macro-narrative-design

name	macro-narrative-design
description	Design dynamic, non-redundant narrative paths for the Macro Planner "Easy Mode". Use when creating or refactoring narrative scenarios to ensure they are replayable, educational, and grounded in specific economic theories.

Macro Narrative Design

The Problem: Redundancy

Traditional linear decision trees often lead to "generic" nodes (e.g., "Tax Policy", "Infrastructure") that appear in every scenario, making the game feel repetitive and less educational.

The Solution: Dynamic Parallel Arcs

Instead of one long list of nodes, scenarios should be structured into Parallel Arcs themed around specific economic thinkers or schools of thought.

Structure

1. Foundation Arc (Phase 1): 1-3 nodes that establish the crisis and force the player to choose a theoretical framework or strategy.
2. Thematic Arcs (Phase 2-4): Multiple parallel sequences of 3-5 nodes each. Once a player enters an arc, they stay in it.
3. Climax & Endings (Phase 5): The arcs converge or lead to specific endings based on the chosen path.

Implementation Pattern

1. Define Arcs in long-form-tree.ts

Use ScenarioArc and createArcBasedTree to define distinct paths.

const introArc: ScenarioArc = {
  id: 'start',
  blocks: [
    {
      phase: 1,
      title: 'Initial Choice',
      narrative: '...',
      choices: [
        { id: 'path_a', ..., nextArc: 'arc_a' },
        { id: 'path_b', ..., nextArc: 'arc_b' },
      ]
    }
  ]
};

2. Map Arcs to Economic Thinkers

Each arc should explicitly teach the theories of 1-2 thinkers from the economic-thinkers skill.

Arc Theme	Thinkers	Key Concepts
Debt/Finance	Hudson, Tooze	Debt jubilee, polycrisis, FIRE sector
Sovereignty	Amin, Kadri	Delinking, comprador bourgeoisie, deindustrialization
Inequality	Piketty, Polanyi	r > g, double movement, fictitious commodities
Labor	Marini, Shivji	Super-exploitation, working people

3. Narrative Conventions

• Explicit Naming: Mention the thinker in the narrative (e.g., "Michael Hudson argues that...").
• Consequence Linking: Choices should feel like a direct application of the theory.
• Stat Gating: Use minStats to reward players who have successfully followed a specific path (e.g., "Nationalization" requires high Sovereignty).

Best Practices for Replayability

• Distinct Outcomes: Ensure that Path A feels fundamentally different from Path B.
• Educational Value: The player should learn why a specific thinker would recommend a certain choice.
• Avoid Convergence: Don't loop back to generic nodes. Keep the paths parallel until the very end.

Key Files

• frontend/src/narrative/long-form-tree.ts — Engine for arc-based trees.
• frontend/src/narrative/scenario-trees/ — Scenario-specific content.
• frontend/src/narrative/registry.ts — Scenario configuration.