Editing Upgrades (section)

== '''Upgrades''' ==
'''Upgrades''' are the main '''Coin-spend progression''' in the Shop (Normal mode).  
They define your core combat, defense, and economy scaling.

=== Base vs Increase (important) ===
Every Upgrade has two separate level tracks:

* '''Base level'''
** Increases the '''starting/base stat value'''
** Example: higher starting Damage, Health, Coins per Enemy, etc.

* '''Increase level'''
** Increases the '''per-upgrade-step growth''' (the scaling part)
** Makes each additional level of that stat scale harder over time

'''Key point:'''  
Base affects base stat only.  
Increase affects increase/scaling stat only.  
They are different levers and should be balanced.

=== Simple example ===
If an upgrade behaves like:

* Final Stat = BaseValue + (Current Upgrade Level × IncreaseValue)

Then:
* leveling '''Base''' raises `BaseValue`
* leveling '''Increase''' raises `IncreaseValue`

So Base gives stronger immediate floor, while Increase improves long-run scaling.

=== Upgrade categories ===
Upgrades are grouped by type:

* '''Attack''' (Damage, Attack Speed, Range, Crit, Stun, Charge, etc.)
* '''Defense''' (Health, Health Regen, Defense, Shield, Counter-Hack, etc.)
* '''Utility''' (Coins/Bits gain, Speed Divider, Virus Scanner, etc.)

Some upgrades require category progression before they appear (Attack/Defense/Utility unlock progression).

=== Costs and buying ===
* Currency: '''[[Coins]]'''
* Base and Increase each have their own cost progression
* Shop buy modes apply to both tracks (`1x`, `10x`, `100x`, `max`)
* You cannot buy past each track’s max level

=== How Upgrades stack with other systems ===
Upgrade stats are further multiplied by other systems (when available), such as:

* [[Boosts]]
* [[Downloads]]
* [[Modules]]
* [[Executables]]
* [[Prestige Upgrades]]
* [[Gem Upgrades]]
* [[Daemon Protocols|Daemon Protocol]] bonuses (for relevant stats)

So a strong build usually invests in both:
# solid Base levels (immediate strength)
# strong Increase levels (better scaling)