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// COMPLETE STARTER'S GUIDE //
AANC · SEED TO NETWORK v7.0
Anarcho-Adaptive Neo-Collectivism Simulator — Three Phases, Multiple Endings
VERSION 7.0 Complete
PHASES 3 (0-50 years)
DIFFICULTY NORMAL / HARD
SCENARIOS 4
// GUIDE CONTENTS //
01 What This Game Actually Is

AANC: Seed to Network is a systems-based colony simulator built around anarchist economic theory and decentralized governance. You're not managing a single settlement. You're building a networked confederation of autonomous communities that refuse centralized authority while remaining collectively resilient.

The game starts in Year 1 with 150 people in a converted barn. You have basic tech (FDM printers, LoRa radios, solar panels), minimal food stores, and three internal factions who disagree about everything except survival. By Year 50, you either have a functioning autonomous network connected to other cells, or you're facing collapse from the Protectorate Remnants who want your manufacturing capacity.

What Makes This Different
9.5/10
Deep systems, high consequence, asymmetric victory conditions

Unlike Frostpunk or Offworld Trading Company, this game treats anarchist governance as an *engineering problem*, not a narrative choice. Your decisions compound. Using LV5 autonomous weapons changes how the entire mesh perceives you. Passing strict exile laws locks you into legal frameworks that cost you later. The game watches your ideology drift and creates events that exploit the contradictions in your positions.

This is a game about time and consequence. Start early, think downstream.

02 The Six Pillars & Game Phases
// THE SIX PILLARS: GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK //
  1. Pillar I: Rotating Assembly — No permanent rulers. Every adult rotates through coordination roles. Decision-making is participatory, not representative.
  2. Pillar II: Needs Guarantee — Food, shelter, medical care are provided to all. No starvation as punishment. Creates material baseline for freedom.
  3. Pillar III: Ecological Carrying Capacity — Growth stops at sustainable limits. The land is sovereign. Population, production, and consumption scale to land regeneration.
  4. Pillar IV: Restorative Justice — Circles, not prisons. Conflicts are resolved through dialogue and community healing. Exile is last resort.
  5. Pillar V: Merit-Based Contribution — No wages, no family privilege. Status flows from visible contribution. Merit decays annually to prevent hierarchy calcification.
  6. Pillar VI: Distributed Defense — No standing military. Defensive capability is distributed through the community. Coordination roles auto-sunset, preventing military coup.

The game tracks how well you maintain these pillars. Violating them (passing "Standing Army" law, authorizing autonomous kill swarms, accumulating personal wealth) costs you Network Reputation — the mesh's opinion of whether you're actually anarchist or just a new flavor of autocrat.

// GAME PHASES //
Y 1–10
Phase 1: The Seed — Survival. One community, three broken factions, food insecurity, Protectorate unaware. Goal: reach Year 10 with 100+ population, food security, functioning assembly.
Y 11–25
Phase 2: The Growth — Federation. Sister cells emerge. Mesh coordination explodes. Protectorate escalates from "unaware" to "encirclement." You're building a network, not just a cell. Goal: defeat protectorate tactics through coordination, unlock Phase 3 by Year 25.
Y 26–50
Phase 3: The Network — Full autonomy. 20+ sister cells. Regional network. Either peace through deterrence (LV5), negotiation (Protectorate collapse), or coexistence (formal treaty). Endgame: can you build ungovernable infrastructure that survives without your direct coordination?
03 Core Stats & Game Systems
03.1 // Base Resources & Stats
Population
Citizens. Range 50–500. Death from starvation, combat, disease. Birth from new arrivals. Hit carrying capacity at ~280–300. Assembly becomes unworkable above 200.
Food
Bulk stored food, measured as percentage of reserves (0–100). Below 30: crisis event. Crops from permaculture, hunting, foraged items, trade, or bioreactor.
Defense
Militia capacity. 0–100+. Raider attacks below 30. Combat strength multiplied by unit tech (drones, firearms, armor). Gun tech and drone tech are separate trees.
Manufacturing
Production capacity for 3D printing, metalworking, chemicals. Based on working printers, available materials, and assigned labor. Quality matters — rushed production cuts output 20%.
Mesh (Network)
LoRa coverage and inter-cell communication. Range 0–100+. Below 15: no sister cells visible. Above 60: sister cells become active, federation possible. Jammers reduce this.
Merit
Visible contribution currency. Vote weight, resource allocation, respect. Decays 50% annually to prevent dynasties. New members start at 0. Dead-weight free-riders below 10 become event triggers.
Stability
Internal cohesion. 0–100+. Below 40: mental health crisis, citizen mood crashes, factional splinter risk. Above 80: smooth operations, event outcomes bias positive.
Autonomy
Structural independence. Reflects how decentralized your governance is. High autonomy = harder to coordinate as Phase 2 begins. Low = vulnerable to coordinator coup.
Communities
Tracked sister cells. Phase 1: always 1. Phase 2+: grows to 7–23 as you establish federation. Each has its own food, defense, stability.
03.2 // Network Reputation & Protectorate Threat

