Capture the Flag POC

This proof of concept demonstrates conflict over a resource through a simple, readable rule:

Whoever controls the zone controls the value.

Ownership isn’t a label. It is the right to extract.

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What This Proves

This POC proves three core mechanics that can scale into larger gameplay:

1. Claim / Ownership
   • A zone can be captured over time.
   • Ownership can flip between sides based on presence.
2. Contesting
   • If both sides are inside the zone, the state becomes CONTESTED.
   • While contested, the capture process freezes (no progress).
3. Extraction Has Consequences
   • Extraction is owner-only.
   • There are separate scores:
     • Your Extracted
     • NPC Extracted
   • If the zone is pressured/contested, the owner’s efficiency is reduced, which is a direct economic cost of conflict.

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How to Read the Screen

• The big circle is the Claim Zone.
• The capture meter shows who is trending toward ownership.
• The extracted totals show who is actually benefiting:
  • If you own, only your score rises.
  • If NPC owns, only NPC score rises.

This prevents “shared value” nonsense. Control means benefit.

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How to Use It (30 seconds)

1. Move YOU (green) into the zone alone → capture moves toward you.
2. Let NPC (red) enter alone → capture moves toward NPC.
3. Stand inside together → contested → capture freezes.
4. Watch the extraction totals:
   • only the owner’s total increases
   • contesting reduces the owner’s efficiency

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Why This Matters

This is the minimum system needed to make territorial conflict real:

• space matters (zones)
• time matters (capture rate)
• presence matters (contest)
• value matters (extraction and separate scores)