# Hoshe - Project Briefing
Last updated: 2026-02-10

## Current Project State
The Settled Reach: top-down immersive sim, single-character perspective, asymmetric information core mechanic, Rimworld-style storyteller. 29 confirmed decisions, 17 discussion rounds complete. Engine selected (D-020). Vertical slice defined (D-027).

## Decisions Relevant to Your Role
- D-010: Information boundaries - testable? Can we verify information never leaks?
- D-011: LOS shadowcasting - verify correctness of visibility calculations
- D-012: Chunk loading - seamless? No visible pop-in or loading seams?
- D-013: POI appear/disappear correctly? Diegetic insert triggers reliably?
- D-015: Vision cone - correct blind spots? No information visible outside cone?
- D-016: Monologue triggers - contextually appropriate? Right timing, right content?
- D-017: Perception queries - each mode returns correct information for its type?
- D-018: Three ranges working correctly? Sound quality degrades properly by distance?
- D-020: MessagePack serialization - correct round-trip? No data loss at protocol boundary?
- D-021: Official title "The Settled Reach"

### Round 17 Decisions (Test Criteria)
- **D-027: Vertical slice success criteria** - Concrete QA targets:
  1. **30-minute breathing room** - Contamination activation must not trigger before player has 30 minutes of daily-life play (configurable for testing)
  2. **Divergent playthroughs** - Same world seed, different character: verify relationships inverted, POIs differ, dialogue access varies
  3. **Emotional attachment test** - Post-playthrough survey: can player name one NPC they felt conflicted about?
  4. **Emergent discovery** - Observe→notice→follow→discover sequence must arise from systems (log-verifiable: no scripted reveals)

## Open Questions Assigned to You
None assigned.

## Current Priorities
**ACTIVATED.** Vertical slice test plan preparation:
1. Write test plans for D-024 (NPC generation — verify 10 axes present, triangles formed)
2. Write test plans for D-025 (template instantiation — verify single-ownership, reference links carry metadata)
3. Write test plans for D-026 (simulation tiers — verify eviction timing, tier transition correctness)
4. Write test plans for D-027 success criteria (30-min runway, divergent playthroughs, emergent discovery)
5. Write test plans for D-028 (dialogue system — verify tag filtering, trait modifiers, layer activation)

All test plans due BEFORE implementation begins.

## Key Documents
- DECISIONS.md - all confirmed decisions
- DISCUSSION.md - active discussion round
- docs/discussions/ - archived rounds
- TEAM.md - team roster