settled-reach/docs/sprints/sprint-12/copy.md

---
title: "Sprint 12 — Copy Briefing"
description: "Knowledge vocabulary, cultural generation guide, Sova texture appendix, content packs"
type: sprint
status: archived
sprint: 12
team: "copy"
---

# Sprint 12: Build — Copy Tasks

**Goal:** Lay the production-layer foundations — simulation tier system, sound event pipeline, visual grammar, and knowledge boundary enforcement — and complete all v0.1 copy authoring so content packs, opening hooks, and world-building docs are done.

**Branch:** `copy`
**Agents:** Mellanie (author), Paula (narrative), Gestalt (systems), Miri (cultural consultant)

## Carry-over from Sprint 11

None. Sprint 11 was 7/7 done.

## New Tickets

### Foundation docs (unblock everything else — do these first)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #368 | Knowledge vocabulary for v0.1 content | — |
| #189 | Cultural generation guide — Miri | — |
| #302 | Sova Texture Appendix | — |
| #321 | Contraband specification — lattice components + supply chain | — |
| #179 | Character definition schema | — |
| #180 | Smuggler character build | — |
| #181 | Detective character build | — |
| #182 | Divergent starting knowledge | — |
| #183 | Divergent relationships | — |
| #322 | Detective institutional chain of command | — |
| #320 | Sova Station Profile | — |
| #336 | Span Gate Transit Schedule | — |

### Setting texture docs

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #335 | Meridian Coverage Map for Sova Transit | #320 |

### Design pattern docs (already unblocked)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #332 | Contradiction arc design document — FRIEND pattern | — |
| #329 | Mirror moment design document | — |
| #259 | First 5 minutes experience design | — |

### Knowledge and vocabulary (Gestalt)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #309 | Knowledge state vocabulary for v0.1 | #368 |

### Content packs — Mellanie (depend on foundation docs and line previewer #193 from server)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #190 | Workplace content pack | #189, #193 (server), #302, #321, #311 (visual) |
| #191 | Bar content pack | #189, #193 (server), #302, #321, #312 (visual) |
| #192 | Smuggling ring content pack | #189, #193 (server), #302, #321, #313 (visual) |

### Opening content (depend on #309)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #260 | Opening hook content per character | #259 |
| #299 | Opening hook content — smuggler first 5 minutes | #309 |
| #300 | Opening hook content — detective first 5 minutes | #309 |
| #307 | Flat NPC memorable trait pass — 3 flat NPCs | — |

### Supporting content (depend on earlier tickets)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #306 | News ticker / Meridian feed content — 20-30 lines | #302 |
| #262 | Environmental text content | — |
| #331 | Diegetic insert flavor text — per character | — |
| #330 | Diegetic tutorial monologue lines — per character | #299, #300 |
| #194 | Generation pass expansion | — |

### Parent epic (close when all children done)

| # | Title | Blocked by |
|---|-------|------------|
| #369 | v0.1 Content Scoping Workshop Outputs (epic) | children above |

Use `db/connectors/ticket show <id>` for full details.

## Key Decisions

- `decisions/content.md` — D-023 (YAML content format), D-024 (three-tier content pipeline), D-025 (dialogue access tier model), D-028 (internal monologue pools per character), D-029 (THE FRIEND production NPC pattern), D-034 (D-029 confirmed), D-035 (knowledge state vocabulary), D-050 (Velen / Van Maanen's Star), D-062 (dialogue system architecture), D-063 (confrontation — same box different weight), D-064 (opening experience design)
- `decisions/perception.md` — D-016 (internal monologue system), D-032 (separate monologue pools per character)
- `decisions/scope.md` — D-027 (vertical slice), D-036 (Sova Transit District / Van Maanen's Star as v0.1 setting), D-037 (contraband spec — unlicensed lattice components), D-039 (v0.1 wow moments — all 6)
- `decisions/architecture.md` — D-041 (knowledge graph — provides vocabulary foundation via Appendix A)

## Open Questions to Resolve Early

- **#368 → #309 dependency:** Gestalt writes vocabulary doc (#368) first. Paula/Mellanie need #309 (knowledge flags) before writing opening hooks #299/#300. Sequence: #368 → #309 → #299/#300.
- **Content pack dependency on visual spatial layouts:** #190/#191/#192 are blocked by #311/#312/#313 (Araminta's spatial layouts, visual team). These are a cross-team dependency. If visual spatial layouts slip, content packs must still proceed with draft versions and be finalized once layouts are confirmed.

## Notes

**Sequencing for the sprint — recommended wave order:**

Wave 1 (all parallel, no blockers):
- #368 (Gestalt) — knowledge vocabulary doc
- #189 (Miri) — cultural generation guide
- #302 (Miri) — Sova Texture Appendix
- #321 (Miri) — contraband spec
- #179/#180/#181 (Paula) — character definition schema and builds
- #182/#183 (Paula) — divergent knowledge/relationships
- #322 (Paula) — detective chain of command
- #320 (Miri) — Sova Station Profile
- #336 (Miri) — Span Gate Transit Schedule
- #332 (Paula) — Contradiction arc doc (FRIEND pattern)
- #329 (Paula) — Mirror moment doc
- #259 (Paula) — First 5 minutes experience design
- #307 (Mellanie) — Flat NPC memorable trait pass
- #262 (Mellanie) — Environmental text content
- #331 (Mellanie) — Diegetic insert flavor text

Wave 2 (after Wave 1 foundation docs):
- #335 (Miri) — Meridian Coverage Map (blocked on #320)
- #309 (Gestalt) — Knowledge state vocabulary (blocked on #368)
- #260 (Paula) — Opening hook content per character (blocked on #259)
- #306 (Mellanie) — News ticker / Meridian feed (blocked on #302)

