Ghost System NPC Simulation
The three simulation tiers used for thousands of scheduled citizens.
Official evidence
ION LANDS says thousands of NPCs continue living their lives. Fully simulating all of them would be too expensive, so the Ghost system separates a character’s simulated state from the visual body and assigns work according to distance and visibility.
How to use this information
Out-of-district characters keep only the data needed for daily schedules. In-district but unseen characters have visual assets loaded while costly animation updates are reduced. A visible character receives models, animation, physics and full simulation.
What the confirmed data means
For players, the model explains why a known character can follow a schedule outside the camera and later appear physically. A post-launch NPC guide should test schedule consistency across district travel rather than assuming every resident is rendered continuously.
Publication boundary
The developer has not exposed per-NPC tick rates, spawn distances or debug tools. Those implementation values cannot be inferred from normal gameplay.
Related guides
Sources and verification
Last reviewed: July 26, 2026 · Independent, unofficial player guide.