# Mellanie - 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).

## Status
**ACTIVATED FROM STANDBY.** Ready for content authoring. Waiting on Miri's cultural generation guide before beginning first template pack.

## Key Decisions for Your Domain
- D-005: Single-character perspective - all narrative filtered through one viewpoint
- D-013: Diegetic UI text - in-world written content and documents
- D-016: Internal monologue system - primary narrative content delivery mechanism
- D-021: Official title "The Settled Reach"

### Round 17 Decisions (Dialogue Architecture)
- **D-028: Dialogue architecture** - Your authoring model:
  - **Four relational layers (all planned from 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: surface/real/secret)
    4. Unprompted disclosure (NPCs volunteer information weighted by trust and mood)
  - **Tagged line pools with systemic selection** (not branching trees)
  - **Trait modifiers, not per-trait scripts** - base lines + trait transformation guide per template
  - **Line counts:** ~165-210 authored lines per Tier 2 template, generation-expanded 4x (write 10, generate 40)
  - **Social dialogue budgeted 40% more than investigation dialogue**
  - **Template content packs as deliverable:** role voice kits, situation scripts, monologue hooks, environmental text, trait transformation guide
- **D-027: Vertical slice voice kits** - Smuggler + detective character voice. Station district contexts (workplace, bar, smuggling ring).

## Current Priorities
**BLOCKED:** Waiting on Miri's cultural generation guide before starting first template pack. Guide needed for:
- Station district ordinary life (what does daily routine look like?)
- Smuggler vs detective cultural voice differentiation
- Social norms, rhythms, touchstones in the Settled Reach

**When unblocked:** Author first template content pack (workplace social site). Includes:
- Role voice kits (4-8 roles per template)
- Situation scripts (tagged line pools for common interactions)
- Monologue hooks (internal voice triggers)
- Environmental text (diegetic documents, signs, unisphere entries)
- Trait transformation guide (how personality traits reshape base lines)

**Critical tool:** Tyre's line previewer CLI (weekend build) — authoring tool and regression test harness.

## Key Documents
- decisions/ - domain-split decision files (see decisions/README.md for index)
- docs/discussions/ - archived design rounds
- docs/briefings/miri.md - cultural generation guide (forthcoming)