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Table of Contents
Torque Tycoon > Game Mechanics
How Settlements and Projects Work
Hubs and Cities are Settlements: they are commissioned with an initial delivery, consume Food once active, gain levels and turn non-Food cargo into long-term choices through their Reserve.
How do levels and slots work?
A Settlement starts at level 1 after commissioning. Higher levels cost non-Food cargo, increase Food demand and unlock slots. The level itself takes no slot, and upgrading an existing project keeps its slot.
| Level | Hub slots | City Project slots | Institution seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Hubs choose up to three of six project types. Cities choose two City Projects plus, at level 3, one separate server-wide Institution. This scarcity is intentional: a region specialises instead of checking every box.
What can a Hub build?
| Project | Scope | Main effect |
|---|---|---|
| Survey Station | Region, one per region | Unlocks Tier 2 / Tier 3 rumor access. |
| Checkpoint | Region, one per region | Raises Security and its floor. |
| Maintenance Works | Region, one per region | Sources produce faster. |
| Dispatch Office | Region, one per region | Enables and expands regional AI supply. |
| Forward Airfield | Local, any Hub | Rearm/refuel, then player start location. |
Maintenance Works requires three commissioned regional Sources. Dispatch Office needs Settlement level 2, 75% regional Security and 60% Trust; it keeps operating if Security subsequently falls. Forward Airfield needs level 2. A Dispatch Office crosses region borders only after the Air Logistics Command exists.
What can a City build?
| Project | Effect |
|---|---|
| Civic Administration | Trust recovery in the region is 25% / 50% faster. |
| Civil Defense Office | Inbound unrest spread is halved / quartered. |
| Regional Depot | Every regional Source holds 2 / 4 more crates. |
Regional Depot pauses during unrest; the other two keep working. It increases capacity, not restart base stock.
What are Institutions?
One level-3 City seat can host one of eight world-wide Institutions. They are long-term shared builds paid mainly in Building Materials and Industrial Parts: Cartography Institute, Air Logistics Command, Standards Bureau, Reconstruction Fund, Airspace Command, Public Works Office, Flight Academy and Sameba Cathedral. Projects and Institutions lists their prerequisites and effects.
The Cathedral is unique: it can only stand in Tbilisi after five other Institutions and is the campaign finish line. Build a Settlement Project explains the F10 workflow and demolition.