--- url: /sage-c4-bindings/sage-gameplay-overview.md --- # SAGE Gameplay Overview SAGE C4 is a major expansion and update of the Star Atlas strategy game. For beginners: SAGE C4 is where the game world lives on-chain. The other foundation programs explain who the player is and which faction they belong to. ## Strategic Game Layer SAGE C4 is built around fleets, faction conflict, starbases, navigation, resources, crafting, progression, and territorial economics. In practical developer terms, it is the game layer that turns a Player Profile and Profile Faction into visible player actions. The classic SAGE loop moves players away from passive emissions and toward player-driven activity: gather resources, burn inputs, craft outputs, move goods, defend infrastructure, and make choices that affect faction and local economy state. C4 expands that loop on the z.ink testnet; the generated clients let developers inspect the accounts and instructions behind the browser game. The newer generated areas belong to the same strategic loop: loyalty and ATLAS rewards are tied to active faction-supporting play, crew is a real gameplay access and utility layer, and C4 territory is organized around regions, King Systems, Core Systems, safe and border state, and faction-controlled warp lanes. ## Program role `@staratlas/dev-sage` manages the main game state: * game and world configuration * star systems, regions, celestial bodies, and starbases * player fleets and fleet state * movement through subwarp, warp lanes, and coordinates * cargo pods, resource movement, and inventory-like flows * mining, scanning, and loot * crafting recipes, habs, and crafting processes * claim-stake instances and planetary production loops * local markets * faction ownership/economics, missions, quests, encounter pools, loyalty rewards, crew rosters, outlaw flags, territory yield, starbase upgrades, combat, repair, respawn, research, and daily check-ins ## Game Concept to Program Surface | Game concept | C4 program surface | | --- | --- | | Player identity and authority | `@staratlas/dev-player-profile`, `Profile`, `PlayerName`, profile keys, roles, permission bytes | | Faction alignment | `@staratlas/dev-profile-faction`, `ProfileFactionAccount`, `Faction` | | Galia map and systems | `Game`, `StarSystem`, `RegionTracker`, `CelestialBody` | | Fleets and movement | `Fleet`, `FleetState`, `startSubwarp`, `stopSubwarp`, `warpLane`, `warpToCoordinate` | | Starbases and faction infrastructure | nested `Starbase`, `StarbasePlayer`, `StarbaseUpgradeProcess` | | Resources and localized inventory | `CargoPod`, `CargoDefinitionsCache`, fleet cargo pods, starbase-player cargo, local-market cargo | | Crafting and habs | `Recipe`, `CraftingHabInstance`, `CraftingProcess` | | Claim stakes and land operations | `ClaimStakeInstance`, claim-stake placement, rent, buildings, production, fleet transfer | | Local markets and trade | `LocalMarket`, `OrderBookSide`, `OrderInfo`, bid/ask builders | | Scanning and loot | `ScanPattern`, `ScanPatternNoiseMapUpload`, `Loot`, `scan`, `retrieveLoot` | | Combat, repair, and respawn | `attackFleet`, `attackStarbase`, repair builders, respawn completion builders, reward registry/config/epoch/contribution accounts | | Encounters and rewards | `EncounterPool`, `EncounterCommit`, `AtlasRewardConfig`, `LoyaltyEpoch`, `resolveCombatRewards`, `claimLoyaltyAtlas` | | Faction economics and territory | `FactionAccount`, `FactionStanding`, `FactionMarket`, `FactionOwnership`, `claimTerritoryYield`, faction-market trade builders | | Missions and quests | `MissionProcess`, `QuestProcess`, mission start/settle/abort builders, quest start/complete/cancel builders | | Council rank, XP, research, check-ins | `Character`, `XpInfo`, `ResearchTreeDefinitions`, `dailyCheckIn`, research unlock/config builders | ## Foundation dependencies SAGE gameplay accounts do not replace the foundation programs: | Layer | Program | What it manages | | --- | --- | --- | | Identity | Player Profile | Profile authority, keys, names, roles, and permissions | | Faction | Profile Faction | Faction selected by a profile | | Gameplay | SAGE | Fleets, world state, economy loops, progression, and combat | See [Player Profile](/sage-c4-bindings/player-profile) and [Profile Faction](/sage-c4-bindings/profile-faction) for the identity, authority, and faction context reused by SAGE gameplay accounts. ## Gameplay Domains These domains connect game concepts to generated accounts: ### Fleets Fleet accounts are a good first SAGE domain because they visibly connect profile identity, faction, ships, cargo, fuel, movement, and combat state. Generated anchors: * account: `Fleet` * PDA helper: `findFleetPda` * examples: `fetchMaybeFleet`, `fetchAllMaybeFleet` Workflow: [Fleet Creation Workflow](/sage-c4-bindings/fleet-creation-workflow) ### Starbases Starbases are important places for storage, crafting, movement, repairs, upgrades, and faction conflict. Generated anchors: * account: `StarbasePlayer` * account: `StarbaseUpgradeProcess` * instructions around starbase attack, repair, upgrade, and player registration ### Crafting Crafting connects resources, recipes, habs, crew-like constraints, and production timers. Generated anchors: * account: `Recipe` * account: `CraftingHabInstance` * account: `CraftingProcess` * instructions around starting, stopping, closing, and managing crafting processes Related guide: [Crafting](/sage-c4-bindings/crafting) Workflow: [Crafting Process Workflow](/sage-c4-bindings/crafting-process-workflow) ### Claim stakes Claim stakes are the land and planetary-production layer. Generated anchors: * account: `ClaimStakeInstance` * instructions around stake creation, updates, rent, resource extraction, and fleet transfer Related guide: [Claim Stakes](/sage-c4-bindings/claim-stakes) Workflow: [Claim Stake Placement Workflow](/sage-c4-bindings/claim-stake-placement-workflow) ### Local markets Local markets connect starbase location, cargo types, ATLAS-denominated order books, and player escrow. Generated anchors: * account: `LocalMarket` * PDA helper: `findLocalMarketPda` * instructions around market creation, close, order placement, cancellation, and cleanup Related guide: [Local Markets](/sage-c4-bindings/local-markets) ### World data World data covers game configuration, star systems, celestial bodies, regions, and staging accounts for large definition updates. Generated anchors: * account: `Game` * account: `StarSystem` * account: `CelestialBody` * account: `RegionTracker` * upload accounts: `RegionBorderUpload`, `ShipDefinitionUpload` Related guide: [World Data](/sage-c4-bindings/world-data) ### Mining, scanning, and loot Mining and scanning connect fleet activity, scan patterns, loot tables, coordinates, and generated loot accounts. Generated anchors: * account: `ScanPattern` * account: `ScanPatternNoiseMapUpload` * account: `Loot` * instructions around mining, scanning, retrieving loot, and scan-pattern admin Related guide: [Mining, Scanning, and Loot](/sage-c4-bindings/mining-scanning-loot) Workflow: [Scanning Workflow](/sage-c4-bindings/scanning-workflow) ### Cargo and currency Cargo and currency are shared accounting surfaces used by fleets, starbases, markets, crafting, claim stakes, and admin vault flows. Generated anchors: * account: `CargoDefinitionsCache` * account: `CurrencyConfigCache` * types: `CargoPod`, `SingleCargo`, `CargoType`, `Resources`, `Currencies` Related guide: [Cargo and Currency](/sage-c4-bindings/cargo-and-currency) ### Character and progression Character and progression covers SAGE-specific player state: check-ins, XP, research, rentals, crew, and modifiers. Generated anchors: * account: `Character` * PDA helper: `findCharacterPda` * instructions around registration, daily check-in, XP, research, crew, and rentals Related guide: [Character and Progression](/sage-c4-bindings/character-progression) ### Extended systems Crew rosters, faction territory, encounters, combat rewards, loyalty, missions, quests, and research extend the same Profile → Character → Game hierarchy. They are grouped separately because several flows still need live PTR verification before they are safe to send. Related guide: [Extended C4 Systems](/sage-c4-bindings/extended-systems)