BreakEscape/planning_notes/overall_story_plan/quick_reference.md

Season 1 Quick Reference Guide

Mission Overview

#	Title	Cell	SecGen Scenario	Tier	Duration	Status
1	First Contact	Social Fabric	Intro to Linux ✅	1	45-60m	Standalone
2	Ransomed Trust	Ransomware Inc	Rooting for a win	1	50-70m	Standalone
3	Ghost in the Machine	Zero Day Syndicate	Info Gathering: Scanning ✅	2	60-75m	Standalone
4	Critical Failure	Critical Mass	Vulnerability Analysis	2	60-80m	Standalone
5	Insider Trading	Insider Threat + Digital Vanguard	Feeling Blu	2	70-90m	Standalone
6	Follow the Money	Crypto Anarchists	Hackme and Crack Me	2	60-80m	Standalone
7	The Architect's Gambit	Multi-cell	Putting it together	3	80-100m	Campaign pt 1
8	The Mole	Insider Threat	Such a git	2	60-75m	Campaign pt 2a
9	Digital Archaeology	Historical/Multi-cell	Nosferatu	3	70-90m	Campaign pt 2b
10	The Final Cipher	All Cells	Post-exploitation	3	90-120m	Campaign Finale

One-Sentence Summaries

1. First Contact: Infiltrate media company, brute force SSH passwords, intercept disinformation dead drops (tutorial mission)
2. Ransomed Trust: Hospital ransomware crisis, exploit ProFTPD to recover encryption keys
3. Ghost in the Machine: Scan Zero Day's training network, banner grab intelligence, discover cross-cell coordination
4. Critical Failure: Stop water treatment SCADA attack, first hostile combat
5. Insider Trading: Identify corporate mole, explore recruitment psychology
6. Follow the Money: Trace cryptocurrency funding network, expose ENTROPY financial hub
7. The Architect's Gambit: Choose which coordinated attack to stop, impossible choice
8. The Mole: Internal investigation reveals SAFETYNET traitor
9. Digital Archaeology: Explore abandoned ENTROPY bases, discover The Architect's identity
10. The Final Cipher: Final assault on Tomb Gamma, multiple endings

Progressive Mechanic Introduction

Break Escape Mechanics

Mission	New Mechanics
1	Lockpicking, NPC social engineering, VM hacking basics, evidence collection
2	Patrolling guards, PIN cracking, CyberChef workstation
3	RFID keycard cloning, advanced CyberChef, network scanning
4	Hostile NPCs, item drops, time pressure, multi-system investigation
5	Multi-NPC investigation web, evidence correlation, non-combat resolution
6	Password cracking minigames, multi-credential chains, financial networks
7	Branching mission paths, permanent consequences, real-time crisis
8	Ally investigation, timeline reconstruction, triple-agent mechanics
9	Environmental storytelling, historical reconstruction, cryptanalysis
10	Boss encounter, philosophical dialogue trees, multiple endings

VM/SecGen Skills

Mission	Primary Skills Taught
1	SSH brute force (Hydra), Linux basics, sudo privileges ✅
2	Service exploitation (ProFTPD), basic pentesting workflow
3	Network scanning (nmap), banner grabbing (netcat), Base64 decoding, distcc exploitation ✅
4	Vulnerability scanning (Nmap NSE, Nessus), privilege escalation (sudo)
5	CMS exploitation (Bludit), organizational intelligence, privilege escalation
6	Password cracking (John the Ripper), multi-server lateral movement
7	Multi-stage integrated attack, NFS shares, privilege escalation
8	Version control exploitation (GitList), secret management failures
9	Web server exploitation (Nostromo), privilege escalation, forensics
10	Complete penetration test, all previous techniques combined

CyBOK Coverage

Knowledge Area	Primary	Secondary
Human Factors	M1, M5, M8	M2, M3, M4
Applied Cryptography	M1, M6, M9	M2, M3, M10
Security Operations	M1, M4, M8	M2, M5, M6, M7, M10
Network Security	M3, M4	M7, M10
Malware & Attack Tech	M2, M3, M4	M7, M10
Cyber-Physical Systems	M4	M7
Systems Security	M3, M4, M10	M6, M8, M9
Web Security	M5, M9	M1, M3
Forensics	M8, M9	M5, M6
Incident Response	M2, M4, M7	M10

