settled-reach/docs/sprints/sprint-5/copy.md

Sprint 5: Live — Copy Tasks

Goal: Content at scale — FRIEND packs, PC-as-NPC authoring, NPC style guide

Branch: copy Agents: Mellanie (lead writer), Paula (NPC design), Gestalt (systems content)

New Tickets

#	Title	Blocked by
#310	Character voice speech patterns — smuggler + detective	—
#379	NPC Authoring Style Guide	#310
#297	THE FRIEND: Smuggler NPC — Kael Davan full profile + content pack	#310
#298	THE FRIEND: Detective NPC — Sera Venn full profile + content pack	#310
#401	PC-as-NPC content authoring	#297, #298
#409	UI microcopy	— (joint with client)

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

Key Decisions

• decisions/content.md — D-028 (dialogue architecture), D-032 (separate monologue pools), D-034 (THE FRIEND pattern), D-035 (tag taxonomy)
• decisions/scope.md — D-027 (vertical slice criteria), D-036 (Sova setting), D-039 (wow moments)

Critical Path

This sprint's critical path runs through voice patterns:

#310 (voice patterns, CRITICAL START)
  → #297 (Kael FRIEND pack) + #298 (Sera FRIEND pack)
  → #401 (PC-as-NPC authoring)

#379 (style guide) — parallel authoring track, informed by #310
#409 (UI microcopy) — standalone, can start immediately

#310 must be completed first. The FRIEND packs require production-level voice consistency across ~75-100 hand-authored lines per character. Voice patterns are the specification that makes that consistency achievable.

Notes

#310: Character voice speech patterns

What exists:

• Smuggler and detective personality profiles in wiki (docs/workshops/content-scoping-v01/round2-synthesis.md)
• PC-as-NPC unified spec (#381, done in Sprint 4)
• Dual lens authoring guide (#261, completed earlier)

What to deliver:

• Speech-level character detail document covering both playable characters (smuggler + detective)
• Per character: sentence length patterns, contraction usage, internal monologue style, nervous behavior verbal markers, frustration register, vocabulary level
• The micro-decisions that ensure 500 lines sound like the same person
• Output format: markdown document at content/campaigns/main/_meta/voice-patterns.md or in wiki under docs/workshops/content-scoping-v01/

Integration: This document is the specification for all FRIEND pack authoring and PC-as-NPC content. Mellanie and Paula both use it as constraint set.

Gotcha: This is not personality traits (those exist). This is the sentence-level execution detail — how long are their sentences, do they use contractions, what verbal tics mark stress.

---

#379: NPC Authoring Style Guide

What exists:

• Tier templates (Paula's Round 2 work)
• Authoring rules from Mellanie conventions
• Regional culture brief (Miri's Sova/Van Maanen's Star content)
• Content pipeline structure (#384, done)
• Monologue guide (docs/workshops/content-scoping-v01/monologue-authoring-guide.md)

What to deliver:

• Combined style guide document consolidating tier templates, authoring rules, Gestalt constraints, Ozzie anchor line guidance
• Must cover: dialogue line authoring, monologue authoring, tag usage, dual-lens coordination, regional culture application
• Target audience: future content authors (including AI-assisted generation)
• Output location: content/_meta/npc-authoring-style-guide.md or similar

Integration: This is the handbook for all future NPC content authoring. Used immediately by FRIEND pack work.

Blocked by: #310 voice patterns should inform style guide rules. Style guide can start in parallel but final version needs voice patterns complete.

---

#297: THE FRIEND — Kael Davan (smuggler NPC)

What exists:

• Full 10-axis profile concept (D-024)
• THE FRIEND pattern spec (D-034)
• Kael character concept: dock worker, ring member, smuggler's closest colleague
• Contradiction: meeting unknown person in restricted corridor (trying to exit ring to protect partner Naia)
• Content directory structure at content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/
• YAML schema files in content/_schema/

What to deliver:

• ~75-100 hand-authored lines (NO generation expansion for FRIEND content)
• Breakdown: 25-35 dialogue, 15-20 trust-gated, 5-8 unprompted, 10-15 monologue (smuggler character pool), 5-8 tell observation, 3-5 contradiction discovery
• Multi-phase relationship arc: comfort → first crack → observation → confrontation → new equilibrium
• Full 10-axis NPC profile in YAML format
• Voice kit, greeting pool, trust-gated dialogue, routine dialogue, contradiction dialogue, monologue reactions, tell descriptions
• Dual-lens notes for detective perspective (how detective sees Kael differently)

File locations:

• Profile: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/npcs/kael-davan.yaml
• Dialogue: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/dialogue/kael-davan-*.yaml (split by content type)
• Monologue: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/monologue/smuggler/kael-*.yaml

Integration: D-039 wow moment #3 (THE FRIEND's contradiction) depends on this content. Success criterion D-027 #3 (player names NPC they felt conflicted about) is tested by Kael.

