Progression Systems
CyberIdle's economy operates on a two-layer architecture that creates constantly shifting puzzles. Understanding these systems is key to optimizing your ascent from street hacker to digital god.
The Core Loop
Two-Layer Architecture
The economy has two distinct layers that interact to create strategic depth:
Layer 1: Constraints
Gate HOW MUCH you can produce
Four meta-resources that limit your total operational capacity. These aren't consumed—they represent your empire's capacity to run operations.
- Credits — Currency for maintenance and operations
- Computation — Processing power for automation
- Intelligence — AI/worker capacity for complex tasks
- Energy — Power for all operations
Layer 2: Production
Determine WHAT you can produce
Materials that flow through supply chains. These are consumed and produced, transformed from raw salvage into advanced technology.
- Raw — Extracted from the environment
- Processed — Refined from raw materials
- Components — Assembled from processed goods
- Products — Complex multi-component items
The Four Constraints
Every building has an operating cost in one or more constraints. Your total constraint capacity limits how many buildings can run simultaneously.
Credits
¢/min
Running costs and maintenance. Early game's primary bottleneck.
Computation
FLOPS
Processing power for automation and complex operations.
Intelligence
IQ
Capacity for complex decision-making and AI systems.
Energy
Watts
Power for all operations. Late game's ultimate constraint.
Shifting Bottlenecks
The genius of CyberIdle's design: solving one constraint reveals the next challenge. What was impossible becomes trivial as new bottlenecks emerge.
You're broke. Need income to build, need buildings to earn. Bootstrap your way up.
Money flows freely, but processing power limits what you can automate.
Scale demands smarter systems. AI infrastructure becomes critical.
Stellar-scale operations need stellar-scale power. Build Dyson swarms.
All constraints overcome. You've won. Play for perfection.
Production Tiers
Resources and buildings are organized into tiers representing complexity and the age when they become available.
| Tier | Age | Description | Chain Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | Raw salvage extracted from environment | 1 step |
| 1 | 1-2 | Processed basics (alloys, films, panels) | 2 steps |
| 2 | 2-3 | Simple components (motors, cables, boards) | 2-3 steps |
| 3 | 3-4 | Advanced components (neural chips, AI kernels) | 3-4 steps |
| 4 | 4-5 | Complex systems (quantum cores, datacenters) | 4-5 steps |
| 5+ | 5-9 | Infrastructure modules to transcendent synthesis | 5+ steps |
Bottleneck Types
Bottlenecks come in four flavors, each requiring different solutions:
Capacity Bottlenecks
Problem: Storage or cap limits
Solution: Build more storage, unlock capacity upgrades
Generation Bottlenecks
Problem: Production rate limits
Solution: Add more producers, optimize efficiency
Chain Bottlenecks
Problem: Multi-step conversion requirements
Solution: Build complete supply chains, balance ratios
Allocation Bottlenecks
Problem: Competing demands on resources
Solution: Strategic prioritization, multiple sources
Building Economics
Every building has three cost components:
Build Cost
One-Time
Resources consumed to place the building. Paid once when you construct it.
Operating Cost
Ongoing
Constraints consumed while running. Limits concurrent operations. Not consumed permanently—just "in use."
Production
Per Cycle
Inputs consumed and outputs produced each cycle. The actual material flow through your factories.
Specialization
Resources are distributed non-uniformly across the map. This creates decisions around trade vs. expansion vs. specialization.
Atoms Domain
Physical materials, machinery
Focus on extraction, processing, and physical manufacturing. Heavy metal industries.
Bits Domain
Data, code, AI systems
Focus on information processing, software, and artificial intelligence development.
Hybrid Domain
Neural interfaces, integrated systems
The intersection of physical and digital. Neural chips, cyborg tech, consciousness upload.
Specializing gives 50-100% bonuses in your focused area without hard-locking other options. Both Atoms and Bits players can achieve victory—there's no "correct" path.
Design Principles
- Bottlenecks are puzzles, not walls — Always solvable with strategic thinking
- Multiple viable paths — No single "correct" solution
- Previous constraints become trivial — Progress feels powerful
- Constraints gate quantity, not capability — Can always build one of anything
- Specialization advantages, not requirements — Can do everything, bonus for focus
- Zero stress — No time pressure, no attacks, nothing is ever lost
See Also
- Ages of Progression — The 9-age journey
- Resources — Complete resource catalog
- Buildings — All production facilities
- Production Chains Guide — Building your first chains