02 Power Systems¶
Document Type: Design Document Last Updated: 2026-03-09 Vault destination:
06_Outpost
Summary¶
The power system is the mechanical and educational backbone of Outpost Mode. Players learn real electrical engineering concepts — generation, transmission, step-up/step-down transformation, circuit protection, and load balancing — by building and maintaining a functional power grid across the outpost. The system is taught through experience: players encounter the problem first, then discover the solution.
Design Intent¶
- Teach power distribution concepts through natural gameplay consequences
- Create strategic depth in tower placement and infrastructure investment
- Reward tinkering and optimisation without punishing mistakes (full material return on deconstruct)
- Scale in complexity across outpost levels — simple generation early, full grid management later
Power Architecture¶
The Power Core¶
- One power core exists per outpost — not per building
- Located procedurally somewhere in the outpost (seed-determined position)
- Genesis must locate it during underground exploration
- Requires repair before it becomes functional
- Once active, the core outputs high-voltage power into the underground transmission network
- Higher outpost levels = higher core output capacity
Underground Transmission¶
- Power flows from the core through underground transmission lines to each building
- Transmission lines experience line loss — longer runs lose efficiency
- Relays placed by Genesis along underground corridors reduce line loss
- Higher-tier cable materials reduce loss further
- Underground lines must be physically laid by Genesis during exploration
Building Basement (Power Floor)¶
Every building has a basement storey dedicated to power distribution for that building:
- Receives high-voltage power from the underground transmission line
- Houses a step-down transformer that Genesis installs — converts high voltage to usable building voltage
- The basement sets the total power budget for all storeys above it
- Investing in better basement infrastructure increases the whole building's power ceiling
- The basement is not a TD arena — it is a setup and maintenance space
Per-Storey Distribution¶
Each storey draws from the building's power budget:
- Towers have a power draw value — cheap towers draw less, powerful towers draw more
- Genesis places distribution panels on each storey to route power to towers
- Overloading a storey's allocation causes a short circuit event
- Total storey draw cannot exceed the building budget without upgrading the basement
Electrical Concepts by Outpost Level¶
| Outpost Level | Concepts Introduced |
|---|---|
| 1 | Basic generation, simple distribution, short circuits, breaker protection |
| 2 | Transmission over distance, line loss, relay nodes |
| 3 | Step-up and step-down transformers, load balancing across buildings |
| 4+ | Redundant circuits, parallel distribution, failover systems |
Short Circuits¶
A short circuit occurs when a storey's power draw exceeds its safe capacity without breaker protection.
What happens physically (real-world basis): A short circuit bypasses normal circuit resistance. Current spikes massively at the fault location. Without breaker protection, the fault location becomes extremely hot and dangerous. With a breaker, the circuit trips safely before damage occurs.
In-game behaviour without breakers: - The fault location (the overloaded tower or distribution panel) becomes a heat source - Drones are attracted to the power spike at the fault location - Aliens are attracted to the intense heat generated at the fault location - Both enemy types converge on the fault simultaneously — a tactical crisis - Towers on that circuit go offline until the fault is resolved by Genesis
In-game behaviour with breakers installed: - Circuit trips safely — towers on that circuit go offline briefly - No heat spike — aliens are not additionally attracted - Drones briefly lose signal (no clean power flow) and become disoriented - Genesis resets the breaker to restore the circuit - No enemy surge
Teaching moment: Players experience chaotic shorts before finding breaker components. The contrast makes the value of protection immediately obvious.
Breaker Progression¶
| Tier | Handles | Found / Crafted |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Breaker | Low current loads | Salvaged from outpost environment |
| Standard Breaker | Medium loads | Crafted from intermediate resources |
| Heavy Breaker | High loads | Crafted from components |
| Smart Breaker | Auto-resets, load monitoring | Higher outpost levels |
Enemy Attraction to Power¶
Drones (Electrical)¶
- Attracted to active power flow — powered circuits, running towers, transmission lines
- Path toward highest power signal in range
- During a short circuit without breakers: attracted to the fault location (massive spike)
- When power is cleanly cut (breaker tripped): brief disorientation, erratic movement
- Attack behaviour: target active power infrastructure methodically
Aliens (Heat-seeking)¶
- Attracted to heat generated by power production
- Generator always produces heat regardless of whether power is being used cleanly
- Short circuit without breaker: fault location runs extremely hot — aliens swarm it
- When generator overloads (no breaker, sustained short): generator itself becomes primary heat beacon
- Alien behaviour: more chaotic than drones, swarm rather than path methodically
- When power is down: generator still warm — aliens still attracted to generator location, just less intensely
Key distinction: Cutting power cleanly confuses drones but does not eliminate alien attraction — the generator is still warm.
AFK Power Behaviour¶
When Genesis is AFK (player away): - Towers continue operating autonomously drawing from power budget - Power grid continues running - Short circuits can develop if Genesis placed towers that together exceed capacity - Breakers trip safely if installed — towers go offline but no enemy surge - Without breakers, enemy surges can occur at fault locations during absence - Recommendation surfaced to player: install breakers before going AFK
Resource Bleed and Power¶
Power disruption directly affects resource bleed rate:
| Power State | Bleed Effect |
|---|---|
| Fully powered, no faults | Normal bleed rate |
| Partial outage (some storeys offline) | Increased bleed on affected storeys |
| Short circuit active, no breaker | Accelerated bleed + enemy surge |
| Outpost Compromised status | Maximum bleed, grid degrading over time |
Bleed floor: Yield can never drop below a minimum threshold per outpost level. Higher outpost levels have a higher bleed floor (more enemies, more contribution, balanced). Players always receive something regardless of grid state.
Cross-References¶
- Enemy behaviour detail →
06_Outpost/03_Enemy Design.md - Resource bleed formula →
06_Outpost/04_Progression & Rewards.md - Procedural placement of power core →
06_Outpost/05_Procedural Generation.md
Revision History¶
| Version | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 2026-03-09 | Initial draft from design session |