Game Theory: You Will NOT Survive?! (Arknights: Endfield)

Overview

Summary of scientific concepts, discoveries, and natural phenomena presented regarding habitability (using the in-game world of Talos 2 as a case study and comparing to real-world science).

Key habitability criteria and definitions

NASA’s working definition: a habitable planet is one that can sustain life for a significant period.

Three basic requirements for life as we know it:

• Liquid water
• Nutrients
• Energy (stellar/solar input or an equivalent source)

Water and atmosphere

• Surface water: Presence of marshland and other surface water (e.g., Wooling region in the game) is treated as direct evidence for liquid water.
• Vegetation: Plant life implies photosynthesis and therefore an oxygen-rich atmosphere, but vegetation alone does not definitively prove a global atmosphere.
• Auroras: Observed auroras on Talos 2 are interpreted as evidence for both an atmosphere and an interaction between charged particles and a magnetic field. On Earth, auroras result from the solar wind interacting with the magnetosphere and upper-atmosphere gases.

Geomagnetic disturbances and technology

• Auroras are associated with geomagnetic disturbances that, on Earth, can induce currents in infrastructure and damage high-voltage transformers, causing power outages.
• In the in-game setting, auroras are shown to block or disable advanced technology — an analog to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or geomagnetic effects.

Nutrients and biosphere indicators

• Local flora and fauna (examples: buckflower, sand leaf, tart pepper, tusk beasts) imply available nutrient cycles and consumable biomass supplying vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
• Craftable consumables and cooking in the settler community suggest dietary nutrients can be obtained locally, reducing the risk of deficiency diseases.

Energy and stellar/environmental constraints

• Stellar energy is critical for temperature regulation and photosynthesis.
• Tidal locking and long orbital periods:
  • Many moons are tidally locked to their host planet, so a moon’s day can equal its orbital period around the planet (example: Ganymede’s ~7‑day orbit → long day/night cycles).
  • Extended day/night cycles increase temperature swings; frequent eclipses by the host planet can intermittently cut stellar input, complicating habitability.
• Atmosphere: An atmosphere moderates temperature extremes but may not fully compensate for prolonged nights or repeated eclipses.

Terraforming and engineered solutions

Advanced terraforming techniques could mitigate natural limitations of a moon:

• Orbital mirrors and light concentrators to direct or boost stellar energy to specific regions (for example, the poles).
• Triggering greenhouse feedback by injecting greenhouse gases to increase heat retention.
• Industrial production (mining and manufacturing) to create greenhouse gases or other climate modifiers.
• In the game, a fictional energy resource (originium) powers machines and enables large-scale terraforming and infrastructure — effectively a technological substitute for lacking natural stellar energy.

In-game evidence and mechanisms (fictional elements relevant to habitability)

• Multiple biomes on Talos 2 (e.g., Valley 4, Wooling) with distinct climates, water, plants, and animals.
• Human settlers arrived roughly 152 years prior with no return route and built industrial infrastructure (power facilities, mining rigs) to sustain society.
• Auroras (noted after the OMV Djang launch) and associated power issues contribute to worldbuilding evidence for atmosphere and geomagnetic activity.
• Originium (and related materials like Zeronite) function in-universe as the pillar enabling energy systems and terraforming.

Checklist / methodology used to assess habitability

1. Is liquid water present? (surface observations such as marshes and water bodies)
2. Are there biosignatures and nutrients? (local flora/fauna, edible or usable species)
3. Is there an atmosphere? (vegetation plus auroras as indirect evidence)
4. What is the energy input from the star, and are tidal locking/eclipses a problem? (day/night length, temperature swings)
5. Can technological capabilities realistically mitigate natural limitations? (orbital mirrors, greenhouse engineering, mining for energy-rich materials)
6. Do in-world infrastructure and resources (power plants, originium mining) support long-term habitability?

Real-world scientific concepts referenced

• Goldilocks zone (circumstellar habitable zone where liquid water can exist)
• Photosynthesis and oxygen production
• Planetary magnetic fields and auroral physics
• Geomagnetically induced currents and power-grid vulnerability
• Tidal locking and associated climate effects
• Greenhouse effect and terraforming concepts (orbital engineering, greenhouse gas enhancement)

Researchers and sources referenced

• NASA (habitability definition and related concepts)
• Ganymede / Jupiter’s moon used as a real-world comparative example

Fictional names mentioned

Talos 2, Talos (planet), Terra (origin planet), OMV Djang, originium, Zeronite, Valley 4, Wooling, Enfield/Endfield Industries, Tang Tang, Rossy, Santi.