# Open Questions

Tracked questions awaiting discussion or resolution.

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### Q-001: Game engine selection
- **Status:** Resolved → [D-020](architecture.md#d-020-engine-and-architecture-selection--godot-client--rust-simulation-via-subprocessipc)

### Q-002: Scope of v0.1 playable prototype
- **Status:** Map spec resolved ([D-014](scope.md#d-014-v01-map-specification)). Remaining: mechanics, characters, interactions for minimum playable build.
- **Assigned to:** Full team

### Q-003: Art direction / presentation style
- **Status:** Further resolved for v0.1 via Content Gap Analysis Workshop. Araminta's v0.1 Visual Grammar proposal covers: entity color palette (D-033), zone-specific color palettes (3 zones with hex values), fog rendering (4 states), monologue presentation spec, insert dual-character variants. Long-term art direction beyond v0.1 remains open.
- **Remaining:** Long-term art direction, sprite replacement timeline, full visual identity.
- **Assigned to:** Araminta (lead)

### Q-004: One campaign spanning all eras or separate era scenarios?
- **Status:** Not yet discussed
- **Context:** Gore raised that Commonwealth Era and Void Era play very differently. Prototype focuses on pre-Starflyer War era.
- **Assigned to:** Gore, Miri to lead discussion

### Q-005: Scale for prototype - locations, characters, factions
- **Status:** Partially scoped
- **Early signal:** Institute/Armstrong City hub, ~10-20 characters, Guardians + institutional + political factions
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Tyre, Miri

### Q-006: Multiplayer or single-player only?
- **Status:** Resolved → [D-009](architecture.md#d-009-multiplayer---design-for-it-build-single-player-first)

### Q-007: Target platform(s)
- **Status:** Not yet discussed
- **Context:** Team Leader has Linux background (Fedora). Cross-platform considerations?
- **Assigned to:** Tyre

### Q-008: Licensing / distribution model
- **Status:** Not yet discussed
- **Question:** Open source? Free? Commercial? This affects engine choice and asset decisions.
- **Assigned to:** Team Leader

### Q-009: Time system
- **Status:** Resolved → [D-031](architecture.md#d-031-time-system--game-clock-and-day-phases)

### Q-010: Storyteller AI design
- **Status:** Not yet discussed
- **Question:** How does the Rimworld-style storyteller work? What are the pacing rules? How much structural randomness vs dramatic randomness?
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Nigel

### Q-011: Character selection and playable characters
- **Status:** Not yet discussed
- **Question:** Which characters are playable in the prototype? How different are their starting positions? Can you play canon characters or only original ones?
- **Assigned to:** Miri, Paula

### Q-012: Generation expansion method for dialogue
- **Status:** Open
- **Question:** How does the 4x generation expansion pass work? LLM-based, template-based, or rule-based? Affects how base lines are authored — LLM needs style-strong anchors; rules need substitution patterns.
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Mellanie
- **Source:** Content Gap Analysis Workshop (Mellanie R2)

### Q-013: Line previewer temporal progression
- **Status:** Open
- **Question:** How does the line previewer (#193) handle THE FRIEND's multi-visit contradiction arc? Needs sequence mode to simulate interaction progression over multiple encounters.
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Dudley
- **Source:** Content Gap Analysis Workshop (Mellanie R2)

### Q-014: Audio timing with monologue chime
- **Status:** Open
- **Question:** When does the monologue chime fire relative to text appearance? Before, simultaneous, or overlapping? Affects monologue line writing rhythm.
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Ozzie
- **Source:** Content Gap Analysis Workshop (Mellanie R2)

### Q-015: Generation expansion for THE FRIEND content
- **Status:** Open
- **Question:** Does the 4x generation expansion apply to THE FRIEND's custom lines, or are all ~70-100 lines per FRIEND hand-authored? Recommendation: no expansion on FRIEND lines — risk of flattening hand-crafted voice.
- **Assigned to:** Mellanie, Gestalt
- **Source:** Content Gap Analysis Workshop (Ozzie R2, Gestalt R2)

### Q-016: Knowledge hierarchy for monologue prerequisites
- **Status:** Open
- **Question:** Monologue prerequisites currently use binary flags (`knows: smuggling_operation`). Need a hierarchy: `suspects` < `knows_of` < `knows_details`. How granular?
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Paula
- **Source:** Content Gap Analysis Workshop (Gestalt R2)

### Q-017: Triangle pressure threshold
- **Status:** Open
- **Question:** Triangles need a numeric pressure value that increases based on events. When it crosses a threshold, `confrontation` situation activates. What events increase pressure? What's the threshold?
- **Assigned to:** Gestalt, Paula
- **Source:** Content Gap Analysis Workshop (Gestalt R2)

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*17 questions (3 resolved, 2 partially resolved, 12 open). Last updated: 2026-02-11*