Entertainment

Stories work when they respect how humans actually function inside.
The Inner Control Panel is a way to think about characters, arcs, and worlds using the same systems that run our real lives.

If you’re a writer, game designer, filmmaker, or narrative designer, this section is for you.

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Core concepts for storytellers

• The Dashboard and The Operator
  A way to think of each character as an Operator sitting in front of their own inner control panel.
• The Five Dials
  Five levers you can push in a story: Energy, Recovery, Status, Attention, Connection.
• The Myth of the Solo Pilot
  A direct challenge to the “lone hero” myth and a richer way to think about bonds, co-regulation, and teams.

Inspiration for character and world design

• It’s Not Laziness, It’s the Stingy Energy CFO
  What it looks like when a character’s Energy system is in lockdown.
• The Dirty Windshield
  How attention distortions shape what a character notices—and misses.
• The Connection System (CS)
  A deep dive into belonging, trust, and emotional safety as drivers of behavior.

How to use this in your craft

You can use the ICP to:

• build characters whose choices follow coherent inner systems,
• design conflicts that cascade across multiple dials instead of relying on random drama,
• create worlds that either support or sabotage the Inner Control Panel—and show the cost.

Over time, this section will grow with more examples, archetypes, and design tools tailored to storytelling.