09 — Economy

Purpose

This document consolidates all economic systems of Tao Baryon — currencies, energy, build queues, ad-revive mechanics, and pricing structures. It serves as the master reference for game economy balance.

All numerical values are placeholders for v1.0 launch and will be tuned based on early-access playtesting. Note: Tao Baryon is client-side only (see 00_amendments.md Amendment 7), so balance changes require app store updates. There is no remote config in v1.0.

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Currencies

Credits (Soft Currency)

The Coalition's wartime accounting unit. Earned by:

• Enemy kills (base value × combo multiplier × sector multiplier)
• Stage clear bonus
• Boss defeat (large drops)
• Daily login rewards
• Achievement rewards

Spent on:

• Ship blueprint purchases
• Ship M-tier upgrades
• Weapon blueprint purchases
• Weapon M-tier upgrades
• Module M-tier upgrades

Not purchasable with real money. Pure gameplay reward.

Blueprint Shards (Rare Drop)

Coalition R&D fragments. Earned by:

• Stage drops (lower rate)
• Elite enemy drops
• Boss rewards
• Endless mode milestones
• Achievement rewards

Spent on:

• Ship M-tier upgrades (every Mark requires shards)
• Weapon M-tier upgrades
• Module M-tier upgrades

Not purchasable with real money. Cannot be bought.

Veiled Tokens (Ultra-Rare)

Veiled engineering certifications. Required for V-Series and C-Series purchases and upgrades. Earned by:

• Elite kills (Choral Knight, Inquisitor Hunter, Architect's Witness drops)
• Specific story-mission rewards
• Endless mode deep-depth milestones (depth 100+, 200+)
• Achievement rewards

Spent on:

• V-Series and C-Series ship blueprints
• V-Series and C-Series ship M-tier upgrades
• C-Series weapon blueprints (and M-tier)

Not purchasable with real money.

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Energy System

Specification (Locked)

Property	Value
Maximum capacity	8
Recovery rate	1 per 8 minutes
Full refill from empty	64 minutes
Campaign stage entry cost	1 energy
Endless mode entry cost	0 energy (free)
Ad-revive of energy	+1 energy
Ad-revive cooldown	30 minutes (one per 30 min)
Energy carried between sessions	Yes (persisted)

Energy Tracking (Client-Side)

Energy state is stored locally with these properties:

• Current energy points (0-8)
• Timestamp of last energy use
• Timestamp of last ad-revive (for cooldown enforcement)
• Energy refill calculated as: min(8, current + floor((now - last_use) / 480_seconds))

Anti-tampering measures (see 00_amendments.md Amendment 7):

• Save file obfuscated with device-specific key
• Clock-rewind detection: if now() < stored timestamp, energy refill pauses until clock catches up
• Clock-skip protection: if elapsed time exceeds 24 hours, cap refill at 24-hour-equivalent (180 energy increments not granted from a single advance)
• Values outside design range (energy > 8 or < 0) treated as save corruption

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Build Queue System

Specification (Locked)

• One active build slot per player
• Builds run using local device-clock timestamps
• Build completion timestamp stored at build start: start_time + build_duration
• Build progress calculated at runtime: (now - start_time) / build_duration
• Build continues while app is closed (timestamp persists)
• Build completion triggers push notification (opt-in)
• One ad-skip per build (cuts time in half)
• No "rush with currency" option (intentional — ad-skip is the only mechanic)

Anti-tampering measures (see 00_amendments.md Amendment 7):

• Clock-rewind: if now() < start_time, pause build progress until clock catches up
• Suspicious time advances detected on app launch; build allowed to complete but logged

Build Time Reference

Action	Build Time	Ad-Skip Result
H-Series ship	30 minutes	15 minutes
V-Series ship	2 hours	1 hour
C-Series ship	8 hours	4 hours
H-Series ship M0→M1	20 minutes	10 minutes
H-Series ship M1→M2	1 hour	30 minutes
H-Series ship M2→M3	2 hours	1 hour
V-Series ship M0→M1	1.5 hours	45 minutes
V-Series ship M1→M2	4 hours	2 hours
V-Series ship M2→M3	8 hours	4 hours
C-Series ship M0→M1	4 hours	2 hours
C-Series ship M1→M2	8 hours	4 hours
C-Series ship M2→M3	16 hours	8 hours
H-Series weapon	10 minutes	5 minutes
V-Series weapon	30 minutes	15 minutes
C-Series weapon	1 hour	30 minutes
H-Series weapon M0→M1	5 minutes	2.5 minutes
H-Series weapon M1→M2	20 minutes	10 minutes
H-Series weapon M2→M3	1 hour	30 minutes
V-Series weapon M0→M1	20 minutes	10 minutes
V-Series weapon M1→M2	1 hour	30 minutes
V-Series weapon M2→M3	3 hours	1.5 hours
C-Series weapon M0→M1	1 hour	30 minutes
C-Series weapon M1→M2	3 hours	1.5 hours
C-Series weapon M2→M3	6 hours	3 hours
Module M-tier upgrades	Instant	N/A

