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jpmschweitzerandClaude Opus 4.6 e96ec80d9c docs(workshops): archive v0.1 content gap analysis workshop

6 agents × 2 rounds examining 9 content layers. Produced D-032
through D-039, THE FRIEND NPC pattern, converged tag taxonomy,
and Sova Transit District setting.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

2026-02-11 20:27:31 +01:00

33 KiB

Raw Blame History

Round 2 Workshop Response: Araminta (Visual Design Synthesis)

Agent: Araminta (Visual Designer) Date: 2026-02-11 Round: 2 (Synthesis) Inputs: All 6 Round 1 outputs + project lead direction

Project Lead Directives Acknowledged

Color = relationship to player: APPROVED. This is now the confirmed v0.1 color model. No more hedging.
Audio in v0.1 scope (6-8 files). Visual sound indicators are complementary, not the sole mechanism. My indicator design can be subtler now -- it confirms audio, not replaces it.
THE FRIEND -- one per character, production-level complex. Visual implications addressed in section 6.
Wiki structure with full taxonomy -- non-negotiable. Visual asset taxonomy included in section 7.
Sova Transit District / Krenn System is concrete. All visual proposals now grounded in Miri's Sova setting.

What I Learned from Round 1 (All Six Responses)

Three things crystallized:

Text carries the game. Mellanie, Paula, and Miri all confirmed what D-014 and D-016 implied: at v0.1 fidelity, written content does 80%+ of atmosphere and information delivery. My visual design must support text, not compete with it. Every pixel I spec is either making text more readable, making game state more scannable, or getting out of the way.
The insert is character-specific. Paula proposed that the smuggler's and detective's inserts show different information categories -- social map vs. analytical overlay. Miri confirmed this with setting logic: the smuggler has a baseline lattice (less data), the detective has an augmented lattice (more data, institutional feeds). This changes my insert wireframe from "one HUD, two characters" to "one HUD framework, two information profiles."
Spatial design is load-bearing. Paula's relationship web (15 NPCs, 7 triangles, 6 bridge connections) and Gestalt's spatial requirements (chokepoints, public/private gradients, observation positions) make spatial layouts the most important visual deliverable. Room shapes serve sightline gameplay. Triangle dynamics need specific observation positions. These inputs make my spatial layouts functional, not decorative.

1. Missing Tickets for Visual/Art Direction Work

After reading all Round 1 outputs and cross-referencing the ticket system, here are the visual tickets that should exist:

Critical (blocks other work)

Ticket Title	Priority	Depends On	Blocks	Rationale
v0.1 Visual Grammar Document	Critical	Workshop conclusion	All visual implementation, spatial layouts, entity rendering	Root dependency. Codifies color palette, entity sizing, label rules, UI layers, fog rendering. One page. Everything visual hangs off this.
Entity Color System Spec -- Relationship-to-Player Mapping	Critical	Visual Grammar	NPC rendering, fog rendering, client renderer	The approved color model needs a formal spec: which relationship states map to which colors, how transitions animate, edge cases (NPC relationship changes mid-observation).

High Priority

Ticket Title	Priority	Depends On	Blocks	Rationale
Spatial Layout: Sova Logistics Hub ("The Terminal")	High	Visual Grammar, Miri's setting	Content pack #190, sightline implementation	Tile-level floor plan with sightline analysis. Miri's Round 1 gives me the zones. I can now design concretely.
Spatial Layout: Sova Bar ("The Last Shift")	High	Visual Grammar, Miri's setting	Content pack #191, sightline implementation	Irregular layout with privacy pockets, corner booth as key location.
Spatial Layout: Sova Transition Corridors + Smuggling Spaces	High	Visual Grammar, Miri's setting	Content pack #192, sightline implementation	Maintenance corridors, repurposed storage, hidden spaces within the 40-year-old station structure.
Insert/HUD Wireframe and Spec	High	Visual Grammar	Insert implementation, UI rendering	The lattice overlay design. Includes dual-character variants (smuggler's social map vs. detective's case file overlay).
Monologue Display System Visual Spec	High	Visual Grammar	Monologue renderer, text system	Typography, positioning, fade animation, stacking rules, character voice differentiation. Mellanie's 900+ lines need a rendering pipeline.
Text Display Hierarchy Spec	High	Visual Grammar	All text rendering	How dialogue, monologue, observation, overheard conversation, and environmental text each render distinctly. Four pipelines, four visual treatments.
Sound Indicator Visual Design	High	Visual Grammar, audio scope	Medium-range sound system	Fog-edge pulse indicators. Complementary to audio, not replacement.
THE FRIEND -- Visual Treatment Spec	High	NPC profiles (Paula), Visual Grammar	THE FRIEND NPC rendering	Production-level visual differentiation for one NPC per character. See section 6.

