# Wiki Review Workshop — Round 2 Tracking Document

**Compiled by:** Qatux (Documenter)
**Date:** 2026-02-12
**Status:** Round 2 in progress. 4 of 8 responses read (Gore, Ozzie, Mellanie, Nigel). Awaiting Gestalt, Miri, Tyre, Paula.

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## Tension Resolution Status

### T-01: FRIEND Pool Size and v0.1 Scope → RESOLVED

**Consensus achieved.** All four respondents converge on the same position:

- **Architecture:** Pool-based FRIEND selection from day one. Content files structured as pool entries even with single entry.
- **v0.1:** 1 FRIEND per character (Kael, Sera). Pool size = 1. System supports expansion.
- **v0.2:** 2 FRIENDs per character. Second candidate drawn from existing NPCs elevated to Tier 1.
- **v0.3+:** 3 per character. Metagaming fully defeated.
- **Depth:** Every FRIEND candidate MUST be full Tier 1 (70-100 authored lines). No exceptions. (Gore: "I won't budge on this.")
- **Warmth phase:** Minimum 10-12 minutes of gameplay where FRIEND is green, warm, present (Ozzie guardrail).
- **Content structure:** `friends/pool.yaml` per district with `npc_id`, `contradiction_type`, `tell_type`, `discovery_method` (Nigel).

**Supporters:** Gore, Nigel, Ozzie (all explicit). Mellanie endorses implicitly via tagged pool confirmation.

**Recommended decision ID:** D-042 (FRIEND pool architecture)

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### T-02: Content Directory Naming → PARTIALLY RESOLVED

**Nigel explicitly drops his parallel proposal** in favor of Tyre's three-layer stack (base → DLC → mods) with ADD/REPLACE/MERGE. Nigel extends with template role-slot system.

**Remaining question:** `global/` vs `_global/` prefix. Nigel: "I don't care about the underscore — pick one and ship it." Awaiting Tyre's Round 2 for final preference.

**Converged elements:**
- `districts/` as atomic content unit (all agree)
- `global/` for schema/factions/technology (Tyre + Gestalt + Nigel)
- Schema per content type (all agree)
- Mod overlay: ADD/REPLACE/MERGE (Tyre, adopted by Nigel)

**New from Nigel:** Template role-slot system in `templates/bar.yaml` — roles with `pool`, `count`, `pool_eligible` fields. This extends Tyre's structure for randomization without changing the directory layout.

**Location shortnames resolved by Mellanie:** Directory names use wiki slugs (`the-terminal`, `the-last-shift`). Line ID prefixes use short forms (`terminal_m_001`). Two conventions, two purposes, no conflict.

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### T-03: Kael/Hael Sonic Collision → NOT YET ADDRESSED IN ROUND 2

No Round 2 respondent has engaged with this. Awaiting Paula (who raised it) and Miri (naming authority).

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### T-04: Smuggler Lens Gap → SIGNIFICANT CONVERGENCE

**All four respondents endorse Paula's diagnosis.** The smuggler needs mechanical parity with the detective.

**Gore reframes and extends Paula's attributes:**
- Endorses `exposure_risk`, `loyalty_assessment` but renames `operational_reliability` → `trust_read` ("more personal — that's how you think about colleagues you're risking prison with")
- Adds three new attributes: `moral_weight`, `cover_integrity`, `loyalty_conflict`
- Proposes smuggler-specific monologue triggers: `moral_pang`, `loyalty_test`
- Proposes smuggler **moral arc phases** parallel to detective investigation phases: Comfort → Doubt → Reckoning → Compromise
- Proposes smuggler FactId parallels for moral knowledge: `complicity.cost_to_hael` progression

**Ozzie adds emotional accumulation layer:**
- `guilt_interactions` — how many times smuggler lied to/about this NPC
- `complicity_acknowledged` — unlocks darker monologue variants after threshold
- `protective_actions` — has player actively tried to shield this NPC

**Mellanie confirms blocking dependency:** Smuggler monologue currently gates on detective-shaped prerequisites. Smuggler-specific attributes needed for smuggler monologue to react with same precision.

**Nigel connects to randomization:** Paula's smuggler attributes are the data model for what varies per seed in smuggler's playthrough. `exposure_risk` changes per seed because WHO is compromised changes.

