Game Design Principles for Terminal 1996

Core Philosophy

• •Asymmetric risk with recovery windows: Detection escalates but players need occasional relief
• •Tension curves: 1-3 high-tension beats should be followed by a release moment
• •Non-binary states: Use gradations (safe → suspicious → alerted → caught) not on/off
• •Player forgiveness: Grace periods, warnings, and escape routes before failure

Stealth & Detection System

Current Mechanics (commands.ts)

• •Detection level: 0-100 (100 = caught)
• •Per-action increases: +1-15 based on risk
• •Per-run variance: seeded RNG makes certain commands "hotter" or "safer"
• •System hostility: 0-5, affects terminal personality

Best Practices for Detection Changes

1. •Always warn before threshold: At 70+ show urgent warnings, at 85+ screen effects
2. •Recovery should cost something: Time, stability, or limited uses
3. •Major discoveries should provide relief: Truth reveals = brief detection reduction
4. •Feedback must be immediate and clear: Visual + audio cues on detection changes

Adding New Commands

In app/engine/commands.ts:

1. •Add to COMMANDS object with handler function
2. •Set appropriate detection/stability costs
3. •Use addToHistory() for terminal output
4. •Check gameState for prerequisites
5. •Add to help text only if discoverable from start

Detection Cost Guidelines

Pacing & Tension

Singular Events (one-time per run)

• •Defined in singularEventsTriggered Set
• •Trigger based on gameState conditions
• •Should feel dramatic but not block progress
• •Examples: THE ECHO, THE SILENCE

Tension Breathers

• •After major discoveries, briefly reduce pressure
• •Can be: detection reduction, stability boost, or narrative pause
• •Prevents player fatigue from constant escalation

State Management

Key GameState Fields

detectionLevel: number;      // 0-100
dataIntegrity: number;       // 100-0
accessLevel: number;         // 0-5
sessionStability: number;    // 100-0
systemHostility: number;     // 0-5
truthsDiscovered: Set<string>;
singularEventsTriggered: Set<string>;

Flags & Gating

• •requiredFlags: Array of flags that must be set to access content
• •accessThreshold: Minimum access level required
• •Flags set via gameState.flags.add('flagName')

Testing Requirements

• •Add tests in app/engine/__tests__/ for new mechanics
• •Test edge cases: max detection, zero stability, flag combinations
• •Use existing test patterns from narrative-mechanics.test.ts