Blocked by: #310 voice patterns. Kael needs consistent voice across 75-100 lines.

---

#298: THE FRIEND — Sera Venn (detective NPC)

What exists:

• Full 10-axis profile concept (D-024)
• THE FRIEND pattern spec (D-034)
• Sera character concept: Commission field tech, bar regular, detective's social anchor
• Contradiction: avoids Torek Lintar (protecting friend Naia, sitting on unreported evidence)
• Content directory structure at content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/

What to deliver:

• ~75-100 hand-authored lines (same breakdown as #297)
• Multi-phase relationship arc: trust → background data → pattern recognition → the question → contaminated trust
• Institutional access + personal loyalty conflict theme
• Avoidance pattern as observable tell
• Trust-contamination arc (relationship state shift when contradiction discovered)

File locations:

• Profile: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/npcs/sera-venn.yaml
• Dialogue: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/dialogue/sera-venn-*.yaml
• Monologue: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/monologue/detective/sera-*.yaml

Integration: D-039 wow moment #3 for detective playthrough. Tests institutional vs personal loyalty conflict pattern.

Blocked by: #310 voice patterns.

---

#401: PC-as-NPC content authoring

What exists:

• PC-as-NPC unified spec (#381, done)
• Smuggler voice card + moral arc spec (#382, done)
• NPC-format briefs for both PCs (#383, done)
• THE MIRROR pattern spec (#380, done)
• Content directory structure

What to deliver:

• Actual PC-as-NPC authored lines: 5-7 routine entries per character, 3-5 observation monologue lines, reverse dual-lens notes
• ~25 authored items total (Mellanie's budget from workshop)
• Smuggler-as-NPC content (how detective observes the smuggler)
• Detective-as-NPC content (how smuggler observes the detective)
• Routine entries showing how PC moves through space when played by engine vs by player

File locations:

• Smuggler routine: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/npcs/pc-smuggler.yaml
• Detective routine: content/campaigns/main/systems/van-maanens-star/sova/sova-transit/npcs/pc-detective.yaml
• Cross-character monologue in respective character pools

Integration: D-039 wow moment #4 (the divergence reveal). Enables second playthrough recognition.

Blocked by: FRIEND packs must be complete first — PC-as-NPC uses same authoring patterns, benefits from FRIEND pack workflow lessons.

---

#409: UI microcopy

What exists:

• Stig's UI element specs from Sprint 3
• Interaction prompt system (#405, in progress in Sprint 4/5)
• Client rendering scripts at client/scripts/rendering/
• Constants file at client/scripts/constants.gd

What to deliver:

• ~50 UI strings: interaction prompt labels, knowledge panel labels, relationship state descriptors, HUD labels, tutorial text
• Format: YAML file or GDScript constant definitions (coordinate with Stig)
• Must align with Sova setting voice (D-036) — working-class pragmatic, quotidian-with-undertow

File location: TBD with Stig — either content/campaigns/main/_meta/ui-strings.yaml or client/scripts/constants/ui_strings.gd

Integration: Joint ticket with client team. Copy writes strings, client integrates into UI systems.

Not blocked: Can start immediately, doesn't depend on FRIEND packs.

---

Sprint Success Criteria

By end of Sprint 5, copy team delivers:

1. Voice patterns document — smuggler and detective speech-level specification
2. Style guide — comprehensive NPC authoring handbook
3. Kael Davan FRIEND pack — 75-100 hand-authored lines, full profile, multi-phase arc
4. Sera Venn FRIEND pack — 75-100 hand-authored lines, full profile, trust-contamination arc
5. PC-as-NPC content — 25 authored items enabling second-playthrough recognition
6. UI strings — 50 microcopy items for client integration

This is the heaviest copy sprint to date. FRIEND packs are production-level content that carries multiple D-027 success criteria and D-039 wow moments. Quality bar is high — these NPCs must make players feel conflicted.

PR Workflow

When ready to submit, create a PR with tea CLI:

tea pr create \
  --repo jpmschweitzer/settled-reach \
  --login schweitz \
  --title "feat(content): Sprint 5 FRIEND packs + style guide" \
  --description "Sprint 5 copy team delivery - see docs/sprints/sprint-5/copy.md" \
  --base main \
  --head copy