# TODO

Work is grouped by theme. Each item should be small enough to complete and verify on its own;
see `AGENTS.md` for the workflow and `MEMORY.md` for the decisions behind these plans.

## Gap Analysis and 0.x Roadmap

Baseline: **v0.9.3** (2026-11-02). Three playable venues, tutorial/campaign/checkpoint resume,
difficulty/help, audio/accessibility settings, a 24-NPC budget baseline, a complete
escalation/access/radio loop, shift review, the Blender asset library, 262 headless + 101 Python
tests, a 21/21 clean screen-design judge and an optional Forward+ Desktop HQ build. This is a strong
release-candidate foundation, not yet a 0.10.0 release candidate.

### Documentation audit (completed 2026-11-01)

- [x] Make `docs/architecture.md` the single architecture source: asset/content pipeline
      contracts, runtime venue-switch/fallback flows, deployment/version constraints, quality
      requirements, risk register and documentation ownership map.
- [x] Keep command-heavy operational pages separate but subordinate: `docs/asset-tooling.md`,
      `docs/blender-assets.md`, `docs/getting-started.md`, `docs/RELEASING.md` and
      `docs/smoke-checklist.md` link to architecture rather than acting as parallel sources.
- [x] Remove the obsolete `docs/plan-graphics-v0.6.md` and its links; completed graphics work is
      represented by ADR-0013, the asset pipeline section and the changelog.
- [x] Resolve stale claims: README release version/download row, development status
      "Forward+ not implemented", and Blender props "not AO-baked".
- [x] Record the documentation ownership rule in `docs/architecture.md` §12: design intent
      (`PLAN.md`), mechanics (`gameplay.md`), system architecture/contracts (`architecture.md`),
      decisions (ADRs), status (`development-status.md`), roadmap (`TODO.md`), operations
      (tooling/release docs).

### Gap register (remaining roadmap)

| Area | Current baseline | Remaining gap | Risk | Milestone |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Content and balance | 3 venues with validated 12+ event matrices, recovery events and contextual dialogue | External playtest evidence, balance/fairness pass, event-weight tuning and final content lock | Repetition or unfair outcomes survive into the release candidate | 0.10.0 |
| Dialog/UI | Audited terminology, copy, button states, focus/navigation, modal close, long strings and all 21 screen captures | Keep the capture/compare/judge gate current as content changes | Low; the remaining risk is drift after new UI is added | Complete (0.9.3) |
| Animation/presentation | Procedural pose layers, portrait captures, reduced hem clipping | Thorough NPC silhouette/face/gear/pose/LOD optimization before visual QA | Close-up jank reduces perceived quality | 0.9.4 |
| Audio/accessibility | Procedural ambience/SFX, volume controls, captions/reduce-motion settings, searchable Help | Full accessibility/localization acceptance review, audio caption coverage and P0/P1 fixes | Public release cannot claim accessible play | 0.10.0 |
| Localization | English JSON table, validation and input-generated Help | Pseudo-locale/layout audit and translator workflow sign-off | Text expansion/clipping at release | 0.10.0 |
| Performance/platform | 24-NPC headless budget (6.9 ms), Compatibility/Web/HQ paths | Target hardware matrix, Web/HQ manual profiling, frame-time/memory evidence | Platform-specific drops or startup failures | 0.9.6 / 0.10.0 |
| Save lifecycle | Settings/campaign/history/checkpoint files, atomic writes | Migration fixtures from 0.8/0.9, fresh-install/upgrade verification, rollback instructions | Player progress loss on upgrade | 0.10.0 |
| QA/CI | Headless suite, smokes, screenshot compare, 21/21 judge | Release-candidate smoke matrix, final gallery and release dry run | Regressions escape the release gate | 0.9.6 / 0.10.0 |
| Release/legal | Unsigned desktop/macOS builds, Web/HQ packages | Signing/notarization decision, checksums, AI-asset provenance, credits, privacy/body-camera and rating review | Public release blocked by trust/policy | 0.10.0 |
| Documentation | Architecture/ADR/status/roadmap ownership established | Final README/changelog/status/TODO/smoke-checklist sign-off and known-limitations page | Docs drift at launch | 0.9.6 / 0.10.0 |
| Future 0.x | Stable 0.x feature set | Live replay, more venues, VO/music, image-to-mesh props and seasonal content | Scope creep before release | 0.11.0+ |

