by their local market saturation (from lowest to highest). Game Events­ Certain game events, like heat­waves, celebrity visitors, critic ratings, etc. can temporarily boost or reduce the success of a given type of business. For example: hot weather drives up the demand for ice cream, whereas less people come

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shopping on rainy days. A hot review for one of your restaurants will boost that particular restaurant location’s traffic significantly.

Calculating Revenue/Sales Almost every business generates revenue, which is primarily determined by the pricing of the goods and services sold there (be they a latte, a movie ticket, or a night’s stay). Revenue ­ Usually, a days revenue is composed of every sale made that day. A transaction generally consists of a single purchase by a single customer. Some businesses may tend to sell packages of goods (IE: a combination of items at a restaurants), and several do not operate on a daily schedule (for example, apartments draw a large amount of revenue once a month). Popularity ­ Some goods are more popular than others (in part due factors like weather, season, and fluctuations in customer desires, and in part simply due to the nature of the item). Part of the player’s success hinges on their identification of trends and guest desires to prioritize in­demand goods. Sales Modifiers ­ Sales modifiers are numerical modifiers to the sales formulae which serve to summarize the impact of any given event on sales (whether it be caused by a mutant raid, water crisis, heatwave, or leprechaun hunt). Every event will have a predetermined modifier which can be either negative or positive. Determining Sales Numbers ­ Gross revenue is equal the total number of sales. Sales are determined as follows: Daily Customers = (Target demographic (a percentage of the total number of guests in demographic X) + Conversions (a very small percentage of total tower population, not including the target demographics, representing customers outside the target audience) ) x BasicItemDemand (Determined on per­item basis) ± Modifiers (Weather, Events, trends, sales, etc.) Summary: Daily Customers = (Target Demographic + Conversions) x BasicItemDemand ± Modifiers Next, customers orders are determined by sorting the total customer pool (DailyCustomers) into purchase categories (or “assigning them” items) based on their demographic, budget, and any modifiers (such as sales, weather or events). The attractiveness of each service/item is then weighed: TotalDemand = BasicItemDemand + BudgetMatch (a value between X and Y based on how affordable the item is) + DemographicMatch (same as budget, but based on a comparison of the

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“distance” between the tastes of two demographics) ± Modifiers ± RandomChance (a sprinkle of randomness to account for personal tastes) Summary: TotalDemand = BasicItemDemand + BudgetMatch + DemographicMatch ± Modifiers ± RandomChance The item(s) with the greatest total demand value for the transaction is assigned to the customer in question, and it’s value is added to the business’ gross revenue for the operating period. If a business offers only one service, that service is selected by default. (TodaysRevenue = the sum of the customer choice matrix)

Business Plans - Customization & Sales Management Determining what services or items are offered by a business is achieved through templates known as “Business Plans.” To change an establishment’s business plan, you select a business and open the information panel, where you can select the establishment’s business plan from all of the plans you have customized for the establishment. Every establishment comes set to a default plan. Create a plan from scratch ­ To create a Business Plan, the player navigates to the Business Plan menu and selects the “New” option. After naming the plan, they select the type of business they wish to customize from a list of all those they have constructed thus far. Next, they then determine how much of the business’ focus is devoted to providing each of the available services. For restaurants, this can mean customizing individual menu items. Create from template ­ To save time, you can select an existing business plan and start editing a duplicate version. Hitting “Cancel” without saving will delete the duplicate template. Plans for the same business must have unique names. Delete Template ­ Self­explanatory, with confirmation window. The default plan cannot be deleted.

Housing Each residence type has a preset capacity and is occupied by one or more randomly generated fictional resident. Permanent Housing Apartments fit one person, whereas condos have room for three (a mother, father and a child). Apartments are rented by the month, while condos are a one­time high value payment, which you must reimburse upon the resident’s departure.

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Temporary Housing Similarly with hotel rooms a single houses one, a double two (a couple), and a suite houses a family of three. Hotel rooms are temporary residences occupied by tourists and business people, and charge on a nightly basis. Your tower’s popularity determines the number of visitors staying at your hotel any given day. Utilities Services Transportation

Game Events Game events make up the various happenings beyond the tower simulation engine. They have varied effects and can be used to determine the fate of your tower’s residents as well as unlocking new constructions, and influencing your resources.

Challenges

Business Deals

Disasters Disasters are events which almost always have a negative impact on the player’s tower. Generally, these events are indicated via a notification window. Disasters have various triggers—some scheduled, others situational (based on resources, tower conditions, and diplomatic conditions) and some which occur completely by chance. The effects of disasters vary widely—a water shortage may create sanitation issues and put your residents at risk of dehydration, while a mutant raid on your tower may result in the death of your heroes. Some disasters can be nullified or turned to the player’s advantage.

The Disaster List

Hunting Hunting is a task which requires heroes to perform. Its purpose is to replenish the Tower’s food supply. A hunt event is periodically performed using any heroes assigned to the Hunting task category at the time of the event. The heroes’ numbers and Dexterity attributes determine the success of a hunt—the greater the success, the greater the bonus to the food resource. During the period of a hunt (usually one half­day, up to two days depending on wildlife scarcity), heroes assigned to hunting cannot be reassigned to another task and will be absent from the tower. Hunts generally occur when food resources begin to dip below 40% capacity, or there is an influx of new residents. The player will be notified at the beginning and end of a hunt.