Network Reputation (NetRep, 0–100): The mesh's opinion of your cell. Start at 65. Actions that matter: publishing technology (↑), using LV5 autonomous kill swarms (↓↓↓), exiling people (depends on method), helping sister cells (↑), hoarding resources (↓). Below 30: sister cells stop sending resources. Below 15: cells may formally splinter. Above 80: cells offer aid unprompted.

Protectorate Escalation (0–5 stages): How threatened the remnant state government feels.

StageWhat TriggersYour Response
0: UnawareYou have <20 mesh or <5 communitiesStay quiet. Grow food, build tech. Weeks of prep time.
1: ProbeFirst drone recon. First external liaison visit.Contacts become offers, threats, or false flags. Can still negotiate.
2: InfiltrationThey place intelligence operatives. You detect strangers.Circle them for interrogation or exile. Risk their summary justice.
3: Economic PressureSupply routes cut. Checkpoints block trade. Wireless interference.Self-sufficiency becomes mandatory. Permaculture/bioreactor now critical.
4: EncirclementMilitary cordon. Raider groups hired (or actual Protectorate units). Blockade conditions.Combat imminent. Diplomacy gets harder. Deterrence (LV5) or kinetic victory needed.
5: Full AssaultActual invasion. They want the printers alive but will burn everything else.Extreme scenarios only. Very rare if you've escalated tech/alliances properly.

Key interaction: High NetRep makes sister cells more likely to support you against Protectorate. Using LV5 swarms drops NetRep permanently. The mesh doesn't forgive autonomous kill weapons lightly.

03.3 // Internal Factions & Satisfaction

Your cell contains three competing internal viewpoints. They don't want to destroy each other, but they push hard on policy.

FactionIdeologyInfluenceDemandsIf <40 Sat
The Makers Tech-first, meritocracy, transparency ledgers 35% CNC priority, blockchain transparency, merit audits Splinter risk, stop tech research boosting
The Autonomists Direct democracy, no war, consensus-heavy 40% No standing army, circle justice, rotation enforcement Veto critical laws, call emergency assembly, obstruct
The Watch Defense-first, security protocols, hierarchy 25% Drone authorization, exile protocols, standing militia Splinter to create parallel militia, reduce intel sharing

Strategy: You don't need all three happy. Keep two at 50+ by passing their priority laws. One faction unhappy is manageable. Two unhappy = assembly breakdown. You can accommodate this briefly with merit ceremonies and stability pushes, but not long-term.

04 Scenarios & Getting Started

Four starting scenarios. Pick one. Each unlocks others as you progress.

Standard Start
Requirements: None (always available). Starting resources: 150 pop, food 85%, def 40, mesh 20. Best for: First run. Room to make mistakes and still recover.
Under Siege
Unlock: Complete Year 10 on Standard. Starting resources: 80 pop, food 55%, def 70, mesh 15. Best for: Combat-focused runs. Protectorate starts encircled; you must break out.
The Great Drought
Unlock: Reach food production 80%+. Starting resources: 120 pop, food 30%, def 30, mesh 10. Best for: Permaculture-focused runs. Food crisis from month 1.
Silicon Exiles Start
Unlock: Ally with Tech Collective. Starting resources: 40 pop, food 70%, def 20, mesh 60, tech start +8. Best for: Tech-focused runs. Low pop, high mesh, but food pressure.
For your first run: play Standard. You need the buffer. Year 10 is a real milestone; hitting it unlocks harder scenarios for future runs.
05 Tech Tree Strategy & Synergies

You have one active research slot. Assign a citizen to speed research. Research order compounds; later techs unlock faster prerequisites. The game has 50+ techs organized into six categories: fabrication, comms, defense, biotech, energy, governance.

