Career Paths
Portlight doesn’t ask you to pick a career path. It watches what you do and tells you what you built.
Profile tags
Section titled “Profile tags”Your career is scored across seven dimensions, each measured from actual game evidence:
| Tag | What it means | Key evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Lawful House | Legitimate operator with institutional access | High trust, low heat, licenses, completed contracts |
| Shadow Operator | Profitable under scrutiny | High heat, luxury margins, survived seizures |
| Oceanic Carrier | Long-haul commercial reach | East Indies standing, distant infrastructure, galleon |
| Contract Specialist | Reliable deliverer | Contract completions, early bonuses |
| Infrastructure Builder | Multi-region commercial presence | Warehouses, brokers (all five regions), licenses |
| Leveraged Trader | Disciplined credit user | Borrowed and repaid without defaulting |
| Risk-Managed Merchant | Insured operations | Policies purchased, claims paid |
Each tag has a confidence level: Forming, Moderate, Strong, or Dominant.
Victory paths
Section titled “Victory paths”Four paths represent complete commercial identities. They require meeting multiple requirements simultaneously.
Lawful Trade House
Section titled “Lawful Trade House”Disciplined legitimacy and premium access. High trust, clean reputation, premium contracts, broad infrastructure.
Natural fit: Merchant captain
Shadow Network
Section titled “Shadow Network”Profitable discreet trade under scrutiny. High heat, luxury margins, survived inspections, came out ahead.
Natural fit: Smuggler captain
Oceanic Reach
Section titled “Oceanic Reach”Long-haul commercial power. East Indies presence, distant infrastructure, premium route mastery.
Natural fit: Navigator captain
Commercial Empire
Section titled “Commercial Empire”Integrated multi-region operation. Infrastructure everywhere, diversified revenue, financial leverage. The hardest path.
Natural fit: No single type — requires sustained investment across every system.
Diagnostics
Section titled “Diagnostics”Run portlight milestones to see:
- Met requirements (checked off)
- Missing requirements (with suggested actions)
- Blocked requirements (your choices make this path harder)
- Candidate strength (percentage toward qualification)
The first path completed is your primary victory. Additional paths can be completed for a broader legacy.