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Scavenging Scavenging is similar to hunting, except that it is manually initiated rather than activated by resource needs...

Raids Weather

Residents & Visitors

Tower Capacity Your tower’s total capacity (or maximum population) is the sum of your resident population, your non­resident workforce (IE: offices), and the maximum number of individuals (“visitors”/”guests”) that can be drawn to your tower by shops and attractions (as determined by your progress level). For the most part, an establishment’s capacity for employees is a static, preset value (as with housing), whereas attractions bring in a range of visitors. Employees who reside in the tower are not counted twice. The population of your tower can never exceed the tower capacity.

Demographics Demographics are ways of categorizing your towers visitors. The primary demographic is the person’s identity (IE: Adult Office Worker, Single Father, Junkie). Each identity type is further categorized into a budget range, which determines both their how much cash they carry, and the sort of establishments where they will spend their money. Identity (Work in Progress) Uncivilized (Early Game and On)

Wastelander Caravan Trader Slaver Settler Nomad Junkie Orphan Teenager Child

Warrior Soldier Raider Mutant

Doctor Medic Nurse

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Doctor ‘Civilized’ (Mid to late game)

Office Worker Office Worker Young

Father Mother Teenager Student

Elementary Student Student Working Student

Child Tourist

Disposable Income

$0 ­ $X Orphan Junkie Child Elementary School Student

$X ­ $X Nomad Settler Raider Mutant Student

$X ­ $X Working Student Young Office Worker

$X ­ $X Slaver Caravan Trader Office Worker Father Mother Nurse Medic

$X ­ $X Doctor Tourist

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Stress Stress is a measurement of the difficulty and inconvenience of life in your tower. It negatively impacts character satisfaction. Initially, the characters who visit and reside in your camp/tower have very high tolerance for stress, but as they become accustomed to a better standard of life and the game progresses, their tolerance falls to normal levels.

Calculating Stress Wait Times ­ Any time a tower occupant has to wait for an elevator or an under­capacity service, their stress increases based on the amount of time they spend waiting. This issue is resolved by creating alternate routes (such as building more elevator cars), or meeting demand (by creating additional structures which fulfill the relevant service). Resource Shortage ­ A scarcity of food, clean water, or other vital supplies will raise stress levels for all residents of your tower. Noise ­ Any residents, office workers, or individuals in noise­sensitive roles will become stressed by noise from neighboring establishments. Cost of Living ­ The amount of rent you charge a tenant, and the number of shopping options in their price range determines how satisfied they are with what they’re being charged. As your initial price for Apartments, Condos, Offices and etc. determines what sort of clientele will move in, tenants are rarely unhappy with their move­in price for any such structure. Increasing the rent after they’ve moved in, however, will slowly eat away at their satisfaction with their cost of living, and increase their stress. Convenience & Effort ­ Ladders, stairs and escalators all get you where you’re going, but they’re not as convenient. The higher the effort required to get around, the more your visitors stress will rise. The effect is less pronounced when there are initially no construction alternatives to an inefficient mode of transport. The farther a resident or visitor must travel to get to their destination, the more stressed they become. In­Game Events ­ The death of hero residents will result in a small increase in stress for all of your residents for about a month, but it will have a much greater effect on your other hero characters (whose lives are regularly at risk). In general though, character death has a greater impact on morale than stress. Relieving Stress In the majority of cases, relieving stress can be accomplished by addressing the contributing factors (building elevators, separating noisy and noise sensitive structures by demolishing one or the other, etc.). There are however, a few ways to temporarily reduce stress.

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Certain in­game events, like securing caravan deals or a very successful hunt will temporarily reduce stress (although these effects may diminish as residents become jaded and removed from the difficulties of hunting/salvaging). Likewise, certain establishments (such as Spas) might confer temporary stress relief to their visitors.

Morale Morale is the scale which measures the general atmosphere inside the tower, and it impacts overall tower productivity. The scale is divided into three regions, low, normal and high morale. Morale is either visible to the player at all times, or they are notified when it enters a new region on the scale. With high morale, game events will seem to be going the player’s way more than usual. When morale falls inside the “normal” range, there will be no morale­related effects. Low morale will evoke the feeling that the player is having a bad month. Both the low and high morale regions have multiple ‘steps’ over which their effect becomes more pronounced.

Effects of Morale Morale applies a modifier to the following traits:

Build speed ­ ±2­5 seconds Scavenge / Hunt Yields ­ ±20­30% Reduced Guest Traffic ­ ±X% (15­30?) Visitor Spending ­ ±X% (10­25?) Charisma Based Challenges ­ ±X% to die roll (where X scales with actor level) Likelihood of Positive Random Events ­ ±X% (1­15%?)

Calculating Morale Morality is calculated on a monthly basis, and is determined based on a number of factors:

Population Satisfaction/Happiness Recent Crises & Events’ Outcomes Weather Visitor Traffic Death/Birth of Hero Residents Possession of Key Businesses & Structures

Satisfaction/Happiness Satisfaction or Happiness is a metric for determining the overall quality of life in your tower. It is chiefly used as an indicator of progress for improving your tower rating and unlocking new features. Satisfaction is compared against stress to determine whether someone is willing to remain in the tower.

