docs(design): add character visuals spec and compositor API from workshop

Round 22 workshop output: character-visuals-spec.md (color mesh regions,
LOD tiers, layered composition) and compositor-api-spec.md (Node3D
architecture, CharacterColors data structure, set_color API).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

docs/discussions/README.md

@@ -33,3 +33,4 @@ Historical discussion rounds from the Settled Reach game design process.
 | 18 | v0.1 Gap Analysis Workshop | D-030, D-031, D-032, D-033, D-034, D-035, D-036, D-037, D-038, D-039, D-040 | [round-18](round-18-v01-gap-analysis-workshop.md) |
 | 19 | Knowledge Graph & Information Boundaries Workshop | D-041, Q-016 resolved, Q-019 partially resolved, Q-024, Q-025, Q-026 | [workshop brief](../workshops/knowledge-graph-information-boundaries/workshop-brief.md), [synthesis](../workshops/knowledge-graph-information-boundaries/round2-synthesis.md) |
 | 20 | Station District Layout Design (Workshop #153) | D-093, D-094, D-095; Q-040–Q-044 resolved/partially resolved | [round-20](round-20-station-district-layout.md) |
+| 22 | Sprint 28 Character Visuals Workshop | D-148–D-157; D-019 superseded; D-033 amended | [round-22](round-22-sprint28-character-visuals.md) |