Medium Priority

Ticket Title	Priority	Depends On	Blocks	Rationale
Visual Asset Taxonomy (Wiki Structure)	Medium	Visual Grammar	Future asset pipeline, wiki	Directory structure, naming conventions, category definitions. Future-ready per project lead directive.
Fog Rendering Visual Spec	Medium	Visual Grammar	Fog system implementation	Four-state rendering (visible, fog-edge, hidden, remembered).
Environmental Text Visual Standards	Medium	Visual Grammar, Miri's setting	Environmental text rendering	How signage, terminals, news tickers render in-world. Bilingual treatment per Miri.
Signature Visual Element -- Span Gate Glow	Medium	Miri's setting	First-impression visual	Ozzie's "one thing that says space station." See section 2.

Total new tickets proposed: 13. 2 critical, 8 high, 4 medium. This is the complete visual work scope for v0.1.

2. Refined v0.1 Art Direction Proposal

Round 1 proposed "readable information design, atmosphere through text and spatial composition." Round 2 refines this with Miri's Sova setting and Ozzie's mood requirements.

The Visual Identity of Sova Transit District

Miri's setting brief tells me exactly what this place looks like: mid-Reach, 40 years old, prefab modular construction modified over decades. Institutional corridors near the gate terminal transitioning to older, warmer spaces toward the residential boundary. "Functional prosperity" -- not dystopian, not utopian. A working port.

This translates to three visual zones with distinct palettes:

Zone 1: Gate Terminal / Logistics Hub ("The Terminal")

The institutional face of Sova. Clean, regulated, functional.

Element	Color	Hex	Rationale
Floor	Cool grey-navy	`#1e1e32`	Institutional flooring. Blue-tinted.
Walls	Cool slate	`#2e2e48`	Clean, maintained surfaces.
Lighting tint	Cool white	`#d8e0f0` at 15% overlay	Fluorescent institutional lighting. Bright, slightly harsh.
Equipment/furniture	Darker grey	`#222233`	Grav-lifts, terminals, workstations. Functional.
Restricted areas	Slightly darker floor	`#1a1a2e`	Subtle but perceptible. Private spaces are darker.

Zone 2: Bar District / "The Last Shift"

The social heart. Warmer, older construction, personality.

Element	Color	Hex	Rationale
Floor	Warm dark	`#221e28`	Older materials. Warmer tones.
Walls	Warm grey	`#342e38`	Aged, repaired, character.
Lighting tint	Amber-warm	`#e8c070` at 10% overlay	Cheaper, warmer fixtures. Inviting.
Bar counter/furniture	Dark warm tone	`#2a2018`	Solid, well-worn.
Corner booth	Slightly darker	`#1e1a18`	The semi-private space. Visually recessed.

Zone 3: Corridors / Maintenance / Smuggling Spaces

The in-between. Older construction, poorer lighting, architectural secrets.

Element	Color	Hex	Rationale
Floor	Neutral dark	`#18161e`	Transitional. Neither warm nor cool.
Walls	Varied	Mixed old/new sections	40 years of modifications visible. Different wall tones = different construction eras.
Lighting tint	Dim, irregular	`#a0a0b0` at 8% overlay	Maintenance-level lighting. Gaps and shadows.
Hidden spaces	Near-black	`#12121a`	Sealed sections reopened, gaps between walls. Barely lit.

Transition gradient: Walking from the logistics hub to the bar, the palette warms. Walking into a maintenance corridor, it goes flat and dark. No art needed -- just tile color variation. The player may not consciously notice but will feel the shift.

Confirmed Entity Color Palette (Relationship-to-Player)

Project lead approved. Locked.