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Calculating Satisfaction There are a number of factors involved in calculating satisfaction (listed here by weight):

Cost of Living Stress Morale Game Events

Hero Characters / Assignable Permanent Residents Hero characters are a special category of resident. In addition to a name, demographic and housing assignment, hero characters have a set of tracked attributes and a character portrait. These attributes are used to determine their success in completing tasks and dealing with challenges and crises.

Attributes A general description of attributes

Attribute Calculation

Jobs A ‘job’ is the assignment of a character towards fulfilling a particular function other than a crisis or challenge. Some establishment types can be staffed with a hero character to boost their performance, and some special configurations cannot be unlocked without doing so. For example, unlocking a specialty dish with a higher­than­average demand or return­on­investment might require a hero to be assigned to a particular restaurant for a predetermined period of time, or might require that other such criteria be satisfied. Other jobs include researching technologies, manning special structures (IE: the power grid or waste management), researching blueprints, etc. Generally speaking, a hero can be removed from a job at any time, and most jobs have a low threat risk to the assigned hero.

Tasks Tasks are temporary jobs, which generally cannot be interrupted. Contrary to regular jobs, tasks have preset durations and end automatically. Scavenging, hunting, and guarding a caravan all fall under the category of tasks. Tasks are one of the most frequent types of assignment to endanger a hero’s life. Challenges and Crises For details on challenges and crises, see their respective sections (WiP)

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Reputation (WiP) Reputation or Karma is decided by how you treat others, and determines how they react to you. Running your settlement as a tyrant, and dealing brutally with your competitors will lower your reputation, causing your enemies to fear you, and attracting undesirable clientele (raiders, slavers, etc.), who may stir up trouble and unlock unique game events. On the contrary, acting as a beneficent leader will result in better trade relations, more visitors, and more people looking to take advantage of you and your kindness.

Weather & Environmental Effects With the exception of heatwaves, normal weather functions as a passive event, it begins without any special notifications, but has visual indicators (such as falling rain), and impacts your tower.

Ordinary Weather Rain ­ People don’t like shopping on rainy days. Your tower will have fewer visitors, and sales will suffer. Snow ­ Reduced visitors due to difficulty of transport, but a bump in relevant sales (IE: hot chocolate, winter clothes). Heatwave ­ While heatwaves initially function as more severe rainy days, while your tower is adequately powered (and therefore air conditioned), you will experience a significant increase in total visitors, who are trying to get away from the heat. These new visitors will be less likely to actually make purchases, but spending in your tower will increase on relevant products and services (IE: ice cream, cold drinks). Hail ­ When chunks of ice are falling from the sky people usually don’t like to work on projects, any construction that is happening will be delayed until the hail stops.

Extreme Weather Dust Storms & Monsoons ­ The extreme weather makes it impossible for anyone to visit your tower today. Caravans will be delayed, and their chances of success may take a small hit. Monsoons are more likely than dust storms to persist for multiple days. Monsoons may persist for as long as two weeks, with the possibility of a brief break in the storm. Your tower residents will still make purchases and explore your tower, but their expenditures will be greatly reduced, and they will primarily hang around those areas which make them feel safest. These events will be accompanied by more intense weather effects and sound than usual.

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Radiation Storms ­ A storm blows in from more heavily irradiated lands, buffeting your tower with poisonous rain or dust. Radiation storms function as light to heavy rain, or dust storms, except they will impact your Tower occupants’ radiation levels. The longer the storm lasts, the greater their exposure, and the more likely they are to become sick (this can be combated through the research and acquisition of certain technologies, preparing disaster supplies and training doctors). Radiation storms and poisoning are far more likely to be fatal early in your tower’s life when access to medicine and adequate shelter is limited. The effects of radiation poison include:

Reduced appetite and shopping (more aimless wandering / hanging out without spending money)

Inability to leave residence due to illness Debilitating medical conditions, which carry a chance of death if unaddressed. Death

Save State Management Save file management is probably best handled through a hierarchical menu system. On the load­save menu, each “tower” functions as a folder/repository for save states unique to that tower’s ID code, and the player can have an unlimited number of towers. The save state with the latest timecode can be accessed with a “Continue” button from the main tower selection menu, and a summary of the tower’s state will be visible. Each tower will have between four and infinite save states (first organized by the date and time of the save, and then by the save’s total playtime), and three autosave states which occupy their own special category and appear above the manual saves. Autosaves will occur every in­game month, and will automatically overwrite the oldest autosave slot. Autosaving will also be triggered by exiting the game if there has been no new tower save within the last 5 minutes. If the player is able to import an existing tower to a new game (IE: same tower, different game type), that tower will be issued a new ID on game creation. The Tower Summary Widget Each save state will display key information on the load­save window through a summary widget. The widget will include information such as:

Tower Name (?) Tower Founder Name Tower Progress level Tower map location (if applicable) Game mode (if applicable) Playtime Total Money Tower Population In­game time/date and year number (?) Morality

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Saving Your Game The user will have multiple options for saving their game: a hotkey to create a new save file, the ability to open the tower’s save list and manually overwrite or load an existing save (with a choice­verification popup for either event), or leaving everything to the autosave system.