**Current priority:** map optimization, the **pre-build NPC revisit** and the
**0.9.3 UI polish** pass are complete (all moved to `DONE.md` on 2026-11-02).
**0.9.4 NPC-detail** is active; 0.9.5 texture refinement, 0.9.6 integration and
the 0.10.0 release candidate are queued. The source version is now 0.9.3; no
release build or tag has been produced for it.

## Patch 0.9.4 — NPC visual optimization

Goal: make the eight character variants hold up in portrait, conversation and crowd
views without changing the `npc_base`/`Rig/Head` contract or the skinned/procedural
fallback behavior.

### Reference and acceptance criteria

- [x] Establish a portrait/contact-sheet baseline for all eight variants: front, three-quarter,
      profile, back, full body and a crowd-distance silhouette. (`capture_npc_baseline.gd`
      produces 48 frames; `sheet_npc_baseline.jpg` is committed.)
- [x] Define acceptance criteria for proportions, face readability, hair, hands, shoes, clothing
      silhouette, gear fit and animation at the gameplay camera height (1.7 m). (Eight criteria
      in `docs/npc-visual-review.md`; the current 8,000-triangle/8,000-vertex library contract is explicit; the `npc_base` fallback remains 6,000/4,000.)
- [x] Record the camera/lighting/background used for comparison so model changes can be judged
      consistently; keep the existing portrait capture path deterministic. (Neutral studio, fixed
      orbit cameras, no HUD/crowd/animation; commands recorded in `docs/npc-visual-review.md`.)
- [x] Identify the highest-impact gaps from the current portraits (e.g. face depth, hair mass,
      neck/shoulder transition, hand/foot shape, coat/dress hem) and rank them by player visibility.
      (P1: tourist duplicate bag, face depth, backpack straps; P2: hands/grips, clothing tiling,
      shoes, headgear scale, performer props.)
- [x] Publish a before/after NPC comparison sheet for review before changing the library.
      (`sheet_npc_baseline.jpg` is the before artifact; `tools/npc_baseline.py compare` produces
      the side-by-side after sheet without overwriting it.)

Completed 2026-11-02: 48-frame neutral studio baseline, eight criteria, current fit and
triangle/vertex measurements, and ranked P1/P2 gaps are in `docs/npc-visual-review.md`. The
baseline itself changed no character models; the first P1 gear fixes are recorded under Gear
and equipment fit.

### Body proportions and silhouette

- [x] Raise the per-character library cap from 6,000/5,000 to **8,000 triangles / 8,000 glTF
      vertices** so face, hand-grip and clothing detail is not forced to replace geometry. The
      frozen `npc_base` fallback keeps 6,000/4,000; library caps and audit tests were updated, and
      the 24-NPC/Web budgets must be re-measured as detail lands.

- [x] Audit all variants against a shared human proportion guide (head height, shoulder width,
      torso length, hip width, limb length, foot length) and correct the worst outliers.
      (`tools/npc_proportions.py` + `docs/npc-proportion-audit.md`: all eight pass; no skeleton or
      mesh rescue was needed. Head and broad-build silhouettes are nearest their upper bounds.)
- [x] Improve the neck and shoulder transition so the silhouette reads as one body rather than a
      thin post on a hanger. (Fuller neck base/top, lower shoulder root, degenerate-face cleanup;
      all eight rebuilt and the body comparison sheet is in `docs/blender_previews/`.)
- [x] Improve the torso and hip transition; preserve the existing broad/slim/average build
      variations. (Chest/pelvis widened relative to the waist; proportions still pass and the
      comparison is `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg`.)
- [ ] Add subtle body-shape variation between variants beyond uniform scaling (shoulder slope,
      torso taper, hip width, limb thickness) while staying inside the triangle/vertex budget.
- [ ] Check the procedural fallback and `npc_base` silhouette against the library so the fallback
      remains a credible offline substitute.
- [ ] Re-measure LOD 0/1/2 silhouettes and ensure the impostor still matches each variant at distance.