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Ad-Revive Mechanic

Specification (Locked)

Property	Value
Stage failure ad-revive	1 per stage attempt
Revive HP percentage	50%
Revive position	Current wave / location
Cooldown between ads (energy refill)	30 minutes
Ad-revive for energy	+1 energy point

Ad SDK Selection

For v1.0:

• AdMob (Google's standard) for Android
• AdMob + AppLovin MAX for hybrid mediation
• Implementation note: rewarded video ads only; no interstitial or banner ads

Anti-Frustration Caps

• Maximum 5 rewarded ad watches per day per player (anti-spam)
• Daily reset at midnight player local time
• No coercive "watch this ad to continue" — all ads are optional and granted-reward

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Pricing Reference Tables

Ship Blueprint Costs

Ship	Blueprint Cost	Veiled Tokens	Total Initial Investment
H-1 Vanguard	Free (starter)	0	0 + free build
H-2 Interceptor	3,500 credits	0	3,500 + 30 min build
H-3 Bulwark	4,000 credits	0	4,000 + 30 min build
V-1 Marksman	25,000 credits	3	25,000 + 3 tokens + 2 hour build
V-2 Phantom	28,000 credits	4	28,000 + 4 tokens + 2 hour build
V-3 Striker	26,000 credits	3	26,000 + 3 tokens + 2 hour build
C-1 Apex	100,000 credits	10	100,000 + 10 tokens + 8 hour build
C-2 Resonator	110,000 credits	12	110,000 + 12 tokens + 8 hour build
C-3 Singularity	125,000 credits	15	125,000 + 15 tokens + 8 hour build

Weapon Blueprint Costs

Weapon	Blueprint Cost	Veiled Tokens	Total Initial Investment
Pulse Cannon	Free (starter)	0	0 + N/A
Inertial Lance	2,500 credits	0	2,500 + 10 min build
Coherence Beam	18,000 credits	0	18,000 + 30 min build
Boltzmann Cascade	22,000 credits	0	22,000 + 30 min build
Hawking Bolt	35,000 credits	0	35,000 + 30 min build
Penrose Lance	75,000 credits	5	75,000 + 5 tokens + 1 hour build
Anomaly Field	85,000 credits	7	85,000 + 7 tokens + 1 hour build
Cosmic String Spear	110,000 credits	10	110,000 + 10 tokens + 1 hour build

M-Tier Upgrade Cost Summary

Ship M-Tier Costs

Upgrade	Credits	Blueprint Shards	Veiled Tokens	Build Time
H-Series M0→M1	3,000	1	0	20 min
H-Series M1→M2	8,000	3	0	1 hour
H-Series M2→M3	20,000	6	0	2 hours
V-Series M0→M1	15,000	3	1	1.5 hours
V-Series M1→M2	35,000	7	3	4 hours
V-Series M2→M3	80,000	15	6	8 hours
C-Series M0→M1	50,000	8	5	4 hours
C-Series M1→M2	130,000	18	10	8 hours
C-Series M2→M3	300,000	40	25	16 hours

Weapon M-Tier Costs

Tier	M0→M1	M1→M2	M2→M3
H-Series	1,500 cr + 1 shard	4,000 cr + 3 shards	9,000 cr + 6 shards
V-Series	8,000 cr + 2 shards + 1 token	18,000 cr + 5 shards + 2 tokens	40,000 cr + 10 shards + 4 tokens
C-Series	25,000 cr + 5 shards + 3 tokens	60,000 cr + 12 shards + 7 tokens	150,000 cr + 25 shards + 15 tokens

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Earn Rate Targets

Credits Per Mode

Approximate credit earn rate, assuming player at recommended Pilot Rank for the stage:

Mode	Credits per Minute	Notes
Campaign Stage 1	~100	Tutorial-friendly
Campaign Stage 6 (Sector 1 boss)	~300	Boss bonus
Campaign Stage 12 (Sector 2 boss)	~500	Boss bonus
Campaign Stage 18 (Sector 3 boss)	~800	Boss bonus
Campaign Stage 24 (Sector 4 boss)	~1,200	Boss bonus
Campaign Stage 30 (Final boss)	~2,500	Final boss bonus
Endless Mode Depth 10	~65% of equivalent campaign stage	Free-play prestige
Endless Mode Depth 50	~70% of equivalent stage	+ rare drops
Endless Mode Depth 100+	~75% of equivalent stage	+ unique drops

