{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/strategy-planning--t069","type":"mechanic","id":"strategy-planning--t069","lang":"en","title":"4X","summary":"Exploration, expansion, development and conflict connect multiple settlements into a long-term strategy.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/strategy-planning--t069/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/strategy-planning--t069.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/strategy-planning--t069.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Strategy games","Mechanics and variants"],"sourceIds":["source-32d0598945d8807a","source-cdd68b3569df12cf"],"sources":[{"id":"source-32d0598945d8807a","title":"OpenRA","url":"https://www.openra.net/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-cdd68b3569df12cf","title":"Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/289070/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Exploration, expansion, development and conflict connect multiple settlements into a long-term strategy."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Mechanic variants\n\n<a id=\"t069-variants\"></a>\n\n- Scouting reveals suitable expansion locations. <a id=\"t069-v1\"></a>\n- Colonization increases administrative overhead. <a id=\"t069-v2\"></a>\n- Research imposes competing development priorities. <a id=\"t069-v3\"></a>\n- Alternative victories change the value of warfare. <a id=\"t069-v4\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"An empire accepts an awkward border to obtain a rare resource for a research project.\n\nPrototype check: Test whether a trailing empire retains meaningful strategic options after losing one colony."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Strategy connects production, territory, information and long-term commitments against an uncertain opponent. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"strategy-planning","id":"t069","title":"Strategy games","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/strategy-planning/#t069","categoryIds":["mechanics"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"4X","description":"Exploration, expansion, development and conflict connect multiple settlements into a long-term strategy.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/strategy-civilization6-06.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/289070/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/289070/ss_cf53258cb8c4d283e52cf8dce3edf8656f83adc6.1920x1080.jpg?t=1792602288","credit":"Firaxis Games / Aspyr (Mac) / Aspyr (Linux) / 2K / Aspyr (Mac) / Aspyr (Linux)","rights":"© Firaxis Games / Aspyr (Mac) / Aspyr (Linux) / 2K / Aspyr (Mac) / Aspyr (Linux). All rights reserved.","caption":"An empire’s territory and unexplored land","alt":"An empire’s territory and unexplored land","markers":[{"x":47,"y":48,"label":"Borders of controlled territory"},{"x":79,"y":27,"label":"Unexplored map areas conceal opportunities"}]},"tips":["Connect exploration, expansion and development through shared limited resources."],"examples":[{"title":"Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/289070/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/strategy-planning"}}