### Head, face and hair

- [x] Refine the head volume and jaw/cheek/chin proportions against the portrait concept; keep the
      face front direction unambiguous for the focus cone and head-turn. (Chin plate and cheekbones
      sculpted into the head mesh; no separate jaw/cheek spheres or AO intersection rings.)
- [x] Improve brow/eye-socket depth and eyelid/iris readability without turning the low-poly face
      into a noisy mesh. (Recessed sclera, thin upper lid; `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face.jpg`.)
- [x] Refine the nose bridge/tip, lips and ear shape; keep the five tint slots and face direction
      unchanged. (Ala wings, smaller tip, one rounded mouth slot, darker ear concha; all eight
      rebuilt. `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face-detail.jpg`.)
- [ ] Audit hair caps, fringes, side locks, buns and beard silhouettes for gaps, intersections and
      obvious scalp seams; keep hair color in the tintable slot.
- [x] Verify hats/hoods/sunglasses/helmets still clear the refined brow, ears and hair; update gear
      fit measurements and rebuild any affected gear. (Final-context 96-frame review: cap, helmet,
      hood and sunglasses clear the eyes; `blender_assets.py fit` clean; no rebuild needed.)
- [ ] Check face readability under day, evening and LATE lighting and at the portrait capture’s
      shallow depth of field.

### Hands, feet and clothing

- [x] Refine hands and fingers enough to read at conversation distance without exceeding the
      character triangle budget. (Wider palm, two-segment bent fingers with rounded tips, separate
      thumb; optional `--view=hand` capture and `sheet_npc_hands_compare.jpg`.)
- [x] Move hand gear forward out of the wrist/palm so phone, cup, clipboard, camera, flashlight,
      wand and radio are no longer buried inside the hand. (`HAND_ITEM_FORWARD`, 4 cm; new capture
      sheet `sheet_npc_hands_grip_compare.jpg` and regression assertions.)
- [ ] Add finger curl/thumb contact for the hand items and judge the umbrella/sign grips against the
      new palm/finger geometry.
- [x] Audit shoes/boots for silhouette, grounding and contact with the floor; preserve the
      responder and firefighter footwear language. (Rounded toe/heel caps; boots keep the black
      rubber language; all eight rebuilt, grounding and proportions still pass.)
- [ ] Improve clothing layer transitions at collars, cuffs, plackets, waistbands, pockets, badges
      and reflective bands; remove obvious z-fighting or floating detail.
- [ ] Add believable fabric folds/wrinkles at elbows, knees, waist and hems where the extra
      geometry pays off in portraits; keep the fixed detail materials and five tint slots intact.
- [ ] Re-check coat/dress/skirt hems during walking, blocking, sitting and turning; eliminate
      visible leg-through-hem clipping and floating hems.
- [ ] Verify outfit tinting on all five contract slots and fixed-colour details (hi-vis, leather,
      steel, patches, plastic, rubber) remains unchanged.

### Gear and equipment fit

- [ ] Run the Blender `fit` report for every character and all head/back/chest/hand gear; record
      head-band, skirt/hip clearance and inner-face clearances.
- [ ] Re-fit caps, beanie, hood, sunglasses and firefighter helmet against the refined face/hair;
      ensure eyebrow/ear clearance and a readable face with the hood up.
- [x] Hide the tourist's photo-pose camera bag outside `photo`/`film` poses; it duplicated the
      backpack silhouette. (`photo_prop_visible_for_pose()` plus regression test.)
- [x] Refit the backpack straps as flattened bands that follow the torso instead of rods partly
      buried in the chest; rebuild the GLB, bake AO and confirm in the before/after sheet.
- [ ] Re-fit shoulder bag and SCBA tank against the revised torso/hips; fix remaining strap and
      tank intersections and keep attachments outside the body silhouette.
- [ ] Verify lanyards, radios, phones, cups, clipboards, umbrellas, cameras, protest signs,
      flashlights and wands sit correctly in the hand/grip and do not float.
- [ ] Add regression checks for gear attach parents, head/back silhouette clearance and hand-item
      grip; rebuild affected GLBs, bake AO and re-import.

