From 9f7a1e0af874df0ec7be5315dec940a50248c8ed Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: VinPropane Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2026 20:34:09 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] chore: split armor into Hardshell and Softshell; powered armor on Rigging --- docs/game-design/skills.md | 30 +++++++++++++++++------------- 1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/game-design/skills.md b/docs/game-design/skills.md index 053ec9b..b53f9a2 100644 --- a/docs/game-design/skills.md +++ b/docs/game-design/skills.md @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Domains are **content-shaped**, not a locked taxonomy. Early vision includes: |--------|-------------------------| | **Extraction** | Pulling value from the world: **earth/subsurface** (mining, drilling), **consumer salvage & biology** (**Salvage**, **Harvest**), and **urban infrastructure materials** (**Quarry**) vs geological **Extraction** skill | | **Processing** | **Refine** (ores, glass, steel, scrap → material grades); **Fab tech** (physical PCBs, chips, solenoids); **Data scrub** (abstract data—datasets, firmware, logical unlock); **Synth-chem prep** (bio/chem); other conversion | -| **Fabrication** | **Gunsmith**; **Edgesmith** (non-gun weapons); **Armtech**; **Cybernetics**; synth-chem products, medtech fab, **Food synth** | +| **Fabrication** | **Gunsmith**; **Edgesmith**; **Hardshell** / **Softshell** (rigid vs flexible armor); **Rigging** (powered/systems shells); **Cybernetics**; synth-chem, medtech fab, **Food synth** | | **Tech / intrusion** | Hacking, netsec, counter-intrusion, bypass, diagnostics—**combat-facing** net actions stay **gig** | | **Support craft** | Medtech fabrication, field repair kits; **implant install / tune** fiction may split **Cybernetics** **Make** vs bench maintenance (**open**) | @@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ New skills land here as **design + data** demand; a skill can sit in **multiple |----------|-------------| | **Gather** | Nodes, yields, field extraction | | **Process** | **Refine**; **Fab tech** (physical fab); **Data scrub** (data/firmware); **Synth-chem prep** (bio/chem); batch; intermediate goods | -| **Make** | Finished goods, recipes, bench work—**Gunsmith**, **Edgesmith**, **Armtech**, **Cybernetics**, **Medtech fab**, **Food synth**, etc. | +| **Make** | Finished goods, recipes, bench work—**Gunsmith**, **Edgesmith**, **Hardshell**, **Softshell**, **Rigging (gear)**, **Cybernetics**, **Medtech fab**, **Food synth**, etc. | | **Tech** | Intrusion, netsec, counter-intrusion, electronics, signal—**not** combat gig kit | Optional **secondary category** for UI sorting only—**primary** category in data drives balance defaults. ### Skill roster (draft ideas by category) -**v0 — for examination, not a commit list.** Each row is a **candidate skill** (or tight cluster we might merge). The tables below are a **solid opening roster**—on the order of **~19–25** names depending on how we **merge or split** clusters—and we **expect to add more** as we approach launch. A **wide** skill set is intentional: it gives design and live ops room to grow **loops**, **biomes**, and **specialist fantasies** without collapsing everything into a tiny tree. +**v0 — for examination, not a commit list.