Disasters

Scheduled (Non-Recurring) Plot and progress­related events

Conditional Riots & Resident unrest Raider/Mutant attacks Water & food shortages power outages Heroes and caravans become lost or injured during hunts/salvage/trades/etc. tower safety scares disease outbreaks tower deterioration & infrastructure failure pest outbreaks

Random Heatwave Monsoon Radioactive storms Raider/Mutant attacks disease outbreaks pest outbreaks

Feature Set

General Features

Gameplay Core gameplay features (key/best features from sim tower, feel free to add your own)

Design a tower from the ground up. Business placement affects surrounding businesses (IE: noise, access to bathroom facilities, access to waste facilities). Your Tower starts with the bare essentials, you start with a camp having only a straw bed, a pit for waste and a wooden table to eat. Resident / Hero Management

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Permanent residents of your tower can contribute in different ways. Having individual talents, you can assign them to boost the output of particular businesses, guard the gates or send them out into the wasteland for supplies (where their lives are constantly at risk), deliver advertising/make contact with nearby settlements, and to combat raiders. Their abilities, plus a healthy helping of chance will determine their success and survival

Unlock new construction options based on progress, acquisition of key items, success of business deals, tower popularity, resident happiness, etc. Facilities As your business grows, access to clean water, garbage disposal facilities, electricity, and other resources will become necessary. Transportation The bigger your tower grows, the more you’ll need to provide ways for visitors to access and traverse your structure. For the first few floors, stairs or even rope ladders will cut it, but soon you’ll need to start building elevators, service elevators, high capacity elevators and express elevators to match your guests’ needs. You’ll also eventually need ways to bring visitors to your tower, such as a private railroad and a safe place to park. 24­hour Day­Night Cycle with adjustable game speed? PAUSE / 1x / 2x / 4x / 8x / 16x / 32x / 64x Earn celebrity visits (from heroes / factions) and business deals (IE: water/food caravans) for your tower’s excellence through competition with ‘neighboring’ towers. Engaging / rewarding sound design ­ Businesses cashing in at the end of the day, the movement of elevators, and the explosion of mutant heads all have distinct and satisfying sounds that the player can recognize without having to scroll the screen to the action. Manage prices and rates (competitively) ­ when you’re the only game in town, you can set your own prices for hotel rooms, restaurants, and entertainment, but as other competitors enter the scene, your guests may begin to go where the best deals can be found—like your neighbors’ towers. Manage store specialization / selection to cater to your visitors needs Metrics to describe success/failure of business View modes to display property value / noise pollution / waste pollution / tenant satisfaction

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Ability to view/listen to guests for feedback Demographics information on residents A display indicating what event­sounds mean (IE: business cash­out) Multiple Save states for each tower. Extremely important for allowing for variable speed, and the ability to go into debt.

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Game World Overview The game is set in a world devastated by nuclear war. Wide stretches of the world are entirely uninhabitable, while others are sprinkled with hotbeds of anarchy. As background noise from the atom bombs, EMP discharges and wide­scale destruction of technology have rendered long­range radio communication impossible, the region where the game takes place is socially and geographically isolated. While there are permanent settlements, roving bands of raiders, and the brutal and unpredictable mutants have left the region a wild and dangerous place where its sometimes safest to keep moving. The land is filled with irradiated monsters (like giant bugs and animals), mutants, raiders, and everyday people just trying to get by. Many survive by scavenging old­world tech, hunting, and fighting over farmable land and clean water supplies. Thematically, the game world and its characters are a mix between silly and serious. The player—initially tasked with nothing but survival, must create a sanctuary for themselves, and soon the rest of humanity to reside in, while the defending against fallout­driven weather, radioactive mutants, raiders, and internal threats, each one of these threats could potentially destroy the last true safe­haven in the region. The player’s job is to turn their tattered encampment into a 5­star luxury paradise, and outcompete neighboring towers which arise with the taming of the land.

Backstory

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Races & Creatures

Human Survivors Humans who survived the nuclear apocalypse relatively unscathed. Some lived for generations in large, purpose­built underground vaults, while others survived in secure military installations, remote research facilities or the few areas untouched by the war that ended the world. Tribals Tribals are groups of human survivors who emerged into the wastes without the benefit of technological or scientific understanding. Some hail from underground vaults whose technology eventually failed them, while others are descended from aboriginal tribes and humans who survived the aftermath of the apocalypse in caves and doomsday bunkers, who eventually founded their own settlements. Nomads

Mostly traders and caravan operators, nomads are humans who live on the move and have no permanent settlement.

Raiders Raiders are violent groups of human survivors who take what they want by force. They are not averse to committing acts of torture, murder and rape for entertainment purposes.

Oldworlders Mostly scattered groups or civilizations arising from military organizations of the old world. Those Oldworlders who did not succumb to anarchy keep mostly to themselves, hiding, scavenging technology, and occasionally trading with other settlements. The various groups have their own goals and many still adhere to military structure.