docs/discussions/round-22-sprint28-character-visuals.md

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+---
+title: "Round 22: Sprint 28 Character Visuals Workshop"
+description: "Three-round structured workshop producing character visual architecture specs; D-148–D-157; supersedes D-019"
+type: discussion
+status: complete
+round: 22
+created: 2026-03-17
+---
+
+# ROUND 22: Sprint 28 Character Visuals Workshop
+
+**Date:** 2026-03-17
+**Type:** Two active rounds + spec writing
+**Participants:** Araminta (art direction), Gestalt (systems), Tyre (technical), Ozzie (player experience), Qatux (documenter), SI (project manager)
+**Facilitator:** Team Leader (Jeroen)
+**Documenter:** Qatux
+
+---
+
+## 1. Workshop Purpose
+
+Move beyond placeholder art to a final-candidate character visual architecture. Starting point: a live Godot 4 spike prototype with 20 CSG placeholder characters on a 14×14 checkerboard grid in diamond orientation.
+
+Spike configuration at workshop start:
+- 20 CSG characters (cylinder body/legs, sphere head/hair)
+- 14×14 flat quad grid, rotated 45° (diamond layout)
+- Four wall boxes along north edge
+- Orthographic camera with T-key cycle: top-down → 45° → 30°
+- Characters visible as standing figures at isometric scale
+
+Workshop deliverables per briefing:
+1. `docs/design/character-visuals-spec.md`
+2. `docs/design/compositor-api-spec.md`
+3. `docs/workshops/character-visuals/workshop-outcomes.md`
+4. D-records to `decisions/` for all architectural decisions
+
+---
+
+## 2. Round 1 — Agent Proposals (Inventory and Constraints)
+
+Round 1 agents assessed their domain areas independently. Full proposals were collected, then reviewed by Jeroen.
+
+### JEROEN'S ROUND 1 CORRECTIONS
+
+**Overruled proposals:**
+1. **Relationship-colored outlines.** Uniform dark gray/black for all characters, always. Relationship info → minimap, name bubbles, and insert/perception mode. Outline is not a semantic channel.
+2. **Player character visually distinct from NPCs.** No protagonist glow, no saturation boost, no special outline. Same models, same variety. Distinction comes from gear only.
+3. **Free-spin rotation in character editor.** Cardinal direction buttons only (N/E/S/W). Free-spin exposes angles that don't exist in gameplay.
+4. **Game start as camera pull-back from editor.** Fade from black + alarm clock + waking in bed. Editor is its own separate context.
+5. **Faction colors as visual system.** Faction affiliation is not in the compositor. Clothing color choices emerge from character narrative, not faction assignment.
+
+**Confirmed from Round 1:**
+- 2–3 body types for Sprint 28 (combination-switching validation as primary QA goal)
+- Mugshot navigator = character editor (no knowledge-tier complexity)
+- Wear level as continuous shader parameter — liked for flavor, not primary Sprint 28 deliverable
+- Art direction: **Invisible Inc** as primary reference — clean, sleek, adult, uniform dark outlines
+- Per-item clothing color variety — not uniform recolor across an item
+
+**New major decision introduced at end of Round 1:**
+The spike prototype showed camera tilt options. The 45° isometric angle (Diablo-style) was initially discussed, then Jeroen announced the 30° low-angle (Hades-style) may be better. This was locked at start of Round 2.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Round 2 — Specification Proposals
+
+### JEROEN — Round 2 Opening
+
+Camera decision locked: **30° tilt with 45° map rotation** is the confirmed default gameplay camera. Not 45° isometric. More character front visibility. More wall depth. Closer to Hades than Diablo. This supersedes D-019 ("Top-down confirmed as primary camera") and its 2026-02-12 amendment.
+
+Two open questions posed to the team:
+
+**Q1: 4 or 8 directions?**
+With 45° map rotation, characters face along diamond axes. What are the trade-offs?
+
+**Q2: Large crowd performance.**
+What happens at 400+ characters simultaneously? Current budget assumes 80 NPCs.
+
+---
+
+### QATUX (Documenter)
+
+Flagged pending D-records from Round 1 overrules: 5 confirmed decisions requiring formal D-record IDs before Round 3.
+
+Flagged inconsistency: the Sprint 28 briefing specified "8-direction rotation" throughout. Q1 was still open. Nothing in the spec structure should be written until Q1 closed.
+
+Q1 framing: At 30° tilt + 45° map rotation, the four diagonal movements (NE/NW/SE/SW) are the most common player-facing directions. 4-direction mirroring at those angles risks asymmetry in the most common case — this is a significant risk factor for 4-direction-only approaches.
+
+Q2 framing: 80-NPC budget stated in sprint context; 400+ as named scenario. No existing open question on crowd rendering at scale — flagged for Q-NNN registration if needed.
+
+---
+
+### TYRE — Q1 Resolution Proposal
+
+Hybrid approach: **8 server-side facings + 4 client visual groups**.
+- Server tracks 8 directions — future-proof, no protocol migration needed
+- Client renders 4 visual groups for Sprint 28 — keeps asset authoring cost manageable
+- 3D model rotates to true 8-direction angle (subtle lean within a group)
+- East and West share mirrored meshes — net unique mesh count per clothing item: 2 (N + E)
+
+### JEROEN — Q2 Resolution
+
+Performance-driven LOD (not distance threshold, not fixed count):
+- Normal gameplay: full detail, all characters
+- Under GPU pressure: progressive degradation from player outward (Tier 0 → 1 → 2)
+- Tier 2 = billboard impostor with baked-in outline
+- Paused: render budget freed, all characters restore to full detail
+- Chaos effect: peripheral degradation is cognitively appropriate — matches real crowd experience
+
+Outline method confirmed as part of Q2 resolution: **inverted hull** for normal rendering. LOD handles outline naturally (baked into impostor at Tier 2).
+
+---
+
+### JEROEN — Round 2 Final Lock
+
+**Q1: 8 server / 4 client visual groups (Sprint 28). Tyre's hybrid. Closed.**
+**Q2: Performance-driven LOD. Three tiers. Pause = full detail. Closed.**
+**All open questions closed. Moving to spec writing.**
+
+---
+
+## 4. Round 3 — Spec Writing (Qatux)
+
+D-record IDs claimed before writing:
+- D-148: architecture — 30° camera with 45° map rotation (supersedes D-019)
+- D-149: architecture — 3D characters rendered live
+- D-150: architecture — inverted hull outline
+- D-151: architecture — 8 server / 4 client direction count
+- D-152: architecture — performance-driven LOD
+- D-153: scope — player not visually distinct from NPCs
+- D-154: scope — outline not a relationship indicator
+- D-155: scope — cardinal rotation only in editor
+- D-156: scope — faction colors are narrative
+- D-157: scope — game start = alarm clock fade from black
+
+Specs written: `character-visuals-spec.md`, `compositor-api-spec.md`, `workshop-outcomes.md`.
+Decisions filed: D-148–D-152 to `decisions/architecture.md`, D-153–D-157 to `decisions/scope.md`.
+D-019 marked `[SUPERSEDED by D-148]`. D-033 amended with insert/perception-mode clarification.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Key Decisions Produced
+
+| D-ID | Domain | Decision |
+|---|---|---|
+| D-148 | architecture | 30° low-angle camera + 45° map rotation (supersedes D-019) |
+| D-149 | architecture | 3D characters rendered live (replaces sprite approach) |
+| D-150 | architecture | Inverted hull outline, uniform dark, baked into billboard LOD |
+| D-151 | architecture | 8 server facings, 4 visual groups client Sprint 28 |
+| D-152 | architecture | Performance-driven LOD (3 tiers, pause = full detail) |
+| D-153 | scope | Player character not visually distinct from NPCs |
+| D-154 | scope | Outline not a relationship indicator (amends D-033) |
+| D-155 | scope | Character editor cardinal rotation only |
+| D-156 | scope | Faction colors = narrative emergence, not visual compositor |
+| D-157 | scope | Game start = alarm clock fade from black, not pull-back |
+
+---
+
+## 6. Downstream Impact Summary
+
+- **D-019 superseded** — all references to "top-down camera" in briefings/specs should be updated
+- **D-033 amended** — entity relationship color is insert/perception-mode only, not on normal outlines
+- **Old placeholder-art-spec** (`docs/design/placeholder-art-spec-v01.md`) is superseded for character rendering
+- **Briefings to update:** `docs/briefings/araminta.md`, `docs/briefings/tyre.md` (camera angle, rendering approach)
+- **Tickets unblocked:** #685 (wireframe), #698 (3D character editor), #699 (body type meshes), #700 (compositor). Tickets #686–#692 (sprite-based) cancelled.
+
+---
+
+*Archived by Qatux — 2026-03-17*