// EARLY PRIORITY SEQUENCE (YEAR 1–5) //
Months 1–2
Rotating Assembly (+Autonomy +15): Unlock circle process law. Your governance foundation. Free: already unlocked at start.
Months 2–6
CNC Mill Restoration (+Mfg +15): Unlock metalworking tree. Needed for all firearm production.
Months 6–10
Permaculture Zone (+Food +20): Push toward food security. Builds Pillar III foundation.
Months 10–14
LoRa Mesh Network (+Mesh +20): Contact other communities. First federation seeds.
Months 14–20
Patrol Drones (+Def +15, +Mesh +5): Eyes and defense. Pairs with mesh for range.

Philosophy: Don't rush weapons. Food, mesh, and governance first. Every month spent on melee combat instead of food/network is a month you're vulnerable and isolated. By Month 20, you should have: basic food surplus, mesh contact with 2–3 communities, defensive drones, and functional assembly law.

// SYNERGIES: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK //

Tech synergies grant bonus boosts when combined techs unlock simultaneously. Examples:

AUTONOMOUS SUPPLY: Edge AI + Blockchain + LoRa Mesh = -20% corruption, +40% logistics
DRONE NET: Drone Swarm + Electronic Warfare = area denial + signal intercept
CLOSED LOOP: Bioreactor + Biogas = zero-waste energy-food cycle

Coyote Doctrine (late game): SpectreComm + Ghost AI + WraithRunner = full special-ops doctrine: masterless encrypted mesh + air-gapped threat detection + mobile surveillance. High tech, forces decisions about what defines "autonomous" decision-making.

Critical choice: LV5 Autonomous Hunter-Killer Swarm. Requires edge AI + drone swarm + jamming + firebase. Cost: 50 resources, 12 months. Effect: +30 defense, terrifies all factions. Consequence: One use permanently tanks NetRep. The mesh will know. You will be feared, not respected. Plan for this.

// PRINTED WEAPON PROGRESSION //

You can 3D-print functional firearms once you unlock CNC. Quality improves with better precision tools.

WeaponUnlock ReqDef BonusNotes
FGC-9 LineFirearms_print + CNC+20Bullpup-layout PDW. Compact. Low range. Rapid fire.
Urutau BullpupFirearms + Lathe+15Full-length rifle. Better range/accuracy than FGC-9. 9mm common ammo.
Partisan-9Firearms + SLA + Lathe+12Suppressed integral design. Covert ops enabled. Low acoustic profile.
Nameless GLLathe + Firearms+1426.5mm grenade launcher. Indirect fire. Changes engagement range.
PanzerfaustNameless + CNC+22HEAT warhead. Anti-armor. Neutralizes Protectorate vehicles.
M202 RocketPanzerfaust + SLA+28Four-tube salvo launcher. Incendiary/HE mix. Fortification defeat. High political cost (Autonomists revolt).

Strategy: FGC-9 early for morale and defense bonus. Hold off on heavy weapons until you understand the faction balance. M202 is militarily powerful but ideologically explosive.

06 Laws, Assembly & Governance

Every 4–6 months, the Assembly votes on a new law. You propose one. Vote outcome depends on faction support and current satisfaction. Passed laws grant permanent bonuses and unlock deeper governance options.

// PRIORITY LAW SEQUENCE //
LawUnlock ReqSupportersEffectWhen
Rotating Assembly Free at start All (neutral foundation) +Autonomy, governance baseline Always available
Needs Guarantee Free at start Autonomists, Makers +Materials, baseline security Month 1 (secure votes pre-vote)
Circle Justice Process Rotating Assembly Autonomists +Stability +5, -exile rate, Pillar IV seed Year 1–2
Militia Rotation Militia basic Watch, Makers +Defense +10, distribute militia duty If choosing military path, Year 1–2
Coordinator Sunset Clause Rotating Assembly Autonomists +Autonomy +10, prevents coup, CRITICAL Year 2–3 (before Year 3 coup attempt)
Blockchain Transparency Blockchain tech Makers, Autonomists +Autonomy +10, all resources visible Year 3+
Restorative Justice Courts Circle + Restorative Court tech Autonomists +Stability +10, -65% recidivism (real stat) Year 4–5
Federated Council Charter Federated Council tech Makers +Communities +3 if unlocked, +Mesh +10 Year 10+ (Phase 2 entry)
⚠ COUP WARNING Year 3+, if you haven't passed Coordinator Sunset Clause, the defense coordinator may refuse rotation. Success requires Merit>50 + Stability>55. Failure = administrative crisis. Pass Sunset Clause in Year 2.
// CONFLICTING LAWS //