Mutants Any group of humans transformed by prolonged radiation exposure into something characteristically different. Some mutations prove beneficial while others are hellish and tragic. Due to the intense stigmas associated with their warped appearances, human survivors fear and dislike mutants. Without the player taking specific diplomatic steps, mutants will not be welcome in the player’s tower, except as mercenaries, traders and rare special heroes. Hulks

Hulking, dimwitted humanoids. They have varying motivations and are not inherently violent, but their poor intelligence makes them easily confused and quick to anger. One must be careful when engaging diplomatically with hulks. Euphemisms: Giants, ogres, retards, shitbrains, mushbrains

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The Plagued Individuals who suffer from a host of ailments which vary between tragic, unfortunate and hilarious. Similar to Fallout’s Ghouls. Euphemisms: Rotskins, Walking Corpses, Meatbags, Deathgoo

Demihumans Humans mutated in varied but evolutionarily advantageous ways. IE: Blades/claws for appendages, heightened senses or faculties, redundant or efficient organs, radiation immunity. Demihumans tend to be more humanoid in appearance than other mutants, but possess unique cosmetic variations.

Savages Mutated individuals of varying forms who lack intelligent thought. Similar to zombies or Fallout’s feral ghouls.

Jump to NPC Factions

Machines Old­world tech. Machines encompass everything from robotic housekeepers and smart coffee machines to automated turret defenses. Some serve as allies, life­enhancements and comic relief, while others are adversaries and boobytraps. Hover Drones Drones propelled by rotors, fans, or propulsion jets. Vary in role from scout, greeter, butler, pack mule and guard. Potentially reprogrammable. Rollers Any wheeled robot. Turrets Defensive hardware found in old world ruins and hi­tech facility. Salvageable at high risk. Smart Computers AI driven computers designed for varying tasks that are capable of speech. Posses distinct personalities and motives/duties. Involved in diplomatic interactions. IE: When looting the ruins of an underground military installation, giving the wrong answer to a paranoid computer might result in it turning off the ventilation system and the death of your scouts.

Beastkin (Tentative) After being subjected to a gauntlet of accelerated evolution due to intense radiation exposure, some of the planet’s wildlife has achieved varying levels of intelligence. Beastkin avoid human settlements (with the exception of pilfering livestock and crops). They are also largely incapable

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of human speech, or at least avoid it (and so their intelligence is rarely obvious). Beastkin are occasionally encountered in hunting and scavenging missions to the wastes as neutral bystanders, hostile threats, and rarely, diplomatic envoys. Beastkin serve primarily as threats and comedic relief. Strigin(?) Giant owls, large enough to feed on calves, goats and foals, and wolves and the occasional bear. Arrogant, cunning and occasionally sadistic with a talent for mimicry. Most are hostile, but willing to deal with humans when the odds are against them (as when encountering settlements of oldworlders). Among the more common of sentient Beastkin. Tuskers/Phantids? Compact and sinuous creatures, an elephant or elephant shrew with bear­like features. Alternatively, long­necked dinosaur­like creatures. Reference: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Aquatic Mammals Mostly comedic, a species of aquatic mammal adapted for life on land. Dolphins? Killer whales? manatees? A better­humored, more intellectual variety of beastkin. Living primarily in small enclaves (pods) near the ocean, they interact seldomly with humans and subsist on smaller flora and fauna. Talking Trees Self­explanatory. Mostly for comedic effect, these sentient plants appear only in rare random encounters, and in description from burned­out wasteland wanderers.

Monsters Monsters are the various, predominantly hostile creatures which inhabit the wasteland. Much of the planet’s remaining wildlife has been transformed by the radiation. Oversized Bugs

Giant ants Giant wasps/mosquitoes Giant spiders Giant beetles (burrowing?)

Mutated Animals Animals mutated in deadly and occasionally horrifying ways

Bears Wolves Snakes Landsharks Snake/bird hybrids?

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Characters Story Characters “You” You begin the game with a hero character who represents you. At the game’s start, you name them, select their gender and potentially their race (just as you name your tower upon your arrival). This character is a special character whose stats are a bit higher than other individuals his level (with the exception of peak stats), but unlike nearly all other hero characters, he/she scales with your progress, so long as you keep them alive. Keeping “yourself” alive until old age, and a natural death each reward their own trophies (and perhaps an offspring character who takes over their role upon retirement). Although your stats are higher on average, your individual stats will still be beat by outlier characters (those with high rolls) and by others’ peak stats. “You” are a jack of all trades (perhaps with peak stats determined by you) who was either a child, or born into the wasteland (depending on the date of the nuclear holocaust). A young man/woman at the game’s beginning(likely in their twenties, so that they can survive 50+years of operating the tower), “You” have been subsisting as a nomad. While you may have settled down from time to time with family and friends, inevitably everything you had was stripped away, and you moved on to start over again. This time is going to be different. You are old enough to defend yourself, and it’s time to stake your claim and build a home. Those who covet it will have to steal it from your cold, dead hands.

