Summary
Implement an insight system that gates player visibility into game mechanics based on character skills.
Related to: Risk System design (see godot/docs/design/RISK_SYSTEM.md)
Feature Description
Player insight into risk, consequences, and NPC reactions scales with Insight skills. Inspired by Civilization's diplomacy system where higher relationship/intel reveals more about AI intentions.
Insight Levels
| Level |
What Player Sees |
| None (0) |
Outcomes only, no explanations |
| Low (1-2) |
Vague hints: "Reaction will likely be mixed" |
| Medium (3-4) |
Directional: "This will increase regulatory scrutiny" |
| High (5-6) |
Specific: "OpenPhil dislikes this; Anthropic neutral" |
| Expert (7+) |
Quantified: "Regulatory Attention +8, Financial Exposure +3" |
Insight Domains
Different skills reveal different aspects:
- Political Insight → Regulatory Attention, Public Awareness visibility
- Financial Insight → Financial Exposure visibility
- Academic Insight → Research Integrity, Capability Overhang visibility
- Organizational Insight → Insider Threat visibility
Acquisition
Insight can be developed through:
- Character creation (allocate points at game start)
- Upgrades and investments during play
- Experience in specific domains (repeated interactions)
Design Notes
From design discussion (2025-12-25):
"Players can have relative insight into the precision of the impacts of their plays by gaining skill in those kinds of interactions over time... player's Insight level vary from hints 'reaction to this will likely be mixed' to specific 'OpenPhil will seriously dislike this, Anthropic will be neutral' similar to advanced diplomacy giving you more insight into things in the game of Civilization."
Key principle: Some players prefer operating with limited information (challenge), others want full visibility (strategy optimization). The system accommodates both playstyles.
Implementation Notes
Phase 1 (Current - Risk System)
- Dev mode toggle: full visibility on/off
- No skill gating yet
Phase 2 (This Issue)
- Integrate with character creation
- Implement skill-based visibility filtering
- Add upgrade paths for insight skills
Integration Points
- Risk System: Insight determines how much risk pool info is shown
- Character Creation: Insight skills allocated at game start
- Events: Causal explanations gated by insight level
- Actions: Pre-action feedback ("This will likely...") gated by insight
- NPCs/Funders: Relationship visibility gated by political insight
Success Criteria
Summary
Implement an insight system that gates player visibility into game mechanics based on character skills.
Related to: Risk System design (see
godot/docs/design/RISK_SYSTEM.md)Feature Description
Player insight into risk, consequences, and NPC reactions scales with Insight skills. Inspired by Civilization's diplomacy system where higher relationship/intel reveals more about AI intentions.
Insight Levels
Insight Domains
Different skills reveal different aspects:
Acquisition
Insight can be developed through:
Design Notes
From design discussion (2025-12-25):
Key principle: Some players prefer operating with limited information (challenge), others want full visibility (strategy optimization). The system accommodates both playstyles.
Implementation Notes
Phase 1 (Current - Risk System)
Phase 2 (This Issue)
Integration Points
Success Criteria