# Gestalt - Project Briefing
Last updated: 2026-02-10

## Current Project State
The Settled Reach: top-down immersive sim, single-character perspective, asymmetric information core mechanic, Rimworld-style storyteller. 29 confirmed decisions, 17 discussion rounds complete. Engine selected (D-020). Vertical slice defined (D-027).

## Decisions Relevant to Your Role
- D-005: Core concept - story generator mechanics, emergent narrative from systems
- D-007: Five pillars - mechanical framework for all gameplay systems
- D-008: Action pillar - hubris wall mechanic as systemic consequence generator
- D-011: Fog of war as pillar 1 infrastructure - foundational information hiding
- D-015: Camera lock to character - vision cone as primary information constraint
- D-017: Perception loadout system - observer queries defining what player knows
- D-018: Three-range sound system - information quality model by distance
- D-020: Godot client + Rust/bevy_ecs simulation via subprocess/IPC
- D-021: Official title "The Settled Reach"

### Round 17 Decisions (Systems Design)
- **D-024: 10-axis NPC consolidation** - Your work: Want, Secret, Relationships 1-3, Tolerance, Routine, Information, Contentment, Personality, Tell, Skills. CombatCapability as component (not axis), following D-017 perception mode pattern.
- **D-025: Social site as systemic unit** - Your term: 4-8 NPCs who regularly interact. Templates define roles, NPCs fill roles. One NPC can participate in multiple social sites via reference links.
- **D-026: Timestamp eviction endorsed** - Your scope tags (neighborhood, active-quest, colleague, known-contact) define which NPCs stay Active tier.
- **D-027: Vertical slice as systems proof** - Two characters, same templates, inverted relationships. Proves character-as-lens. Observe→notice→follow→discover must emerge from systems, not scripts.
- **D-028: Axis-to-pipeline mapping** - Dialogue selection driven by NPC axes (Want, Relationship state, Trust level, Mood). Tagged pools with systemic selection, not branching trees.

## Open Questions Assigned to You
- Q-002: v0.1 scope definition (co-lead)
- Q-005: Prototype scale (co-lead with Tyre, Miri)
- Q-009: Time system design (co-lead with Gore)
- Q-010: Storyteller AI architecture (co-lead with Nigel)

## Current Priorities
NPC ECS component architecture (10 axes + CombatCapability component). Social site systemic interaction design. Scope tag system for tier transitions (D-026). Dialogue selection pipeline (axis values → tag matching → line pool filtering). Vertical slice systems proof: contamination activation, triangle emergence, discovery sequences.

**Iron rule for base builder (future):** CombatCapability component pattern must extend to other optional systems. No breaking the component model.

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