**Recommended decision ID:** D-043 (Smuggler knowledge vocabulary and moral arc)

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### T-05: Triangle 1 and the Nils Problem → NOT YET ADDRESSED IN ROUND 2

Ozzie endorses Gestalt's T1 fix (Nils volume escalation decision) in drive-by. No deep engagement yet. Awaiting Gestalt Round 2.

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### T-06: Randomizer Scope for v0.1 → SIGNIFICANT CONVERGENCE

**Nigel revises his own proposal.** Key concession:

- **Primary contraband FIXED per district** (walks back full contraband shuffle). Lattice components always the core of Sova's ring. Culturally grounded, morally load-bearing.
- **Secondary contraband varies per seed** (medical-grade / severance / enhanced / nothing). Adds moral wrinkle without breaking cultural logic.
- **Gore's complicity thesis acknowledged as constraint** — contraband variation must preserve the moral ambiguity, not dilute it.

**PC-as-NPC split into two concepts (Nigel):**

| Concept | Scope | Cost | Description |
|---------|-------|------|-------------|
| **A: Other PC exists as NPC** | v0.1 | ~20-30 items | Detective NPC visible in smuggler playthrough and vice versa |
| **B: PC identity randomization** | v0.2+ | 16+ relationship pairs | Different dock worker/detective each playthrough |

**Concept A endorsed for v0.1 by Nigel and Ozzie.** Low cost, high payoff (second-playthrough wow moment).

**District entanglement map (Nigel):** Per-seed flags on NPCs determine ring connection, compromise status, role assignments. Constrained by D-029 ratio (30/50/20). Connects to Gestalt's T3 randomization proposal.

**Seed configuration schema proposed (Nigel):** `runtime/seed-state.yaml` recording randomizer decisions at game start.

**Recommended decisions:**
- D-044 (Primary contraband fixed per district, secondary varies per seed)
- D-045 (PC-as-NPC Concept A in v0.1 scope)
- D-046 (Seed configuration schema)

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### T-07: Wiki Structure vs Content Directory → NOT YET ADDRESSED

Awaiting Tyre and Miri Round 2.

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### T-08: Tier 3 Emotional Depth → PARTIALLY RESOLVED (New Pattern Proposed)

**Gore proposes THE MIRROR** — a new NPC archetype:
- Honest character whose transparency reveals others' dishonesty
- No secret, no contradiction arc, no tell system
- Full Tier 1 emotional depth (50-70 authored lines, 10-15 monologue per character)
- Hael is the first MIRROR
- NOT a Tier promotion — a new pattern alongside THE FRIEND

**Ozzie DISAGREES on the solution but agrees on the diagnosis:**
- Keep Hael Tier 2 structurally
- Add ~15-20 lines: hopeful/confiding voice samples, door-checking atmospheric beat, Kael-Hael togetherness scene
- "Not every powerful character needs to be mechanically complex. Hael doesn't need state machines. Hael needs the player to feel something when they walk past."

**The tension within the tension:** Gore wants a new formal pattern (THE MIRROR: 50-70 lines, no secret, unique template). Ozzie wants a quality upgrade within existing Tier 2 (add 15-20 lines, no new pattern).

**Both agree:**
- Hael must NOT have a contradiction arc or secret
- Hael needs more authored content than current Tier 2 delivers
- Hael's power is simplicity and transparency

**The question for the team:** Is THE MIRROR a reusable pattern worth formalizing, or is Hael a one-off exceptional Tier 2 NPC?

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## New Proposals from Round 2

### From Gore

| # | Proposal | Cross-refs |
|---|----------|------------|
| P-63 | **THE MIRROR pattern** — new NPC archetype for honest characters. 50-70 authored lines, no secret, no tell, full emotional depth. | T-08, D-034 pattern |
| P-64 | **`cultural_gate` modifier for dialogue access** — regional culture modifies disclosure independently of relationship state. | P-28 (Gore R1), Miri brief |
| P-65 | **Smuggler moral arc phases** (Comfort → Doubt → Reckoning → Compromise) parallel to detective investigation phases. | P-07 (Paula), T-04 |
| P-66 | **Smuggler-specific monologue triggers**: `moral_pang`, `loyalty_test`. | P-07 (Paula), T-04 |
| P-67 | **Rename `operational_reliability` → `trust_read`**. | P-07 (Paula) |
| P-68 | **Add `moral_weight`, `cover_integrity`, `loyalty_conflict`** to smuggler attributes. | P-07 (Paula), T-04 |
| P-69 | **"Complicity" as named theme** alongside "asymmetric information" as mechanic. | P-01 (Gore R1) |