NPC Factions (WiP)

Imperators (Oldworlders) Founded by scattered remnants of the American military, mercenaries, other survivalists who survived Nukefall. The founding members of the Imperators survived the apocalypse in a network of underground bunkers beneath a U.S. military base. Having access to anti­radiation medications and radiation resistant armor and equipment, the Imperators were one of the first societies to return to the wasteland surface. On the day of Nukefall, a number of American citizens made it to the safety of the Imperators’ bunkers, and in the coming years a number of minimally irradiated survivors were admitted from the wastes. While numerous marriages and traditional families were established in the bunkers, non­military personnel largely served as servants and glorified breeding stock for the repopulation of the human race. In modern times, the Imperators patrol the wastes from a handful of centralized military bases, salvaging and confiscating Old World technology. The Imperators view themselves as the last bastion for the reign of Law and offer protection to many local settlements scattered across the wastes in exchange for unyielding allegiance, preferential trade deals, and the tribute of military conscripts. The Imperators are the most public

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of Oldworlders, as the remnants of the true American government prefer to operate in the shadows and keep their bloodlines pure and free of radiation.

The Braintrust (Oldworlders) A secretive group descended from scientists in remote research facilities. The Braintrust possess highly advanced technologies… (DETAILS COMING SOON)

The Skybound (Cult) A non­aggressive cult. The Skybound are a group of misguided wastelanders who believe in a metaphysical ascension to a better plane of existence. The cult is split into two groups with conflicting ideologies: Fundamentalists believe that a form of paradise awaits those who achieve spiritual cleansing/enlightenment before purging their physical body (through fire, starvation, or other means). Skybound Separatists believe that this heaven is a physical place which exists beyond the reaches of the sky and which can be reached by physical means. To this end, they are constantly in pursuit of Old World rockets and other propulsion technology. The Fundamentalists currently occupy the railgun facility, which they protect fervently from the separatists, who have made multiple attempts to reclaim the structure. Both sects of the Skybound work to indoctrinate the gullible and the emotionally vulnerable with promises of a world beyond the wastes. The cult was founded by a ‘prophet’ who as a child witnessed his/her father’s death at the hands of a malfunctioning railgun while their family was out scavenging Old World facilities. Emotionally scarred and misled by their Mother’s attempts at consolation, the future ‘Prophet’ came to believe that the Old World weapon was a device designed to facilitate human ascension to a higher plane (“a better place”). Years later, facing times of strife and a splintering community, the Prophet led a group of wastelanders to the abandoned railgun and established a house of worship around which a small settlement grew. The Fundamentalist leadership is divided into those who sincerely believe the doctrine, and those who have seized upon a Pyramid­scheme like opportunity to acquire the possessions of “purified” individuals. The Skybound periodically launch their most devout members into oblivion using the emptied payload compartment of railgun bullets. With the ammo cache dwindling, the fundamentalists have begun scavenging for the means to manufacture new shells.

Jesters (Raiders) Jesters are a group of new­world raiders characterized by a sadistic sense of humor, unique fashion sense, and a deeply hedonistic lifestyle. The Jester’s internal structure is something of a fraternity directed by mob rule. While the organization has a set leader, this office is in a state of constant flux as it is regularly gambled away, awarded to whomever murders to previous occupant, or traded between multiple individuals on a rotating schedule.

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The Jesters are more interested in terrorizing wastelanders than committing outright acts of murder, brutality and rape (although these interests often overlap). They are known for kidnapping and forcibly conscripting Wastelanders in a pledge­like system where individuals must perform tasks and sometimes fight for their lives and a position in the fraternity. The survivors of these bizarre gauntlets are sometimes killed anyway for the Jesters’ amusement. The Jester’s antics are largely in parallel with the whimsical and unpredictable nature of Batman’s Joker. The Differently Abled Coalition - DAC (Working) (Mutants)

Hero Characters

Attributes of Hero Characters / Assignable Permanent Residents Defined here are tentative skill­classes and their peak values. Class names are all tentative. All character will level evenly with the tower’s progress, making it easier to manage recurring challenges and tasks from earlier in the game. New characters are often superior to old ones, because their classes have higher base stat values. Stat calculation looks like this: WarriorCharisma = random(Class Min, Class Max) +/­ modifier1 +/­ modifier2 Where modifiers include age, training, and possibly "level" (a metric for the player's game progress which is consistent among all characters and serves only to raise the overall stat values in comparison to recurring early game challenges.) It may make sense to limit the number of class levels to 3 and space them out more evenly across the entire game (to have such wide variance between game­start and game­end might be unnecessary). In this event, there will likely be more classes, to increase stat variance. Low < Normal < Medium < High < Very high All terms for stats are relative to their skill­class level’s minimum and maximum point values. Peak Stats vary in effectiveness over the course of the game. Initially, peak stats fall from medium to high in value. For higher levels, peak stats fall towards high and very high. In the current metrics, stat levels 4, 6, and 8 (if it exists) are reserved for special characters, who have slightly higher stats than other characters their level. Each table includes the general point in the game they are available, and the exact progress level required to access them.

