Economy

Overview

The Dock Intake & Appraisal System is a core economic and progression mechanic in Arms of Venus. It replaces traditional crafting systems with a streamlined, real-time salvage valuation loop inspired by real-world industrial workflows and commercial fishing operations (e.g., the “Wicked Tuna” model).

Instead of collecting materials and assembling items through recipes, players recover salvage during missions and receive an immediate credit offer upon extraction.

This system emphasizes:

• Clarity over complexity
• Momentum over micromanagement
• Social accessibility over inventory dependency chains

Design Philosophy

Traditional crafting systems often introduce:

• Inventory clutter
• Recipe memorization
• Player friction (especially in co-op)

The Dock Intake system removes these barriers by shifting complexity away from the player and into the world simulation.

Players are operators, not fabricators.

They:

• Deploy
• Recover assets
• Extract
• Get paid

The "Wicked Tuna" Analogy

The system is inspired by real-world commercial fishing workflows:

1. Catch is brought to port

1. A buyer inspects the haul

1. A price is offered based on quality and demand

1. The seller accepts (typically without negotiation)

In Arms of Venus:

1. Players recover salvage during a mission

1. Return to the aerostat platform

1. Dock intake systems evaluate the cargo

1. A credit offer is generated instantly

No crafting. No recipes. No ambiguity.

Core Gameplay Loop

1. Deploy from aerostat platform

1. Engage (PvE / PvP / salvage targets)

1. Recover weapons, components, and materials

1. Extract successfully

1. Dock and undergo intake processing

1. Receive credit offer

1. Accept and progress

Dock Intake UI

The Dock Intake interface is presented immediately after a successful landing and recovery.

It is designed as a three-panel system prioritizing readability and speed.

Layout

LEFT: CARGO SCAN	CENTER: APPRAISAL	RIGHT: ACTIONS
Item List	Total Value	[ACCEPT]
Icons + Categories	Line-by-line breakdown	[FLAG ITEMS]
Weight / Risk Tags	Bonuses / penalties	[HOLD ITEMS]

Cargo Manifest (Left Panel)

Displays recovered items in a clean, categorized list.

SALVAGE INTAKE
✔ ARC Cannon (Damaged) ✔ Pulse Missiles x12 ✔ Avionics Core (Rare) ✔ Structural Alloy (Bulk) ✔ Unknown Device (??)
TOTAL MASS: 1,240 kg RISK FLAG: NONE

Features:

• Color-coded rarity tiers
• Condition indicators (non-numeric)
• Source and context metadata (hover/select)

Appraisal Engine (Center Panel)

Provides a transparent breakdown of valuation.

APPRAISAL SUMMARY
-------------------------
Base Salvage Value:        18,400
Condition Adjustment:      -3,200
Rarity Bonus:              +9,500
Demand Surge:              +6,800
---------------------------------
TOTAL OFFER:              31,500 CR

Features:

• Animated value calculation (incremental tally)
• Clear reasoning for final price
• Optional flavor commentary from dock crew

Example flavor lines:

• "Avionics core’s still intact… nice pull."
• "Missiles are cooked, but we can strip the guidance."
• "Market’s hot for these. You got lucky."

Actions Panel (Right Panel)

Primary interaction area.

Default action:

• ACCEPT OFFER

Optional (collapsed by default):

• HOLD ITEMS — retain specific gear (e.g., weapons/modules)
• FLAG ITEMS — designate for trade, squad sharing, or black market

Item Handling Rules

The system separates items into two categories:

Retained by Player

• Weapons
• Modules / augments
• Unique or rare components

Automatically Liquidated

• Raw materials
• Scrap
• Bulk salvage

This prevents inventory overload while preserving meaningful gear progression.

Social Design

The system eliminates friction in cooperative play.

Players can:

• Transfer items to squadmates outside of deployment
• Share equipment directly within the hangar environment

This removes the need for “deploy to trade” mechanics.

Advantages Over Crafting Systems

Feature	Crafting Systems	Dock Intake System
Cognitive Load	High	Low
Social Friction	High	Minimal
Inventory Management	Complex	Simplified
Time to Reward	Delayed	Immediate
Accessibility	Limited	Broad

Future Extensions

The Dock Intake system supports additional layers without increasing complexity:

• Dynamic market demand (price fluctuations)
• Black market channels (restricted or illegal tech)
• Faction-based bonuses or penalties
• Contract-driven valuation modifiers
• Reputation-based appraisal advantages

Summary

The Dock Intake & Appraisal System replaces crafting with a streamlined, industrial salvage economy.

It delivers:

• Immediate feedback
• Clear value
• Strong thematic alignment

Players are not builders of items.

They are pilots operating in a hostile environment, recovering value from chaos and converting it into progress.