** Each row is a **candidate skill** (or tight cluster we might merge). The tables below are a **solid opening roster**—on the order of **~20–26** names depending on how we **merge or split** clusters—and we **expect to add more** as we approach launch. A **wide** skill set is intentional: it gives design and live ops room to grow **loops**, **biomes**, and **specialist fantasies** without collapsing everything into a tiny tree. Final roster needs **stable IDs**, **XP sources**, and **gig/skill boundary** checks (especially **Tech** vs combat netrunning). @@ -85,20 +85,23 @@ Layout mirrors **[gigs.md](gigs.md) gig roster**: one **table per category**, ** | **Fab tech** | **Electronics and electromechanical fab:** **chips**, **PCBs**, **solenoids**, micro-actuators, substrate and assembly steps—**built components**, not **Refine**’s job of turning raw ore/glass/steel into graded **bulk** material. Uses **Refine** outputs (and other inputs) as **feed**, but the skill fantasy is **manufacture**, not smelt/purify. | Separate from **Refine** & **Data scrub** — **agreed** (physical vs **data** layer) | | **Synth-chem prep** | **Bio- and chemistry** streams: precursors, reagents, stable compounds, polymer feeds—inputs and outputs are **chem / organic / lab** oriented; feeds **Synth-chem (product)** and related **Make**. **Not** primary home for ore/glass/metal refinement (**Refine**). | Separate from **Refine** — **agreed** | | **Bioprocess** | Ferment, culture, grow feedstock for medtech or consumables. | — | -| **Composite work** | Laminate layers, weave fibers, prep armtech “blanks” before final assembly. | — | +| **Composite work** | Laminate layers, weave fibers, prep **Hardshell** / **Softshell** “blanks” before final **Make** assembly. | — | | **Data scrub** | **Abstract data** work—not **Fab tech**’s physical manufacture. Clean, normalize, decrypt, or repackage **datasets** as craft inputs; **firmware wipes** and logical unlocks that make **salvaged** parts **usable** again without milling a new board. **Information and software** layer on devices and loot, not **PCBs/chips** fab. | Separate from **Fab tech** — **agreed**; **Tech** skills (e.g. **Intrusion**) for **live** hacks—**open** boundary | #### Make — recipes, benches, finished goods +**Swap-friendly armor** splits **rigid** vs **flexible** (**Hardshell** / **Softshell**). **Powered** / **systems** armor—exo frames, actuator-linked shells, mechatronic tactical rigs—is **made** with **Rigging (gear)** (not a third plate/weave skill); **equip** still follows **Combat gear** (**gig-restricted**). **Open:** hybrid pieces (e.g. powered softshell) pick **primary** skill per recipe. + | Skill | What it covers | Open / merge | |-------|----------------|--------------| | **Gunsmith** | Barrels, receivers, ballistics fab. | [Seams](#seams-gigs-skills): craft without gig to *use* | | **Edgesmith** | **Non-gun** weaponry: blades, clubs and impact tools, stun batons, monofilament / vibro **melee**, **thrown** weapons that are **not** firearms—**not** **Gunsmith** (ballistics, receivers, barrels). | Same [Seams](#seams-gigs-skills) as **Gunsmith**: **craft** with skill; **combat equip** **gig-restricted** | -| **Armtech** | **Worn / carried** armor: plates, suits, hardshell, rigs—**swap-friendly** at hub or loadout like other **combat gear**; **gig-restricted** when equipped for fights ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills)). **Does not** cover **body-integrated** implants (**Cybernetics**)—**no** fantasy overlap — **agreed** | +| **Hardshell** | **Rigid** swap-friendly armor: plates, inserts, helmets, **non-powered** hardshell, ceramic or composite face—**not** **Softshell** flexible suits; **not** **powered** frames (**Rigging (gear)**). **Gig-restricted** when equipped ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills)). | **No** overlap with **Cybernetics** — **agreed** | +| **Softshell** | **Flexible** swap-friendly armor: kinetic-weave suits, underlayers, padded rigs, textile-forward shells without the **Rigging** mechatronics lane—**not** rigid **Hardshell**; **not** powered exo (**Rigging (gear)**). **Gig-restricted** when equipped ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills)). | **No** overlap with **Cybernetics** — **agreed**; vs **Hardshell** on hybrid garments — **open** | | **Synth-chem (product)** | Finish stims, chems, consumables from **Synth-chem prep** (and related **Process**) outputs. | — | | **Medtech