Process Development Guidelines

This guide provides structured instructions for creating processes in DSPACE. Well-designed processes form the backbone of the game's crafting and progression systems, connecting items to educational concepts and gameplay.

Process Philosophy

DSPACE processes should:

Reflect real-world activities - Based on actual scientific or engineering procedures
Have educational value - Teach concepts relevant to space exploration
Balance time investment - Duration should match the complexity and value of outcome
Create meaningful relationships - Connect items in logical chains of production
Support game progression - Help players advance through increasingly complex systems

Process Structure

Core Properties

Every process requires the following properties:

title: Clear, descriptive name for the process (required)
duration: Time required to complete the process in format #h #m (space optional, e.g., 1h30m; units are case-insensitive, required)
requireItems: Items needed but not consumed (optional)
consumeItems: Items removed from inventory when process starts (optional)
createItems: Items added to inventory when process completes (optional)

At least one of requireItems, consumeItems, or createItems must be specified for a process to be useful.

Validation

Custom processes are validated against a JSON schema when created. The schema ensures:

Titles have at least three characters
Durations use the h, m, or s units (decimals allowed)
Item relationships include positive counts
At least one of requireItems, consumeItems, or createItems is present

Processes that fail validation will not be saved and the form displays helpful error messages.

Duration Format

Duration must follow the pattern (\d+h\s*)?(\d+m\s*)?(\d+s\s*)? (units are case-insensitive), for example:

"30m" (30 minutes)
"2h" (2 hours)
"1h 30m" (1 hour, 30 minutes)
"5m 30s" (5 minutes, 30 seconds)

Fractional values are allowed, so 0.5h will be interpreted as thirty minutes. Submitted values are normalized; for example, 0.5h 30s becomes 30m 30s on save.

Implementation State

The current ProcessForm.svelte component supports creating processes with all the properties listed above. It includes item selection interfaces for each of the three item relationship types. Numeric count inputs enforce a minimum of 1 so processes can't use zero or negative quantities. A built-in preview shows how the process will appear once created, and form validation now accepts seconds and fractional durations in addition to hours and minutes. Unit tests also confirm uppercase duration suffixes are accepted alongside lowercase ones. The form is also mobile-friendly with controls and submit buttons stacked vertically on small screens. You can toggle Preview to test your settings before committing them. End-to-end tests now confirm the preview renders correctly after valid input.

Process Categories

When designing processes, consider these common categories:

Manufacturing Processes

3D Printing: Creating physical components from digital designs
Assembly: Combining components into more complex systems
Recycling: Converting waste materials into usable resources

Biological Processes

Plant Cultivation: Growing plants for food, oxygen, or research
Aquaculture: Raising aquatic organisms
Composting: Creating nutrients from organic waste

Energy Processes

Generation: Creating energy from renewable sources
Storage: Storing energy for later use
Conversion: Transforming energy between forms

Educational Processes

Experimentation: Scientific tests and demonstrations
Simulation: Virtual modeling of space phenomena
Analysis: Data examination and interpretation

Process Design Best Practices

Balancing Time and Reward

Process duration should correlate with the value of created items
Consider educational value when determining time requirements
Allow shorter processes to chain into longer progression paths

Item Relationships

Ensure logical connections between required/consumed items and outputs
Create process chains where outputs become inputs for more advanced processes
Consider physical conservation of materials (input mass roughly equals output mass)

Educational Components

Include realistic time scales when appropriate
Model actual procedures used in space exploration
Demonstrate scientific principles through process outcomes

Example Processes

Basic Manufacturing Process

{
    "title": "3D Print Solar Panel Mount",
    "duration": "2h 15m",
    "requireItems": [{ "id": "3d-printer", "count": 1 }],
    "consumeItems": [
        { "id": "pla-filament", "count": 250 },
        { "id": "dwatt", "count": 450 }
    ],
    "createItems": [{ "id": "solar-panel-mount", "count": 1 }]
}

Biological Process

{
    "title": "Grow Lettuce Hydroponically",
    "duration": "14d",
    "requireItems": [
        { "id": "hydroponic-system", "count": 1 },
        { "id": "grow-light", "count": 1 }
    ],
    "consumeItems": [
        { "id": "lettuce-seed", "count": 5 },
        { "id": "nutrient-solution", "count": 2 },
        { "id": "dwatt", "count": 3360 }
    ],
    "createItems": [{ "id": "lettuce", "count": 5 }]
}

Energy Process

{
    "title": "Generate Solar Power",
    "duration": "1h",
    "requireItems": [{ "id": "solar-panel-100w", "count": 1 }],
    "consumeItems": [],
    "createItems": [
        { "id": "dwatt", "count": 100 },
        { "id": "dsolar", "count": 100 }
    ]
}

Process States

Processes go through several states during their lifecycle:

NOT_STARTED: Process is defined but hasn't been initiated
IN_PROGRESS: Process is currently running, countdown is active
PAUSED: Progress is halted but can be resumed
FINISHED: Process has completed and is ready for collection

The UI displays different controls depending on the state:

NOT_STARTED: "Start" button
IN_PROGRESS: Progress bar, remaining time, "Pause" and "Cancel" buttons
PAUSED: Progress bar, remaining time, "Resume" and "Cancel" buttons
FINISHED: "Collect" button

Contribution Workflow

The recommended way to contribute processes is through the custom content bundle workflow, which keeps related quests, items, and processes together:

Create process through the in-game interface at /processes/create
Export your created process as JSON from the management page:
- After saving your process, navigate to /processes/manage
- Locate your process in the list and use the export functionality to download the JSON
- Save the exported JSON file - this will be included in your content bundle
Create any related items at /inventory/create and export them similarly
Create any related quests at /quests/create and export them similarly
Package everything into a bundle JSON (see Custom Content Bundles)
Submit the bundle for review at /bundles/submit
Respond to feedback on the generated pull request
Once approved, your content bundle becomes available to all players

Alternatively, you can follow the traditional manual workflow:

Develop your custom process(es) following these guidelines
Test with appropriate items to ensure correct behavior
Create a content bundle JSON with related quests and items
Submit a pull request with your bundle file in submissions/bundles/
Respond to feedback during code review
Once approved, your content will be merged into the official game

Process Chains and Progression

One of the most effective ways to design processes is to think in terms of chains:

Basic Resource Collection: Simple processes that generate fundamental resources
Primary Processing: Converting basic resources into useful materials
Component Creation: Manufacturing individual parts from processed materials
System Assembly: Combining components into functional systems
Advanced Applications: Using completed systems for high-level functions

When designing process chains, consider how they support the educational goals of DSPACE and guide players through increasingly complex concepts relevant to space exploration.

By following these guidelines, you'll create processes that enhance gameplay while advancing DSPACE's mission of democratizing space exploration through practical, hands-on education.