The Cycle

Here's the map of the Network Game:

                    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
                    │                                         │
                    ▼                                         │
             ┌──────────────┐       ┌──────────────┐          │
             │   ISOLATED   │ ────► │   VALUABLE   │          │
             │  CONNECTOR   │       │     NODE     │          │
             └──────────────┘       └──────────────┘          │
                                          │                   │
                                          ▼                   │
                                    ┌───────────┐             │
                                    │    HUB    │             │
                                    └───────────┘             │
                                          │                   │
                         ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐  │
                         ▼                ▼                ▼  │
                   ┌──────────┐    ┌─────────────┐   ┌────────┴───┐
                   │  LEAKY   │    │ INDISPENSABLE│   │ ISOLATED   │
                   │   HUB    │    │    NODE     │   │ CONNECTOR  │
                   └──────────┘    └─────────────┘   └────────────┘
                         │                │                   │
                         ▼                ▼                   │
                   ┌───────────────────────────┐               │
                   │        BURNOUT OR         │               │
                   │    ELEVATION / EXIT       │───────────────┘
                   └───────────────────────────┘

The progression:

• Isolated Connector → You want to build networks but lack the foundation.
• Valuable Node → You've built something worth connecting to. People start finding you.
• Hub → Connections flow through you. You're at the center of something.

Then the fork:

• Leaky Hub → You give everything away. Value flows through you but nothing stays.
• Indispensable Node → You capture everything. Value stays but you're trapped.
• Isolated Connector → You want to connect but lack access. You're back at the edges, or never left.

All paths eventually lead to burnout or elevation. The Leaky Hub empties out. The Indispensable Node exhausts. Even the Infrastructure Builder eventually needs to hand off what they built.

And then? Back to the beginning. Maybe a new network. Maybe a different game entirely. Maybe rest.

The cycle continues.