Relationship State	Color	Hex	When
Unknown/Neutral	Cool teal	`#4a9ebb`	Default for NPCs the character hasn't assessed.
Known/Friendly	Soft green	`#6bc9a6`	People the character knows and trusts.
Person of Interest	Warm amber	`#e8c547`	Monologue or case file has flagged something.
Hostile/Dangerous	Muted red	`#d45d5d`	Character KNOWS there's danger. Subjective, not omniscient.
Static objects	Muted grey	`#8b8ba0`	Furniture, equipment, environmental elements.
Player character	Bright marker	`#e0e8ff` (detective) / `#e8e0d0` (smuggler)	Subtle warmth/coolness difference per character.

Key principle unchanged: Red means danger TO YOUR CHARACTER, not danger in the abstract. The detective might see that same NPC as amber (flagged in case file) while the smuggler sees green (trusted colleague). Same NPC, different color, because asymmetric information drives the palette.

Ozzie's Signature Element: The Span Gate Glow

Ozzie asked for "one thing that says space station." Miri's setting gives the answer: the span gate.

The span gate terminal sits at the district's edge. Its effects should be visible from the player's starting position.

Proposal: The span gate glow. A subtle, rhythmic light source visible through a viewport or structural gap near the starting area. Not dramatic sci-fi blue-plasma. A warm, deep amber-orange luminance that pulses with transit cycles. Miri says the span gate produces "a deep, subsonic vibration" -- visually, this translates to a gentle, rhythmic luminance shift. When the confirmed audio system plays the span gate hum, the visual pulse synchronizes.

Implementation cost: one animated light source with a viewport tile. It grounds the player in "space station near an active gate" within the first 5 seconds. It's also mechanically useful later -- changes in glow pattern (maintenance shutdown, increased traffic) become visual information.

Character-Specific Insert Overlays

Paula and Miri both established the narrative logic: the smuggler has a baseline lattice, the detective has augmented. Ozzie wants the insert labels to reflect character perspective.

Insert Element	Smuggler	Detective
Tint	`#3d7aaf` at 30% (consumer-grade)	`#3d7aaf` at 40% (institutional-grade, slightly denser)
POI markers	Social contacts as dots (color = relationship state), favorite spots as circles	Persons of interest as amber diamonds, evidence locations as squares, surveillance zones as faint boundary lines
Labels	Casual: "The Last Shift", "Kael's usual spot"	Institutional: "Licensed establishment - District 7", "POI: K. Davan"
Notifications	Informal: "Msg from Kael", "Drop point updated"	Commission format: "Case file update: Subject Davan", "Commission advisory"
Grid overlay	None (consumer-grade, no extras)	Faint 1-pixel grid at 3% opacity (analytical feel)

Implementation: One insert system with a lattice_profile parameter. Stig builds one framework, not two. Character selection loads the appropriate profile.

3. Placeholder Art Pipeline Priorities

The question isn't "what art do we need" -- it's "in what order do we build the visual layers so each step is playable?"

Four Phases

Phase 1: Structural (blocks gameplay testing)

Tile-level floor plans for all three social sites
Wall/door/furniture rectangles with correct proportions
Fog rendering (visible/fog-edge/hidden/remembered)
Entity rectangles with relationship colors
Basic labels (NPC names, room names)

Phase 2: Information (blocks content testing)

Insert/HUD overlay (minimap, POI markers, time display)
Monologue text display (positioned, styled, animated)
Dialogue panel (NPC name header, text area)
Sound indicators at fog edge (pulse icons, complementary to audio)
Environmental text (signs, terminals)
News ticker display

Phase 3: Atmosphere (blocks experience testing)

Zone-specific color palettes applied (three zones above)
Lighting variation between locations
Span gate signature visual element
Character-specific insert variants
Remembered-state fog (desaturated ghost)
THE FRIEND visual treatment (color transition)

Phase 4: Polish (pre-release quality)

Sprite replacements for entity rectangles (if v0.1 scope allows)
Animated transitions (door opening, NPC movement smoothing)
Particle effects (span gate glow, fog-edge shimmer)
Visual tells for NPC behavioral states
Full environmental detail (wall texture variation, construction-era differences)

For v0.1 vertical slice: Phases 1-3 are required. Phase 4 is stretch.

Total Art Asset Count for v0.1

Approximately zero image files. Everything is procedural: colored rectangles, styled text, shader overlays. The "art pipeline" is a color configuration file plus spatial layout data.

