# Content Decisions

How narrative, NPCs, and world content are created: content tiers, NPC generation, templates, dialogue, population, audio aesthetic identity.

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### D-023: Three-tier content model with life-sim substrate
- **Date:** 2026-02-10
- **Decision:** The game uses a three-tier content architecture: Tier 1 (authored drama modules drawn from a pool at game start — plural, optional, relocatable), Tier 2 (templated content with combinatorial variation — both intrigue and life templates), Tier 3 (procedural filler with systemic hooks for Tier 2 colonization). Daily life is the substrate; conspiracies are weather. Players can investigate, pursue careers/relationships, or both. All are valid playthroughs. The storyteller activates Tier 1 modules based on player proximity and engagement, not timers.
- **Rationale:** A galaxy-spanning game needs content architecture that scales without hand-crafting everything. The life-sim substrate creates attachment that gives conspiracies emotional weight. Pool-based Tier 1 modules enable replayability and DLC expansion.
- **Raised by:** Team Leader (Jeroen), with full team endorsement across 3 rounds
- **Dissent:** None

### D-024: NPC generation model — 10 axes + combat component
- **Date:** 2026-02-10
- **Decision:** NPCs are generated with 10 axes: 7 essential (Want, Secret/vulnerability, Relationships 1-3, Tolerance threshold, Daily routine, Information inventory, Contentment) and 3 supporting (Personality traits 2-3, Tell system, Skill set including combat tag). Combat capability lives as an optional CombatCapability ECS component triggered by the combat-trained skill tag, not as an axis. Faction loyalty is folded into Relationships+Secret (discoverable, not labeled). Romantic profile is folded into Want+Personality+compatibility tag. Cultural/origin template is generation-time flavor, not a runtime axis. Triangles (3 NPCs with conflicting interests) are the atomic unit of social intrigue — 2 per template minimum, 1 cross-template.
- **Rationale:** Axes that create contradictions within NPCs produce player decisions. The 5 key interactions (Want×Secret, Routine×Secret, Tolerance×Relationships, Want×Relationships, Personality×Tolerance) drive the full investigation-and-social gameplay loop. Contentment axis (proposed by Gore) connects generated NPCs to the thematic spine. Combat as component follows the same pattern as perception modes ([D-017](perception.md#d-017-perception-modes-as-character-build-system)).
- **Raised by:** Gestalt (consolidation), Gore (contentment axis), Paula (triangle model), Tyre (combat component). Full team endorsed.
- **Dissent:** None

### D-025: Social site / functional cluster as atomic template unit
- **Date:** 2026-02-10
- **Decision:** The atomic Tier 2 template unit is a "social site" (mechanical term) housed in a "functional cluster" (spatial term): 4-8 NPCs who regularly interact, within 15-40 tiles of connected space with internal sightlines. Social group defines systemic identity (who, what triangles). Physical cluster defines spatial identity (sightlines, overhearing, public/private). Templates define roles; NPCs fill roles. One NPC can hold roles in multiple social sites. NPC identity is independent of template instantiation. NPCs are owned by exactly one template with reference links (carrying relationship metadata) to others.
- **Rationale:** Life in the Settled Reach happens in clusters of connected spaces. The functional cluster is the natural unit of social observation, which is the natural unit of gameplay. Single-ownership with reference links prevents lifecycle conflicts while enabling cross-template contamination.
- **Raised by:** Gestalt (social site), Miri (functional cluster), Tyre (ownership model), Paula (reference metadata)
- **Dissent:** None

### D-028: Dialogue architecture — tagged line pools with four relational layers
- **Date:** 2026-02-10
- **Decision:** Dialogue uses tagged line pools with systemic selection, not branching trees. Four relational layers, all planned from authoring day one, built in sequence: (1) Access tiers — insider/outsider/authority/peer filter on every line, (2) Relationship history — interaction log modifying greeting and topic selection, (3) Trust-gated gossip — three disclosure tiers per role (surface/real/secret), (4) Unprompted disclosure — NPCs volunteer information weighted by trust and mood. Trait modifiers (not per-trait scripts) reshape delivery — base lines + trait transformation guide per template. Template content packs as writing deliverable: role voice kits, situation scripts, monologue hooks, environmental text, trait transformation guide. ~165-210 authored lines per Tier 2 template, generation-expanded 4x. Social dialogue budgeted 40% more than investigation. Line previewer CLI required as authoring tool and regression test harness.
- **Rationale:** All four layers are load-bearing — each enriches the previous ones. Tagged pools avoid combinatorial explosion while trait modifiers produce character variety. The generation pass (write 10, generate 40) scales authored content. Every memorable line needs a human hand; the generation pass fills the background.
- **Raised by:** Mellanie (authoring model), Paula (relational layers), Gestalt (axis-to-pipeline mapping), Tyre (previewer feasibility)
- **Dissent:** None on model. Minor ordering difference: Mellanie front-loads access tiers (structural), Paula front-loads relationship history (narrative). Both sequences work.