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Early Game (PLV1)

Class Name

Dexterity Endurance Intelligence Charisma Min Points

Max Points

Brainiac Low to medium

low to normal

PEAK low to medium

Pretty Boy low to medium

low to normal

low to medium PEAK

Warrior PEAK normal to medium

low low to medium

Laborer low to medium

PEAK low to normal low

First or second star (PLV2)

Class Name

Dexterity Endurance Intelligence Charisma Min Points

Max Points

Big Brain Low to medium

low to medium

PEAK normal to medium

Dapper Dan

low to medium

low to medium

to medium PEAK

Pretty Brain

low to normal low normal to medium­high

normal to medium­high

Soldier PEAK normal to medium

low low to medium

Landscaper

low to medium

PEAK low to normal low

War Laborer

normal to medium­high

normal to medium­high

low low to normal

Third Star (PLV3)

Class Name

Dexterity Endurance Intelligence Charisma Min Points

Max Points

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Brainiac III

Pretty Boy III

Pretty Brain II

Warrior III

Laborer III

War Labor II

Fourth star (PLV5)

Class Name

Dexterity Endurance Intelligence Charisma Min Points

Max Points

Fifth star (PLV7)

Class Name

Dexterity Endurance Intelligence Charisma Min Points

Max Points

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User Interface Always Visible

1. Resouce Stats 2. Settlement Population 3. Time/Day Indicator 4. Fame/Infamy Bar 5. Citizen Happiness Bar 6. Building Menu

Toggle­able Overlays (Color­codes structures) Citizen stats

1. Name 2. Health 3. Happiness 4. Current action

Room stats

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Game Objects By Category (Work in Progress) Key: QoL = Quality of life (related to progress), PL = Progress level, Obsolete = stucture can no longer be constructed, may convert into new structure

Restaurants PL0 Mess Hall / Cafeteria

Stores & Businesses PL0 Scrap/Junk Shop ­ The first store the player gains access to. Deals in all manner of scrapmetal, building materials and salvaged old­world tech (anything of value). Becomes obsolete in late game. Relies partially on salvage operations to stay in the green. Appearance: A good opportunity to get playful with the art design (unexpected objects inside the tower, like shoes, toilets, or entire vehicle segments). More or less a miniature junkyard with a workbench. Upkeep = ? Income = Variable General Goods ­ An early game business dealing in necessities (food, ammo, radiation meds, etc). Available after the player reaches the safety of the tower and a number of early milestones. Appears as a fairly unsophisticated storefront for the selling and buying of goods. Upkeep = ? Income = Variable PL1+ Bar/Pub ­ A place for people to go and forget the nuclear wasteland. Deals in found alcohol as well as locally brewed hooch (which may require salvaged equipment). Evolves from a shitty hole in the wall/supply closet to a real establishment later in the game. Upkeep = ? Income = Variable (Medium­Low) PL2+ Weapon Store­ Available at PL2 or the tail end of PL1. A store dealing in found weapons, and later weapons manufactured and restored by the necessary facilities. The first reliable source of income. A “luxury” or high income/medium risk establishment; better returns and semi­guaranteed sales, but limited supply. As the game progresses, weapons become more widespread and their value diminishes significantly relative to other goods. A more military/rough looking establishment, likely with armed guards. Upkeep = ? Income = Variable (High)

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Housing PL 0 Barracks / Dormitories ­ Mass housing in repurposed rooms (Any wide open space, filled with cots and possibly dividers/screens). (5­10 people each). Close quarters, low but initially acceptable QoL. When QoL reaches its first milestones and personal rooms become available, the stress induced by living in the dorms jumps significantly. Becomes obsolete with the acquisition of apartments. Income = 0, Upkeep = Medium (Low at PL0) Personal Quarters­ The first assigned housing available; a place for heroes to live alone to keep their stress low when they’re not on a mission. A small repurposed room. Income = 0. Upkeep = Low PL 2+ Apartments­ A purpose­built room for one / one couple. A standard­ish small apartment (at lower PLs, it may appear dirty with holes in the wall. At higher PLs it is stately and clean). Income = Variable dropdown, Upkeep = N/A Condominiums­ Purpose­built family housing. Appears disheveled and decrepit at low PLs. PL4+ Hotel Rooms

Services Triage Tent / Medical Facilities / Doctor’s Office Security Caravan Education & Training Barber/Beauty

Utilities Power Generator Bathroom Water Purifier Ammo/Weapon Reclamation Technology Vault Weapon Production Research Lab

Transportation Ladders

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Stairs Elevators Elevators (High Capacity) Service Elevators? Vehicle Depot ­ Transitions to parking Garage Train / Monorail PL5 Air Transport (Helicopter)?

Special Research Lab

Event

Technology List

Other

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Musical Score and Sound Effects Score:

(Figure i’ll start this out by listing possible themes we may need depending on whether we want to implement sound dynamically based­on actions, or statically based on level ­ KB) Static Themes: (Implement either way)

­Day theme ­Night theme ­Stage themes

­For stage 1 ­ n ­Game over theme

Dynamic Themes: (Not sure)

­Raid theme ­Build theme ­Small/starting theme ­Medium Size theme ­Large theme ­Death theme ­Defense theme

Sound Effects

Textures

GUI events

Scheduled Events Morning Wake­up Call ­ Plays at dawn (6AM), signifying the start of a new business day. Perhaps a rooster or mutated rooster crowing, or a digital alarm (but not the stereotypical alarm clock). Evening ‘Bells’ ­ Plays at sunset (6PM) signifying that the business day is drawing to a close. Mid­day Ambient ­ Ambient noises from outside the tower (may vary with season)

Daily Events Daily events are sounds that play regularly but which are less predictable than on­demand events, and tend to be situational (IE: lots of workers in the office). “Ambient” establishment noises are short sequences which are called on demand.