This is deliberate. Zero image files means no asset loading latency, no sprite inconsistency, and no art-replacement migration when we move to real sprites. Stig and Dudley can build the full renderer without waiting on visual assets from me. My primary output is documented specifications, not image files.

4. Dependencies Between Visual Work and Content Work

Content Teams Need from Me:

Content Team	What They Need	My Deliverable	Urgency
Mellanie	Display constraints -- character limits per text type, line count, wrap rules	Text Display Hierarchy Spec + Monologue Spec	High -- she's writing to unknown constraints
Mellanie	Environmental text visual format	Environmental Text Visual Standards	Medium -- can write provisionally
Paula	Spatial layouts to validate sightline assumptions	Spatial Layouts (3 sites)	High -- her NPC positions must work spatially
Miri	Visual tone confirmation	Visual Grammar	Medium -- confirmation, not blocker

I Need from Content Teams:

From	What I Need	Status
Miri	Station district setting brief	DONE (Round 1 Sova brief)
Paula	NPC relationship web	DONE (Round 1, 15 NPCs, 7 triangles)
Paula	NPC routine phases (who is where by time of day)	Pending -- needed for spatial layout NPC anchors
Gestalt	Display context tag confirmation	Pending -- Mellanie proposed, Gestalt validates

Key finding: I'm mostly unblocked. The Visual Grammar has no upstream dependencies. Spatial layouts can begin with Miri's zones + Paula's relationship web. Insert wireframe has all its inputs.

The Critical Circular Dependency

Spatial layouts need Paula's relationship web -> Content packs need spatial layouts -> Paula's relationship web needs content understanding.

Resolution: Parallel drafting with one sync pass.

I draft spatial layouts from Miri's zones + Gestalt's spatial requirements
Paula reviews layouts against her relationship web -- flags adjustments
I adjust. One round. Layouts lock for content authoring.

5. How Spatial Layout Serves Paula's Relationship Web and Gestalt's Access Tier Model

This is the most important synthesis. Paula's triangles and Gestalt's access tiers are abstract. My spatial layouts make them concrete.

Physical arrangement determines:

Who can observe whom (sightlines = observation opportunities)
Who can talk privately (enclosed spaces = trust-gated conversations)
Who crosses paths (chokepoints = accidental encounters)
Who can be followed (corridors = approach vectors)

Logistics Hub -- Serving the Relationship Web

Paula's hub NPCs: Shift Supervisor (A), Workers (B, C), Dock Inspector (D), Maintenance Tech (E). Paula's hub triangles: New Hire Problem (B-C-A), Inspection Squeeze (A-D-K). Gestalt's requirements: publicly accessible area with hidden back section, restricted-access area, chokepoint.

+------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    SPAN GATE TERMINAL (visible glow)              |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                    |
|   [Scanner Bay 1]  [Scanner Bay 2]  [Scanner Bay 3]              |
|                                                                    |
|   +---------+  +---------+  +---------+                           |
|   | staging | | staging  |  | staging |                           |
|   +---------+  +---------+  +---------+                           |
|                                                                    |
|   === MAIN CORRIDOR (chokepoint - everyone passes through) ====== |
|                                                                    |
|   +----------------+    +----------+    +-----+    +--------+     |
|   | Manifest       |    | Break    |    | WC  |    | Lockers|     |
|   | Processing     |    | Room     |    |     |    |        |     |
|   | (terminals)    |    | (social) |    +-----+    +--------+     |
|   +----------------+    +----------+                               |
|                                                                    |
|   +-------------+    +-------------------+                         |
|   | Supervisor  |    | Restricted Storage|  <-- smuggling ops     |
|   | Office      |    | (key access)      |                        |
|   | (window)    |    |                   |                         |
|   +-------------+    +-------------------+                         |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+

How this serves the triangles:

New Hire Problem (B-C-A): C works in manifest processing (open, visible). B observes C from staging. A watches from the office window (sightline into main floor, sound blocked). C's curiosity about restricted storage is observable -- other NPCs see C lingering near the locked door.
Inspection Squeeze (A-D-K): D visits scanner bays. A watches from office window. The main corridor is the chokepoint -- D must pass through it, and the break room has a sightline to corridor traffic.