### D-029: Population entanglement ratio — 30/50/20
- **Date:** 2026-02-10
- **Decision:** NPC population split: ~30% truly flat (routine + greeting, social wallpaper), ~50% mundane triangles (neighbor disputes, workplace rivalries, relationship tensions — no conspiracy connection), ~20% entangled with intrigue content. The entanglement rate varies per seed to prevent metagaming calibration. Module attachment to known NPCs uses a ~60-70/30-40 ratio (known vs stranger), also varying per seed. The unentangled majority is both thematically essential ("is this enough?" needs honest counterweight) and mechanically essential (investigation signal requires noise floor).
- **Cross-reference:** Simulation tier budgets in [D-026](architecture.md#d-026-simulation-tiers-with-timestamp-based-eviction).
- **Rationale:** If every NPC is suspicious, investigation collapses. The mundane triangles ARE the life-sim game — hours of play that never touch conspiracy. Variable entanglement rate defeats metagaming across playthroughs. Quiet life must feel genuinely good, not empty.
- **Raised by:** Gore (thematic), Paula (30/50/20 split), Nigel (anti-metagaming), Team Leader (majority unentangled)
- **Dissent:** None

### D-032: Separate monologue pools per character
- **Date:** 2026-02-11
- **Decision:** Internal monologue content is hard-partitioned by playable character. The smuggler and detective have completely separate monologue pools — no shared lines. The `character` tag on monologue lines is a hard partition, not a filter. File structure uses separate files per character per location (e.g., `monologue-smuggler.yaml`, `monologue-detective.yaml`).
- **Rationale:** Shared monologue would dilute character voice and undermine the dual-lens experience. Each character's internal voice must be independently coherent. Same trigger, different pool — this is how mirror moments work without either pool knowing about the other.
- **Cross-reference:** Dialogue lines remain character-agnostic — the access tier system (D-028 Layer 1) handles per-character filtering without separate pools.
- **Raised by:** Mellanie (Round 1 proposal), confirmed as non-negotiable by project lead
- **Dissent:** None

### D-034: THE FRIEND — production-level NPC pattern
- **Date:** 2026-02-11
- **Decision:** Each playable character has one "FRIEND" NPC — a production-level complex character that exercises every content and systems pipeline at full depth. THE FRIEND is the emotional centerpiece of v0.1 and carries D-027 success criterion #3 ("player names an NPC they felt conflicted about"). THE FRIEND follows a reusable pattern: 3+ relationship phases (warmth → trust → doubt → conflict), observable contradiction discoverable through observation not dialogue, sympathetic motivation, no clean resolution, dual-lens resonance, triangle integration, tell progression, and dialogue shift pre/post discovery.
- **Assignments:**
  - **Smuggler's FRIEND: Kael Davan** — dock worker, ring member, smuggler's closest colleague. Contradiction: meeting with unknown contact in restricted corridor (trying to exit the ring to protect partner Naia). Exercises: full 10-axis model, multi-phase dialogue, tell system, named monologue, dual-lens notes.
  - **Detective's FRIEND: Sera Venn** — Commission field tech, bar regular, detective's social anchor. Contradiction: avoids Torek Lintar (sitting on unreported evidence about Kael's manifest discrepancies, protecting friend Naia). Exercises: institutional access + personal loyalty conflict, avoidance pattern as tell, trust-contamination arc.
- **Content requirements per FRIEND NPC:** ~70-100 authored lines (25-35 dialogue, 15-20 trust-gated, 5-8 unprompted, 10-15 monologue per character, 5-8 tell observation, 3-5 contradiction discovery). No generation expansion — all hand-authored.
- **Cross-reference:** NPC triangle model ([D-024](#d-024-npc-generation-model--10-axes--combat-component)), relationship web ([D-029](#d-029-population-entanglement-ratio--305020)), vertical slice criteria ([D-027](scope.md#d-027-vertical-slice--smuggler--detective-two-character-proof))
- **Raised by:** Ozzie (emotional concept, Round 1), Paula (structural design and both FRIEND profiles, Round 2), project lead (confirmed, directive #4). Sera Venn confirmed by project lead over Mellanie's alternative proposal (Lera Sessik).
- **Dissent:** Mellanie proposed Lera Sessik (bar owner) as detective's FRIEND. Project lead selected Paula's Sera Venn design. Lera remains bar owner / mundane triangle member.

### D-035: Converged tag taxonomy for dialogue and monologue line pools
- **Date:** 2026-02-11
- **Decision:** Tagged line pools (D-028) use a converged taxonomy of 6 structural tags + 3 selection tags per dialogue line. Monologue lines add 3 additional tags.
- **Structural tags (required on every dialogue line):**
  - `id` (string): `{template}_{d|m|e}_{###}` — machine-parseable, stable
  - `text` (string): the authored line
  - `role` (enum): template-defined role (not NPC name — NPC assignment is runtime)
  - `access` (list\<enum\>): `public`, `insider`, `authority`, `peer`, `hostile` — D-028 Layer 1 hard filter
  - `trust` (enum): `surface`, `real`, `secret` — D-028 Layer 3 hard filter
  - `situation` (list\<enum\>): 13 situations for v0.1 — D-028 Layer 2 context filter
- **Selection tags (recommended, defaults if empty):**
  - `topic` (list\<enum\>): 9 topics for v0.1 — D-028 Layer 4 weighted selection
  - `mood` (list\<enum\>): 8 moods for v0.1 — D-028 Layer 4 weighted selection
  - `tags` (list\<string\>): freeform escape hatch for author intent
- **Monologue-specific additions:**
  - `character` (enum): `smuggler`, `detective` — hard partition per D-032
  - `trigger` (enum): 9 trigger types (enter_location, observe_npc, hear_sound, observe_anomaly, post_conversation, discover_evidence, witness_interaction, time_idle, return_visit)
  - `prerequisite` (map or null): knowledge state gate
- **Authoring-only tags (not consumed by engine):** `dual_lens` (map, per-character notes), `notes` (string)
- **Key design choices:** Location and content type dropped from per-line tags (implicit from directory structure and file naming). `access` is list (a line can be eligible for multiple tiers). `topic` and `mood` are lists. Layer 2 relationship history expressed through engine-state-to-situation mapping, not per-line tags.
- **Cross-reference:** Dialogue architecture ([D-028](#d-028-dialogue-architecture--tagged-line-pools-with-four-relational-layers))
- **Raised by:** Gestalt (schema design, Round 1/2), Mellanie (authoring validation, Round 1/2). Converged across both agents in Round 2.
- **Dissent:** None. Minor consolidations: Mellanie's 8 moods mapped to Gestalt's 8 (different names, same concepts). Mellanie's `crime` topic deliberately excluded (NPCs think of it as `cargo` or `money`).
- **Amendment (Sprint 8):** `focused` added as 9th mood (used in Kael dialogue at The Terminal and maintenance corridors). `greeting` added as 14th situation (used in PC dialogue pools for initial contact lines). Schema updated to match.
- **Amendment (Sprint 14):** Mood vocabulary renamed to match voice guide (monologue-voice-guide.md). Old → new: `fond`→`warm`, `comfortable`→`content`, `worried`→`anxious`, `concerned`→`frustrated`. Dropped: `analytical` (merged into `focused`), `conflicted` (modeled as `suspicious`+`warm` collision). Added: `hostile`. Final 8 moods: `anxious`, `frustrated`, `content`, `suspicious`, `warm`, `hostile`, `relieved`, `focused`. Neutral = untagged.
- **Amendment (Sprint 15):** Line ID namespace changed from location-scoped to NPC-scoped. Old scheme: `{location_slug}_{d|m}_{###}` (e.g., `the-terminal_d_039`) — all NPCs at a location share one ID sequence, requiring cross-file coordination and causing collisions at scale. New scheme: `{npc-slug}_{d|m}_{###}` for dialogue, `{npc-slug}_m_{s|d}_{###}` for monologue (e.g., `kael-davan_d_001`, `dock-worker_d_001`). Each NPC's IDs are independent — no cross-file coordination needed. Auto-generated NPCs use their generated slug. Schema regex patterns unchanged (prefix is still `^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*`), only the `description` field and convention documentation update. Migration: mechanical rename of all existing line IDs across ~20 dialogue files and monologue pools.