Some laws block others. Passing "No Standing Army" makes "Militia Rotation" and "LV5 Authorization" impossible. Strategic choice:

PACIFIST PATH: No Standing Army + Circle Justice + Needs Guarantee = maximum autonomy, minimum military escalation
BALANCED PATH: Militia Rotation + Sunset Clause + Restorative Justice = distributed defense without coup
MILITARIZED PATH: LV5 Authorization + Drone Swarm = maximum firepower, minimum autonomy, permanent NetRep damage
07 External Factions & Diplomacy

Six external factions exist in the game world. Your relationship with them (ranging -100 to +100) affects resources, intel, combat support, and which events trigger. All decay -5 per turn without contact. You prevent decay through DIPLOMACY or TRADE actions.

FactionStart RelBest Approach
Freeholds of Olympia (200 pop) 0 ALLY IMMEDIATELY. Share LoRa mesh. Trade food for lumber. Year 10+, they back your federation. Early contact + trade = +30 rel guaranteed.
Protectorate Remnants (800 pop, military) -50 Avoid escalation early. At Stage 0–1, diplomacy still possible. Beyond Stage 3, only deterrence (LV5) or military victory work. Peace possible only if their internal collapse weakens hardliners (Year 20+).
Silicon Exiles (30 pop, high tech) +20 Share firmware, publish tech. They love open-source. Alliance opens advanced mesh options (SpectreComm, Ghost AI). Can become sister cell.
Willamette Communes (350 pop, agricultural) +10 Trade: their food/seeds for your tools/tech. Solid ally. Not militarily powerful, but food security partner. +20 for trade at harvest.
Independent Militias (120 pop, unaligned) 0 Neutral until you align with someone else. Can remain neutral through entire game if you don't provoke them. Useful as buffer against Protectorate.
Displaced Masses (500 pop, refugees) +30 Always friendly. Refuge as core value. Accepting refugees costs food but gains population and merit. Large waves hit Year 2–3, causing food crisis if unprepared.

Federal diplomacy (Year 11+): Once Olympia is allied, other cells become visible. Sister cells emerge from your gene pool (refugee integration). Each has their own food/defense/governance. You coordinate via mesh. Support costs resources; sister cell aid sends supply convoys. Network Reputation affects their willingness to help in crisis.

08 Combat System & Defense

Combat is turn-based. Combat is triggered by raider attacks or deliberate ambush. When combat starts, you choose a preparation (Ambush, Fortified, Mobile) for a -15/0/+15 strength modifier. You may assign a commander with combat skill for a bonus. Each round, you select a tactic (Aggressive, Standard, Cautious) and the system rolls your strength vs enemy strength with modifiers.

// COMBAT FUNDAMENTALS //
Your effective strength = (Defense + tech bonuses + commanderBonus) × prepBonus × tacticStrMod

Preparations:

  1. Ambush Prep (+15 strength, surprises enemy): Use if enemy intel is good and terrain allows. Drones help scout positioning.
  2. Fortified Prep (0, balanced): Default. Works fine if defense ≥ 40. No penalty, no bonus.
  3. Mobile Prep (-15 strength, escape bonus): Choose if Defense <30 and you want to withdraw. Reduces casualties but costs stability.

Tactics each round:

  1. Aggressive Tactic (+25% strength): High casualty risk, win faster if you're winning. If losing, escalates defeat.
  2. Standard Tactic (+0%): Recommended. Balanced risk/reward.
  3. Cautious Tactic (-15% strength, -50% casualty rate): Dragging fight out. Protects fighters if you're losing, but takes more rounds.

Tech matters: Drones add +15 (if available). Firearms quality affects accuracy. Armor (Scout Armor, Exoskeleton) reduces incoming casualties. Indirect fire (grenade launcher, rockets) adds range advantage.

