---
title: "Sprint 3 — Copy Briefing"
description: "Character specs, NPC patterns, content directory structure design, wiki maintenance"
type: sprint
status: archived
sprint: 3
team: "copy"
---

# Sprint 3: Content Foundation — Copy Tasks

**Goal:** Build the content design foundation for v0.1 — character specs, patterns, content structure, and wiki maintenance.

**Branch:** Content work feeds into multiple branches (no dedicated code branch)
**Agents:** Mellanie (authoring), Paula (narrative design), Gestalt (systems design), Miri (world-building)

## High Priority Tickets

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #374 | Update entity-attributes.md — smuggler role-perspective keys | — |
| #377 | Fix Triangle 1 (Hub Power) — Volume Escalation decision | #376 |
| #380 | THE MIRROR pattern spec | — |
| #381 | PC-as-NPC unified spec | #374 |
| #382 | Smuggler voice card + moral arc spec | #374, #261 |
| #384 | Content directory structure design doc | — |
| #396 | Apply Round 2 NPC pattern/motivation mapping | — |
| #400 | v0.1 wow moment content checklist | — |

## Medium Priority Tickets

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #371 | Apply canonical full names to all NPC wiki pages | — |
| #372 | Rename Hael → Naia Tamm across all wiki files | — |
| #375 | Standardize location shortcodes in monologue-guide.md | — |
| #376 | Stub NPC profile for Nils Davan (off-stage) | — |
| #397 | Drin Tier 2 profile expansion | #396 |
| #402 | v0.1 interaction verb spec + verbs[] terminology | — |

Use `db/connectors/ticket show <id>` for full details.

## Key Decisions

- `decisions/content.md` — D-024 (10-axis NPC model), D-034 (THE FRIEND pattern), D-035 (dialogue tag taxonomy), D-036 (Sova setting), D-037 (contraband)
- `decisions/perception.md` — D-016 (internal monologue), D-033 (entity color)
- `decisions/scope.md` — D-027 (vertical slice criteria)

## Notes

### Critical Path: Content Infrastructure

**#384 (Content directory structure design doc) → blocks server tickets #385, #386:**

Document the converged content directory structure from workshop outputs. This is a **blocker for all server content implementation work**. Required elements:
- Canonical layout: `_meta/`, `_schema/` (infrastructure, underscore prefix), `global/` (factions, technology, contraband, knowledge, enums, regions), `districts/sova-transit/` (district.yaml, npcs/, locations/, templates/, triangles/, lines/)
- `canonical_id` format: `{system}.{station}.{district}.{type}.{slug}` (e.g., `van-maanens-star.sova.transit.npc.kael-davan`)
- Mod-compatible directory conventions (no overlay implementation needed for v0.1, just structure)
- District as atomic pack unit

**Files:** `docs/design/content-directory-structure.md` (new)

This ticket is HIGH PRIORITY and blocks server work. Complete early in sprint.

### Character Foundation

**#374 (Entity attributes update) → blocks #381, #382:**

Add 4 new role-perspective keys to entity-attributes.md: `risk_assessment`, `loyalty_assessment`, `position_integrity`, `moral_weight`. Rename `secret_held` → `leverage_held` (broader scope: secrets, debts, promises, obligations). Rename `secret_confidence` → `leverage_confidence`. Update `trust_level` description to absorb trust_read scope. All keys are observer→target relationships. Total after update: 16 canonical keys.

**Files:** `wiki/entity-attributes.md`

**#380 (THE MIRROR pattern spec):**

Define the honest-character NPC pattern. No contradiction arc, no secret, no tell. Tier 1 emotional depth. Pattern definition with mechanical rules, content requirements (50-70 lines, 10-axis profile), tell system rules (MIRROR has none). Naia Tamm as reference implementation. Output becomes generator template.

**Files:** `docs/design/npc-patterns/the-mirror.md` (new)

**#381 (PC-as-NPC unified spec):**

Unified spec for treating player characters as NPCs when not controlled. Required elements: starting knowledge graph, starting relationship map, reverse knowledge (bidirectional — critical for Gestalt's swappable PC vision), orientation monologue (Ozzie first 60 seconds), agency boundaries, authored relationship stubs (Gore requirement), tell inversion. 9-step conversion checklist for content authors. v0.1 scope: 2 PC briefs (smuggler, detective).

**Files:** `docs/design/pc-as-npc-spec.md` (new)

**#382 (Smuggler voice + moral arc):**

Two deliverables:
1. **Voice card:** Paired examples with detective showing dual-lens register differences. Thinks in people vs data, first names vs surnames, fragments vs complete sentences, Van Maanen's Star substrate vocabulary.
2. **Moral arc:** 4 phases (Comfort, Doubt, Reckoning, Compromise), smuggler-specific FactIds, monologue triggers.

Subsumes #310 (Character voice speech patterns).

