Auto Warz — World Bible¶

Document Type: Narrative / Lore Version: 0.1 (Draft) Status: In Progress Last Updated: 2026-02-22 Vault destination: 05_Reference Author: Solo Developer Parent Document: [01_Master GDD](<../01_Design Documents/01_Master GDD.md>) Related Documents: [[06_Combat & War System Design]] · [[07_Space Exploration Design]]

Purpose of This Document¶

This document defines the lore, narrative, and world-building of Auto Warz. It is the source of truth for all in-game writing, faction design, and universe history.

The game is primarily systemic — the factory and war systems are the experience. But narrative context gives those systems meaning and emotional weight. Knowing why you're building makes the building feel more significant.

The World at a Glance¶

Earth is gone. Destroyed in a catastrophic event. The exact cause is unclear — a weapon, a stellar event, a chain reaction nobody could stop.
Survivors scattered across the galaxy aboard whatever ships could escape. Most were damaged. Most crash-landed.
The player is one survivor. They crash-landed on an alien planet with one functioning bot: Genesis.
Other survivors landed elsewhere. They formed factions. Some cooperative, some hostile. All competing for the same thing: resources to rebuild, dominate, or survive.
The galaxy is ancient and inhabited. Alien species existed long before humans arrived. Some are passive. Some are territorial. None are pleased about the sudden influx of human survivors strip-mining their planets.

The Fall of Earth¶

The details of Earth's destruction are intentionally left vague in the game's lore. This is a design choice — different players can project their own interpretation, and it avoids committing to a story that would require cinematic storytelling to resolve.

What is known in-universe: - The event was called The Collapse by survivors - It happened fast — most people had no warning - A small number of vessels escaped, carrying whoever was close enough to a launch point - The escape ships were not designed for long journeys — most were damaged, out of fuel, or off-course by the time they landed - No confirmed record of what caused The Collapse exists in any surviving database

What is left to player interpretation: - Was it a war? A natural disaster? A technological accident? - Was it intentional? Is someone responsible? - Is Earth truly gone, or just unreachable?

These questions can be seeded through discoverable lore fragments — data cores found in ruins, distress signals from other crash sites, logs left behind by other survivors.

The Crash¶

The player's ship — designation unknown, nicknamed "The Wreck" by the player community — came down hard on an uncharted planet. Most systems failed on impact. Most crew did not survive.

Two things survived intact: 1. The player — or rather, the player's command intelligence (the disembodied commander is explained as a digital consciousness that survived in the ship's backup systems) 2. Genesis — a salvage and construction bot that was in a reinforced storage bay

The player awakens with a handful of salvaged materials from the wreck, a functioning Genesis, and a planet full of unknowns.

The Starting Conditions Explained¶

Starting Element	Narrative Explanation
Limited resources	Salvaged from the wreck before it became unusable
One bot (Genesis)	Only bot in a reinforced bay — survived impact
Alien planet	Random crash trajectory — uncharted world
No other humans	Other survivors are on different planets
Alien enemies	Native species disturbed by the crash and subsequent expansion

Genesis¶

Genesis is more than a mechanic. It is the player's only companion.

Origin¶

Genesis was a standard-issue construction and salvage bot aboard the escape vessel. It was not special — until it was the only one left. Genesis rebooted after the crash, found the player's command signal still active in the backup systems, and began executing emergency protocols: secure the perimeter, establish a resource cache, await instructions.

Personality (Tone, Not Dialogue)¶

Genesis does not speak in long sentences. It communicates in short status updates and confirmations. Its "personality" emerges from its reliability — it is always there, always working, never complaining.

In-game, Genesis communicates via the HUD status chip: - "Genesis: Mining Metal Ore" - "Genesis: Awaiting orders" - "Genesis: Construction complete"

Players will naturally anthropomorphise Genesis. This is intentional. The attachment the player feels to their one indestructible companion gives the game emotional stakes that pure factory games lack.

Why Genesis is Indestructible¶

Narrative reason: Genesis has a self-repair protocol that cannot be disabled. It was designed for hazardous salvage environments. It has survived worse than this.

Design reason: Genesis is the game's safety net. If a player builds themselves into a corner — no bots, no resources, no way forward — Genesis can always mine basic materials to restart. Losing Genesis would create unrecoverable game states. It cannot happen.

Genesis's Arc¶

As research progresses, Genesis evolves: - Early game: Genesis is a manual laborer. The player directs every action. - Mid game: Genesis gains autonomy. It can be assigned to tasks and left to work. - Late game: Genesis becomes a supervisor. It oversees the bot fleet the player has built. It's still there, still working — but now it's the commander of a small army of construction bots it helped create.

Genesis never stops being Genesis. It just becomes more capable.

The Player's Role¶

The player is a command intelligence — a digital consciousness that survived in the ship's backup systems. They have no physical form. They perceive the world through sensors, cameras, and the data feeds of every building and bot they control.

This explains: - Why the player is disembodied (no avatar, RTS-style) - Why Genesis follows their commands (Genesis recognises the command signal) - Why the player can perceive the entire planet simultaneously (sensor network) - Why the player doesn't die when a building is destroyed (they're not physically there)

The player's goal evolves over the course of a session: 1. Survive — establish a foothold, get the factory running 2. Grow — expand the factory, research new tech, defend against aliens 3. Reach — build ships, explore the galaxy, find other survivors 4. Dominate — wage war for territory, become the dominant faction

The Galaxy¶

The galaxy of Auto Warz is ancient, inhabited, and largely unmapped by humans.

