Research NPC model sources and plan 0.11.0 expansion

TODO.md

@@ -196,6 +196,66 @@ verify every distribution path. This is the next minor release after the 0.9.x p
 - [ ] Exit: the release candidate is content-locked, externally played, legally reviewed,
       documented, reproducibly built, and approved as the 0.10.0 release candidate.
 
+## Milestone 0.11.0 — NPC model variety
+
+Goal: break the eight-character clone effect with a reviewed, licence-cleared set of new NPC
+looks while keeping the frozen `npc_base` bone, tint-slot and gear-attach contract. Start only
+after the 0.10.0 release candidate is published; this milestone must not delay the release.
+
+### 0.11.1 Source review and decision
+
+- [x] Research free/open-source character sources and evaluate at least three downloads against
+      the existing Blender contract. (Measured Quaternius CC0, Kenney CC0, Khronos
+      CesiumMan/RiggedFigure CC-BY and the MakeHuman CC0 base mesh; none is a drop-in.
+      Results, local preview sheet and SHA-256 provenance are in
+      `docs/npc-model-sourcing.md`.)
+- [ ] Review the sourcing research with the project owner and choose Option A (procedural),
+      Option B (Quaternius CC0 intake) or Option C (MakeHuman/MPFB body pipeline); record the
+      decision in an ADR and in `MEMORY.md`.
+- [ ] Add a source licence allow-list and provenance rule: CC0 preferred, CC-BY only with
+      attribution in `CREDITS.md`, and no service assets whose terms restrict redistribution.
+- [ ] Decide whether the external preview sheet stays local under `tmp/` or is committed with
+      the required CC-BY attribution.
+
+### 0.11.2 Intake and validation
+
+- [ ] Add a Blender `inspect` path that imports a GLB, applies node transforms, reports
+      tris/verts, bounds, bones, materials, UVs and skinning, and lists contract failures.
+- [ ] Add an `adapt` path that scales/grounds the mesh, welds seams, decimates to the
+      triangle/vertex budget, maps materials into the five tint slots, rebuilds the contract
+      armature, transfers weights and writes the `npc_base` node name.
+- [ ] Keep `tools/blender_assets.py audit` as the single final gate; add a regression test for the
+      intake report/adaptation using a deterministic synthetic or licence-cleared fixture.
+- [ ] Document the adapter commands and the go/no-go checks in `docs/asset-tooling.md`.
+
+### 0.11.3 One-character prototype
+
+- [ ] Adapt one Quaternius CC0 variant and capture front, three-quarter, profile, back,
+      full-body and crowd views plus a walk cycle.
+- [ ] Measure the prototype against the `npc_casual` controls: silhouette, face style, hands,
+      gear fit, rest pose and walk pose.
+- [ ] Make a go/no-go decision on Option B; if no-go, remove the prototype from the pipeline and
+      continue with Option A.
+
+### 0.11.4 Roster and runtime
+
+- [ ] Approve four new looks (age/build/hair/outfit variation across everyday, workwear and
+      responder families; no clothing that labels the NPC's behaviour).
+- [ ] Build or adapt the approved variants and add them to the manifest with roles and tint data.
+- [ ] Replace the fixed `character_model_for()` mapping with deterministic per-role pools and add
+      tests for repeatability and duplicate avoidance.
+- [ ] Rebuild and verify gear fit for every new variant (`blender_assets.py fit` plus the runtime
+      gear checks).
+
+### 0.11.5 QA and release
+
+- [ ] Run the 24-NPC budget smoke, portrait baseline, gear fit, headless suite and a release build
+      with the expanded library.
+- [ ] Update `CREDITS.md`, `docs/development-status.md`, `docs/npc-visual-review.md` and
+      `CHANGELOG.md`; record any accepted visual limits.
+- [ ] Exit: a reviewed 12-character library passes contract audit, portrait/gear acceptance,
+      the 24-NPC budget and licence/provenance review without changing the runtime contract.
+
 ## Future 0.x / non-blocking candidates
 
 - [ ] Live 3D body-camera replay.