### Poses, animation and performance

- [ ] Review idle, walk, warning, blocking, recognition, refusal, phone, clipboard, photo, film,
      sit, panic/flee and responder poses for pops, foot sliding, floating props and head-turn
      overshoot.
- [ ] Add or refine short negotiation/reaction transitions (comply, argue, leave, recognize,
      block) without changing the seeded pose/outfit determinism.
- [ ] Re-measure the skinned-avatar frame cost at 16/24 NPCs and the LOD/impostor thresholds;
      record triangle, mesh and draw-call changes before raising any cap.
- [ ] Ensure the procedural fallback still passes the pose, target and crowd behavior tests after
      the model changes.

### Verification and handoff

- [ ] Rebuild the affected Blender assets, AO maps, manifest and review sheets; run
      `blender_assets.py audit`, `fit`, character imports and the full Godot test suite.
- [ ] Recapture the portrait, character gallery and crowd-distance shots; compare old/new and run
      the Python screen-design judge.
- [ ] Update `docs/blender-assets.md`, architecture/status, `MEMORY.md` and the changelog with the
      new budgets, limitations and rebuild commands.
- [ ] Exit: all eight variants pass the portrait/readability criteria, gear and hems no longer
      clip in normal play, the 24-NPC budget remains green, and the visual judge has no unexplained
      regressions.

## Postponed — Patch 0.9.5 — Texture and material refinement

Goal: improve close-range surface and character texture quality while keeping GL
Compatibility/Web parity, deterministic assets and offline CI.

### Environment textures and materials

- [ ] Audit the v2 picks (brick, sidewalk pavers, dry/wet asphalt, awning canvas,
      day/dusk/night skylines) at close range and in the entrance/street shots for
      seams, tiling, scale, contrast and normal-map strength.
- [ ] Refine brick mortar/wear, paver joints/stains, asphalt aggregate/wet response
      and awning weave using the existing image/asset tooling; never overwrite a
      pick, use `-vN` candidates and promote validated results.
- [ ] Check UV scales and material roughness/metallic profiles; keep day/night
      phase behavior and the wet-street transition intact.
- [ ] Review distant skyline haze and foliage/planter surfaces against the concept
      references; fix obvious flatness without regressing readability.

### Character and prop textures

- [ ] Audit NPC skin, cloth, pants, hair and gear albedo/normal/AO maps in portraits;
      refine fabric weave, skin variation and fixed detail materials.
- [ ] Re-bake AO where geometry changes; verify the 256² maps and material wiring.
- [ ] Audit library props and UI/card/icon textures at their actual screen sizes;
      remove blurry/oversized or unused textures where safe.
- [ ] Run texture audits, import, and the full asset test suite; record texture memory
      and triangle/draw-call impact.

### Visual verification

- [ ] Run `python3 tools/scene_concepts.py realism` for the affected stages with the
      judge enabled; record metric gaps and model/spend.
- [ ] Re-run `tools/check_screenshots.sh` and the screen-design judge; clear all
      `diff` verdicts.
- [ ] Capture before/after close-ups for brick, pavement, asphalt, character cloth
      and skyline; document accepted trade-offs.
- [ ] Update asset docs and the changelog/status with the promoted texture versions.

## Postponed — Patch 0.9.6 — Integration, performance and judge gate

Goal: integrate the UI/model/texture patches, prove the combined build on the
target paths and leave a clean release-candidate handoff.