Key NPCs

Character	Role	Appears In	Arc
Agent 0x99 "Haxolottle"	Player's Handler	All missions	Mentor whose mentor betrayed SAFETYNET
Dr. Adrian Tesseract	The Architect (antagonist)	M7, M9, M10	Brilliant defector, sympathetic villain
Director Samantha Cross	SAFETYNET Director	M8, M10	Authority figure, crisis manager
Agent 0x47 "Nightshade"	The Mole	M8, M10	Traitor, can be turned triple agent
David Torres	Corporate Insider	M5, (M10)	Recruited by ENTROPY, can be turned
Elena Volkov	Cryptographer	M6, (M10)	Crypto Anarchist, potential recruit
Victoria "Vick" Sterling	Zero Day Sales Lead	M3, (M10)	Can become double agent
Maya Chen	Journalist	M1	Innocent caught in ENTROPY scheme
Dr. Sarah Kim	Hospital CTO	M2	Crisis decision maker

ENTROPY Cell Roster

Cell	Specialty	Cover Business	Difficulty
Social Fabric	Disinformation	Viral Dynamics Media	Beginner
Ransomware Inc	Crypto-extortion	CryptoSecure Recovery	Beginner
Zero Day Syndicate	Exploit trading	WhiteHat Security Services	Intermediate
Critical Mass	Infrastructure attacks	OptiGrid Solutions	Intermediate
Insider Threat Initiative	Infiltration & recruitment	TalentStack Recruiting	Advanced
Digital Vanguard	Corporate espionage	Paradigm Shift Consultants	Intermediate
Crypto Anarchists	Cryptocurrency/blockchain	HashChain Exchange	Intermediate
Ghost Protocol	Surveillance & privacy destruction	DataVault Secure	Intermediate
Supply Chain Saboteurs	Supply chain attacks	Trusted Vendor Integration	Advanced
AI Singularity	Weaponized AI	Prometheus AI Labs	Advanced
Quantum Cabal	Advanced tech + cosmic horror	Tesseract Research Institute	Special

The Architect Mystery Timeline

Mission	Revelation Level	Information Gained
M1	First mention	Overheard in encrypted comms, "Architect's timeline"
M2	Second mention	Ransomware deployed too precisely
M3	Pattern emerging	"Architect's requirements" in communications
M4	Coordination confirmed	Multi-cell coordination detected
M5	Organization structure	"Architect's corporate strategy"
M6	Central treasury	"The Architect's Fund" discovered
M7	First contact	Direct communication, philosophy hinted
M8	Plan revealed	Stole SAFETYNET global threat database
M9	Identity revealed	Dr. Adrian Tesseract, former SAFETYNET strategist
M10	Full confrontation	Complete understanding, philosophical debate

Major Choice Points

M1: First Contact

Choice: Expose entire company vs. surgical strike Impact: Corporate trust in M5

M2: Ransomed Trust

Choice: Pay ransom vs. recover independently Impact: Financial trail clarity in M6

M3: Ghost in the Machine

Choice: Arrest Victoria vs. become double agent Impact: M7 & M10 Zero Day cell presence

M4: Critical Failure

Choice: Capture operatives vs. stop attack immediately Impact: M7 Critical Mass capability

M5: Insider Trading

Choice: Turn David Torres vs. arrest Impact: M8 mole investigation, M10 support

M6: Follow the Money

Choice: Seize assets vs. monitor transactions Impact: M7 ENTROPY funding, M10 capability

M7: The Architect's Gambit ⭐ MAJOR

Choice: Which operation to personally stop

• Infrastructure (civilian lives)
• Elections (democracy)
• Supply Chain (long-term security)
• Corporate (economic stability)

Impact: M10 cell presence and difficulty, campaign ending options

M8: The Mole

Choice: Arrest Nightshade vs. turn triple agent Impact: M10 intelligence quality and support

M10: The Final Cipher ⭐⭐ ULTIMATE

Choice: How to resolve confrontation

• Arrest → Order Restored ending
• Debate/Convince → Redemption ending
• Sabotage → Scorched Earth ending
• Join ENTROPY → Entropy Wins (bad ending)
• Kill → The Void ending

Impact: Season 2 setup

Campaign Arcs

Act 1: Introduction (M1-3)

Theme: Learning the landscape Tone: Espionage thriller Key Learning: Individual ENTROPY cell operations

Act 2: Recognition (M4-6)

Theme: Patterns emerge Tone: Darker, higher stakes Key Learning: Cross-cell coordination

Act 3: Confrontation (M7-9)

Theme: The Architect revealed Tone: Urgent, personal Key Learning: Identity and motivation

Act 4: Resolution (M10)

Theme: Final confrontation Tone: Epic climax Key Learning: Philosophical questions