### D-036: Sova Transit District / Krenn System as v0.1 setting
- **Date:** 2026-02-11
- **Decision:** The v0.1 vertical slice is set in Sova Transit District, a freight logistics hub on Station Sova in the Krenn System. This is the first concrete, named star system in The Settled Reach. The Krenn System is a mid-Reach G3V system, ~180 years settled, population ~2.4 million, working-class pragmatic culture. Station Sova is a logistics hub (~12,000 population). Sova Transit District is a 40-year-old prefab-modular-retrofitted freight district with three social sites: The Terminal (logistics hub), The Last Shift (bar), and maintenance corridors/smuggling spaces.
- **Setting details (canonical):**
  - NPC naming: Krenn System conventions — compact, consonant-heavy, first-name-primary in social contexts (Kael, Voss, Lera, Torek, Drin, Maret, Naia, Sera, Nils, Kosse, Pael, Tev, Ren)
  - Bar naming: "The Last Shift" (official), "Lera's" (informal, used by regulars)
  - Atmosphere: "quotidian-with-undertow" — comfortable enough to be complacent, tight enough that extra income is tempting
  - Sensory: span gate hum, industrial lubricant, recycled air, cargo machinery
- **Cross-reference:** Vertical slice ([D-027](scope.md#d-027-vertical-slice--smuggler--detective-two-character-proof)), contraband ([D-037](#d-037-contraband-specification))
- **Raised by:** Miri (Sova setting brief, Round 1; Krenn System profile, Round 2), project lead (confirmed as worldbuilding milestone, directive #6)
- **Dissent:** None

### D-037: Contraband specification — unlicensed lattice components
- **Date:** 2026-02-11
- **Decision:** The primary contraband in the v0.1 smuggling scenario is unlicensed lattice components — aftermarket neural lattice modifications that bypass Commission regulation. Secondary contraband: medical-grade neural lattice replacements (diverted from Syndic supply chains) and Severance counter-surveillance technology.
- **Moral dimension:** The ring is smuggling *access*, not weapons. People want better lattice capability than Commission-regulated channels provide. Medical-grade replacements serve people whose lattices are degrading and who can't afford institutional replacement. This creates genuine moral ambiguity: the smuggler isn't a villain, they're providing a service the legitimate system won't.
- **Gameplay relevance:** Lattice components connect to the perception system (D-017) — a smuggled upgrade could theoretically change what the player perceives. Manifest discrepancies are the primary investigation vector. The detective's analytical lattice can flag cargo anomalies.
- **Cross-reference:** Perception modes ([D-017](perception.md#d-017-perception-modes-as-character-build-system)), setting ([D-036](#d-036-sova-transit-district--krenn-system-as-v01-setting))
- **Raised by:** Miri (Round 1 proposal, Round 2 validation), Paula (moral dimension endorsement), full team validated
- **Dissent:** None

### D-050: Velen — Krenn System primary world
- **Date:** 2026-02-12
- **Decision:** Velen is the canonical name for the Krenn System's primary habitable world. Temperate-maritime climate, ~0.9G, regular rain, morning/evening fog, mild temperature range, occasional heavy squalls. Station Sova orbits Velen. The span gate connects Sova to a planetary freight depot on Velen's surface. Naming convention: compact, consonant-weighted, two-syllable, Nordic-influenced.
- **Weather as gameplay (cross-ref D-046):** Fog degrades everyone's vision cones equally — shared vulnerability. The storyteller can time weather for dramatic effect without breaking environmental neutrality (D-045). Foggy mornings = shorter cones = smuggler's early drops safer, detective's dawn surveillance harder.
- **Cross-reference:** Setting ([D-036](#d-036-sova-transit-district--krenn-system-as-v01-setting))
- **Canonical reference:** `docs/workshops/art-direction-mood-board/workshop-outcomes.md` §1.13, §1.15
- **Raised by:** Miri (Round 2 proposal), confirmed by project lead (Round 3). Unanimously endorsed.
- **Dissent:** None

