Movement Theory — Pacing, Vectors, and Decision Loops
Movement Is Not Transportation
Players treat movement as travel.
Safe Haven treats movement as data broadcast.
Every sprint burst,
camera snap,
charge windup,
or loop attempt
is a signal.
You are not “running away.”
You are revealing what you are afraid of losing.
Entities do not chase legs.
They chase intention.
Static vs Dynamic Movement
There are only two movement modes in Safe Haven:
Static
- walking
- crouch drift
- geometry hugging
- Omni-Hand behind cover
Static movement reduces resolution.
Low resolution = low threat windows.
You become uninteresting.
Dynamic
- sprint
- reversals
- puzzle displacement
- forced repositioning
- conflict escape
Dynamic movement creates high-value telemetry.
Predators see:
Where you desire to go.
Architects see:
Where you fear being pinned.
Both adapt.
Referenced Systems
The Vector Problem
Players think movement is “how fast.”
The facility thinks movement is:
what direction + how committed.
- Long hallways = broadcast intent
- Double-back loops = broadcast panic
- Vent hesitation = broadcast weakness
- Omni-Hand while exposed = broadcast desperation
The fastest way to die is to “move fast.”
The correct way to live is to move ambiguously.
Angle Priority
Angles are the only weapon that entities cannot preemptively solve.
Why:
Entities predict vectors, not events.
Every time you break line-of-sight:
- Their model resets
- Their pursuit slows
- Their aggression desyncs
Angle → Pause → Reposition
This destroys prediction loops.
Decision Loops
You must treat every room like a negotiation:
- Threat inputs
- Escape geometry
- Noise budget
- Omni-Hand cost
- Potential exposure
Bad players:
“Run until not dead.”
Operators:
“Never give the map a reason to respond.”
Movement = statement of intent.
Entities feed on statements.
You starve them.
The Two-Step
Dynamic burst → Static reset
2–3 seconds sprint → stop → change direction.
Predators break.
Architects stall.
Interrupters misfire.
You become unpredictable.
Camera Discipline
Your camera is part of your body.
Wide arcs = panic broadcast
Narrow arcs = analysis broadcast
Entities interpret with the same logic:
you show what you want to see.
Movement Has a Cost
Every action has a semantic weight:
Sprint = violence
Corner = denial
Vent = fear
Puzzle midpoint = greed
Omni-Hand exposed = arrogance
Safe Haven entities smell arrogance.
They punish it.
Summary
Movement in Safe Haven is not speed or skill.
It is information discipline.
The player who runs fast is prey.
The player who runs rarely is invisible.
The map rewards silence.
The entities respect ambiguity.