**Files:** `docs/design/smuggler-voice-card.md`, `docs/design/smuggler-moral-arc.md` (new)

### Triangles and NPC Content

**#377 (Triangle 1 Volume Escalation decision):**

Add smuggler decision fork to Triangle 1 (Hub Power): side with Nils (louder signal), side with Voss (internal tension), or split the route (new exposure surface). Each option cascades within T1 only — self-contained, no cross-triangle cascade (A-17). Includes Nils partial presence via lattice message (~5-8 lines).

**Blocked by #376** (Nils Davan stub profile — currently referenced in 5+ NPC profiles but has no wiki page).

**Files:** `wiki/triangles/triangle-1-hub-power.md`

**#396 (Apply Round 2 NPC pattern/motivation mapping):**

Apply the Round 2 finalized NPC pattern/motivation mapping (Gestalt-Paula synthesis from workshop) to wiki and content files. 17 NPCs × (pattern + motivation). Includes Harek structural role formalization (Paula Gap 7 resolution).

**Files:** All NPC wiki pages in `wiki/npcs/`

**#397 (Drin Tier 2 expansion):**

Drin confirmed promoted to Tier 2 (A-01 consensus). Expand wiki profile to full Tier 2 depth: all 10 profile axes, smuggler lens section, triangle membership formalized for T2 and T5.

**Blocked by #396** (pattern/motivation must be applied first).

**Files:** `wiki/npcs/drin-rosta.md`

### Specifications and Documentation

**#400 (v0.1 wow moment content checklist):**

Map D-039 6 wow moments to specific content deliverables + implementation tickets. Track completion. Acceptance: every moment has identified content + code backing it.

**Files:** `docs/design/v0.1-wow-moments-checklist.md` (new)

**#402 (Interaction verb spec):**

Document the 7 interaction types from workshop (A-04): Move, Look, Monologue, Examine Object, Examine NPC, Talk, Overhear. Define triggers, UI needs, server events per type. v0.1 surfaces single context-sensitive action; architecture supports N verbs via `verbs[]`. Includes wiki + decisions rename to `verbs[]` terminology where appropriate. Soft dependency for ticket #404 (server InteractionOptions).

**Files:** `docs/design/interaction-verbs-v0.1.md` (new)

### Wiki Maintenance (Medium Priority)

**#371 (Canonical full names):**

Apply Miri's 12 full names to NPC wiki pages. Update Core Identity blocks, environmental text references (manifests, shift rosters, Commission kiosk). Names: Voss→Arvo Voss, Devra→Devra Talsen, Resha→Resha Neven, Harek→Harek Valde, Renn→Renn Harsk, Pell→Pell Torssen, Drin→Drin Rosta, Sess→Sess Kolvur, Olin→Olin Tavren, Sabel→Sabel Hersk, Tav→Tav Merik.

**Files:** All NPC wiki pages, environmental description documents

**#372 (Hael → Naia Tamm rename):**

Phonetic collision fix (Kael/Hael). Find-and-replace across ~16 files (Paula full cascade). Triangle 4 becomes Naia-Kael-Sera. Update all relationship references, triangle diagrams, cross-references.

**Files:** All files referencing Hael (wiki, triangles, design docs)

**#375 (Location shortcode standardization):**

Fix hub_m_ → terminal_m_ inconsistency in monologue-guide.md. Canonical shortcodes: terminal, bar, corridor. Add shortcode reference table. Add situation overlap rules and mood exclusivity rules.

**Files:** `docs/design/monologue-guide.md`

**#376 (Nils Davan stub profile):**

Minimal off-stage profile: Core Identity, relationship to Kael (siblings), role in ring (upstream pressure), known attributes by other NPCs. Referenced in 5+ NPC profiles but has no wiki page.

**Files:** `wiki/npcs/nils-davan.md` (new, stub)

## Dependency Chain

```
High-priority critical path:
#384 (content structure doc) → server #385 (directory skeleton) → server #386 (schemas)

Character foundation:
#374 (entity attributes) → #381 (PC-as-NPC spec)
                         → #382 (smuggler voice/arc)

Triangle content:
#376 (Nils stub) → #377 (Triangle 1 decision fork)

NPC content:
#396 (pattern/motivation mapping) → #397 (Drin Tier 2 expansion)

Parallel work (no blockers):
#380 (MIRROR pattern), #400 (wow moments checklist), #402 (verb spec)
#371 (full names), #372 (Hael rename), #375 (location shortcodes)
```

**Start immediately:** #384 (blocks server work), #374 (blocks character specs), #380, #396, #400, #402, #371, #372, #375, #376.

## Sprint Completion Proof

Copy work is complete when:
1. Server team can start building content/ directory (#385) — requires #384
2. Character voice/patterns are specified — #380, #381, #382 complete
3. All 17 NPCs have pattern/motivation assigned — #396 complete
4. Triangle 1 has decision fork content — #377 complete
5. Wiki maintenance is current — full names, Hael→Naia rename, location shortcodes standardized
6. v0.1 wow moments are mapped to deliverables — #400 complete

This sprint establishes the content design layer that all v0.1 authoring depends on.