Quartz 5

Resources and Biomes

3 min read

Resources & Stream Biomes

This document outlines the resource economy and the stream layout/biome systems designed to foster cross-stream collaboration and trade.

💎 The Resource Economy

CROSS utilizes a two-tier resource system: Global Resources (which drive the base game loops and progression) and Streamer-Specific Resources (which represent the streamer’s personal brand).

graph TD
    subgraph Global Resources
        R1[Wood] --- R2[Stone]
        R2 --- R3[Iron Ore]
        R3 --- R4[Mana Herbs]
    end

    subgraph Custom Tier
        SR[Streamer Unique Resource]
    end

    R1 & R2 & R3 & R4 -->|Carried Across Streams| P[Player Backpack]
    SR -->|Earned only on stream X| P

1. Global Resources

These materials are persistent in the viewer’s inventory and are used to construct and upgrade standard rooms:

ResourceDescriptionPrimary Gathering MethodUsed For
🪵 WoodStandard building material.Passively cut by viewers with the Lumberjack profession or dropped by forest enemies.Structural frames, Tavern upgrades, bows, staves.
🪨 StoneHigh-durability structural material.Passively mined by viewers near quarries or dropped by mountain enemies.Foundations, defensive keep walls, defensive towers.
🪙 Iron OreHigh-grade metal.Mined in caverns or dropped by armored enemies.Heavy weapons, plate armor, Blacksmith upgrades.
🌿 Mana HerbsMagical organic plants.Gathered by Herbalists in fields or dropped by arcane monsters.Potions, scrolls, Alchemy Lab and Portal upgrades.
🌾 WheatAgricultural food source.Cultivated by viewers in the Farmer profession on fertile stream grounds.Flour (Windmill), Bread and Pastries (Bakery) for Tavern buffs.

2. Streamer Layouts (Biomes & Scarcity)

To force cross-stream interaction, streamers cannot produce every resource on their own channel. When setting up their overlay, streamers select a Biome Layout for their screen. Each biome makes one resource abundant, one standard, and one completely unavailable.

graph LR
    subgraph Streamer A: Forest Biome
        A1[Wood: Abundant]
        A2[Herbs: Standard]
        A3[Iron: UNAVAILABLE]
    end

    subgraph Streamer B: Mountain Biome
        B1[Stone: Abundant]
        B2[Iron: Standard]
        B3[Wood: UNAVAILABLE]
    end

    A1 -->|Viewer carries Wood| B[Upgrade Streamer B's Keep]
    B2 -->|Viewer carries Iron| A[Upgrade Streamer A's Blacksmith]

The Biome Matrix:

  1. Forest Canopy:
    • Abundant: Wood
    • Standard: Mana Herbs
    • Unavailable: Iron Ore (No mines can be built on the stream)
  2. Volcanic Crags:
    • Abundant: Iron Ore
    • Standard: Stone
    • Unavailable: Mana Herbs (Plants cannot grow in the ash)
  3. Mountain Peaks:
    • Abundant: Stone
    • Standard: Iron Ore
    • Unavailable: Wood (Tree line limit prevents forests)
  4. Mystic Oasis:
    • Abundant: Mana Herbs
    • Standard: Wood
    • Unavailable: Stone (Deep sand/silt blocks stone quarrying)

Trade & Collaboration Loop:

If Streamer A wants to upgrade their Blacksmith to Tier 3, it requires 500 Iron Ore. Because Streamer A runs a Forest biome, their stream overlay cannot spawn iron nodes.

  • Streamer A must ask their community to visit Streamer B’s channel (who runs a Mountain or Volcanic biome).
  • Viewers idle or fight on Streamer B’s stream, gathering Iron Ore in their global inventory.
  • Viewers return to Streamer A’s stream and donate the gathered Iron to fund the upgrade.

3. Streamer-Specific Unique Resource

Every streamer defines one custom resource unique to their channel (e.g., “Kani Coins”, “Coffee Beans”, “Sub Points”).

  • Configuration: Streamers upload custom icon pixel art and assign a name to their resource via the dashboard.
  • Earning: This resource only spawns/drops on their specific stream. It is rewarded for high-value events:
    • Subscribing or gifting subs.
    • Twitch raids and bits cheers.
    • Participating in stream-wide mini-games rendered on the overlay (e.g., Hangman, word-guessing games, trivia) played directly via chat or the Extension.
    • Participating in streamer-specific community events.
  • Usage:
    • Upgrading the streamer’s Custom Unique Room (e.g., a custom trophy room or branded castle).
    • Buying Streamer-Exclusive Cosmetics (e.g., a cap with the streamer’s logo, or an emote-based trail). Viewers can wear these cosmetics on other streams, serving as a walking advertisement for their favorite streamer.

Graph View

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