// RAIDER ATTACKS: WHAT TO EXPECT //

Raiders appear as crisis event when Defense <30 and Year >1. Four scenarios:

  1. Small band (4–6): Scouts, quick skirmish. Win if Defense>25 with no prep. Cautious tactic wins at Defense 20.
  2. Medium band (8–12): Organized raid. Need Fortified or Ambush prep. Drones turn tide if Defense <40.
  3. Large force (14+): Serious threat. Requires Defense >50 or Drone Swarm active. Failure = population loss (10–30), stability crash.
  4. Protectorate unit (16+, armored): Rare (Stage 4+). Needs combined tech: drones (suppression) + anti-armor (HEAT rounds, Panzerfaust) + prepared position. Very dangerous.
// DEFENSE STRATEGY BY PHASE //
Phase 1 (Y 1–10)
Militia Rotation law + Patrol Drones. Defense 40–60. Reactive: fight when attacked, rely on terrain and numbers. Avoid large battles.
Phase 2 (Y 11–25)
Drone Swarm + Firearms line (FGC-9 or Urutau) + Electronic Warfare. Defense 60–100. Proactive: control territory via drone coverage. Break encirclement via mobility + firepower.
Phase 3 (Y 26–50)
Advanced arms (indirect fire, Coyote Doctrine, or LV5). Defense 100+. Deterrence: existence of capability prevents conflict. Combat becomes rare because enemy knows outcome.
09 Crisis Events & Special Scenarios
// FOOD CRISIS (Food <30) //
  1. Emergency Foraging: +Food +15, -Defense -10 (labor diverted). Use as stopgap.
  2. Request Aid from Olympia: +Food +20, relation debt -8. Works if relation >-10.
  3. Strict Rationing: +Merit +20, -Stability -15, +Food +8. Peoples' sacrifice is noted, but morale cost is real.
  4. Bioreactor Emergency Mode: +Food +25 instantly. Requires bioreactor tech. Best option if available.

To prevent: Permaculture by Year 2. Aquaponics by Year 3. Bioreactor by Year 6. By Year 8, food crises should be rare if you've invested.

// RAIDER ATTACK (Defense <30) //
  1. Defend (Combat): Opens tactical combat. Win = +Morale+Pillar VI proven. Lose = -Population -Stability -Defense.
  2. Negotiate: -Filament -10, +Stability +3. Preserves life. Raiders move on.
  3. Drone Swarm Area Denial: +Defense +20, no casualties. Requires Drone Swarm tech. Best choice if available.
// COUP ATTEMPT (Year 3+, if no Sunset Clause) //

Defense coordinator refuses rotation. Success to prevent requires Merit >50 + Stability >55.

  1. Invoke Rotation Clause: Immediate recall. Success = +Autonomy +10. Failure = coordinator splinters watch faction.
  2. Negotiate Exit: Offer advisory role, graceful transition. +Stability +5, sets bad precedent for term limits.
  3. Exile: Zero tolerance. +Autonomy +20, -Stability -15, community fracture. Risky.

Prevention is cheaper. Pass Sunset Clause in Year 2. If you miss this window, coup happens. It rarely kills your run but costs months to recover.

// MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS (Citizen mood <25) //

Someone is breaking. Event triggers. Options:

  1. Circle of Care: +Morale +15 all, +Merit +10. Expensive in time but builds culture.
  2. Light Duty Rotation: Specific citizen recovers, -Production -3. Pragmatic.
  3. Medic Intervention: If medic assigned to care role, +Morale +20. Medical skill actually matters.
// PROTECTORATE PROBE / FIRST CONTACT //

Year 2+, when they become aware of you. A liaison arrives under flag of truce.

  1. Refuse and Expel: +Autonomy +10, -Protectorate relation -20. Buys time, signals defiance.
  2. Negotiate: Complex outcomes. May open dialogue track. Can lead to peace at Year 20+ if they collapse internally.
  3. Disinformation: Lie about pop, tech, resources. +Autonomy +5, risky if discovered (they will spy).
// REFUGEE WAVES (Year 2+) //

30–80 survivors arrive. Some carry useful skills (nurses, engineer, machinist, permaculture expert).

  1. Full Integration: All refugees absorbed. +Population, +Specialists, -Food -10. Strains food but builds network.
  2. Provisional (12-month onboarding): ~65% integrated gradually. -Food -5, +Stability +5. Controlled integration.
  3. Redirect to Olympia: They absorb refugees. +Olympia relation +10, you avoid food hit.