fab** | Field kits, injectors, trauma foam—**craft** lane. | **Gig** Sawbones = *combat use* | -| **Cybernetics** | **Body-integrated** implants and augmentation: neural hooks, sensory suites, limb lines, organ-adjacent systems—**finished** installs from **Process** inputs (e.g. **Fab tech**, **Bioprocess**, **Harvest**, **Synth-chem**). **Semi-permanent** (e.g. **ocular** suite)—**not** the **swap-friendly** **Armtech** lane. Stays **active** across **gig** changes. | **Not gig-gated** — **agreed** ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills)); **no** overlap with **Armtech** — **agreed**; **replace** has **cost**—removed unit **likely** becomes **scrap** (salvage / recovery loop) — **agreed** direction; fees, clinic fiction, exact yields — **open** | -| **Rigging (gear)** | Drones, harnesses, tool mods—**non-combat** rigging. | Combat deployables **gig**-gated — **open** | +| **Cybernetics** | **Body-integrated** implants and augmentation: neural hooks, sensory suites, limb lines, organ-adjacent systems—**finished** installs from **Process** inputs (e.g. **Fab tech**, **Bioprocess**, **Harvest**, **Synth-chem**). **Semi-permanent** (e.g. **ocular** suite)—**not** swap-friendly **Hardshell** / **Softshell** / **Rigging** armor. Stays **active** across **gig** changes. | **Not gig-gated** — **agreed** ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills)); **no** overlap with external armor skills — **agreed**; **replace** has **cost**—removed unit **likely** becomes **scrap** (salvage / recovery loop) — **agreed** direction; fees, clinic fiction, exact yields — **open** | +| **Rigging (gear)** | Drones, harnesses, tool mods, and **powered / systems** armor **Manufacture**: exo-style frames, actuator-linked hardshell, tactical mechatronic rigs—**Fab tech**-heavy lane for **wearable** systems that are **not** plain **Hardshell** / **Softshell** fab. | **Craft** with skill; **combat equip** **gig-restricted** when the product is **combat gear**; deployables and non-combat drones — **open**; vs **Hardshell** on hybrids — **open** | | **Food synth** | Ration fab, street kitchens, synth-food **Make** from **Harvest** / **Bioprocess** / **Synth-chem** inputs where recipes need them. | **Kept** in roster — **agreed** | #### Tech — systems, hacking, and cyber security (non-gig) @@ -180,9 +183,9 @@ Beyond raw level, **mastery tracks** and **perks** ([E2.M3](../decomposition/mod | Topic | Direction | |--------|-----------| -| **Combat gear** | **Gig-restricted.** Weapons, armor, and other **swap-friendly** combat-loadout pieces declare which **gig(s)** may equip or fully activate them. After a **hub-only** [gig swap](gigs.md#hub-swap), the player **re-banks or re-equips** combat gear for the new gig (automation vs. manual loadout UX **open**). Non-combat tools (pickaxe, scanner, craft bench) stay **skill**-gated, not gig-gated, unless a piece is explicitly hybrid. **Does not** apply to **semi-permanent** **Cybernetics** augments—see **Cybernetics / implants** row. | -| **Cybernetics / implants** | **Not gig-gated.** Augments from **Cybernetics** (**Make**) are **body-integrated** and **semi-permanent**: they remain **in play** when you change **main gig**, **sub-gig**, or combat loadout (e.g. an **ocular** implant does not come off at hub swap). **Crafting** stays **skill**/recipe/rep—never gig level. **Changing** an installed augment has **cost** (credits, clinic, downtime—**open**); the **replaced** piece **likely** comes out as **scrap** or salvage-grade material (feeds **Gather**/**Salvage**/**Refine** loops) rather than a clean reusable item—**agreed** direction, exact tables **open**. **Not** the same rhythm as re-banking a rifle. **Armtech** and **Cybernetics** **do not overlap**: **Armtech** is **easily swapped** worn armor and lives under **Combat gear** (**gig-restricted**); **Cybernetics** is **not** that bucket. | -| **Crafting combat gear** | **No gig or gig level requirement.