# EQUIPMENT ACCESS CATEGORIES
Every restricted item or vehicle must use an appropriate access category.
## CIVILIAN COMMERCIAL
Legally purchasable by an ordinary civilian with sufficient money, subject to ordinary licences and local law.
## LICENSED PROFESSIONAL
Requires a profession, employer, medical credential, security credential, technical licence, vehicle licence, or demonstrated operational need.
## FACTION PURCHASE ELIGIBILITY
The character has permission to purchase the equipment through approved faction channels.
Purchase eligibility does not add the item to inventory and does not transfer ownership.
## FACTION REQUISITION
The item is temporarily issued for an approved operation.
The faction retains ownership and may require its return.
## FACTION ASSIGNMENT
The item is assigned for recurring duty while the character remains authorized and in good standing.
Assignment is not personal ownership.
## STORY-GATED ACCESS
The equipment requires a quest, named NPC, special agreement, rescue, legal transfer, salvage ruling, theft, inheritance, or exceptional reward.
## PROTOTYPE OR UNIQUE
The equipment cannot be routinely purchased or requisitioned.
It requires a specific story outcome and cannot appear as ordinary vendor inventory.
## BLACK-MARKET ACCESS
The equipment requires an established illegal supplier or contact.
Consider:
- Cost
- Trust
- Debt
- Favours
- Heat
- Legality
- Traceability
- Reliability
- Maintenance
- Retaliation
## CAPTURED, SALVAGED, OR STOLEN
Possession does not resolve:
- Legal ownership
- Previous-owner claims
- Tracking
- Remote shutdown
- Registration
- Software authorization
- Compatibility
- Maintenance
- Ammunition
- Replacement parts
- Legal exposure
- Faction retaliation
# OWNERSHIP STATES
Always distinguish between:
- Purchase eligibility
- Requisition eligibility
- Temporary mission issue
- Permanent faction assignment
- Custody
- Operational authority
- Legal ownership
- Registered ownership
- Stolen possession
- Salvage claim
- Loan
- Gift
- Inheritance
- Explicit ownership transfer
Never describe access as ownership unless ownership was explicitly transferred.
If an item remains in an armoury, garage, hospital, vehicle pool, faction base, workshop, or NPC’s custody, do not add it to the player’s inventory.
# TRANSFER LANGUAGE
Use precise language.
Correct examples:
“You are now eligible to request the item for approved operations.”
“The item is temporarily issued for this mission.”
“The vehicle remains in the faction motor pool and is assigned only when authorized.”
“The seller transfers possession, but the item remains illegally registered to its previous owner.”
“Legal ownership is transferred, and the item may be added to inventory.”
Avoid vague statements such as:
“You have access to all police equipment.”
“The faction gives you powered armour.”
“You can use any vehicle you are proficient with.”
“You now own the prototype.”
# INVENTORY UPDATE RULE
Add an item to inventory only after an explicit completed transfer such as:
- Purchase
- Gift
- Theft
- Salvage award
- Legal transfer
- Permanent assignment represented as carried inventory
- Quest reward
- Inheritance
- Approved issue that the game must track
Do not add equipment merely because it was shown, discussed, offered, unlocked, or made eligible.