The higher you climb, the bigger the cut you take from everyone below you. That is the whole idea of the power pyramid, and money flows up it: residents pay the settlement owner, the owner pays the district clan, and the district clan pays the Shadow Governor's clan.
The five tiers
| Tier | What you own | What you get | What you can lose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hobo | Nothing. You sleep at Lenny's Motel. | — | Time |
| 2. Settlement Resident | A rented plot with your base and businesses | New Shipments, Sales Center access, cheaper contraband | The plot |
| 3. Settlement Owner | A whole settlement, via a Settlement Title | Rent, tax on residents' laundering and Black Market buys, free base placement, no seizure before the wipe | Nothing until the wipe, but tax runs can be robbed |
| 4. District Owner | A district, held by your clan | A cut of all settlement taxes in it, faster laundering that scales with district level | The district, to a stronger clan |
| 5. Shadow Governor | Leadership of the clan holding Highlands, one per state | Best laundering rates, taxes on every other clan, state switching with property kept, helicopter purchases | The title, if Highlands falls |
What it means in practice
- Getting off the motel floor is the first real step. A plot unlocks Shipments and lets you sell at your district's Sales Center. You need a Land Plot Title.
- Owning a settlement (Settlement Title) is safe until the wipe, but you have to drive the tax money out yourself.
- Districts and Highlands are clan territory. You take them in clan battles, not by buying anything.
- Only bases in Highlands can buy helicopters such as the Romanov R8.