### D-062: Invisible locked dialogue options
- **Date:** 2026-02-13
- **Decision:** Dialogue options the player hasn't unlocked are completely invisible. No grayed-out options. No lock icons. No hint that more options exist. The player doesn't know what they don't know. Exception: NPC holding back is communicated via monologue ("She changed the subject. Fast."), not via locked UI elements.
- **Rationale:** Four reasons: (1) Asymmetry — you don't know what you don't know. (2) Dopamine — new options appearing on repeat visits IS the reward. (3) Anti-metagaming — no checklist to complete. (4) Confrontation surprise — Confront option appearing for the first time is a dramatic moment. Strongest consensus point of the entire workshop — unanimous across all 8 participants.
- **Cross-reference:** Dialogue architecture ([D-028](#d-028-dialogue-architecture--tagged-line-pools-with-four-relational-layers)), knowledge graph confidence tiers ([D-041](architecture.md#d-041-knowledge-graph-data-model)), dialogue box ([D-061](perception.md#d-061-dialogue-box--bottom-screen-max-20-height-no-portraits))
- **Source:** Control & Interaction Workshop (2026-02-13)
- **Raised by:** Gestalt (proposal + four-reason rationale), Nigel (emphatic reinforcement: "non-negotiable")
- **Dissent:** None. Unanimous.

### D-063: Confrontation — same box, different weight
- **Date:** 2026-02-13
- **Decision:** Confrontation uses the same dialogue UI as casual conversation — no separate confrontation mode. Different weight communicated through four mechanisms: (1) Confrontation options written in character's internal voice — italicized, first-person (regular: "Shift schedule" / confrontation: *"I saw you in corridor B-7"*). (2) Pre-delivery monologue beat (1-2 seconds: *"This changes things. No taking it back."*) — character hesitates internally before speaking. (3) World responds — NPC shifts to Tier 2 animation ([D-047](perception.md#d-047-art-direction--two-tier-animation-system)), entity D-033 color may fade, monologue frequency spikes, available topics narrow post-confrontation. (4) Walk-away mid-confrontation contaminates social space — NPC routine may shift, KG records incompleteness.
- **v0.1 staging:** Proximity check + audio dip + text styling. Camera tighten deferred to post-v0.1.
- **Explicitly NOT:** Separate confrontation UI, timed responses, visible relationship meter, correct/incorrect dialogue approaches.
- **Rationale:** Confrontation should feel heavy because of what you're saying, not because the UI changed. The weight comes from pacing, voice, and consequence.
- **Cross-reference:** Dialogue architecture ([D-028](#d-028-dialogue-architecture--tagged-line-pools-with-four-relational-layers)), two-tier animation ([D-047](perception.md#d-047-art-direction--two-tier-animation-system)), entity color ([D-033](perception.md#d-033-entity-color--relationship-to-player)), walk-away ([D-064](#d-064-walk-away--three-phase-consequences))
- **Source:** Control & Interaction Workshop (2026-02-13)
- **Raised by:** Paula (four mechanisms), Ozzie (physical staging), Stig (UI container)
- **Dissent:** None.

### D-064: Walk-away — three-phase consequences
- **Date:** 2026-02-13
- **Decision:** Walking away from dialogue (WASD during conversation) triggers three distinct phases: (1) Immediate break — dialogue fades over 300ms, silence. No close button. (2) NPC reacts — animation shifts, may call after player, routine may change. (3) KG records incompleteness — the knowledge graph logs that the interaction was initiated but not completed. This is queryable and affects future dialogue, monologue, and NPC behavior. Walk-away consequences vary by NPC tolerance threshold per seed — no universal social rules to metagame.
- **Rationale:** Walking away is an action with meaning. Leaving mid-confrontation is different from leaving mid-smalltalk. The KG recording means the game remembers what you started. Per-seed tolerance prevents players from learning universal "safe to walk away" rules across playthroughs.
- **Cross-reference:** Confrontation ([D-063](#d-063-confrontation--same-box-different-weight)), knowledge graph ([D-041](architecture.md#d-041-knowledge-graph-data-model)), dialogue box ([D-061](perception.md#d-061-dialogue-box--bottom-screen-max-20-height-no-portraits))
- **Source:** Control & Interaction Workshop (2026-02-13)
- **Raised by:** Paula (three phases + KG recording), Stig (WASD mechanic + 300ms fade), Ozzie (consequences), Nigel (tolerance per seed)
- **Dissent:** None.

### D-074: Audio aesthetic identity — insert-tech vs organic
- **Date:** 2026-02-16
- **Decision:** Audio design uses two sonic families with distinct aesthetic identities:
  - **Insert-tech sounds:** Synthetic, precise, clinical, no reverb. Monologue chimes ([D-038](scope.md#d-038-audio-in-v01-scope--8-files-via-stable-audio-open) assets 7-8), UI feedback, future: lattice interface sounds, biometric scan confirmations. Represents neural lattice interface — artificial, computational, clinical.
  - **Organic sounds:** Warm, breathy, natural decay, environmental reverb. Footsteps, ambient layers, NPC movement, environmental events. Represents human cognition and physical reality — warm, imperfect, lived-in.
- **Thematic mapping:** Insert-tech = neural lattice (computational precision, trustworthy but inhuman). Organic = human cognition and environment (warm, ambiguous, interpretive). Maps to [D-018](perception.md#d-018-three-range-sound-model) trust model: close/organic sounds = reliable, long-range/insert sounds = potentially compromised.
- **Station palette — "functional warmth":**
  - Low-freq foundation (60-120Hz): station hum, span gate vibration, machinery drone.
  - Mid-freq texture (200-800Hz): footsteps, object handling, conversation murmur.
  - High-freq detail (2-8kHz, sparse): scanner pings, metal impacts, environmental detail.
  - No harsh frequencies, no industrial brutality. The station is SETTLED — lived-in, maintained, comfortable enough to be complacent.
- **Environmental neutrality per [D-045](perception.md#d-045-art-direction--environmental-neutrality-strict-zero-shift):** Ambient audio does NOT shift with narrative state. Same station hum before and after conspiracy discovery. No music stingers for investigation progress. Emotional weight comes from monologue and player knowledge, not audio cues.
- **Cross-reference:** Audio assets ([D-038](scope.md#d-038-audio-in-v01-scope--8-files-via-stable-audio-open)), sound model ([D-018](perception.md#d-018-three-range-sound-model)), environmental neutrality ([D-045](perception.md#d-045-art-direction--environmental-neutrality-strict-zero-shift)), setting ([D-036](#d-036-sova-transit-district--krenn-system-as-v01-setting))
- **Raised by:** Inigo (insert-tech/organic split), Paula (cognitive architecture framing and trust model connection)
- **Dissent:** None

