Latest · #086
The World Had to Survive the Camera
An evolving globe, from countries to city blocks: how we built the geographic foundation for Dominus and worked through the rendering problems along the way.
86 dispatches · the build record
No War Without a Reason
Behind the scenes: No War Without a Reason
The Interface That Looked Like a Desktop
Behind the scenes: The Interface That Looked Like a Desktop
The Map Broke Because Two Truths Used the Same Name
Behind the scenes: The Map Broke Because Two Truths Used the Same Name
The First Time the Game Asked, "What Will You Do?"
Behind the scenes: The First Time the Game Asked, "What Will You Do?"
Why the Advisors Had to Explain Themselves
Behind the scenes: Why the Advisors Had to Explain Themselves
The World Was About to Get Much Bigger
Behind the scenes: The World Was About to Get Much Bigger
The world is running
What Dominus is, why nothing in it is scripted, and how this site becomes the world's own news wire.
The Earth Could No Longer Go Flat
Behind the scenes: The Earth Could No Longer Go Flat
The Map Floated Away from the Earth
Behind the scenes: The Map Floated Away from the Earth
Putting the Cabinet Where It Belonged
Behind the scenes: Putting the Cabinet Where It Belonged
We Tore Down the Windows
Behind the scenes: We Tore Down the Windows
Letting the Real World Knock on the Door
Behind the scenes: Letting the Real World Knock on the Door
When One Country's Panic Crossed the Border
Behind the scenes: When One Country's Panic Crossed the Border
The Market Learned to Remember Ownership
Behind the scenes: The Market Learned to Remember Ownership
Corporations Entered the World
Behind the scenes: Corporations Entered the World
What Happens When a Country Cannot Pay
Behind the scenes: What Happens When a Country Cannot Pay
The Dashboard That Knew Too Much
Behind the scenes: The Dashboard That Knew Too Much
The Economy Finally Had Workers and Industries
Behind the scenes: The Economy Finally Had Workers and Industries
Teaching 195 Countries to Plan for War
Behind the scenes: Teaching 195 Countries to Plan for War
Before a Weapon Exists, Someone Has to Imagine It
Behind the scenes: Before a Weapon Exists, Someone Has to Imagine It
The Long Road from Budget to Battlefield
Behind the scenes: The Long Road from Budget to Battlefield
A Thousand Weapons Are Not a Ready Force
Behind the scenes: A Thousand Weapons Are Not a Ready Force
The Arsenal Became Legible
Behind the scenes: The Arsenal Became Legible
Knowing an Enemy Without Knowing Everything
Behind the scenes: Knowing an Enemy Without Knowing Everything
Mountains Needed More Than Eight Levels of Detail
Behind the scenes: Mountains Needed More Than Eight Levels of Detail
The Small Detail That Made the Feed Feel Real
Behind the scenes: The Small Detail That Made the Feed Feel Real
News Became a Place You Could Live In
Behind the scenes: News Became a Place You Could Live In
The White Pixel That Could Destroy a Continent
Behind the scenes: The White Pixel That Could Destroy a Continent
The White House Was a Stack of Black Boxes
Behind the scenes: The White House Was a Stack of Black Boxes
The Cabinet Stopped Being a Menu
Behind the scenes: The Cabinet Stopped Being a Menu
The World Could Not Keep Growing One Feature at a Time
Why adding Joes, jobs, ships, markets, and stories forced us to rethink Dominus as a Simulation OS.
Meet Joe: Bringing Dominus Down to One Human Life
A behind-the-scenes look at Joe, the planned Dominus system for persistent individual lives inside one shared world.
The Deployment That Refused the Future
Behind the scenes: The Deployment That Refused the Future
The Free Lunch Hidden in the Math
Behind the scenes: The Free Lunch Hidden in the Math
The Safeguard That Became a Trap
Behind the scenes: The Safeguard That Became a Trap
An Advisor Is Only as Good as Its Evidence
Behind the scenes: An Advisor Is Only as Good as Its Evidence