Office Ambient ­ Ringing phone and general office noises? Restaurant Ambient Casino Ambient

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School Children Ambient Shoppers Ambient

On-Demand Events Elevator Move Business Cash In ­ Plays whenever a business cashes in, or a residence is sold/rented. Different business cash in at different times throughout the day. Quarterly Maintenance Deduction Demolish Object Construct Object Construction Underway Cannot Construct Here / Insufficient Money Tower Visitor Babble Tower Illness Resident Death

Weather Effects

Rainfall Snow Dust Storms Monsoon

Misc. / Other events

Voice-over ­Will probably not be needed, but including it here just in case

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Notepad Ideas under consideration, Scrapped Ideas and ideas covered elsewhere

Proposed Game Design Changes A greater emphasis on resource and survival mechanics: Ensuring adequate supplies of food and water, providing shelter from environment and enemies, and combating disease and radiation sickness take precedence in the early game. As the player’s general technology level rises, crises become more manageable (for example, access to a water purifier simplifies the task of acquiring fresh water, and food production becomes similarly automated). A greater emphasis on risk and the opportunity for regression: Whereas bankruptcy is one of the few risks of traditional tycoon games and is crippling to gameplay, setbacks such as the destruction of technology and hero characters can challenge the player without slowing down gameplay. If a player does not take adequate precautions, they can suffer setbacks. For example, if their water purifier is destroyed or breaks down and they haven’t insured themselves by keeping a backup device in a technology vault, or by taking the time and manpower to reverse­engineer the device, they will suffer the consequences of being suddenly cut off from clean water. This creates a dilemma for the player; due to the expenditure in funds and manpower required to protect oneself from such setbacks, it is cheaper and more profitable to plod ahead blindly. While this is the fastest path to riches, it is also the most dangerous. Asymmetrical gameplay: Early gameplay and late gameplay will differ significantly. As the player scavenges, researches and restores more technologies from the wastes, they will gain the ability to ease and eventually proactively eliminate burdens and crises through the automation of tasks (such as food and water production), and protection from raiders and the elements (radiation poisoning). The late game will be much more of a financial struggle, while early gameplay will be primarily survival­driven. Setbacks such as the failure of ‘uninsured’ machinery will serve as occasional callbacks to earlier gameplay which serve to shift the player’s priorities. Quotas for minimum operation: Many businesses will have specific quotas for the minimum amount of resources (power/food/water/manpower/etc.) required to continue operation. Game events such as the breakdown of water processors, the contamination of food supplies, or the incapacitation of a vital hero character with no suitable replacement, can all result in services and businesses shutting down.

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These shutdowns can in turn have their own repercussions. For example, a generator blowout may result in the shutdown of water purification and other luxury services. As a result, incidences of illness and radiation/food poisoning may rise, and quality of life will fall. A greater reliance on characters and outside world: With this new game focus, there will be a greater need to interact with the outside world to acquire blueprints and spare parts from trade caravans, and to assign characters to perform tasks to maintain order and a sense of society. The player will at times decide whether to put the needs of his people before expansion. There will also be a greater number of “hero characters” (or orderable units with stats) than before (perhaps the majority of all residents), as there will be more roles for residents to fill, and more opportunities for them to become ill, injured or killed. There will also be a greater drive for the player to protect themselves by training their hero residents in crucial skills (perhaps by mentoring them with grizzled veterans).

Addressed Notes Population/Popularity Mechanic Based off of the popularity/population mechanic from the stronghold series http://stronghold.wikia.com/wiki/Popularity 1. Population Cap: Determined by the number of residential buildings/rooms, and the number of people the type of room supports. √ 2. Rate of Population Growth: Determined by the popularity of the settlement (Satisfaction of the residents). If a settlements popularity dwindles into the negative numbers, people will begin fleeing the settlement at determined rate. 3. Central location: Settlers will spawn outside the camp and walk to the central location, where they will wait until there is something for them to do. (There could be some upkeep cost for latent settlers that would prevent the player from having out of control populations. ie. food shortages from too many mouths to feed.) 4. Employment: When a new room/building is placed, it requires a pre­determined number of people to operate it. These people are selected from residents waiting in the central location. Putting residents to work reduces upkeep. √ 5. Intimidation(Random apocalypse thought): Allow a player to intimidate their residents. This reduces popularity, but also reduces the effects of popularity (ie. slowing rate of

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exodus/expansion). A settlement where residents are intimidated has increased production, increased militaristic capabilities, and increased upkeep. Favorites window bookmarked NPCs & businesses Revenue & Expenditures Categorical breakdown of all business revenue and maintenance costs by quarter and year. Demographic Windows Displays the categories your residents fall into by category, their percentage of the total, and the hard number.

Disposable Income Used to anticipate where your population will spend their money, and how much. Movement Displays your population volume by category throughout the day in multi­hour chunks Occupation Used to anticipate your populations interests, and where they’re most likely to visit (tentative).

Wastelander Caravan merchant Village supplier Professional Sales person working student business person mother student father shopper with child soldier

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