Strategy: Integrate refugees from Year 1–3 (population growth phase). By Year 10, start rationing (carrying capacity limit). Refuse Year 12+ refugees if population >280.

// SISTER CELL EVENTS (Phase 2+) //

Once you have 7+ mesh coverage and 2+ sister cells, network events trigger:

  1. Sister Cell Needs Aid: Food/meds/tech. Send supplies = cost resources, +Sister relation +20, +NetRep +8. Refusal = -relation -15, -NetRep -5.
  2. Ideological Drift: Sister cell adopts different practices (more militarized, less consensus). Dialogue = slow drift. Acceptance = sovereignty. Challenge = possible schism.
  3. Mesh Partition: Sister cell forks mesh protocols. Route around them costly (-Mesh -15 short-term) but possible. Or accept permanent mesh loss.
// LV5 DETERRENCE EVENT (Year 8+, if LV5 researched) //

If you have LV5 swarm but haven't used it, and Protectorate reaches Stage 3+, they may become aware of the capability. Deterrence holds without use — as long as they believe you have it and are willing to use it. Go public = fear (-20 relation) but also deters attacks. Stay silent = deterrence holds via uncertainty.

⚠ COVERT OPS RISK If you deploy partisan-9 or conduct raids (covert ops events), risk exists that operatives get compromised. Captured operative = Protectorate intelligence leak. Plan for this.
10 Phase-by-Phase Roadmap (Year 1–50)
// PHASE 1: THE SEED (YEARS 1–10) //

Goal: Food security, internal stability, first federation contact.

Y 1
Month 1: Pass Needs Guarantee law (all three factions accept). Establish Rotating Assembly. Month 3–4: First citizen meeting crisis (choose how to handle — sets cultural tone). Month 6: Food crisis (manage via rationing or aid). Month 12: First merit ceremony.
Y 2–3
Tech priorities: CNC mill, permaculture, LoRa mesh. Laws: Circle process, Militia rotation. Contact: First external faction (Olympia). Establish trade if possible. Refugee waves: Accept and integrate (population growth phase).
Y 4–6
Consolidate: Permaculture producing food. Mesh reaching 5 communities. Patrol drones functional. Next tech: Aquaponics (food insurance) or Drone Swarm (if Protectorate probes detected). Pass laws: Coordinator Sunset Clause (prevent Year 3 coup), restorative justice.
Y 7–10
Critical juncture: Protectorate placement at Stage 0–1 (still unaware or probing). Build: Bioreactor (food loop closes), advanced mesh (blockchain), early firepower (FGC-9 + Urutau). Target: Population 200–250, food 70%+, mesh 20–30, defense 50–70, 3–4 allied communities visible. Year 10 ending: Celebrate survival. Unlock harder scenarios. Prepare for Phase 2 shift.
// PHASE 2: THE GROWTH (YEARS 11–25) //

Goal: Survive Protectorate escalation, federate network, prevent internal collapse.

Y 11–14
Protectorate reaches Stage 2–3 (infiltration, economic pressure). Mesh: Expand to 7+ communities. First sister cells start organizing. Tech: Drone Swarm (area denial), jamming/EW (anti-jamming). Food: Bioreactor + Permaculture securing supply entirely. Event: Sister cells send resource convoys, friction appears (some want more militarization, others demand consensus).
Y 15–18
Encirclement begins (Stage 3–4). Road blocks, supply interdiction. Critical choice: Do you escalate to advanced weapons or try diplomacy? Mesh: 10+ communities. Federation Charter law passed (if you went that route). Sister cell friction increases — ideological drift in some cells. Network Reputation becomes visible mechanic (currently 50–70 range if you're behaving ethically).
Y 19–23
Endurance test: Encirclement holding. Can you supply via sister cells and mesh routing? Or do you need to break cordon? Tech escalation: LV5 decision time. Research ends. (If you research LV5, deployment is coming; if you don't, you're betting on tech diversity + networking.) Sister cell crises — some cells may propose ideological changes (more military, less consensus). Manage via dialogue or accept schism. Population peak at 300+ if you've been accepting refugees.
Y 24–25
Phase 2 finale: Either you've broken encirclement via tech + alliances, or you've stabilized at status quo. Protectorate at Stage 3–4 but not moving to Stage 5 (full assault). Network: 12–16 communities. Unlock Phase 3 once you reach Year 25 with Stability >50 and mesh >60.
// PHASE 3: THE NETWORK (YEARS 26–50) //

Goal: Achieve network autonomy, resolve Protectorate conflict, build lasting federation.