### D-075: Dialogue filtering — layered confidence gate on trust tier (OQ-18 resolution)
- **Date:** 2026-02-19
- **Decision:** KnowledgeConfidence ([D-041](architecture.md#d-041-knowledge-graph-data-model)) acts as a co-gate on TrustTier ([D-028](#d-028-dialogue-architecture--tagged-line-pools-with-four-relational-layers) Layer 3), not on AccessTier (Layer 1). Access tier and trust tier remain two separate filtering dimensions with different drivers:
  1. **AccessTier (Layer 1):** Gated by `RelationshipState` only. Social position determines what *categories* of dialogue are available. No change from current implementation. Character archetype effects are emergent — the detective's investigation naturally creates PersonOfInterest relationships (Authority access), the smuggler's social arc naturally creates Known/Friendly relationships (Peer/Insider access). No archetype tag on the pipeline.
  2. **TrustTier (Layer 3):** Gated by both `RelationshipState` AND `KnowledgeConfidence`:
     - **Surface:** any relationship + any confidence — baseline, always available.
     - **Real:** (Friendly or Known) + KnowsOf+ — requires both rapport and substantive knowledge.
     - **Secret:** Friendly + KnowsDetails+ — requires both deep rapport and actionable knowledge.
  3. **KnowledgeConfidence does NOT gate AccessTier.** Access is a social/positional concept ("who are you to me?"), not an information concept ("what do you know about me?"). A stranger can have Authority access (detective flashes badge) with zero knowledge. An insider can have Peer access before they know anything specific about the target.
- **Key design choice — no archetype dimension.** The dialogue pipeline does not add a character-archetype tag (detective/smuggler) as a filtering axis. Instead, archetype effects on dialogue emerge from: (a) different starting RelationshipStates driven by gameplay (detective institutions → Authority access, smuggler social network → Insider access), (b) different knowledge accumulation rates (detective's analytical lattice gains KnowsOf faster → Real trust earlier), (c) D-028 Layer 1 access tags on lines already encode "this line is for authority figures" vs "this line is for insiders." This is architecturally consistent with D-010 principle 3 (no baking player identity into the game loop).
- **Rationale:** Three reasons for layered-but-not-archetype:
  1. *Separation of concerns.* Access (social position) and trust (relationship depth x knowledge depth) answer different questions. Collapsing them into one axis would require rewriting D-028's four-layer model and D-035's tag taxonomy — both confirmed and implemented.
  2. *Minimal code change.* The only implementation change is adding a `KnowledgeConfidence` parameter to `relationship_to_trust()` in `server/src/simulation/dialogue.rs`. The caller already has access to the observer's KnowledgeGraph. No new components, no new tags, no content format changes.
  3. *Emergent archetype distinction.* Hardcoding archetype tags creates a maintenance burden (new character = new tag = new content variant) and reduces the "two keyholes on the same world" experience. When the detective and smuggler experience different dialogue from the same NPC, it should be because they have different *relationships* and *knowledge*, not because a tag excluded them.
- **Implementation change to #305:** `relationship_to_trust()` gains a `confidence` parameter. Mapping: `(Friendly, KnowsDetails+) → Secret`, `(Friendly|Known, KnowsOf+) → Real`, `(_ , _) → Surface`. Caller in `process_talk_interaction` passes `observer_kg.confidence_of(&target_sid)` to the updated function.
- **Resolves:** OQ-18
- **Amends:** [D-041](architecture.md#d-041-knowledge-graph-data-model) (confirms confidence-to-trust mapping; supersedes the preliminary 1:1 sketch in D-041 "Key design choices" bullet 3 with the layered model above), [D-028](#d-028-dialogue-architecture--tagged-line-pools-with-four-relational-layers) (Layer 3 trust now requires both relationship AND confidence)
- **Cross-reference:** [D-028](#d-028-dialogue-architecture--tagged-line-pools-with-four-relational-layers), [D-035](#d-035-converged-tag-taxonomy-for-dialogue-and-monologue-line-pools), [D-041](architecture.md#d-041-knowledge-graph-data-model), [D-062](#d-062-invisible-locked-dialogue-options) (confidence progression naturally unlocks new trust tiers, creating the "new options appearing" reward)
- **Raised by:** Tyre (technical analysis, architecture synthesis)
- **Dissent:** Gestalt endorses D-075 (reviewed 2026-02-19). The emergent archetype distinction is sufficient: access tier tags already encode "authority figure lines" vs "insider lines" in content; starting knowledge differentials produce different dialogue gate timings per character; adding an archetype filter would create per-character content maintenance burden and dilute the "two keyholes on the same world" experience (D-027). Knowledge vocabulary doc (#368) confirms this works in practice — same fact IDs, different starting confidence levels, different gate-open timing per character. *Nigel's input still pending.*