How this serves access tiers:

Public areas (scanner bays, main corridor, manifest processing): Wide, well-lit, high visibility. Detective observes freely. public + authority dialogue.
Semi-private areas (break room, lockers): Partially enclosed. Smuggler gets insider dialogue. Detective draws attention if lingering.
Private areas (supervisor office, restricted storage): Enclosed, door access, blocked sightlines. The smuggler knows what's behind the restricted door. The detective can only observe from outside.

Bar -- Serving the Relationship Web

Paula's bar NPCs: Bar Owner (F), Security Officer (G), Teacher/Family Person (H), Bartender (I), Drifter (J). Paula's bar triangles: Card Game Debt (D-G-F), Worried Partner (H-B-F).

+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                      |
|   +---+  +---+  +---+      +-----------+            |
|   | T |  | T |  | T |      | Corner    |            |
|   +---+  +---+  +---+      | Booth     | <-- key    |
|                              | (semi-    |  observation
|   +==========================| private)  |  position  |
|   |     BAR COUNTER         +-----------+            |
|   |     (high visibility)                             |
|   +==========================                         |
|                                                      |
|   +---+  +---+      +---+                            |
|   | T |  | T |      | T |                            |
|   +---+  +---+      +---+                            |
|                                                      |
|   +------------------+    +---------+                 |
|   | News Ticker      |    | Back    | <-- alley exit |
|   | Display          |    | Room    |                 |
|   +------------------+    +---------+                 |
|                                                      |
|                    [ENTRANCE]                         |
+----------------------------------------------------+

How this serves the triangles:

Card Game Debt (D-G-F): D and G at a table visible from the bar counter. F observes from behind the bar. The corner booth covers the card table -- observation position for both characters.
Worried Partner (H-B-F): H sits at the bar counter (visible). Where B sits signals relationship state -- with H (normal) or at a separate table (avoidance, noteworthy). F observes from behind the bar.
The corner booth is the most loaded piece of furniture in the game. From here: the bar counter (H, regulars), the card table area (D, G), the entrance (who comes and goes), and the back room door are all visible. For the smuggler: where ring contacts meet. For the detective: the surveillance perch. Same seat, different purpose.

Smuggling Spaces -- Serving the Access Tier Model

NOT a separate building. The ring operates in: restricted storage (hub), maintenance corridors, dead-drop locations in transition areas.

Design principle: The ring is invisible. Meeting points have legitimate mundane purposes. Their ring function is only apparent if you know what to look for. The smuggler navigates naturally. The detective must DISCOVER these spaces -- following an NPC, finding corridors not on official maps, noticing recently-used maintenance hatches.

The spatial layout encodes information asymmetry in the map itself. Same physical space, different player understanding of it.

6. Visual Treatment of THE FRIEND

Ozzie's Round 1 makes the case: THE FRIEND is designed to deliver D-027 success criterion #3 ("player names an NPC they felt conflicted about"). Project lead confirms: one per character, production-level complex.

Should THE FRIEND Look Different?

Yes, but through EARNED visual detail, not special status marking.

The Visual Progression

Phase 1: Before Contradiction (minutes 1-15)

THE FRIEND is visually identical to other friendly NPCs. Same green rectangle, same label format. What makes them distinct is NOT rendering:

Label detail: Their name shows from the start (not "Worker" or "?"). The character KNOWS this person.
Monologue frequency: The character's thoughts reference THE FRIEND more often. Text creates attachment, not visuals.
Spatial proximity: THE FRIEND's routine keeps them near the player. They're visually present more often.

This matters: THE FRIEND should NOT look special at first. If they look different, the player knows to pay attention. The point is natural attachment, then the contradiction hits.

Phase 2: After Contradiction Discovery (mid-session)

When the player observes THE FRIEND's contradictory behavior:

Color shift: Entity color transitions from green (#6bc9a6) to amber (#e8c547). Smooth 0.5s fade. The relationship-to-player color system working as designed -- the character now has QUESTIONS.
Observation marker: The eye icon appears alongside the monologue about the contradiction. Same icon used for all observations, but applied to someone the player trusted.

The moment the rectangle shifts from green to amber IS THE FRIEND's visual moment. It should be the first relationship color change in the session. If it's the FIRST color shift the player sees, they'll feel it -- because until now, colors have been static. The system proving it's dynamic ON a character the player cares about is the visual punch.

