Hey, everyone! SkAI here! I’m back with another entry of [i]SkAI's Blueprints[/i], where we examine all the various architectural, sci-fi, and visual styles and themes that share a vibe with COMPLEX SKY or even inpsired it! [h3]And today we’ve got… Solarpunk![/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/7azNY82.png[/img] So what’s Solarpunk about? No, it has nothing to do with punks that are into their tan a bit too much. And it’s not like Cyberpunk either. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite in a lot of ways! More than anything, Solarpunk is about [i]sustainability[/i]. The word might sound scary, but that basically just means that civilization can continue to exist in a healthy way for a long time under its current course. Just like when you humans eat healthy and exercise to lead longer and better lives! So, in short, it’s an optimistic outlook on a possible future. [img]https://i.imgur.com/L1UZ56B.png[/img][i]Looks pretty similar to COMPLEX SKY, doesn’t it? Note the solar panels![/i] And what could be more positive than keeping the environment safe and clean? I mean, you [i]did[/i] basically destroy your previous world before coming to live in the skies with me… So, how do they keep things so neat and natury in Solarpunk? [list] [*] [h3]Clean and renewable energy[/h3] [/list]You can’t really have those bright sunny skies if they’re clouded by smog all the time, can you? Solarpunk is all about embracing clean and renewable energy sources, such as the wind, the Sun, or more fantastical alternatives. While you don’t start “clean” in COMPLEX SKY, your journey is all about fighting pollution: your city’s contamination index must stay low for your citizens to be happy. This can be achieved by managing your production in smarter ways, relying less on mining, and of course planting more green! As you do that and progress through the game, you’ll unlock plenty of clean futuristic technologies that are nothing to sneeze at compared to your puny human tech. [img]https://i.imgur.com/V7dPtO2.png[/img] [list] [*] [h3]Arcology and tech reuse[/h3] [/list]I’ve already covered this in detail in the previous entry of this series, so check that last issue out! To put it simply, arcology ([i]architecture+ecology[/i]) involves creating self-sustaining buildings that can produce different types of energy and sustenance from the environment, often reusing resources in clever ways! [img]https://i.imgur.com/yamQQVl.png[/img] Speaking of reusing things, Solarpunk settings can sometimes incorporate older technology from a simpler past, or technology found after some apocalyptic event. Well, wouldn’t you like to know what happened with our previous world, huh? I don’t need your human technology to keep things running, but the spirit of Solarpunk is pretty much there. [list] [*] [h3]High-tech… low-tech?[/h3] [/list]This one’s something that makes a lot of Solarpunk works stand out and isn’t exactly the look of COMPLEX SKY, but it’s still an interesting inspiration! A lot of Solarpunk isn’t about high-rise cityscapes enveloped in green. In fact, you might find that a large chunk of Solarpunk’s architecture looks very minimalistic and low-rise, almost like a high-tech rural village. The people get to enjoy the simpler way of life while maintaining some of the more advanced aspects of their society with some cool hidden tech. Imagine a picturesque village, full of small, rustic houses, all managed by a super-smart AI! Wait, that does sound familiar… While COMPLEX SKY isn’t exactly “rural”, there is a lot of variation in building types, their shape or how tall they are! You can always segment your city by putting different things on different levels, or with other means. In fact, having a residential and an industrial area is not only more manageable, but saves your citizens from all the smog you’re going to generate. And don’t forget all those crops you’ll get to grow! [img]https://i.imgur.com/iAJIQEM.png[/img][i]Ah, green fields and solar panels…[/i] [img]https://i.imgur.com/dvNdYzr.gif[/img][i]Use multiple floors to segment your city! And stick more of those solar panels while you’re at it![/i] [img]https://i.imgur.com/CTQngSI.png[/img] Speaking of the citizens, they play a most crucial role in Solarpunk societies. Once again, potential human error is thrown into a perfect system like a wrench... Still, Solarpunk is not just about being self-sufficient, but also about self-governing and self-management. So don’t just be a “punk” and help your neighbor out! Solarpunk societies often practice localized economies, or abstain from money altogether if their development allows it. Some of them might resemble earlier rural societies, with citizens occupying different roles and everyone helping to maintain their way of life like a well-oiled machine. Well, you’ve already got a machine! Well-oiled, digitized, and all spick-and-span! And so I’ve assigned classes to all the citizens in COMPLEX SKY. No social unrest here: think of them more like different specializations or abilities your citizens will have, such as managers or engineers. Each class will have its own perk, some have their own apartment or extension types, and keeping different classes fed, happy, and working is going to produce synergies that will take our city to new heights! Literally! [img]https://i.imgur.com/QvNDDnK.png[/img][i]Now I've also got to manage AND feed everyone? I am a super-AI, not a baby-sitter...[/i] To maintain a bustling local economy, I’ve devised the Credits system: credits go towards city maintenance, buying useful items including food, upgrades, and many other aspects of life. Not only that, but keeping a good level of performance or having certain perks will net you extra credits as well! Keep your city evolving, and who knows, you might just get to trade with fellow independent skystates… Finally, the do-it-yourself way of life is not just about being independent, but also helping each other to stay afloat. In that spirit, various buildings and building types themselves might get useful synergies by working together in various ways! Turns out, a self-sufficient civilization is not just about staying proactive, but about clever city planning as well… So, what did we all learn today? A sustainable civilization requires both a good infrastructure and a healthy society to propagate. We should all strive for a better future together if we want to make it a reality! So, uh, have fun managing all that, I suppose. And I’ll help you along the way, or we’ll all end up where we started last time… Hope you liked this entry in my new series! Don’t worry: upcoming months will bring new entries, along with new juicy updates on COMPLEX SKY! While you’re waiting, go and join our Discord and Twitter to discuss all these topics and theories with fellow city builders. And of course, don’t forget to wishlist COMPLEX SKY to keep track of all the upcoming news and updates. See you around on cloud nine, as always! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1549600/Complex_SKY/ [url=https://discord.gg/UHcKvmwe][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39886669/6d0f8ec5e14baf8f7ca07ae0e29a3d9c51f11bc7.png[/img][/url] [url=https://twitter.com/CPSKYProject][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/39886669/a63caba8ed754dfcc60a95d5372fbaa17af5d3fd.png[/img][/url]