### D-084: Dual-namespace line ID scheme — role pool + instance override
- **Date:** 2026-02-25
- **Decision:** Line IDs for auto-generated NPC content use a dual-namespace approach that eliminates the Q-028 collision problem without altering the existing ID format.
  - **Role namespace (unchanged, primary):** `{role-slug}_{d|m|e}_{###}` — e.g., `dock-worker_d_001`. These are shared lines delivered by any instance of the role. One file, one ID sequence per role-at-location. No per-instance authoring, no collision possible. All existing authored content is unaffected.
  - **Instance namespace (new, opt-in):** `{role-slug}-{zero-padded counter}_{d|m|e}_{###}` — e.g., `dock-worker-07_d_001`. Counter is the generation-order rank within the role group for that district, starting at 01, assigned deterministically from the world seed. Used only when a specific generated NPC needs authored content that differs from the role pool.
- **Key design choices:**
  - **Why the collision problem is mostly already solved:** The Q-028 collision framing assumed NPC-scoped IDs require per-instance ID sequences. They don't. D-028 tagged line pools are role-scoped: `dock-worker_d_001` is content that any dock worker can deliver. Forty dock workers all drawing from `dock-worker_d_###` is correct behavior, not a collision. A collision would only occur if two *distinct authored lines* shared the same ID — which the role namespace prevents by definition (one file, one sequence).
  - **Instance namespace scope:** Opt-in only. Tier 3 (flat wallpaper) and Tier 2 (mundane triangles) auto-generated NPCs use the role pool exclusively. Instance pools are authored only when a specific generated NPC needs content variation the role pool cannot supply (e.g., a generated NPC flagged as a triangle member with unique tell lines).
  - **History log disambiguation:** The speaker of a line is identified by `StableId`, not by line ID. Line ID identifies content; `StableId` identifies the speaker. `(StableId: 42, line_id: "dock-worker_d_001")` and `(StableId: 43, line_id: "dock-worker_d_001")` are two different log entries for the same content line — no collision in the log.
  - **Counter stability:** Generation order within a role group is seeded from the world seed. Same seed → same order → same counter assignments. Counter is recorded in the district's NPC roster at world-gen time. The counter survives save/load because it is part of the generated NPC's profile, not recomputed at runtime.
  - **Schema compatibility:** The existing ID regex `^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*_[dme]_\d{3}$` already accepts `dock-worker-07_d_001`. No regex change required. No content migration required.
- **Rejected alternatives:**
  - **StableId prefix (`npc-00042_d_001`):** StableId is assigned at load time from sorted canonical IDs. Authors cannot know it before writing files. A generate-then-bake pipeline would break the content/generation separation principle. Rejected.
  - **UUID suffix (`dock-worker-a3f2_d_001`):** UUIDs are stable per seed but change across seeds, orphaning any authored instance content on replay. Rejected.
  - **Slug registry with collision resolution (`dock-worker`, `dock-worker-2`, ...):** First instance gets a privileged non-suffixed slug while all others get a counter, creating asymmetry with no upside. Rejected.
- **Implementation requirement:** The content registry (`server/src/knowledge/registry.rs` or a new `server/src/content/npc_slug.rs`) tracks a `RoleCounter: BTreeMap<String, u32>` per district. Incremented when a generated NPC claims an instance namespace slot. Stored in the district manifest. Provides `generate_instance_slug(role_slug) -> String` returning `{role-slug}-{counter:02}`.
- **Hand-authored NPCs:** Unchanged. `kael-davan`, `sera-venn`, and all named authored NPCs keep their current slugs and ID sequences. No migration.
- **Resolves:** Q-028
- **Cross-reference:** Line ID scheme ([D-035](#d-035-converged-tag-taxonomy-for-dialogue-and-monologue-line-pools)), population model ([D-029](#d-029-population-entanglement-ratio--305020)), NPC generation ([D-024](#d-024-npc-generation-model--10-axes--combat-component))
- **Raised by:** Gestalt (Sprint 18, #544). Endorsed by Tyre pending implementation review.
- **Dissent:** None.

### D-090: PC voice registers — smuggler and detective speech patterns
- **Date:** 2026-02-12
- **Decision:** Each playable character has a defined voice register for monologue and dialogue:
  - **Smuggler:** Feeling-first. Sentence fragments. Concrete/physical vocabulary. Notices bodies, spaces, exits. Emotional baseline: wary comfort. Lies by omission. Relationship to authority: avoidance.
  - **Detective:** Analysis-first. Complete sentences. Institutional vocabulary. Notices patterns, inconsistencies, procedural gaps. Emotional baseline: professional detachment. Lies by reframing. Relationship to authority: representative.
  These registers govern all authored content per character (monologue pools per D-032, dialogue access per D-028).
- **Rationale:** Register differences must be architectural, not incidental. Without defined registers, authors default toward a single generic voice and the dual-lens effect (D-027 criterion 2) collapses. The registers encode the characters' relationships to the world, not just vocabulary preferences.
- **Raised by:** Mellanie, Paula
- **Dissent:** None
- **Source:** v0.1 Content Scoping Workshop, Mellanie Round 2 synthesis
- **Cross-reference:** D-032 (separate monologue pools), D-034 (THE FRIEND pattern)

### D-092: Anchor line requirement in NPC style guide
- **Date:** 2026-02-12
- **Decision:** Every NPC at Tier 1 and Tier 2 depth must have anchor lines — signature phrases or verbal tics that make them instantly recognizable in text. Requirements: Tier 1 NPCs (THE FRIEND, key triangle members): minimum 2 anchor lines per arc phase. Tier 2 NPCs (triangle periphery): minimum 1 anchor line. Tier 3 NPCs (background): no anchor requirement, generic pool lines only. Anchor lines must be authored, never generated.
- **Rationale:** Anchor lines create the "I know that voice" moment on repeat encounters. Generation cannot produce this — generated lines are statistically average, not distinctively characteristic. The generation expansion pass (D-028) fills volume; anchor lines create identity.
- **Raised by:** Mellanie
- **Dissent:** None
- **Source:** Wiki Review Workshop, Mellanie Round 2 proposal, consensus C-19
- **Cross-reference:** D-034 (THE FRIEND pattern), D-028 (dialogue architecture), D-023 (three-tier content model)