Y 26–30
Shift phase: You're no longer a single cell fighting Protectorate. You're 15+ cells coordinating defense. Sister cell interdependence is visible (some cells depend on your food, others on your tech). Protectorate: Escalates to Stage 5 (full assault attempt) or collapses internally (if they lose hardliner backing). Event cascade: Federation schism events may fire. Sister cells challenge your authority. Challenge: prove network can hold without you micromanaging everything.
Y 31–40
Consolidation: Protectorate either defeated (via military victory if you went LV5, or negotiation if internal collapse happens), or stabilized at cold war (deterrence holding). Network focus: Stabilize sister cells (some will have drifted ideologically). Second generation: Children born in Y1–5 are now 26–30 years old. They've never worked for wage, never paid rent. Education system becoming visible. Target: 20–23 communities, mesh >70, population distributed (not all in your cell).
Y 41–50
Endgame: Protectorate question is resolved (peace, deterrence, or defeat). Real challenge now: Can the network survive without centralized coordination? Have you decentralized enough that if your cell fails, the rest persists? Events: Mesh partitions (sister cells with divergent protocols), federation schiisms (cells want to leave charter), climate emergencies, supply chain collapse tests. Victory conditions: All depend on Year 50 snapshot of stability, autonomy, population, and (optionally) NetRep.
💡 PHASE TRANSITION TIP The shift from Phase 1 to Phase 2 is not automatic. You must reach Year 11 *and* have Stability >50 *and* Mesh >15 to unlock Phase 2 events. If you hit Year 10 in crisis, you loop back to Phase 1 events and risk collapse. Budget Year 9–10 for stabilization.
11 Endgame & Network Growth (Years 25–50)

Victory is ambiguous in AANC. There's no single "win" condition. Instead, you're measured on five axes at Year 50:

Autonomy (0–100)
How decentralized is your governance? Sunset clauses, federation charter, rotations — all push this up. Standing armies, coordinators with extended terms, centralized resource control — push this down. Target: 80+.
Network Reputation (0–100)
What does the mesh think of you? Publishing tech, helping sister cells, exiling humanely — up. Using LV5, hoarding resources, silencing dissent — down. Target: 65+.
Population (50–400)
Total across all communities (if you've federated). Larger networks more resilient, but harder to coordinate. Target: 250–350.
Food Security (50–100%)
Food production relative to consumption. Below 70% = vulnerability. Target: 85%+.
Pillar Health
How well do you maintain the Six Pillars? All laws passed = all pillars enforced = score high. Violate pillars = score low. This is ideological consistency.
// SISTER CELLS & FEDERATION //

By Year 25, you have 7–16 sister cells. Each is autonomous but linked via mesh. Each has:

  • Population: 40–200 people
  • Food/Defense/Mesh: Independent(ish) values, affected by your aid/coordination
  • Ideology drift: Sister cells may adopt different Pillar interpretations over time
  • Status: Allied, contact, estranged, or hostile

Key mechanic: Supporting sister cells costs *your* resources but builds network resilience. If your cell fails (food crisis, military defeat), sister cells continue. Networks without you are worth more institutionally than networks that depend on you.

// PROTECTORATE ENDGAME PATHS //
  1. Military Victory (LV5 Doctrine): You have autonomous killer swarms. You use them once or deploy to key battles. Protectorate realizes they can't win at acceptable cost. Ceasefire or withdrawal. Consequence: NetRep crashes (-30 to +50). Sister cells fear you.
  2. Internal Collapse (Diplomacy Path): Protectorate hardliners vs pragmatists fracture. You offer peace to pragmatists. Year 20–25, formal treaty possible. Protectorate transitions from enemy to neutral/ally. Cleanest ending politically.
  3. Grinding Stalemate (Balanced Path): You reinforce as they squeeze. Encirclement holds but never breaks. Mesh coordination sustains you. Protectorate never reaches Stage 5 because attacking costs too much. Cold war persist indefinitely (no formal peace, but no war).
  4. Covert Victory (Coyote Doctrine): SpectreComm + Ghost AI + WraithRunner + partisan cells. You don't have armies; you have distributed capability nothing can pin down. Protectorate can't find you to attack. De facto independence via invisibility.
// ACHIEVING YEAR 50 SUCCESS //

The test: If you disappeared on Day 1 of Year 50, would the network survive?

