Every Pathventure event is a Story first: players move through a deliberate sequence of places, tasks, media, and a finish. Story does not need points, a timer, or roleplay mechanics to feel complete.
Use Story by itself for tourism, family routes, orientation, and any event where the point is discovery rather than competition.
Challenge adds points, an official event clock, and optional standings. It is for hosted races, offsites, and group events where a friendly winner makes the experience better.
- A checkpoint can be worth 0 to 3 points. Required stops should normally be worth the same amount.
- One optional bonus checkpoint is allowed in v1. It should reward genuine extra effort, not create a confusing second route.
- Higher score ranks first; elapsed time breaks ties. Equal score and time means a shared rank.
- Do not use points to punish accessibility needs, weak signal, GPS wobble, or staff approval delays.
Resolve is the Narrative layer. Think of it as the player’s footing inside the story: are they Frayed, Shaken, Steady, or Clear? It starts at Steady (2) and an organizer can author a small -1, 0, or +1 shift at a checkpoint.
Resolve never changes the leaderboard, blocks a route, invalidates a correct answer, or penalizes someone for a real-world failure. It only changes the story texture: a recovery hint can appear when Resolve is low, a clearer reveal can appear when it is high, and the finale can use different framing.
- Use -1 for a genuine narrative setback or uncertainty, never for a device or environment problem.
- Every -1 must include a reachable recovery hint before Pathventure will publish the event.
- Use +1 when a player gains a useful lead, reassurance, or a clearer interpretation of the story.
- Keep the changes small. Resolve is atmosphere and consequence, not a punishment meter or a mental-health assessment.
Full Adventure means Story + Challenge + Narrative. A team can be competing on points and time while still getting a more cinematic investigative arc through Resolve. The two systems stay separate: score decides rank; Resolve decides only what story support or reveal the player sees.
- Use Story when a good sequence and finish are enough.
- Use Challenge when a shared start, score, and standings make the event more social.
- Use Narrative when the route has a real mystery, reveal, or emotional progression that benefits from light state changes.
- Use Full Adventure only when both competition and story state improve the same experience. More mechanics are not automatically better.