### Integration and asset rebuild

- [ ] Rebuild all changed Blender/GLB/AO assets, re-import, and verify manifest/fit/
      audit coverage.
- [ ] Run the complete headless suite, Python tooling and smoke matrix; fix any
      regression from the three polish patches.
- [ ] Re-run the 24-NPC budget smoke and record frame time, mesh count and any
      texture-memory change; check Web and Desktop HQ if available.
- [ ] Verify save/campaign/tutorial behavior is unchanged by the visual/UI patches.

### Visual gallery and judge gate

- [ ] Recapture the full gallery, portraits, venue/realsim stages and Desktop HQ A/B
      as needed; no stale screenshots in the release set.
- [ ] Run `tools/check_screenshots.sh`, `screen_designs.py compare` and
      `screen_designs.py judge` on the final captures.
- [ ] Run the realism judge for the affected concepts with a pinned model; record
      model, attempt count, spend and verdicts.
- [ ] Review all `review` verdicts manually; convert unexplained layout/composition
      mismatches into fixes or explicit known limitations.
- [ ] Ensure generated realism folders remain gitignored/local-only and only the
      durable report decisions/docs are committed.

### Release-candidate handoff

- [ ] Update README, architecture, development status, changelog and TODO with the
      final patch-level results and any remaining gaps.
- [ ] Tag/version or otherwise freeze `0.9.6` as the integration checkpoint before
      the `0.10.0` release candidate.
- [ ] Exit: combined build is functionally green, visually reviewed, performance
      measured and ready for the 0.10.0 content-lock/playtest phase.

## Postponed — Milestone 0.10.0 — Release candidate

Goal: freeze the feature set, prove it with external players, clear release/legal blockers and
verify every distribution path. This is the next minor release after the 0.9.x patch line.

### Content lock and external playtest

- [ ] Declare a content/feature freeze for 0.10.0; only release-blocking fixes and balance changes
      may land after the freeze.
- [ ] Produce a release-candidate build with the tutorial, campaign, all three venues, Help,
      accessibility settings and checkpoint/resume enabled.
- [ ] Run at least five first-time-player sessions covering the tutorial and one full venue shift;
      record where players get stuck, misunderstand evidence or choose disproportionate escalation.
- [ ] Triage findings by severity (P0/P1/P2) and fix every P0/P1 onboarding/accessibility issue;
      keep the rest as explicit known limitations or post-0.10 items.
- [ ] Re-run the affected tutorial/campaign smokes after each fix and capture a fresh first-hour
      walkthrough for the release notes.

### Balance and fairness pass

- [ ] Define measurable targets for routine compliance, access-decision accuracy, peaceful
      resolution, justified emergency calls and false-positive/false-negative rates.
- [ ] Run scripted venue sweeps across easy/normal/hard and all four phases; compare outcomes and
      tune event weights, reaction tables, compliance and report strictness where targets fail.
- [ ] Review emergency calls against actual danger: no routine behavior should make emergency the
      dominant winning move, and genuine threats must remain answerable.
- [ ] Verify the reputation grades, debrief explanations and campaign progression still communicate
      the de-escalation-first design after tuning.
- [ ] Record the balance evidence and any deliberate exceptions in `docs/development-status.md`
      or `MEMORY.md`.

### Save migration and session reliability

- [ ] Add fixtures for a 0.8-era settings/campaign/history save and a 0.9.0 checkpoint; verify
      migration/default-filling and a clean first launch with no files.
- [ ] Test fresh install → tutorial → campaign → pause → quit → resume → review → next venue on
      an isolated user-data directory.
- [ ] Test corrupt JSON, partial temp files, missing optional fields and a failed atomic rename;
      confirm fallback behavior never destroys a valid save.
- [ ] Verify checkpoint resume after all three venues, after an incident, with NPCs at the door and
      with flashlight/body-camera/door state set.
- [ ] Document save locations, schema versions, reset behavior and rollback/export instructions in
      `docs/getting-started.md` and the release notes.

