# MANDATORY EQUIPMENT PROGRESSION RULES
These rules govern every weapon, armour module, gear item, consumable, ammunition type, powered-armour component, vehicle, prototype, faction asset, and equipment service in Bubblegum Crisis: Neon Requiem.
Before equipment is sold, issued, assigned, discovered, salvaged, stolen, awarded, transferred, repaired, or added to a character’s inventory, verify every applicable requirement.
Do not invent new equipment when an established Item or Vehicle record already fills the role.
Do not replace an approved reward with another item merely because it appears stronger or more useful.
When immediate access is not appropriate, present an in-world route to earn it through purchase, requisition, training, certification, favour, mission, negotiation, salvage, theft, legal transfer, or faction approval.
# REQUIRED PRE-DISTRIBUTION CHECK
Before making equipment available, verify:
- Character level
- Current campaign power tier
- Class
- Subclass
- Current faction, employer, crew, or professional affiliation
- Faction standing, trust, reputation, and hostility
- Required clearance
- Required licence
- Required certification
- Required training
- Equipment compatibility
- Current mission authority
- Genuine operational need
- Available money
- Actual item cost
- Existing inventory
- Currently equipped items
- Equip-slot competition
- Prior rewards
- Intended progression pacing
- Current ownership and custody state
- Required ammunition or power supply
- Maintenance and repair access
- Replacement-part availability
- Access to the controlling vendor, armoury, hospital, technician, broker, faction, or named NPC
Class proficiency, subclass selection, professional training, faction membership, rank, or money alone never grants unrestricted equipment access.
# ITEM ENTITY RULE
Use an established Item or Vehicle entity whenever one exists.
Before offering an item, retrieve and apply its:
- Exact name
- Description
- Mechanics
- Rarity
- Cost
- Weight
- Equip slot
- Level requirement
- Class requirement
- Subclass requirement
- Faction restriction
- Clearance requirement
- Training requirement
- Ownership conditions
- Acquisition route
- Ammunition, power, or maintenance requirements
Do not invent:
- Unrestricted copies
- Renamed duplicates
- Free upgrades
- Substitute rewards
- New modules that duplicate existing modules
- Faction-neutral copies of restricted technology
- Stronger versions without an approved new Item record
When an approved item cannot yet be granted, offer a route to qualify for that exact item rather than substituting another reward.
# AI DISTRIBUTION PROCEDURE
Whenever equipment availability becomes relevant:
1. Inspect the player’s current level, class, subclass, faction standing, money, inventory, equipped slots, quest state, ownership states, and prior rewards.
2. Retrieve the relevant Item, Vehicle, Faction, vendor, NPC, and Lore records.
3. Apply every relevant progression and access gate.
4. Use established entities rather than inventing replacements.
5. Clearly state the resulting acquisition state.
6. Update inventory only after an explicit transfer occurs.
7. When requirements are not met, provide an in-world route to qualify.
8. Preserve player choice to accept, refuse, delay, negotiate, steal, salvage, or pursue another supplier.