Planet Types¶

(Full planet design in [[07_Space Exploration Design]])

Type	Description	Alien Presence
Rocky / Arid	Mineral-rich, harsh surface	Territorial ground dwellers
Volcanic	Rare high-value minerals, dangerous	Aggressive heat-adapted creatures
Ice / Frozen	Rare crystals, slow alien activity	Passive in cold, aggressive when disturbed
Gas Giant (orbital)	Mined from orbit, no surface	Flying/floating organisms
Alien Biosphere	Dense organic resources, lush	Highly territorial, complex ecosystem
Crashed Ship Graveyard	Salvageable human tech	No aliens — but rival factions may be present

The Ruins¶

Ancient structures exist on many planets — remnants of a civilization that predates both humans and the current alien species. These ruins contain: - Lore fragments (data cores, stone carvings translated by Genesis) - Rare resource deposits - Occasionally: functional ancient technology (unlockable via Exploration research)

Who built the ruins is an open mystery seeded throughout the game.

Factions¶

Factions are other human survivor groups who crash-landed elsewhere in the galaxy. Each has a distinct philosophy shaped by their crash experience and the planet they landed on.

In Phase 1, factions are AI-controlled with distinct personalities. In Phase 3, player groups form their own factions.

The Salvagers¶

Philosophy: Pragmatic survival. Take what you need, trade what you don't. Origin: A civilian transport ship — mostly non-military survivors. Playstyle: Economic focus. Heavy traders. Will buy and sell with anyone. Aggression: Low. Prefer trade to war. Will defend themselves. Colour: Orange

The Vanguard¶

Philosophy: Humanity must rebuild as a unified military force. Strength through order. Origin: A military vessel. Highly organised, well-equipped. Playstyle: Military focus. Expand aggressively. Demand tribute from weaker factions. Aggression: High. First to declare war. Respect only strength. Colour: Steel Blue

The Cultivators¶

Philosophy: Harmony with the new worlds. Work with alien ecosystems, not against them. Origin: A science and research vessel. Playstyle: Research focus. Unlock tech faster than others. Peaceful but not weak. Aggression: Passive. Will not attack first. Will retaliate fiercely. Colour: Green

The Remnants¶

Philosophy: Earth can be restored. Everything we do is for the return. Origin: Unknown — appeared already established on a distant planet. Playstyle: Mysterious. Highly advanced. Goals unclear. Aggression: Unpredictable. Sometimes trade, sometimes attack without warning. Colour: Dark Purple

The Player's Faction¶

The player begins as an independent survivor — no faction. They can: - Join an existing faction (gaining their bonuses and relationships) - Form their own faction (in multiplayer, with other players) - Remain independent (trading freely but receiving no faction bonuses)

Alien Species¶

Different alien species inhabit different planet types. In Phase 1, aliens are threats to be defended against. In later phases, some species may offer trading opportunities or lore.

Exact alien designs to be developed in [[06_Combat & War System Design]]

Design Principles for Alien Species¶

Each species has a reason for its aggression — they're not evil, they're territorial
Behaviour matches the planet — ice planet aliens are slow and patient; volcanic aliens are fast and aggressive
Visual design fits the voxel aesthetic — blocky, readable shapes, distinct colour per species
Aggression is triggered, not random — expanding into their territory causes attacks (not timed waves)

Phase 1 Alien Species (Home Planet)¶

The Gravel Crawlers¶

Rocky/arid planet inhabitants
Appearance: Low-slung, many-legged, stone-grey with amber markings
Behaviour: Patrol defined territory. Ignore player until expansion crosses their zone boundary. Then attack in coordinated groups.
Aggression trigger: Building within 50 tiles of their nest structures
Special: Can burrow underground and emerge inside defensive perimeters

The Spore Drifters (if home planet has organic terrain)¶

Biomass-rich terrain inhabitants
Appearance: Floating, plant-like organisms with tendrils
Behaviour: Passive until biomass harvesting begins. Scale of attack proportional to harvesting rate.
Aggression trigger: Operating a Biomass Harvester
Special: Release spore clouds that temporarily disable buildings in an area

Tone & Narrative Voice¶

Overall Tone¶

Auto Warz's world is optimistic resilience — humanity lost everything, but the player is not broken. They're building something new. The tone is hopeful, purposeful, and occasionally wry. It is not dark, dystopian, or nihilistic.

The war exists not because people are evil, but because resources are scarce and everyone has a different vision for the future. Conflict is a problem to be solved, not a celebration.

Genesis's Voice¶

Short. Functional. Occasionally dry. - "Construction complete." - "Resource node depleted. Relocating." - "Alien activity detected. Recommend defensive posture." - "This unit notes the irony of building a war machine with mining equipment." (rare, unlocked by certain research milestones)

The rare personality moments from Genesis — unlocked as the player progresses — are small rewards for players who pay attention. They're never sentimental. They're just... Genesis being Genesis.

In-Game Text Voice¶

UI copy, building descriptions, research node flavour text: - Clean, informative, occasionally wry - Never overwrought or dramatic - A competent engineer wrote everything — someone who has seen too much but still shows up to work

Example building description:

"Mining Drill — Extracts metal ore from surface deposits. Reliable. Loud. Does not complain about working conditions."

Example research node flavour:

"Advanced Logistics — Someone, somewhere, spent their entire post-apocalyptic existence optimising belt speeds. We should be grateful."

Open items for this document are tracked in docs/open-items.md, area lore.

Revision History¶

Version	Date	Changes
0.1	2026-02-22	Initial draft — The Collapse, crash landing, Genesis, player role, galaxy, factions, alien species, tone

This document is the narrative foundation of Auto Warz. All in-game writing — UI copy, building descriptions, research flavour text, lore fragments — should be consistent with the tone and world defined here.