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Settlements and Outposts

This page owns Valenar's settlement ladder and connected footprint rules.

Settlement Ladder​

  • Act 2 is where the first Outpost-tier Settlement appears.
  • The first Outpost is the first Settlement-tier foothold and the first population-bearing rung of the Settlement layer.
  • Outpost is a tier within the settlement ladder, not a separate ontology.
  • Act 3 is where that foothold expands into stable settlement-scale play with broader districts, buildings, labor, and administration.
  • Later settlement growth expands into broader districts, dependent sites, Banner Network, Province, and Crown play.

Layer Boundaries​

  • The Core remains the MC's fixed personal anchor at the starting Nexus/Wardheart.
  • The Camp remains the MC's travelling expedition layer.
  • The Settlement layer begins with the first Outpost in Act 2.
  • Settlement growth in Act 3 does not redefine the Core as the Settlement or erase the Camp's mobile role.

Footprint Rule​

Settlement footprint depends on connected, controllable Locations.

  • Claims should not behave like disconnected wish lists.
  • Growth should follow routes, support land, and defendable corridors.
  • District logic should emerge from connected purpose and land use, not from an arbitrary paint tool.

Design Rules​

  • The Settlement layer is distinct from the Core and Camp layers.
  • The first Outpost must feel like the start of the Settlement layer, not a silent background flag.
  • Act 2 should read as the first foothold transition; Act 3 should read as the first stable settlement-scale loop.
  • Settlement growth should create new needs in logistics, defense, labor, and planning.