Difficulty Progression

Advanced ┤                                    ╭─M10─╮
         │                          ╭─M7────╮│     │
         │                     ╭─M9─╯       ││     │
Intermed ┤    ╭─M3──M4──M5──M6─╯             ││     │
         │╭─M2─╯                             ╰M8────╯
Beginner ┤M1
         └┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬─
          1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10

Play Order Options

Standalone Players

Recommended: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6 (any order) Note: M7 can adapt for standalone with reduced scope

Campaign Players

Required Order: M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6 → M7 → M8 → M9 → M10

Partial Campaign Options

Minimum Core Arc (5 missions)

M1 → M3 → M6 → M7 → M10

Extended Arc (8 missions)

M1 → M2 → M3 → M5 → M6 → M7 → M8 → M10

Complete Arc (10 missions)

M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6 → M7 → M8 → M9 → M10

Estimated Playtime

• Single Mission: 45-120 minutes (average 70 minutes)
• Standalone Play (M1-6): 5-7 hours
• Core Campaign: 7-9 hours
• Extended Campaign: 9-11 hours
• Complete Campaign: 11-14 hours

Location/Setting Variety

Mission	Primary Setting	Atmosphere
M1	Media office	Professional, corporate
M2	Hospital	Crisis, urgent, medical
M3	Security consulting firm	Corporate, high-tech
M4	Water treatment facility	Industrial, SCADA systems
M5	Tech company	Corporate, modern office
M6	Cryptocurrency exchange	Fintech, sleek, modern
M7	Varies by choice	Crisis mode, high pressure
M8	SAFETYNET headquarters	Internal, paranoid
M9	Abandoned ENTROPY bases	Archaeological, mysterious
M10	Tomb Gamma (ENTROPY stronghold)	Hostile, fortress-like

Season 2 Setup Hooks

Depending on M10 ending:

• Order Restored: ENTROPY cells rebuild under new leadership
• Redemption: ENTROPY loyalists seek revenge for "betrayal"
• Scorched Earth: Power vacuum, new threats emerge
• Entropy Wins: Play as new agent hunting defector
• The Void: Chaos from leaderless ENTROPY

Unexplored Threads:

• Quantum Cabal's cosmic horror (barely touched)
• AI Singularity's autonomous systems (future threat)
• Deep State government infiltration (mentioned, not explored)
• Global vulnerability database consequences

Design Philosophy Checklist

For each mission, ensure:

• ✅ Episodic Accessibility: Can play standalone
• ✅ Serialized Depth: Enhanced by campaign context
• ✅ Three-Act Structure: Setup → Investigation → Resolution
• ✅ Mandatory Backtracking: Non-linear exploration required
• ✅ Educational Authenticity: Real tools and techniques
• ✅ Moral Complexity: No "wrong" choices, only consequences
• ✅ Character Development: NPCs have arcs
• ✅ LORE Integration: World-building through gameplay
• ✅ Player Agency: Meaningful choices that matter
• ✅ Professional Realism: How real pentesters work

File Organization

planning_notes/overall_story_plan/
├── season_1_arc.md (main plan, this reference source)
├── quick_reference.md (this file)
└── mission_seeds/
    ├── m01_first_contact_seed.md
    ├── m02_ransomed_trust_seed.md
    ├── m03_ghost_in_machine_seed.md
    ├── m04_critical_failure_seed.md
    ├── m05_insider_trading_seed.md
    ├── m06_follow_money_seed.md
    ├── m07_architects_gambit_seed.md
    ├── m08_the_mole_seed.md
    ├── m09_digital_archaeology_seed.md
    └── m10_final_cipher_seed.md

Next Steps

For each mission:

1. Stage 0: Initialization ✅ (completed in season_1_arc.md)
2. Stage 1: Narrative Structure - Develop complete 3-act breakdown
3. Stage 2-3: Game Design - Map to rooms, puzzles, mechanics
4. Stage 4: Player Objectives - Define win conditions
5. Stage 5: Room Layout - Physical space design
6. Implementation - Build in game engine

Use the detailed mission breakdowns in season_1_arc.md as seeds for story_design/story_dev_prompts/00_scenario_initialization.md process.

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Quick Mission Selection Guide

Want to teach basic mechanics? → M1, M2 Want social engineering focus? → M1, M5, M8 Want technical hacking focus? → M3, M6, M10 Want infrastructure/SCADA? → M4, M7 Want crisis/time pressure? → M2, M4, M7 Want investigation/detective work? → M5, M8, M9 Want moral dilemmas? → M5, M7, M8, M10 Want combat/action? → M4, M7, M10 Want multiple endings? → M10 Want cross-cell complexity? → M5, M7, M10

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This quick reference accompanies the full Season 1 Arc Plan Last Updated: 2025-11-30