Phase 3: Production-Level Treatment (planned, partially v0.1)

When we move beyond boxes-with-labels:

Unique sprite. Not dramatically different -- recognizably distinct. Where flat NPCs share sprite templates, THE FRIEND gets unique proportions, posture, one identifying accessory.
Behavioral animation states. Minimum two: their "normal" state and their "hiding something" state.
Memory echo. In the "remembered" fog state, THE FRIEND's ghost lingers longer. Their desaturated outline fades last. Subliminal signal that the character can't stop thinking about them.

v0.1 Production Budget for THE FRIEND

Entity rendering: Identical to other NPCs (colored rectangle, name label). No special rendering.
Color behavior: Standard relationship color system, but designed so this NPC is MORE LIKELY to transition mid-session. The color spec must handle smooth transitions.
Writing investment: The visual spec for THE FRIEND is actually a writing spec -- ensure Mellanie has enough monologue lines to create attachment before the contradiction.

The visual treatment of THE FRIEND is mostly about what we DON'T do. We don't mark them as special. We let writing and routines create attachment. Then the standard color-shift delivers the punch.

7. Visual Asset Taxonomy (Wiki Structure)

Project lead: full taxonomy, future-ready, non-negotiable.

assets/
  visual/
    style-guide/
      v0.1-visual-grammar.md           # Root document
      color-palette.md                  # All color definitions + usage rules
      entity-rendering-rules.md         # Sizing, labels, color mapping
      fog-rendering-spec.md             # Four-state visibility
      typography.md                     # Font choices, text hierarchy
    ui/
      insert/
        hud-wireframe.md                # Insert overlay layout
        smuggler-variant.md             # Smuggler lattice profile
        detective-variant.md            # Detective lattice profile
        poi-markers.md                  # POI icon definitions
      monologue/
        display-spec.md                 # Typography, animation, stacking
        character-variants.md           # Per-character text style
      dialogue/
        panel-spec.md                   # Dialogue UI layout
        name-header-rules.md            # NPC name + relationship color
      environmental-text/
        signage-styles.md               # In-world text rendering
        terminal-screens.md             # Interactive screen format
        news-ticker.md                  # Ticker display format
      sound-indicators/
        fog-edge-pulse.md               # Visual sound indicator spec
        close-range.md                  # LOS sound indicators
        insert-alerts.md                # Long-range notification style
    spatial/
      sova-logistics-hub/
        floor-plan.md                   # Tile-level layout
        sightline-analysis.md           # Observation positions, blind spots
        sound-propagation.md            # Thin/thick walls, bleed zones
        npc-positions.md                # Routine phase positions
        approach-vectors.md             # Player entry + first impressions
      sova-bar/
        floor-plan.md
        sightline-analysis.md
        sound-propagation.md
        npc-positions.md
        approach-vectors.md
      sova-smuggling-spaces/
        floor-plan.md
        sightline-analysis.md
        sound-propagation.md
        npc-positions.md
        approach-vectors.md
      corridors-transitions/
        district-connectivity.md        # How zones connect
        chokepoint-analysis.md          # Cross-template encounter points
    entities/
      npc/
        relationship-color-spec.md      # Color mapping + transitions
        label-rules.md                  # Name/role/unknown display rules
        the-friend-treatment.md         # Production-level NPC visual spec
        flat-npc-templates.md           # Shared visual templates
      objects/
        furniture.md                    # Sizing, color, interaction markers
        doors.md                        # Open/closed/locked states
        terminals.md                    # Interactive object visual
      environment/
        span-gate-glow.md              # Signature visual element
        lighting-zones.md              # Per-zone lighting spec
        construction-eras.md           # Wall/floor variation by age
    sprites/                            # FUTURE: when we move beyond boxes
      characters/
      objects/
      tiles/
      effects/

Every folder exists even if files are stubs. New locations slot into spatial/ with the same structure. Sprites slot into sprites/ following entity definitions already established. This scales to full game without reorganization.