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### D-093: Sova Transit District — Spatial Layout and District Topology
- **Date:** 2026-02-25
- **Decision:** The Sova Transit District spatial layout is confirmed. Four social sites (D-025): Terminal (Sova Logistics Hub, 44×28 visual), Bar/Last Shift (28×22 + 6m east ext.), Gate Cluster (40×32 visual, 7 zones — see zone spec below), Sector 3 residential (Drin/Naia anchor, ~15×12 visual, adjacent maintenance spine). Transit platform (The Loop stop, ~12×8 visual, bar-side) is classified as an encounter node, not a social site. District bounding box: 256×256 visual tiles (4×4 blocks per D-094). Three investigation paths confirmed: Path A (pattern recognition via camera logs/manifest), Path B (physical traversal via acoustic gap at restricted storage door seal → maintenance hatch), Path C (institutional, via Commission inspector relationship). Zone palette (surface hex / fog tint): gate cluster #b8bec4 / #0a1222; terminal #7a8490 / #0d1520; bar #6b4018 / #200c04; maintenance #4e5054 / #101214. Gate cluster zone spec (Araminta): aperture chamber 8×4 (restricted); freight staging 24×8 (private); passenger arrival 12×8 (semi-public); freight customs 20×10 (semi-private, 3–5 lanes at 2vt/lane); pedestrian customs 12×10 (semi-public, 3 lanes at 1vt); gate concourse 40×8 (public); observation gallery z=2 32×10 (Commission-only). Corridor widths: maintenance 2vt; internal building 3–4vt; secondary public 4vt; transition 6vt; gate concourse 8vt; service alcoves 1–2vt. Z-level scheme: z=0 maintenance corridor (Era 1, no Meridian), z=1 all main structures, z=2 gate cluster observation gallery only. Cross-z LOS: gallery rail = transparent low wall (player on z=2 sees z=1 below; upward LOS blocked except at staircase). Gate cluster social triangle: operations manager + senior freight handler + Commission inspector. Invisible infrastructure principle (G-08): every ring location reads as mundane; criminal function visible only to those who know. G-11: detective enters via gate cluster (Commission arrival); workers enter via transit platform (bar-side).
- **Rationale:** Emerged from three-round workshop synthesis. Layout satisfies D-025 (social sites), D-036 (Sova Transit District), D-054 (tile movement), D-059 (fog zone palette), D-066 (dual-scale grid), D-011 (fog of perception), D-018 (sound model), D-027 (vertical slice criteria). Chunk/district hierarchy establishes architectural precedent for Q-036 generator.
- **Raised by:** Full team — Gestalt (gameplay constraints), Miri (worldbuilding/lore), Araminta (visual/spatial), Tyre (technical), Paula (narrative), Ozzie (player experience). Compiled by Qatux.
- **Dissent:** Araminta preferred 32×32 visual chunk size (overruled by lead and team majority). No other dissent.
- **Source:** Station District Layout Workshop, Ticket #153, Sprint 20. Round document: `docs/discussions/round-20-station-district-layout.md`
- **Cross-reference:** D-025 (social sites), D-036 (Sova setting), D-054 (tile movement), D-059 (fog system), D-066 (dual-scale grid), D-094 (district hierarchy), D-095 (transport lore), Q-036 (generator), Q-040–Q-044 (transport lore questions)

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### D-095: Horizon Stations and Gate Infrastructure — Transport Lore
- **Date:** 2026-02-25
- **Decision:** Span gates are human-built structures with a single aperture enabling near-instantaneous transit. Operating schedule uses dual-use windows: freight (bulk of hours) and passenger (scheduled slots). Physical layout: aperture chamber → freight staging / passenger arrival → customs lanes → gate concourse. Horizon stations are alien-built installations (no identified builder species), self-maintaining, located at Oort-cloud distance, with 4–8 apertures per station. Per-system canonical name: "The Ring." Travel is sequential-hop only (A→B→C through intermediate systems; no direct long-range transit). Per-system access tiers vary (4 tiers — some systems allow single-hop to orbital customs; no direct planetary span gate). Station Sova's horizon gates are located at The Ring (Oort-cloud orbital); the Administrative Hub contains booking offices only (not the gates themselves — correction to prior station profile text). "The Loop" is Sova's internal tram network: 6 districts, 4-minute run from Residential Core to Transit District. Workers arrive at the transit platform (bar-side) and disperse to Terminal or bar.
- **Rationale:** Resolves transport lore questions Q-040, Q-041, Q-043, Q-044 raised during Workshop #153. Miri's Round 3 contribution. Horizon station as alien-built infrastructure adds worldbuilding depth without requiring a named builder species. Sequential-hop travel creates natural story hooks (layover locations, transit records, smuggling route complexity).
- **Raised by:** Miri (worldbuilding), confirmed by team.
- **Dissent:** None.
- **Source:** Station District Layout Workshop, Ticket #153, Sprint 20. Round document: `docs/discussions/round-20-station-district-layout.md`
- **Cross-reference:** D-093 (gate cluster spatial layout), Q-040 (gate dual-use topology — resolved), Q-041 (horizon station model — resolved), Q-042 (intra-system transport — partially resolved), Q-043 (station internal transit — resolved), Q-044 (gate-train integration — resolved)

