Strategic Compression
As play progresses, the space of reachable non-terminal states necessarily decreases, forcing convergence toward terminal states.
The Necessary Consequences
Necessary Consequences are not rules, preferences, or design choices. They are structural phenomena that arise inevitably when the defining requirements are satisfied and the game is played optimally.
A convergent system must converge.
Finiteness, non-abusive draws, and forced termination create an inexorable structural spine toward resolution.
Irreversible Commitment
In games with irreversible actions, optimal play requires committing to lines of play that cannot be fully undone.
Sacrifice Necessity
Optimal play may require entering locally inferior states to avoid globally losing positions.
Zugzwang Emergence
There exist game states in which the obligation to act constitutes a disadvantage.
Local Tactics vs Global Strategy
Short-term tactical gains and long-term strategic positioning exist in constant tension and must be balanced.
Phase Transitions
Games naturally divide into opening, midgame, and endgame phases without explicit rules enforcing them.
Tempo as a Resource
The right to act, and the timing of actions, function as a consumable strategic resource.
Structural Inevitability
In any finite, deterministic, perfect-information game with forced termination, optimal play produces:
- Compression
- Commitment
- Tension
- Convergence
These are not features. They are consequences.