# Gestalt - Project Briefing
Last updated: 2026-02-13

## Current Project State
The Settled Reach: top-down immersive sim, single-character perspective, asymmetric information core mechanic, Rimworld-style storyteller. 41+ confirmed decisions, 17 discussion rounds + 2 workshops complete. Engine selected (D-020). Vertical slice defined (D-027). Sprints 1-4 complete. Sprint 5 (Live) active — content at scale.

## Status
**ACTIVE.** Sprint 5 systems content support. Tag taxonomy is formalized in YAML schemas. Knowledge vocabulary delivered. Content pipeline operational. Primary role this sprint: validate FRIEND pack content against systems constraints, support relationship phase mapping.

## Decisions Relevant to Your Role
- D-005: Core concept — story generator mechanics, emergent narrative from systems
- D-007: Five pillars — mechanical framework
- D-008: Action pillar — hubris wall mechanic
- D-011: Fog of war as pillar 1 infrastructure
- D-015: Camera lock — vision cone as information constraint
- D-017: Perception loadout system — observer queries
- D-018: Three-range sound system — information quality by distance
- D-020: Godot client + Rust/bevy_ecs simulation via subprocess/IPC
- D-024: 10-axis NPC consolidation
- D-025: Social site as systemic unit
- D-026: Timestamp eviction
- D-027: Vertical slice as systems proof
- D-028: Axis-to-pipeline mapping (dialogue selection)
- D-032: Separate monologue pools — `character` is a hard partition tag
- D-034: THE FRIEND ECS spec — full pipeline depth test
- D-035: Converged tag taxonomy (6+3) — your Round 2 design is canonical
- D-038: Audio architecture — event-driven system
- D-039: 6 wow moments — systems must support all 6
- D-041: Knowledge Graph Data Model — 4-level confidence hierarchy, contradiction detection

## What's Been Delivered (Sprints 2-4)
### Server infrastructure (all operational):
- Knowledge graph components + types (#361), event queue (#363), direct observation flow (#364), decay (#365) — Sprint 2
- Content directory structure (#385), schema definitions (#386), validate-content CLI (#392) — Sprint 3
- Global enums YAML (#387), entity-attributes.yaml (#388), pools.yaml (#389), template YAMLs (#390), triangle YAMLs (#391) — Sprint 4
- Seed configuration schema (#394) — Sprint 4
- YAML content loader Phase 2 (#408) — Sprint 4
- YAML-to-RON converter (#403) — Sprint 4
- Line previewer CLI (#407) — Sprint 4

### Content pipeline: fully operational
- Schemas defined, loader working, validator running, previewer available
- Tag taxonomy formalized in `content/_schema/` and `content/global/enums/`

## Sprint 5 Priorities
**Sprint briefing:** `docs/sprints/sprint-5/copy.md` (supporting copy team)

### Primary:
1. **Relationship phase mapping for Kael and Sera** — map the arc phases to concrete systems triggers, tag transitions, and knowledge state thresholds. Support Paula during FRIEND profile authoring.
2. **#379 NPC Authoring Style Guide validation** — review Gestalt constraints section, verify tag usage rules, validate 4-layer pipeline documentation.
3. **FRIEND pack content validation** — when #297/#298 content arrives, validate tag compliance, access tier correctness, trust progression logic, monologue trigger prerequisites.

### Supporting:
4. **Tag usage review** — ensure FRIEND pack content exercises the full tag taxonomy correctly
5. **Contradiction detection spec support** — verify FRIEND contradiction content maps correctly to D-041 knowledge states

## Open Questions Assigned to You
- Q-002: v0.1 scope definition (co-lead)
- Q-005: Prototype scale (co-lead with Tyre, Miri)
- Q-010: Storyteller AI architecture (co-lead with Nigel)
- Q-012: Generation expansion method (co-lead with Mellanie)
- Q-013: Line previewer temporal progression (co-lead with Dudley)
- Q-014: Audio timing with monologue chime (co-lead with Ozzie)
- Q-015: Generation expansion for FRIEND content (co-lead with Mellanie)
- Q-017: Triangle pressure threshold (co-lead with Paula)
- Q-024: Gossip propagation timing (co-lead with Tyre)
- Q-026: Contradiction detection algorithm (co-lead with Paula, Dudley)

## Key Documents
- decisions/content.md — D-023 through D-037
- decisions/architecture.md — D-008 through D-031, D-041
- docs/sprints/sprint-5/copy.md — current sprint briefing (copy team, where Gestalt supports)
- content/_schema/ — YAML schema definitions (your taxonomy formalized)
- content/global/ — enums, knowledge, pools, templates, triangles