# 10. Economy Design and Currency Sinks

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## 10.1 Design Principle: Free Progression, Paid Expression

Evolution as a stat progression system is entirely free. No currency is required to evolve a card
from T0 to T4. The sole currency sink in this system is:

1. **Premium cosmetics** — Visual upgrades that signal investment and create prestige

Cosmetics are not required to compete. A player who never spends currency still gets the full
rating boost from evolution. Paying currency gets you a better-looking card.

Boost direction is determined automatically by the card's detected profile (see
[05-rating-boosts.md](05-rating-boosts.md)) and cannot be overridden. This keeps the system
simple and avoids a niche min-max feature that adds UI, economy, and state tracking complexity
for minimal player engagement.

## 10.2 Cosmetics Pricing

| Cosmetic | Cost | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Frame | 800₼ | Static PNG |
| Diamond Frame | 1,000₼ | Static PNG |
| Team Color Frame | 600₼ | Static PNG |
| Holographic Frame | 2,000₼ | Animated APNG |
| Dark Mode Theme | 800₼ | Static PNG |
| Midnight Theme | 1,000₼ | Static PNG |
| Prestige Badge | 600₼ | Static PNG |
| Rarity Glow (Subtle) | 1,200₼ | Animated APNG |
| Rarity Glow (Strong) | 1,800₼ | Animated APNG |
| Full Art Reveal | 2,000₼ | Static PNG |

A player who fully decks out a single card (all cosmetics) spends approximately 10,200₼. This
is the maximum per-card investment and represents a significant commitment to a single card —
intentionally aspirational.

Animated cosmetics carry a premium over static equivalents (see [08-display.md § 8.6.9](08-display.md#869-animated-card-cosmetics-pricing)).

## 10.3 Economy Projections

At steady state with 20 active players:
- Assume 20% of active players purchase at least one cosmetic per month: ~4 players x avg 1,000₼ = 4,000₼/month from cosmetics
- Assume 10% of active players purchase an animated cosmetic: ~2 players x avg 1,700₼ = 3,400₼/month from animated
- Total estimated monthly currency sink: ~7,400₼

This is a meaningful sink driven by voluntary cosmetic purchases that players make by choice,
not tollbooths they must pass through to play.

## 10.4 No Paywall

Evolution is funded entirely by earned currency. There is no mechanic that requires purchasing
premium currency or special items to complete milestones or receive rating boosts. Challenge
types do not include "spend N manticoins" as a milestone.