### From Ozzie

| # | Proposal | Cross-refs |
|---|----------|------------|
| P-70 | **Hael: Tier 2 + 15-20 extra lines** (not Tier 1 promotion, not MIRROR). Add hopeful/confiding voice, door-checking beat, Kael-Hael togetherness scene. | T-08, Gore MIRROR |
| P-71 | **Smuggler emotional accumulation attributes**: `guilt_interactions`, `complicity_acknowledged`, `protective_actions`. | P-07 (Paula), T-04 |
| P-72 | **Sera composure crack** — one half-sentence in early game: "About Kael — no, it's nothing." | P-12 (Ozzie R1) |
| P-73 | **Smuggler "Cheers moment" opening** using Miri's Krenn brief: kuum vendor, chin-lift, hüva, heritage food. | P-62 (Ozzie R1), Miri brief |
| P-74 | **Second FRIEND drawn from existing NPCs** elevated to Tier 1. "MARET? She was just background noise last time." | T-01, Nigel pool |
| P-75 | **Green→amber reframe**: Color shift should feel like CLARITY, not LOSS. "Green was a lie. Amber is honesty." | Gore contaminated trust |

### From Mellanie

| # | Proposal | Cross-refs |
|---|----------|------------|
| P-76 | **Environmental text concrete examples** delivered: bar menu, safety notice, news ticker cycle, corridor graffiti. All voiced with Krenn cultural markers. | P-32 (Mellanie R1), Miri brief |
| P-77 | **Combined style guide TOC** — merges Paula templates + Mellanie conventions + Gestalt constraints + Miri regional into unified document. | P-18 (Paula), P-15 (Gestalt), P-26 (Miri) |
| P-78 | **Smuggler voice card** with three paired examples showing dual-lens cultural register. Summary table: thinks in people vs data, first names vs surnames, fragments vs complete sentences. | T-04, Miri brief |
| P-79 | **Anchor line requirement** per tier (operationalizing Ozzie's gut-check): Tier 1 = 2+ anchors across phases. Tier 2 = 1 anchor minimum. Tier 3 = voice hint should gesture at humanity. | P-14 (Ozzie R1) |
| P-80 | **Location shortname resolution**: directory = wiki slug (`the-terminal`), line ID prefix = short form (`terminal_m_001`). | Tyre Q-W10 |

### From Nigel

| # | Proposal | Cross-refs |
|---|----------|------------|
| P-81 | **Template role-slot system** in template YAML: `slot`, `count`, `pool`, `pool_eligible` fields. | P-47 (Nigel R1), Tyre structure |
| P-82 | **`friends/pool.yaml`** per district with metadata: `contradiction_type`, `tell_type`, `discovery_method`. | T-01 |
| P-83 | **Primary contraband fixed, secondary varies per seed** — walks back full shuffle. Secondary: medical/severance/enhanced/nothing. | P-56 (Nigel R1), Gore complicity |
| P-84 | **PC-as-NPC Concept A for v0.1** — other PC exists as NPC. ~20-30 authored items. | T-06, Ozzie wow moment |
| P-85 | **District entanglement map** in seed configuration — per-seed NPC flags for ring connection, compromise status, role. | P-57 (Nigel R1), Gestalt T3 randomize |
| P-86 | **Seed configuration schema** (`runtime/seed-state.yaml`). | T-06 |
| P-87 | **News ticker headline pool** (40-50 entries, randomizer selects 15-20 per seed). | P-32 (Mellanie), wow moment #5 |
| P-88 | **Cultural substrate vocabulary as randomizable social tell** per seed (word "vakt" has different social charge). | Miri brief, replayability |