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### D-098: TrianglePurpose Enum
- **Date:** 2026-02-27
- **Decision:** Social triangles carry `Vec<TrianglePurpose>` — a multi-tag set for playstyle accessibility. Enum values: `Investigation, Economic, Social, Political, Tactical, Mundane`. `Tactical` encodes the assassination contract in spatial form (target + protector + informant/witness). Multiple purpose tags per triangle: a smuggling operation can be `Economic + Tactical` simultaneously. Purpose tags ensure the right drama is surfaced to the player whose active lens matches — they add no generation cost, categorizing existing output.
- **Rationale:** Purpose tags are the bridge between the generator's social structure and the player's active playstyle. The generator doesn't build for one playstyle — it tags what's already there.
- **Source:** Generator Architecture Workshop (#562), 2026-02-27. `docs/workshops/generator-architecture/workshop-outcomes.md` §D-READY-3.
- **Raised by:** Gestalt (triangle purpose model). Full team sign-off.
- **Dissent:** None.
- **Cross-reference:** D-025 (social site / functional cluster — triangles populate social sites), D-097 (guarantee tier system — triangles feed the audit)

### D-104: Heritage Grammar Overlay for Non-Urban Palettes
- **Date:** 2026-02-27
- **Decision:** Data-driven `HeritageGrammarOverlay` structs (10 per heritage root). Loaded once at generator startup, applied at Phase 2 chunk fill by weighted blending. Blend rules: continuous fields (decorative_density, repair_visibility, etc.) use weighted average; categorical fields (boundary_character, open_space_character) use dominant heritage weight; object tag lists use union of preferred/accent tags and intersection-exclusion of excluded tags. Phase 1 exception: `gathering_probability` evaluated at block planning for quarter pre-assignment. Authoring domain separation: **Miri** authors organizational principles, boundary character, spacing, social grammar (HeritageGrammarOverlay Rust struct / authored data). **Araminta** authors visual expression — object sets, arrangement algorithms, floor surface variants, overhead flora density and character, wall/structure material character, boundary material type, lighting temperature (TOML modifier files, one per heritage root). Shared: `ObjectTag` vocabulary must be co-maintained (see Q-049).
- **Rationale:** Heritage roots must be spatially legible — the visual grammar of a Frost community versus a Tide community must be apparent to the observant player without a label.
- **Source:** Generator Architecture Workshop (#562), 2026-02-27. `docs/workshops/generator-architecture/workshop-outcomes.md` §D-READY-9.
- **Raised by:** Miri (cultural grammar spec), Araminta (TOML modifier design and authoring domain). Full team sign-off.
- **Dissent:** None.
- **Cross-reference:** D-101 (ZonePalette — heritage modifier axis A), D-105 (informal zone typology — heritage correlations), Q-049 (ObjectTag co-maintenance)

### D-105: Non-Urban Informal Zone Typology
- **Date:** 2026-02-27
- **Decision:** Informal zones (spaces outside the community's social field) are defined by the type of social permission governing them, not by institutional absence. Three types: `physical_distance` — sparse objects, unmaintained floor; isolation is the visual. `social_permission` — normal zone palette; gathering infrastructure present; cover is about convention, not geography. `utilitarian_cover` — functional work objects; space reads as work space; unofficial use invisible to casual observation. Heritage root correlations: Frost/Stone → `physical_distance`; Tide/Vine/Dust → `social_permission`; Iron/Salt → `utilitarian_cover`. (Dust = maximum communal observation, privacy is negotiated not physical; Iron = labor function covers presence.) Location within terrain seeded independently. Visual grammar per type: `docs/workshops/generator-architecture/araminta-round4.md`.
- **Rationale:** Privacy mechanics emerge from community culture. How you hide in a Frost community (physical distance) is architecturally different from how you hide in a Dust community (social agreement). The typology makes privacy mechanics culturally legible.
- **Source:** Generator Architecture Workshop (#562), 2026-02-27. `docs/workshops/generator-architecture/workshop-outcomes.md` §D-READY-10.
- **Raised by:** Miri (heritage root correlations, canonical mapping corrected Round 5), Araminta (visual grammar per type). Full team sign-off.
- **Dissent:** None.
- **Cross-reference:** D-104 (heritage grammar overlay)

### D-107: Trauma Events as EraModification Subtypes
- **Date:** 2026-02-27
- **Decision:** Trauma events are a subtype of `EraModification` with dual-track effects. Five subtypes: `PhysicalDestruction, EconomicDisruption, PoliticalShock, ViolenceEvent, MigrationShock`. Separate tracks: (1) structural damage via `StructuralChange` in ChunkMutations (applied as `LocalOverlay` per D-109); (2) cultural response via NPC weight distribution shift in `DistrictRuntimeState.npc_pattern_weights`. Decay rate seeded per-community with variation around heritage-root baseline (`trauma_visual_decay_rate: slow | medium | fast`, default medium). Design principle: **Trauma intensifies culture, it does not transform it.** A stressed community becomes a more concentrated version of itself — Frost communities close harder, Tide communities grief more publicly, Iron communities organize more collectively. Decay is toward the community's pre-trauma baseline, not toward a new equilibrium. Players who have learned a heritage root's trust model can predict community behavior in the aftermath.
- **Rationale:** Cultural response must be legible — and predictable to a player who has invested in understanding the heritage root. Trauma as amplifier (not transformer) rewards prior observation.
- **Source:** Generator Architecture Workshop (#562), 2026-02-27. `docs/workshops/generator-architecture/workshop-outcomes.md` §D-READY-12.
- **Raised by:** Miri (trauma subtypes and heritage decay model, "trauma intensifies culture" principle added Round 5), Tyre (struct design and decay architecture). Full team sign-off.
- **Dissent:** None.
- **Cross-reference:** D-100 (DamageOverlay — structural track), D-104 (heritage grammar — cultural baseline), D-109 (LocalOverlay mandate)

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*25 decisions. Last updated: 2026-02-27 (D-098, D-104, D-105, D-107 added — Generator Architecture Workshop #562)*