** Who can *build* it depends on **skills** (e.g. **Gunsmith**, **Edgesmith**), recipes, rep, facilities—never on owning a gig or its level. A character can **craft combat gear they cannot equip** (wrong gig, low gig level, etc.): valid for **trade**, **stock**, or **group play**. **Equip/activation** stays **gig-restricted** as above. | +| **Combat gear** | **Gig-restricted.** Weapons, armor (including **Hardshell**, **Softshell**, and **Rigging**-built powered frames when worn as loadout), and other **swap-friendly** combat pieces declare which **gig(s)** may equip or fully activate them. After a **hub-only** [gig swap](gigs.md#hub-swap), the player **re-banks or re-equips** combat gear for the new gig (automation vs. manual loadout UX **open**). Non-combat tools (pickaxe, scanner, craft bench) stay **skill**-gated, not gig-gated, unless a piece is explicitly hybrid. **Does not** apply to **semi-permanent** **Cybernetics** augments—see **Cybernetics / implants** row. | +| **Cybernetics / implants** | **Not gig-gated.** Augments from **Cybernetics** (**Make**) are **body-integrated** and **semi-permanent**: they remain **in play** when you change **main gig**, **sub-gig**, or combat loadout (e.g. an **ocular** implant does not come off at hub swap). **Crafting** stays **skill**/recipe/rep—never gig level. **Changing** an installed augment has **cost** (credits, clinic, downtime—**open**); the **replaced** piece **likely** comes out as **scrap** or salvage-grade material (feeds **Gather**/**Salvage**/**Refine** loops) rather than a clean reusable item—**agreed** direction, exact tables **open**. **Not** the same rhythm as re-banking a rifle. **External** armor (**Hardshell**, **Softshell**, **Rigging**-built powered shells) and **Cybernetics** **do not overlap**: external armor is **swap-friendly** **Combat gear** (**gig-restricted**); **Cybernetics** is **not** that bucket. | +| **Crafting combat gear** | **No gig or gig level requirement.** Who can *build* it depends on **skills** (e.g. **Gunsmith**, **Edgesmith**, **Hardshell**, **Softshell**, **Rigging (gear)** for powered frames), recipes, rep, facilities—never on owning a gig or its level. A character can **craft combat gear they cannot equip** (wrong gig, low gig level, etc.): valid for **trade**, **stock**, or **group play**. **Equip/activation** stays **gig-restricted** as above. | | **Consumables** | **Carry and use** are not gig-gated by default—anyone can pop a stim or patch. **Passive** potency can scale with **gig** match: e.g. a **medic**-tagged bonus applies if **main *or* sub-gig** matches (see [gigs.md](gigs.md)). Others use a **baseline**. **Active** abilities from consumables (if any) follow their own rules—**open**. Other items may have **no** gig hook—data-driven per item. | | **Rep / story** | **Hybrid.** **Faction / world reputation** stays **character-wide** where it fits (one person, one web of grudges). **Narrative** also includes **gig storylines** and **main-quest-style arcs** tied to a **gig**—mentor paths, employer chains, identity stories that assume you *are* that role for a chapter. State for those arcs is **per gig** (or per gig branch) on the same character; switching gigs does not erase character rep, but **gig plot progress** is its own track. | | **Alts / multi-gig mastery** | One avatar still reduces **alt** pressure for economy and story. **Maining every gig** is **not** a design problem for now: **gig leveling is intentionally slow**, so fully progressing (or “maxing”) every gig is a **long-term time investment**, not something handed out quickly. Players who put in that time **may** legitimately be strong in every gig on one character. **Revisit** only if pacing, live balance, or PvP show harm. | @@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ Beyond raw