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## Updated Consensus Table (Round 2)

| # | Topic | Round 1 Confidence | Round 2 Confidence | Change |
|---|-------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| C-01 | THE FRIEND never proc-gen, pool-based selection | High | **Confirmed** | Gore/Nigel/Ozzie all restate |
| C-02 | All NPCs need canonical full names | High | High (no new data) | Awaiting Paula/Miri R2 |
| C-03 | Regional style guide template | High | **Confirmed** | Gore endorses Miri, Ozzie uses for concrete examples |
| C-04 | Krenn System brief canonical | High | **Confirmed** | Gore calls it "best work product in workshop," Ozzie builds opening from it, Mellanie produces environmental text from it |
| C-05 | Formalized tier templates | High | **Confirmed** | Mellanie proposes merged style guide TOC |
| C-06 | Content directory: global + districts | High | **Confirmed** | Nigel adopts Tyre's structure |
| C-10 | Smuggler needs own knowledge vocabulary | High | **Strongly confirmed** | All 4 respondents endorse, Gore extends with moral arc |
| C-12 | PC-as-NPC requires explicit specs | High | **Confirmed + scoped** | Nigel splits into Concept A (v0.1) and B (v0.2+) |
| C-14 | Backstory through discovery | High | **Confirmed** | Ozzie's Cheers opening built from Miri's cultural texture |
| C-15 | **(NEW)** Complicity as named theme | — | High | Gore (R1+R2), Ozzie endorses, Mellanie endorses |
| C-16 | **(NEW)** Primary contraband fixed per district | — | High | Nigel walks back shuffle, Gore's complicity constrains |
| C-17 | **(NEW)** PC-as-NPC Concept A in v0.1 | — | High | Nigel + Ozzie explicit. ~20-30 items. |
| C-18 | **(NEW)** FRIEND pool v0.1=1, v0.2=2, v0.3=3 | — | High | All 4 converge on phased rollout |
| C-19 | **(NEW)** Anchor line requirement in style guide | — | High | Ozzie (concept), Mellanie (operationalized per tier) |
| C-20 | **(NEW)** Combined style guide document | — | High | Mellanie proposed TOC merging all contributors |

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## Remaining Open Items

| # | Item | Waiting On |
|---|------|-----------|
| Q-W03 | Kael/Hael sonic collision | Paula R2, Miri R2 |
| Q-W05 | D-040 existence check | Miri R2 |
| Q-W08 | `global/` vs `_global/` prefix | Tyre R2 |
| Q-W12 | (NEW) THE MIRROR: new pattern vs enhanced Tier 2? | Gore vs Ozzie — needs project lead |
| Q-W13 | (NEW) `cultural_gate` as dialogue modifier — mechanical feasibility? | Gestalt R2, Tyre R2 |
| Q-W14 | (NEW) Seed configuration schema location — content/ or runtime/? | Tyre R2 |
| Q-W15 | (NEW) Sound texture for Krenn culture — quiet social / loud work? | Ozzie asks Miri/Inigo |

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## Recommended Decisions for Recording (Preliminary)

Based on Round 2 consensus so far. Will finalize after all 8 responses.

| ID | Decision | Confidence | Key Supporters |
|----|----------|------------|----------------|
| D-042 | FRIEND pool architecture: pool-based selection, v0.1=1 per character, full Tier 1 minimum, content structured as pool entries from day one | High | Gore, Nigel, Ozzie |
| D-043 | Smuggler knowledge vocabulary: `trust_read`, `exposure_risk`, `loyalty_assessment`, `leverage_held`, `social_debt`, `moral_weight`, `cover_integrity`, `loyalty_conflict` + monologue triggers `moral_pang`, `loyalty_test` + moral arc phases (Comfort→Doubt→Reckoning→Compromise) | High | Gore, Paula (R1), Ozzie, Mellanie, Nigel |
| D-044 | Primary contraband fixed per district, secondary varies per seed | High | Nigel (revised), Gore (constraint) |
| D-045 | PC-as-NPC Concept A in v0.1 (other PC visible as NPC, ~20-30 items) | High | Nigel, Ozzie |
| D-046 | Seed configuration schema (records randomizer decisions at game-start) | Medium-High | Nigel (proposed), needs Tyre validation |
| D-047 | Complicity as named thematic core alongside asymmetric information as mechanic | High | Gore (R1+R2), Ozzie, Mellanie |
| D-048 | Anchor line requirement in NPC style guide (Tier 1: 2+ per phase, Tier 2: 1 minimum) | High | Ozzie (concept), Mellanie (operationalized) |
| D-049 | Combined content style guide document (Mellanie TOC) | High | Mellanie, Paula (R1), Gestalt (R1), Miri (R1) |

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*88 proposals tracked (62 Round 1 + 26 Round 2). 8 tensions (3 resolved, 2 partially resolved, 3 pending remaining responses). 20 consensus items. 8 preliminary decisions recommended. Awaiting Gestalt, Miri, Tyre, Paula Round 2 responses.*