Chapter 10 — Environment Simulation

Part III — Simulation Systems

Zones are active systems, not static backdrops.

Dynamic Zone Properties

Every zone can have dynamic properties that change during play:

• light — visibility conditions
• noise — ambient sound level (affects perception)
• stability — structural integrity
• authority — narrative control level

Properties can be read, set, or modified relative to a baseline.

Built-in Noise Rules

Event	Noise Change
Combat hit	+3
Combat miss	+2
Entity defeated	+5
Zone entry	+1

Noise decays over time through the decay system.

Decay System

Properties can have decay timers that move them toward a baseline value over ticks.

noise: 5 → decay rate: 1 per tick → baseline: 0

Decay is processed explicitly through environment-tick events, not reactively on every event. This prevents same-tick cancellation bugs.

Hazards

Zones can define hazards that trigger on specific events:

hazard: unstable-floor
trigger: world.zone.entered
condition: stability < 3
effect: stamina damage

Hazards activate when their conditions are met, producing events that feed back into the simulation.

Tick Effects

Zones can have passive tick effects that apply to qualifying entities each tick:

zone: healing-spring
effect: restore 2 hp per tick
condition: entity is alive

The Feedback Loop

noise ↑ → AI perception triggers → cognition updates → investigation
decay ↑ → environment hazards trigger → damage events → more noise

The environment doesn’t just set the scene. It participates in the simulation.