level, **mastery tracks** and **perks** ([E2.M3](../decomposition/mod ## Player-facing readability - **Combat:** UI shows **main gig**, **sub-gig**, levels/tracks, combat abilities, and **combat gear** the main gig can use (mismatched gear disabled or greyed). Consumable tooltips for **passive** amps can show **baseline vs. boosted** when **main or sub** matches the item’s gig hook. -- **Cybernetics vs Armtech:** **Armtech** shows on the **combat loadout** strip (swap-friendly, gig-matched armor). **Cybernetics** shows as **character** chrome—always relevant, **not** gig-disabled—**separate** UI lane ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills) **Cybernetics / implants**). +- **Cybernetics vs external armor:** **Hardshell**, **Softshell**, and **Rigging**-built powered pieces show on the **combat loadout** strip when equipped (swap-friendly, **gig-matched**). **Cybernetics** shows as **character** chrome—always relevant, **not** gig-disabled—**separate** UI lane ([Seams](#seams-gigs-skills) **Cybernetics / implants**). - **Non-combat / crafting:** **skill** list, **category** filters, XP with **source** hints where helpful; **mastery** branches when E2.M3-style systems exist. Crafting combat gear uses **skill**/recipe gates only—not gigs (optional hint if you can’t equip the product on your current gig). - **Story:** journal or quest UI can separate **character / faction** threads from **gig** threads so players see which arc belongs to which gig. - Use **gig** / **skill** consistently in specs and tools; flavor text can vary. @@ -202,7 +205,8 @@ Beyond raw level, **mastery tracks** and **perks** ([E2.M3](../decomposition/mod | Vocabulary | **Gig** = combat role; **skill** = non-combat only | Agreed | | Combat gear | **Gig-restricted** equip/activation for **swap-friendly** loadout; non-combat tools **skill**-gated | Agreed | | Cybernetics / implants | **Semi-permanent** augments—**character-wide**, **not gig-gated**; **replacement** costs and **likely** turns old unit into **scrap** / salvage feedstock | Agreed | -| **Armtech** vs **Cybernetics** | **Armtech** = **swappable** worn armor (**combat gear**, gig-restricted); **Cybernetics** = **body-integrated** implants—**no** overlap | Agreed | +| **Hardshell** / **Softshell** / **Rigging** vs **Cybernetics** | **External** armor (**Hardshell**, **Softshell**, **Rigging** powered shells) = **swappable** **combat gear**, gig-restricted; **Cybernetics** = **body-integrated** implants—**no** overlap | Agreed | +| **Armor split + powered** | **Hardshell** = rigid; **Softshell** = flexible; **powered / systems** armor **Make** = **Rigging (gear)** | Agreed | | Crafting combat gear | **Skill**/recipe/rep (etc.) only—**not** gig or gig level; craft-for-others OK | Agreed | | Consumables | Baseline for all; **passive gig amp** from **main or sub** ([gigs.md](gigs.md)) | Agreed | | Rep / story | Character-wide **rep**; **gig**-scoped **storylines** and **main quests** (per-gig progress on one avatar) | Agreed | @@ -230,5 +234,5 @@ Beyond raw level, **mastery tracks** and **perks** ([E2.M3](../decomposition/mod - **[gigs.md](gigs.md)** — gig roster, hub UX, recruitment **deferred**; **PvP** gig rules **open indefinite** (overall PvP scope TBD). - **Abilities** — **gig-locked** vs. **item-locked** vs. **skill-gated**. -- **Items** — **equip:** gig rules for **combat gear**; **cybernetics** character-wide (**not** gig-gated); **craft:** **skills** (and recipe/rep), never gig level. +- **Items** — **equip:** gig rules for **combat gear** (incl. **Rigging**-built powered armor when worn); **cybernetics** character-wide (**not** gig-gated); **craft:** **skills** (**Hardshell**, **Softshell**, **Rigging**, etc.) and recipe/rep, never gig level. - [brainstorm/hack-bodyguard-missions.md](brainstorm/hack-bodyguard-missions.md) — group **skill** (hack) + **gig** (bodyguard) instances (brainstorm).