CapitalistSimulator (Capitalism 2 homage)

name: CapitalistSimulator Cap2 overview: "Add a new Avalonia dual-shell app CapitalistSimulator in novolis-apps: a Cap2-homage business sim with an app-local firm/unit/linkage kernel, full player command surface, and simplified low-value Cap2 systems—no Cap2 binaries or proprietary assets." todos:

• id: scaffold

content: Scaffold CapitalistSimulator Exe + Unit tests; wire Apps.slnx/README/design/getting-started; CapitalTheme + Program dual-mode status: completed

• id: catalogs-kernel

content: Author JSON catalogs from Cap2 semantics; GameWorld/Firm/Unit/Link/Product model + PlayerCommand bus status: completed

• id: tick-mvp

content: "MonthTick: purchasing, manufacture, retail P/Q/B clearing, expenses; headless sandbox" status: completed

• id: avalonia-ui

content: "Avalonia UI: city Canvas map, firm interior unit/link editor, retail slots/prices, Studio/Briefing chrome" status: completed

• id: depth-systems

content: Advertising/brand strategies, bank loans, multi-city, extractor/farm, R&D projects, AI competitors status: completed

• id: corporate-scenarios

content: Stock market + HQ toggles + reports + scenarios/save; headless smoke + unit tests status: completed isProject: false

Verdict

New self-contained app at `d:\novolis\novolis-apps\src\CapitalistSimulator`, dual-shell like `SinsOfACapitalismTycoon` (OutputType=Exe, --mode avalonia|headless). App-local Cap2 game kernel (city map + firm interiors + unit links + P/Q/B demand). Use Avalonia UI packages (Studio, Briefing, Controls); do not force-fit the freight-oriented Novolis.Economy.* world model. Design data is reauthored JSON from Cap2 semantics (manual + 1STD.SET string tables); never ship or parse Cap2 .SET/.gam/.ICN/.FRM.

Distinct from existing Sins of a Capitalism Tycoon (interstellar tramp freight).

Design sources (read-only lift)

Not lifted: sprites, saves, exe logic, media.

Architecture

flowchart TB
  subgraph shells [Shells]
    AvaloniaUi[Avalonia UI UI]
    HeadlessCli[Headless CLI]
  end
  subgraph app [CapitalistSimulator app-local]
    Commands[PlayerCommand bus]
    World[GameWorld]
    Tick[MonthTick pipeline]
    Ai[CompetitorAgent]
    Catalog[JSON catalogs]
    Save[Json save store]
  end
  AvaloniaUi --> Commands
  HeadlessCli --> Commands
  Commands --> World
  Tick --> World
  Ai --> Commands
  Catalog --> World
  World --> Save

Core model (Cap2-faithful)

• World → N cities → tile grid (buildable land, seaport tiles, bank/stock NPC buildings)
• Firm on a city tile: type (Retail/Factory/Farm/Extract/Rd/Hq), layout grid of Units
• Units: Purchasing, Manufacturing, Sales, Inventory, Advertising, Rd, Extract (crop/livestock/mine/forest/oil collapsed to one Extract with resource kind)
• Links: directed unit→unit (Purchasing→Manufacturing→Sales); auto-link helper
• Product: price, quality, brand awareness/loyalty; retail demand from cohort × attractiveness(P,Q,B)
• Corporation: cash, monthly P&L, brand strategy (Corporate / Range / Unique), loans, share class
• AI corps: heuristic build/price/ad agents (simplified aggressiveness knob)

Monthly tick pipeline

1. Apply queued player/AI commands
2. Purchasing (seaport + inter-firm + internal)
3. Extract / farm yield
4. Manufacture (recipes)
5. Advertising brand update
6. R&D project progress → tech/quality caps
7. Retail/consumer clearing + B2B sales
8. Wages/expenses/loan interest
9. Stock mark-to-market (earnings + net-worth heuristic)
10. Win/lose checks + news events

Time: day clock with speed 0–5; economy resolves monthly (Cap2-like reporting cadence). Avalonia default: pause when modal/decision open (bridge HardPause pattern from Calypso, domain-level—not GameShell/GL).

Full player input surface (commands + UI)

All actions exist as typed PlayerCommands and have Avalonia controls (and headless CLI verbs):

Simplified / dropped Cap2 chrome

• No hireable executive skill vectors / mansion vanity
• No media CPM/rating-point micromanagement → ad spend → brand curve
• No seasonal farm calendar → stable monthly yield ± noise
• One factory size ladder (S/M/L), not 7 FRM templates
• Retail types collapsed to ~6 families that still cover product classes (Dept, Super, Convenience, SpecialtyGoods, Auto, Electronics)
• Private label = Purchasing flag, not separate unit type
• Hostile tender/merger → majority share control + optional “absorb” when ≥50%
• Random disasters optional later; start with economic-climate drift only

Avalonia UI (bridge, not GL)

Copy bridge composition patterns from `SinsOfACapitalismTycoon\Ui` and `EconomyBoard`:

• Packages: Avalonia/Desktop/Fluent, Novolis.Avalonia.Studio, .Briefing, .Controls, Avalonia.Controls.DataGrid, Novolis.Storage.Json, Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting
• Avoid Avalonia.Fonts.Inter as brand look; local CapitalTheme (slate boardroom + copper accent; Georgia/Segoe/Consolas like Calypso)
• Layout: toolbar (build, reports, HQ, stock, speed) · city Canvas grid map · firm interior panel · right FeedPanel/metrics · product detail (P/Q/B + supply/demand bars)
• No Novolis.Avalonia.Gaming / TwoDSceneControl for v1

Project layout

src/CapitalistSimulator/
  CapitalistSimulator.csproj   # Exe
  Program.cs                   # --mode avalonia|headless, --days, --scenario
  Cli/
  Sim/                         # world, tick, market, AI, commands
  Data/                        # embedded JSON catalogs
  Ui/                          # MainWindow, CapitalTheme, views
  Persistence/
  docs/gameplay.md
tests/CapitalistSimulator.Unit/

Wire into `Novolis.Apps.slnx`, `README.md`, `docs/design.md`, `docs/getting-started.md`. Not in Inno/release catalog until a later playable cut (same posture as local-only apps).

Catalog seed (~from Cap2): ~40–60 products (not full 128), key recipes (auto, computer, wine, frozen meat, steel path), seaport import table, 2–3 starter cities, 1 sandbox + 2 scenario goals (retail profit; vertical wine dominance).

Validation

• Unit tests: link validation, manufacture recipe, retail clearing P/Q/B, loan/stock math, win conditions
• Headless smoke: dotnet run --project d:\novolis\novolis-apps\src\CapitalistSimulator -p:NovolisUseProjectReferences=true -- --mode headless --days 36
• Policy: verify-nuget-only / no Cap2 files in repo

Implementation order

1. Scaffold project + catalogs + GameWorld + command bus
2. Tick: purchase → make → sell → P&L (single city sandbox)
3. Avalonia UI: map + firm interior + prices
4. Ads/brand, bank, multi-city, AI
5. Stock/HQ/reports/scenarios + headless smoke