# Nigel - Project Briefing
Last updated: 2026-02-11

## Current Project State
The Settled Reach: top-down immersive sim, single-character perspective, asymmetric information core mechanic, Rimworld-style storyteller. 40 confirmed decisions, 17 discussion rounds + 1 workshop complete. Engine selected (D-020). Vertical slice defined (D-027). v0.1 Content Gap Analysis Workshop complete.

## Decisions Relevant to Your Role
- D-005: Replayability through perspective - each playthrough reveals different information
- D-008: Procedural generation for replayability - no two runs identical
- D-010: Deterministic simulation aids debugging and replay verification
- D-012: Chunk-based maps - no solvable maps, ensuring fresh exploration each run
- D-017: Perception modes as playstyle selectors - different builds see different games
- D-021: Official title "The Settled Reach"

### Round 17 Decisions (Replayability)
- **D-023: Pool-based Tier 1 modules** - Plural modules drawn from pool at game start. Access tiers (0-3) control which modules appear. Different tier seeds = different conspiracy landscapes. Anti-metagaming: can't learn "the conspiracy," only "a conspiracy."
- **D-027: Two-character proof** - Your requirement: vertical slice must support two fundamentally different playthroughs. Same world seed, different character lens, inverted experience.
- **D-029: Variable entanglement rate per seed** - Your proposal: 30/50/20 split varies per playthrough to defeat metagaming. Can't calibrate "everyone with hesitation tells is suspicious" because the ratio changes. Module attachment ratio (60-70/30-40 known vs stranger NPCs) also varies.

## Open Questions Assigned to You
- Q-010: Storyteller AI architecture (co-lead with Gestalt)

## Current Priorities
Access tier system design (Tier 0-3 content pools). Seed-based population split variance implementation. Module attachment logic (known vs stranger NPC ratio). Vertical slice replayability proof: verify smuggler and detective playthroughs produce fundamentally different experiences from identical world seed.

**Key replayability multiplier:** Access tiers make Tier 1 conspiracy pool variable across playthroughs, not just within one game.

## Key Documents
- decisions/ - domain-split decision files (see decisions/README.md for index)
- docs/discussions/ - archived rounds
- TEAM.md - team roster