SkAI’s Blueprints: Solarpunk

And today we’ve got… Solarpunk!

So what’s Solarpunk about? No, it has nothing to do with punks that are into their tan a bit too much. And it’s not like Cyberpunk either. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite in a lot of ways!

More than anything, Solarpunk is about sustainability. The word might sound scary, but that basically just means that civilization can continue to exist in a healthy way for a long time under its current course. Just like when you humans eat healthy and exercise to lead longer and better lives! So, in short, it’s an optimistic outlook on a possible future.

Looks pretty similar to COMPLEX SKY, doesn’t it? Note the solar panels!

And what could be more positive than keeping the environment safe and clean? I mean, you did basically destroy your previous world before coming to live in the skies with me…

So, how do they keep things so neat and natury in Solarpunk?

• Clean and renewable energy

You can’t really have those bright sunny skies if they’re clouded by smog all the time, can you? Solarpunk is all about embracing clean and renewable energy sources, such as the wind, the Sun, or more fantastical alternatives. While you don’t start “clean” in COMPLEX SKY, your journey is all about fighting pollution: your city’s contamination index must stay low for your citizens to be happy.

This can be achieved by managing your production in smarter ways, relying less on mining, and of course planting more green! As you do that and progress through the game, you’ll unlock plenty of clean futuristic technologies that are nothing to sneeze at compared to your puny human tech.

• Arcology and tech reuse

I’ve already covered this in detail in the previous entry of this series, so check that last issue out! To put it simply, arcology (architecture+ecology) involves creating self-sustaining buildings that can produce different types of energy and sustenance from the environment, often reusing resources in clever ways!

Speaking of reusing things, Solarpunk settings can sometimes incorporate older technology from a simpler past, or technology found after some apocalyptic event. Well, wouldn’t you like to know what happened with our previous world, huh? I don’t need your human technology to keep things running, but the spirit of Solarpunk is pretty much there.

• High-tech… low-tech?

This one’s something that makes a lot of Solarpunk works stand out and isn’t exactly the look of COMPLEX SKY, but it’s still an interesting inspiration! A lot of Solarpunk isn’t about high-rise cityscapes enveloped in green. In fact, you might find that a large chunk of Solarpunk’s architecture looks very minimalistic and low-rise, almost like a high-tech rural village. The people get to enjoy the simpler way of life while maintaining some of the more advanced aspects of their society with some cool hidden tech. Imagine a picturesque village, full of small, rustic houses, all managed by a super-smart AI! Wait, that does sound familiar…

While COMPLEX SKY isn’t exactly “rural”, there is a lot of variation in building types, their shape or how tall they are! You can always segment your city by putting different things on different levels, or with other means. In fact, having a residential and an industrial area is not