Hollowgate Prison Economy – Full Design Document (v1.0)
Category: Economy / Core Gameplay
Status: Draft
RFC ID: RFC-004
Related: Job Board, Dynamic Rewards, Cooperative Jobs, Resource System, Custody
1. Overview
- The prison is an economic actor: it takes resources from jobs, pays wages, and adjusts rewards based on institutional need.
- Jobs produce two streams for players: a wage payout and a kept portion of produced resources.
- Dynamic reward modifiers self-balance job participation based on stockpile levels.
2. Core Concept
graph TD JOBS[Job Completion] --> SPLIT[Resource Split] SPLIT --> |Portion| PRISON[Prison Stockpile] SPLIT --> |Portion| PLAYER[Player Keeps] PRISON --> STOCK[Stockpile Levels] STOCK --> |Calculates| DYNAMIC[Dynamic Rewards] PRISON --> |Pays| WAGES[Cigarette Wages] DYNAMIC --> |Adjusts| NEXTJOB[Next Job Rewards]
3. Resource Split
- Every job yields resources; a portion is automatically captured by the prison.
- Design Principles:
- Prison takes enough to maintain operations; players keep enough to feel rewarded.
- Split ratio varies by job type: essential jobs (food) → prison takes more; high-skill jobs → player keeps more.
- Prison Use of Captured Resources: maintain facilities, feed inmates, stock commissary, run medical care, general operations.
4. Wage System
- Wages are separate from the kept-resource portion: complete job → receive wages and keep a share of output.
- Wage Factors:
- Job difficulty: harder jobs pay higher base wage.
- Performance: better work yields bonus payment.
- Dynamic modifier: supply/demand adjustment from stockpile state.
5. Dynamic Reward System
- Problem: without intervention, everyone does the “best” job; shortages appear; economy destabilizes.
- Solution: self-balancing loop using stockpile states to modulate wages/rewards.
Self-balancing loop:
- Popular job → prison stockpile fills → wages decrease → players shift away.
- Unpopular job → prison stockpile depletes → wages increase → players shift toward it.
- Result: natural distribution of workers across jobs.
Stockpile States
| State | Meaning | Wage Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Prison desperately needs | Large bonus |
| Shortage | Prison needs more | Bonus |
| Balanced | Prison has enough | Normal |
| Surplus | Prison has plenty | Penalty |
| Overflow | Prison has too much | Large penalty |
Player Visibility
- Job board shows: which jobs are in demand, which are overstaffed, current wage modifiers; enables informed choices.
6. Stockpile Categories
- The prison tracks resource types separately; each category has independent supply/demand curves.
- Categories:
- Food — Kitchen, Farm contributions
- Medical — Infirmary contributions
- Materials — Workshop, Mining contributions
- Textiles — Laundry contributions
- Utilities — Electrical contributions
- Administration — Print Shop, Library contributions
7. Economic Sinks
- Consumption: food eaten daily; medicine used for injuries/illness; materials used for repairs.
- Decay: perishables spoil; equipment degrades; some items have lifespans.
- Events: riots consume resources; escapes trigger crackdowns; inspections cause confiscations.
- Confiscation: guard searches remove contraband; cell inspections find hidden items; crackdowns hit black market.
8. Design Goals
- For Players: always have job options; clear feedback on wage differences; meaningful choice; multiple income paths.
- For Economy: self-balancing without admin intervention; no single “optimal” job; scarcity feels real but not punishing; supports trading/gangs.
- For Gameplay: jobs feel connected to a living system; actions have visible impact; encourages diverse job experience; natural player distribution.
9. Connected To
- Job Board — displays demand and wage modifiers.
- Dynamic Rewards — detailed modifier system.
- Cooperative Jobs — primary production methods.
- Resource System — overall economy integration.
- Custody — enforcement context for searches/confiscation.
10. Summary
- Prison captures a share of production to fund operations; players receive wages plus a kept share.
- Dynamic stockpile-based modifiers shift wages to balance participation across jobs.
- Independent categories and sinks keep scarcity meaningful while maintaining player agency.