Job Document

src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 - [Combat]()
 - [Stats]()
 ---
-- [Jobs]()
+- [Jobs](design/jobs/jobs.md)
   - [Departments]()
     - [Supply](design/jobs/departments/supply.md)
   - [Bartender](design/jobs/roles/bartender.md)

src/design/jobs/jobs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+# Jobs
+
+Jobs are non-hidden roles that are randomly assigned to players every round which are defined through a combination of [clothing](../clothing.md), access, and (sometimes) unique abilities.
+They are then sorted into departments, groups of jobs which share common mechanics, gameplay, and thematic elements.
+
+Additionally, jobs function as a type of psychological scaffolding, pushing players to interact with different parts of the game and restricting general access to locations and mechanics.
+This helps create contrast between different parts of the game, as the accessibility of a given area becomes a tangible aspect of its design.
+
+While jobs may also have various game mechanics _associated_ with them, this is not necessarily a vital aspect of their design.
+Something like the Clown does not really have any unique or stand-out requirements or duties on the station.
+However, since it's such a strong thematic element that pushes player interaction in a unique way, it still stands out.
+
+```admonish danger "Job Content"
+A common trap when thinking about jobs is the idea of "job content" as a discrete element separate from mechanics.
+Put plainly, jobs are supposed to house mechanics that exist naturally throughout the game.
+While they may have unique features and game elements which aid them in doing this, their core interactions should not revolve around isolated systems.
+
+A failure of this would be something like traditional economic Cargo, where the core mechanic of "economy" and purchasing things ends up being entirely restricted to Cargo.
+This creates a subgame that has limited player input during the round.
+```
+
+## Proactive v. Reactive
+
+Across SS1X's design, a job's duties can be broadly categorized as either **proactive** or **reactive**.
+**Proactive** jobs are typically not essential to the station's general function and are instead simply given a variety of tasks to pursue over the course of a round.
+**Reactive** jobs, on the other hand, derive their gameplay from occurrences on station, responding to situations as they are needed.
+
+In general, reactive jobs should _always_ be preferred over proactive jobs.
+Although a job might exhibit characteristics of both, the proactive elements of their design should ultimately serve to reinforce and prepare for the core reactive gameplay (for example, a chemist creating medicine which is then used to respond to someone getting injured).
+
+Gameplay which is focused around responding to situations as they arise create a web of interconnected roles, as individuals call on each other to aid the station.
+When a fire starts, a player reaches out to the engineering team in order to get help extinguishing it.
+Likewise, when engineers hear the call, they are given a purpose to the station.
+This creates a feedback loop between players, where social expectations of a job leads to their purpose being solidified in gameplay while simultaneously reinforcing their dependability as a solution to a problem.
+
+```admonish example
+A great example of something like this would be Security.
+Technically, any crew member is capable of securing armaments and responding to a threat.
+However, since security is specifically oriented around this task and given the most direct access to the tools required, they become a primary choice for subduing a threat.
+```
+
+### Continuous Decay
+
+When a job isn't present, either by dying or simply not being assigned yet, it creates a gameplay void where crew is forced to pick up the slack.
+This enhances the general decay of the station, as the duties of the collective crew grow as their numbers dwindle, placing greater strain on them and accelerating the descent into chaos.
+
+Ultimately, this is something we want to lean into.
+By emphasizing the absence of a job, we create greater stakes when people die, amplifying the gravity of things happening on-board the station.
+After a role dies, there should be a real feeling of "Oh shit, X is gonna be so much worse now."
+The game is about our relationships and social dependencies on others, and by making these dependencies important, we strengthen the core appeal of the game.
+
+## Deduction
+
+As a deductive element, jobs can be thought of as the mirror image of [masks](../masks.md).
+
+While a mask defines your goals and intentions on a _personal level_, a job offers you _default behavior_ as part of the [crew](../masks/crew.md).
+This is extremely important to deduction, as it creates indirect methods of aiding the station, the completion of which can arouse or quell suspicion.
+
+The most immediate comparison would be tasks in the game Among Us.
+The tasks themselves aren't really meant to be substantial gameplay.
+Rather, the tasks force innocents to move around the map and encounter dangerous situations while giving them the opportunity to further their success.
+For imposters, it gives chances to catch lone crew members, while also giving them something obvious they can impersonate or claim to be doing.
+
+Ephemeral Space is ultimately a game about social dynamics, not job simulation.
+While the simulacra of performing a job is important to the social interaction occuring on the station, it's not the task itself which is important.

src/design/pillars.md

@@ -15,12 +15,11 @@ An example of a mechanic which is not social by nature but still creates social
 There's nothing inherently social about needing to eat and drink regularly, but by virtue of having jobs and systems dedicated to making and giving out food, the experience becomes social.
 ```
 
-## Ambiguous Game State
+## Social Deduction
 The experience of Ephemeral Space is heavily built upon systems where individuals are not aware of the allegiance or motives of others.
 Similarly, mechanics should always strive to create ambiguous situations for players to play in.
 
-The game should always strive to create situations where the events happening on station have plausible deniability.
-It's within this realm of ambiguity that the core gameplay of social deduction and intrigue can really shine.
+By complicating the "questions" of the game, we create gameplay in "answering" them, forcing players to live, observe, and immerse themselves in the environment of the station.
 
 ## Continuous Decay
 A round of Ephemeral Space should always be on a constant trend towards a final point.