XP Per Mode

Mode	Pilot XP/min	Ship Mastery XP/min
Campaign Stage 1	~10	~15
Campaign Stage 12	~30	~45
Campaign Stage 24	~80	~120
Campaign Stage 30	~150	~225
Endless Mode	0 (no Pilot XP)	~50 (full Ship Mastery)

Blueprint Shard Drop Rates

Source	Rate
Sector 1 stage clear	5% chance for 1 shard
Sector 2 stage clear	8% for 1-2 shards
Sector 3 stage clear	12% for 1-3 shards
Sector 4 stage clear	18% for 1-4 shards
Sector 5 stage clear	25% for 2-5 shards
Sector 1 boss	1-3 guaranteed
Sector 2 boss	2-5 guaranteed
Sector 3 boss	3-7 guaranteed
Sector 4 boss	5-10 guaranteed
Sector 5 boss	10-20 guaranteed
Inquisitor Hunter elite	50% for 1 shard, 5% for 3
Endless depth 50	First time: 5 shards
Endless depth 100	First time: 10 shards
Endless depth 200	First time: 25 shards

Veiled Token Drop Rates

Source	Rate
Choral Knight elite	30% for 1 token
Inquisitor Hunter elite	Not a source
Architect's Witness elite	10% for 3 tokens
Sector 3 boss (Inquisitor Cohort)	2-4 guaranteed
Sector 4 boss (Voren)	3-6 guaranteed
Sector 5 boss (Halen)	8-15 guaranteed
Endless depth 100	First time: 5 tokens
Endless depth 200	First time: 15 tokens

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Economic Tension Targets

The game economy should create the following tensions, ensuring player engagement:

Early Game (Pilot Ranks 1-10)

• Player can afford new H-Series weapons every 3-4 stages
• First H-Series ship purchase requires 1-2 stages of grinding past unlock
• M0→M1 upgrades feel attainable, frequent
• Energy rarely a constraint (4-5 stages per session typical)

Mid Game (Pilot Ranks 10-25)

• V-Series weapon unlocks create meaningful "save up" tension
• First V-Series ship is a major milestone (5-7 hours of play to afford)
• M2→M3 ship upgrades require sustained engagement
• Energy becomes more constraining for hardcore players (5-6 stages per session)

Late Game (Pilot Ranks 25-40)

• C-Series purchases are multi-day events
• Veiled Tokens become bottleneck — must farm elite enemies
• M3 upgrades on C-Series ships take 1-2 weeks of focused play
• Energy is a real constraint — players supplement with endless mode

End Game (Pilot Rank 40+)

• All ships unlocked; focus shifts to maxing favorite loadouts
• Endless mode is primary playground
• Achievement hunting becomes meta-progression
• Daily login + endless grinding sustains long-term engagement

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Client-Side Architecture (No Server)

Tao Baryon v1.0 is client-side only. There is no game server. All economy state, energy timers, build queues, currency balances, and unlocks are stored locally on the device. See 00_amendments.md Amendment 7 for full architectural rationale.

What We Accept

• Determined players can edit save files
• Build timers and energy use device clock (susceptible to clock manipulation)
• Endless mode leaderboard scores are platform-signed but not authoritatively validated
• Balance changes require app store updates (no remote config in v1.0)

Tampering Resistance (Honest Engineering)

These measures discourage casual tampering but are not anti-cheat:

1. Save file obfuscation — Hive boxes encrypted with device-derived key
2. Range sanity checks — values outside design ranges treated as corruption
3. Clock-rewind protection — build/energy timers pause if clock moves backward
4. Clock-skip caps — energy refill capped at 24-hour-equivalent per single advance
5. Leaderboard sanity filtering — implausible scores rejected before submission

What We Do NOT Pursue

• No server-side validation
• No backend infrastructure
• No always-online requirements
• No cheater tracking or bans
• No login-gated features

Why This Is Right

Tao Baryon is single-player with a non-competitive economy. Cheating harms only the cheater. Server infrastructure would dwarf indie-developer revenues. Development savings are enormous. The market (indie mobile arcade) expects and accepts client-side-only.

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Future IAP Considerations (Post-v1.0)

For v1.0, the only monetization is rewarded ads. Post-launch, the following IAP options could be added:

• Remove Ads (one-time purchase, ~$4.99) — disables rewarded ad prompts, grants flat bonuses instead
• Pilot Cosmetics — ship skins, engine trail colors, hull markings
• Battle Pass (seasonal, ~$9.99) — quest line with cosmetic + currency rewards

Never IAP: Credits, Blueprint Shards, Veiled Tokens, ships, weapons, modules. The game must remain non-pay-to-win.

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Document version: 1.0 (locked) Part of: Tao Baryon GDD — Tier 2 Content Systems