  • Food: Must be decentralized. Every community producing, or network routing working perfectly. If only your cell produces 60% of network food, failure after you die.
  • Defense: Distributed militia across all cells. Not concentrated in your hands. If you're the only cell with drones, network is fragile.
  • Governance: Federation charter enforced across cells. Not dependent on your judgment calls. Decisions made at each cell, coordinated via mesh.
  • Technology: Open-sourced. Other cells can replicate fabrication. If only you can make FGC-9s, you're a bottleneck.
Test yourself at Year 49: Imagine quitting. Would the network hold for Year 50? If answer is "no," spend Year 50 decentralizing — train sister cells, distribute population, publish all tech, pass federation laws. If answer is "yes," you've built something real.
12 Meta-Progression & Unlocks

Your first run teaches the systems. Later runs get bonuses based on what you unlocked. Meta-progression survives scenarios and resets.

// BLUEPRINT UNLOCKS //

Reaching technical milestones unlocks reduced research times for future runs:

  1. FDM Mastery: Research FDM + SLA + Optics. Future runs: FDM research -30% time.
  2. Improved Extruder: Reach Mfg 60+. Future runs: +10 starting Mfg.
  3. Mesh Protocol V2: Reach Mesh 40+. Future runs: +10 starting Mesh.
  4. Closed-Loop Agriculture: Research bioreactor + biogas. Future runs: bioreactor research available Month 1.
  5. Firearm Production: Research FGC-9 + Urutau. Future runs: firearm production unlocks faster.
// WISDOM UNLOCKS //

Completing runs and making successful choices grants permanent bonuses:

  1. Olympia Accord: Ally with Olympia Year 1–3, maintain to Year 10. Future runs: +20 Olympia relation at start.
  2. Trusted Mesh: Reach NetRep 80+. Future runs: +10 starting NetRep.
  3. No Autonomous Kill: Stay NetRep >50 without using LV5. Future runs: +15 starting NetRep.
  4. Network Builder: Create 10+ sister cells. Future runs: 1 allied sister cell spawns at Year 12.
  5. Federation Master: Pass federation charter before Year 13. Future runs: +15 Mesh, federation laws available earlier.
// UNLOCKING HARDER SCENARIOS //
ScenarioUnlock Requirement
Under SiegeComplete Standard on any difficulty Year 10+
The Great DroughtReach food production 80%+ in any run
Silicon Exiles StartAllied with Tech Collective in Phase 2
💡 META-PROGRESSION STRATEGY First run: aim for Standard, Year 10 finish, basic federation (Olympia alliance). This unlocks Under Siege. Second run: beat Under Siege, push to Year 25. Third run: try Drought and focus on food tech. By run 4–5, you have enough Meta bonuses to do ambitious multi-phase strategies.
Final Thoughts — What To Remember

This game is about time. Every decision compounds over years. Passing a rotation law in Year 2 prevents coup in Year 3. Planting permaculture in Year 1 means food security in Year 5. Building mesh early means federation by Year 15. The game doesn't reward rushing; it punishes short-term thinking.

Factions are real constraints. You can't ignore them. If The Autonomists hit 30 satisfaction, you lose law-passing votes. If The Watch drops below 40, they may splinter militia into an independent armed group. You can *lead* internal factions, but you can't *control* them. This is by design.

The Protectorate is inevitable. By Year 5, they'll be aware of you. The question isn't whether they escalate, but how you prepare. Tech, alliances, and home advantage are your levers. Pick your defense doctrine early and commit to it. Switching from militia-based to drone-based to covert-ops takes months and costs resources. Consistency compounds.

Network Reputation is your legacy. Using LV5 swarms feels powerful. It is. It's also permanent. The mesh will remember. Sister cells will fear you instead of trusting you. Build on trust when possible. Violence is a tool for when cooperation breaks completely.

Year 50 success is about decentralization. If the cell succeeds only because you're coordinating everything, you haven't built anarchism; you've built a new autocracy that calls itself anarchism. Real victory is networks that work without you. This is the hardest design challenge in the game. Plan for it.

Good luck. The future is decentralized. Build like your life depends on it. And it does.

AANC v7.0 Guide | Three Phases, Endless Variation | Play with intention, build with care.