Cargo Department Design Document

Concept

The Cargo department is the primary resource generator for the station, enhancing the ability of other departments to perform their work via resupplying base materials and providing rare resources and items. Flavored around logistics, the draw of Cargo should come from the appeal of translating hard work into “profit”, i.e. physical rewards that makes the effort feel rewarded. This progression should not come at the cost of providing to the station however, and the lack of station collaboration and resulting resource drain should be tangible on both sides.

Intended Experience

• Mutual collaboration with crew; the department provides, and is provided to in return.
• Hard work pays off; doing department tasks has a visible positive effect on the department.
• Efficiency feels powerful; moving fast to keep ahead of the resource drain curve is encouraged, while mistakes slow things down.
• A primary resource contact; other roles seek you out for resources and equipment, and you are expected to manage the requests.
• Space contact; has one foot in the station, one foot in space.
• Good for all ranges of player experience.

Responsibilities

• Cargo is a major resource generator, extremely efficient in converting station assets & player effort into new resources.
• Cargo resupplies base level equipment for other departments, and has the ability to enable better equipment relative to work put in.
• Cargo is given the position to deal with locations outside immediate station-space by default.

Desired Gameplay

• First/second point of contact for a lot of base supplies and materials.
  • While not the only resource provider on the station, Cargo should be a reliable option when seeking out supplies. Having a solid foundation of materials always at the ready should be a goal to strive for. Cargo players should feel a desire to fulfill (reasonable) requests when they come in.
• Friction when unable to provide.
  • When resources run low (either due to a lack of work or outside influences) the reliability should come into question, with pressure to get back into operational quantities. A station without a working Cargo department should feel its absence.
• Stronger when crew helps.
  • Cargo’s gameplay should encourage crew collaboration where crew will want to help. The resource generation the department provides should be catalyzed by non-Cargo personnel using their unique role responsibilities.

Undesired Gameplay

• Having a strong internal positive feedback loop, cutting off the need for station collaboration.
  • As a department with the motivation to generate tangible rewards for itself, there is a risk of slipping into gameplay systems where it sees assisting other roles as wasting resources. Cargo gameplay should aim to encourage interactions with other crew. When possible, highjack the desire for progression with complementary systems enable collaborative gameplay.
• Isolationism.
  • Related to the point above. While Cargo has the ability to provide equipment to other departments, it shouldn’t go so far as to make Cargo encouraged to supplant what those departments provide. If Cargo decides to do another department’s duty, they should never be as good at it.
• Broken efficiency.
  • With a focus on efficiency Cargo is also at a risk of finding overpowered systems or strategies that invalidate gameplay in other areas. Features must be monitored and balanced to avoid this. If Cargo is rewarded without putting in the appropriate work the gameplay will feel hollow and unfun.