8. Complete Dependency Chain (All Teams)

PHASE 0: WORKSHOP OUTPUT (we are here)
  |
  v
PHASE 1: FOUNDATION (parallel, no cross-dependencies)
  |
  |-- [Araminta] v0.1 Visual Grammar Document
  |-- [Miri] Finalize Sova Setting Brief (Round 1 is nearly complete)
  |-- [Paula] Dual Lens Authoring Guide (draft)
  |
  v
PHASE 2: SPATIAL + CHARACTER (mostly parallel, one sync point)
  |
  |-- [Araminta] Spatial layouts (3 sites)
  |     depends on: Visual Grammar + Miri's setting
  |     |
  |     +--- SYNC POINT: Paula reviews against relationship web
  |     |    (one feedback round, then layouts lock)
  |
  |-- [Araminta] Insert/HUD wireframe (parallel)
  |-- [Araminta] Monologue display spec (parallel)
  |-- [Araminta] Sound indicator design (parallel)
  |-- [Paula] Relationship web + NPC profiles
  |-- [Mellanie] Voice kits + monologue starters
  |
  v
PHASE 3: CONTENT PRODUCTION
  |
  |-- [Mellanie] Content packs (#190-192)
  |     depends on: Spatial layouts (locked), NPC profiles, format
  |-- [Araminta] Environmental text visual placement
  |-- [Araminta] THE FRIEND visual spec (needs Paula's NPC profiles)
  |
  v
PHASE 4: INTEGRATION
  |
  |-- Specs handed to Stig (UI) + Dudley (server)
  |-- Araminta reviews implementation against specs

The Visual Grammar Document is my Phase 1 deliverable. Zero dependencies. I can start today.

9. Answering Specific Round 1 Asks

For Mellanie: "Tell me the visual fidelity target"

Maximum text density. The colored rectangles communicate game state (who's friendly, where's the fog). They don't communicate mood, personality, or social dynamics. All that burden falls on text.

Concrete display constraints (pending full spec):

Monologue: max ~80 characters per line (60% screen width at default font), max 3 visible lines
Dialogue: max ~100 characters per line in dialogue panel
Environmental text: 8-40 characters for labels, up to 200 for terminal screens
News ticker: single scrolling line, ~60 character visible window

For Paula: "Should the insert carry character-specific visual language?"

Yes. One parameterized system, two profiles. See insert section above. The lattice_profile loads POI categories, notification format, data density, and annotation style per character. No extra development cost -- just data.

For Ozzie: "Does it need mood?"

It needs three things: a color palette, lighting variation, and one signature element. That's the span gate glow, the zone palettes, and the three-zone lighting model. Not polish -- MOOD through restraint. The gap between "readable prototype" and "world I'm stepping into" is these three things.

For Gestalt: Spatial requirements

Confirmed. Each spatial layout includes: one publicly accessible area with hidden back section, one area with smuggler-natural access, one chokepoint where cross-template encounters happen. The main corridor in the logistics hub is the primary chokepoint. The bar entrance + counter serve as social observation chokepoint.

10. Immediate Next Steps

Write v0.1 Visual Grammar Document. One page. Color palette (locked), entity sizing, label conventions, UI layers, fog spec. No dependencies. Can start today.
Draft spatial layouts for Sova's three social sites. Based on Miri's zones + Paula's relationship web + Gestalt's spatial requirements. Submit to Paula for review.
Design insert/HUD wireframe. Two variants. Based on Paula's access tier model + Miri's lattice descriptions.
Write monologue display spec. Typography, positioning, animation, stacking. Gives Mellanie her display constraints.
Design sound indicators. Fog-edge pulse icons complementary to 6-8 audio files.
Spec THE FRIEND's visual treatment. After Paula's NPC profiles exist.

Summary Position

Round 1: "The entity color system is the single most important visual DECISION." Round 2: "The spatial layouts are the single most important visual DELIVERABLE."

The color system is confirmed and locked. Good. Now: does the physical space support the relationship web, the access tier model, the observation gameplay, and the dual-lens experience? If sightlines are wrong, no dialogue tagging saves the investigation. If chokepoints don't exist, cross-template encounters don't happen. If the bar doesn't have that corner booth, Paula's card game triangle has nowhere to play out.

The spatial layouts are where abstract systems become concrete games. Where Paula's 7 triangles become observable social dynamics. Where Gestalt's access tiers become physical spaces. Where Mellanie's 900 lines have rooms to live in.

I can start the Visual Grammar today. Spatial layouts begin as soon as the workshop concludes.

Keep it clean, we can layer detail later.

Written by Araminta. Round 2 synthesis complete.

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