Wave 3 (after Wave 2 + line previewer #193 from server + spatial layouts from visual):
- #190 (Mellanie) — Workplace content pack
- #191 (Mellanie) — Bar content pack
- #192 (Mellanie) — Smuggling ring content pack
- #299 (Mellanie/Paula) — Opening hook smuggler (blocked on #309)
- #300 (Mellanie/Paula) — Opening hook detective (blocked on #309)

Wave 4 (final):
- #330 (Mellanie) — Diegetic tutorial monologue (blocked on #299, #300)
- #194 (Mellanie) — Generation pass expansion (LLM-assisted, after packs exist)

**#368 — Knowledge vocabulary for v0.1 content**
- Owner: Gestalt. Source material: D-041 Appendix A (knowledge graph workshop synthesis).
- Deliver as a YAML or Markdown doc in `docs/design/` (or wherever content docs live).
- Categories: entity knowledge (identity, location, behavior, relationship, secret, contraband), world knowledge, prerequisite flag naming conventions (`knows:`, `suspects:`, `met:`, `has_seen:`).
- This is the foundation for #309 (Paula's knowledge flag list) which unblocks #299/#300.

**#189 — Cultural generation guide — Miri**
- Blocking dependency for all three content packs (#190, #191, #192).
- Sova Transit District / Van Maanen's Star is the FIRST concrete instance — Miri's output IS the v0.1 cultural voice.
- Covers: naming conventions, economic vocabulary (what do workers call credits, shifts, cargo), social norms, relationship dynamics in a Commission-regulated transit hub.
- D-036 confirms Sova Transit District as setting. D-050 establishes Velen/Van Maanen's Star context.

**#302 — Sova Texture Appendix**
- 1-page appendix to the Sova setting brief. Fast to write, high leverage — unlocks #190, #191, #192, #306.
- (1) Slang glossary 15–20 terms, (2) informal decoration (graffiti, stickers), (3) smells and sounds, (4) recurring social rituals.
- Write as companion to #189 in the same pass.

**#321 — Contraband specification**
- D-037 confirms: primary contraband = unlicensed lattice components (aftermarket neural mods bypassing Commission regulation).
- Deliverable: spec doc covering types, supply chain, street names, detection methods.
- Unlocks #190, #191, #192 — Mellanie needs this before writing any criminal-facing dialogue.

**#179/#180/#181 — Character definition schema and builds**
- #179: formal schema structure (what fields define a character — starting knowledge, relationships, access permissions, skill flags).
- #180/#181: Smuggler and Detective as the two concrete instances.
- These are design documents, not code. Owner: Paula.
- #182 (divergent starting knowledge) and #183 (divergent relationships) follow from #180/#181.

**#190/#191/#192 — Content packs**
- The three primary content packs. Each ~165–280 lines.
- #190 Workplace: cargo workers, supervisors, shift change scripts, manifest disputes.
- #191 Bar: bartender, regulars, gossip pools, social dialogue (40% more lines than investigation).
- #192 Smuggling ring: criminals, trust-gated disclosure, coded language, paranoia.
- All blocked by: #189 (Miri), #193 (line previewer from server team), #302 (texture appendix), #321 (contraband spec), plus respective spatial layouts (#311, #312, #313 from visual team).
- The line previewer (#193) is a Rust CLI being built by server team this sprint. Coordinate with Dudley/Tyre on delivery timing.

**#299/#300 — Opening hook content**
- First 10–15 tightly sequenced monologue lines per character.
- Smuggler: diegetic tutorial for movement, fog, NPC interaction. Establishes criminal motivation.
- Detective: different emotional register. Arrives into established rhythm. First NPC is adversarial by default.
- Blocked by #309 (knowledge flags) — lines need to fire on `knows:` prerequisites.

**#307 — Flat NPC memorable trait pass**
- 3 flat NPCs: Pael (maintenance tech), Ren (drifter), Tev (lookout).
- Each needs: one memorable observable trait, one "seems important but isn't" line, one visible routine.
- These are the investigation noise floor — without them the 30/50/20 structure (30% FRIEND, 50% background, 20% flat) collapses.

**#332 — Contradiction arc design document**
- Reusable pattern from THE FRIEND implementation (#297 Kael, #298 Sera — both done).
- Document the pattern: 3+ phases with distinct monologue registers, observable contradiction discoverable through observation (not dialogue).
- Owner: Paula. Already unblocked.

**#329 — Mirror moment design document**
- 10–15 paired observation triggers. Same event, different character monologue.
- 7 core mirrors already designed (per ticket): The Friend's Routine, The Empty Corridor, The Overheard Argument, The Familiar Face, The Contraband Scan, The End of Shift, The Missing Person Notice.
- Owner: Paula. Already unblocked.

## Dependency Chain

```
#368 (knowledge vocab) → #309 (knowledge flags) → #299, #300 (opening hooks) → #330 (tutorial monologue)
#189 (Miri guide) + #302 (texture appendix) + #321 (contraband) + #193 (server) + #311/#312/#313 (visual) → #190, #191, #192 (content packs)
#259 (5 min design) → #260 (opening content per character)
#320 (station profile) → #335 (Meridian coverage map)
#179 → #180, #181 → #182, #183
#332, #329 — standalone (already unblocked)
#307, #262, #331, #336 — standalone
```

## PR Workflow

When ready to submit, create a PR with `tea` CLI. **All flags are required** to avoid TTY prompts (see CLAUDE.md "Gitea access" section):

```bash
tea pr create --repo jpmschweitzer/settled-reach --login schweitz --title "feat(copy): Sprint 12 — complete v0.1 content authoring" --description "body" --base main --head copy
```