CHAPTER V: THE CIVIL ECONOMIC & MERIT SYSTEM To encourage collaboration and reward high-quality contributions, the Magistrate operates an in-character merit economy. Article 501: The Merit Point System (Data Credits) The official token of contribution within the Magistrate is the Data Credit (DC). Data Credits are not a real-world currency, but a community point system used to track creative contribution, structural help, and participation. The value of custom assets or tasks may be calculated using basic proportional metrics: Earned DC = (Complexity Rating Hours x Contributed) + Community Bonus Article 502: Acquisition of Credits Citizens may earn Data Credits through designated civil actions: Contributing custom assets (sprites, music, scripts) to the Shared Library. Providing constructive, detailed design feedback on peer projects. Assisting in administrative tasks, such as organizing studio directories. Winning or placing in official Magistrate-sponsored programming challenges. Article 503: The Sovereign Registry and Commerce The Ministry of Treasury shall maintain a public shop registry where citizens can spend accumulated Data Credits. Redeemable items include custom profile feature slots, priority project reviews from senior developers, custom forum titles, and design-collab opportunities with the high command. Private trade between citizens is permitted, provided the terms are registered with the Ministry of Treasury to prevent fraud.
