⏱️ Zip Biology Timing (Canonical)

Territory maturation = consolidated core

This document defines how Zip population maturity unfolds over time as territories form and stabilize.

It is intentionally mechanical and deterministic:

  • no narrative interpretation
  • no off-chain assumptions
  • no “death” mechanics

The goal is to establish a canonical rule-set for:

  • when a territory becomes biologically mature,
  • how higher-level territories activate,
  • how maturity reacts to upgrade / downgrade events.

0) Definitions

Territory level

A wallet’s territory level is defined by the largest fully-owned unit:

  • Farm
  • Village
  • City
  • County
  • State
  • Kingdom

Lower units may exist as residuals and can add extra smaller territory units.

Minimum unit

The smallest unit that counts for biology is the Farm.

Anything below a full Farm unit is ignored for biological capacity purposes.

Mature territory (Consolidated Core)

A territory is mature when its Zip population reaches its maximum capacity under the canonical rules of that level.

Maturity is not aesthetic. Maturity is a biological state: the core is consolidated.

1) Zip Life Model (Phase-0 Canon)

1.1 Zip origin

Zips do not appear “born” like humans.

They appear as sealed containers (eggs) that:

  • require a fixed time to decompress (hatch),
  • then immediately become reproductively capable.

1.2 No death (Phase-0)

  • Zips do not die.
  • Population is capped only by capacity.
  • Exceeding capacity does not create deaths; it prevents additional growth.

2) Core Timing Constants (initial, expressed in days)

These constants are canonical for the concept. They can later be translated into block-based timing.

  • Hatching / decompression time: 3 days
  • Birth rule: always in pairs (twins)

Note: “days” are placeholders for now.
When integrated on-chain/off-chain, these will become block/time equivalents.

3) Reproductive Latency by Territory Level

A key concept:

Every territory level contains latent reproductive pairs.
Those pairs are not active until the level below is mature.

3.1 Latent pairs count (by level)

Each territory level contains this many latent reproductive pairs:

  • Farm: 1 pair (latent, activates immediately)
  • Village: 10 pairs (latent)
  • City: 100 pairs (latent)
  • County: 1,000 pairs (latent)
  • State: 5,000 pairs (latent)
  • Kingdom: 25,000 pairs (latent)

These pairs represent the “biological nucleus” of each unit.

They activate only when allowed by maturation rules.

4) Farm Maturation Timeline (baseline)

A Farm activates immediately when it exists.

4.1 Farm growth logic

  • At creation: 2 eggs (a pair) begin decompression
  • After decompression: the pair is mature and starts laying twins
  • Each cycle produces 2 eggs → 3 days → hatch → repeat

4.2 Farm capacity (Phase-0 baseline)

  • A Farm reaches maturity when it hits its maximum Zip capacity.

(Exact capacity by territory level is defined in the companion document: ZIP_TERRITORY_AND_POPULATION.md.)

4.3 Time to farm maturity (example logic)

Using the canonical cycle model:

  • Day 3: initial pair hatches
  • Then each cycle adds twins after 3 days
  • A Farm becomes mature when capacity is reached

The canonical “~16 days” farm maturity estimate is based on the initial capacity model and 3-day twin cycles. If the capacity model changes, this timeline updates deterministically.

5) Activation Delay for Higher Territories

Higher territories do not start reproducing at T=0.

They wait.

5.1 Activation rule (canonical)

A territory level activates its latent pairs only when: 1) the lower-level units required for that level are mature, and then 2) an additional 3 days pass for decompression of the new level’s latent pairs.

5.2 Example: Village activation

A Village contains 10 latent pairs, but they remain dormant until:

  • the underlying Farms needed for that Village are mature (the consolidated Farm layer), then
  • +3 days for Village pair decompression

So, if Farms mature at ~day 16, Village reproduction begins ~day 19.

5.3 Same logic for all higher levels

  • City activation requires mature Villages → +3 days
  • County activation requires mature Cities → +3 days
  • State activation requires mature Counties → +3 days
  • Kingdom activation requires mature States → +3 days

This creates a consistent “biological ladder”: maturity below unlocks activation above.

6) Territory Consolidation and Upgrade / Downgrade

6.1 Upgrade (crossing a threshold)

When a wallet crosses a threshold upward (example: 99m → 100m):

  • The territory gains a higher category (Farm → Village)
  • Higher-level latent pairs become eligible for activation
  • Activation does not happen instantly:
    • it requires the lower layer to be mature,
    • then +3 days decompression at the new level

6.2 Downgrade (dropping below a threshold)

When a wallet drops below a category threshold (example: 100m → 99m):

  • The higher category is lost
  • Any higher-level latent pairs return to a dormant state
  • The territory remains biologically consistent:
    • Zips do not die
    • growth capacity and active reproduction adjust downward
    • future re-upgrades can reactivate the ladder deterministically

6.3 Consolidated core interpretation

A “mature territory” is a consolidated core.

  • Mature Farm core → stable base for Village activation
  • Mature Village core → stable base for City activation
  • etc.

This concept is later reusable for:

  • progress systems
  • building tiers
  • “civilization readiness” metrics

Without changing the biological substrate.

7) Why This Timing Exists (Phase-0 Intent)

This timing model exists to ensure:

  • higher territories are not “instant cities”
  • large holdings still require time to consolidate biologically
  • upgrades feel like structural transitions, not cosmetic labels
  • downgrades have meaningful consequences without punitive death mechanics

This preserves the Zipvilization principle:

The world evolves from rules and time — not from narrative control.

8) Next Document (Dependency)

This file defines timing and activation logic only.

All numeric capacity and population calculations live in:

docs/zipvilization/Zips/ZIP_TERRITORY_AND_POPULATION.md

END OF CANON ```0