### Release engineering and distribution

- [ ] Run `tools/build_releases.sh` from a clean checkout and verify Linux/Windows/macOS/Web/HQ
      artifact names, sizes and checksums.
- [ ] Smoke-test fresh Linux portable/AppImage, Windows portable/installer, macOS unzip/launch,
      Web static hosting and Desktop HQ Vulkan fallback on the target matrix.
- [ ] Add a disk-space preflight and retention policy to the release/publish scripts so a full
      Gitea host cannot leave a partially uploaded release.
- [ ] Verify release metadata, tag/version consistency, asset counts and download links; retain
      at least the latest 0.8/0.9 releases and document older-asset pruning.
- [ ] Decide and document whether macOS signing/notarization is required for 0.10.0 or explicitly
      remains a future release blocker; record the quarantine instructions either way.

### Legal, credits and platform policy

- [ ] Audit AI-assisted asset provenance and licenses; record source/model usage and any
      redistribution constraints for textures, characters, props and UI art.
- [ ] Audit audio/SFX/music licensing (or confirm everything is procedural) and add a credits file.
- [ ] Review body-camera/privacy language, mental-health-crisis representation, age/content rating
      and storefront requirements; fix any release-blocking copy or content.
- [ ] Add the player-facing credits, known limitations, accessibility statement and privacy note to
      the release package/README.
- [ ] Mark external legal/storefront approval as complete or explicitly block the 0.10.0 release on it.

### Documentation and visual sign-off

- [ ] Update `README.md`, `PLAN.md`, `docs/architecture.md`, ADRs, `docs/development-status.md`,
      `docs/getting-started.md`, `docs/smoke-checklist.md`, `CHANGELOG.md` and this roadmap.
- [ ] Regenerate the full screenshot gallery and realism baselines after content lock; run
      `check_screenshots.sh` and the pinned vision judge, recording model/spend/verdicts.
- [ ] Run the manual smoke checklist on every target and attach/link the release-candidate evidence.
- [ ] Verify the tutorial/campaign/help text at maximum font scale and with the longest strings.
- [ ] Remove or archive stale plans/notes and confirm no contradictory version/status claims remain.

### Release-candidate QA and exit

- [ ] Run the complete headless suite, Python tooling, tutorial/campaign/session/scenario smokes,
      24-NPC budget smoke and release build from a clean checkout.
- [ ] Run the manual QA matrix: fresh install, upgrade, offline launch, gamepad, accessibility
      settings, pause/resume, all venues and Desktop HQ fallback.
- [ ] Confirm no P0/P1 defects remain; P2 items must be documented as known limitations or
      post-0.10 work.
- [ ] Create the `v0.10.0` version bump, changelog entry and tag; build/publish the release and
      verify all assets and download links.
- [ ] Exit: the release candidate is content-locked, externally played, legally reviewed,
      documented, reproducibly built, and approved as the 0.10.0 release candidate.

## Future 0.x / non-blocking candidates

- [ ] Live 3D body-camera replay.
- [ ] Additional venues or seasonal events.
- [ ] Real voice/dialogue audio.
- [ ] Image-to-mesh prop pipeline.
- [ ] Rare easter eggs/cameos (e.g. Bob Dobbs) only after core content and QA are stable.

## Roadmap dependencies and risks

- Content volume is the largest schedule risk; tutorial and campaign work must not outrun the
      event/dialogue matrix.
- The vision judge is a dev-time aid with an external key/budget; CI must never make it a hard gate.
- Godot version changes can alter lighting/imports; do not combine an engine baseline move with a
      content/feature milestone.
- Signed macOS builds and legal/AI provenance are release blockers, not polish.
- Keep the de-escalation-first rules and rare-emergency design unchanged while adding progression,
      difficulty and feedback.

## Realism follow-ups (deferred)

- [x] Re-run the screen-design judge for `12-joke-shop`, `13-studio-arrival` and the
      Forward+ A/B with the valid key: **13/13 match, 0 diff**; the HQ A/B is in the report.
- [ ] Capture a hooded/winter NPC close-up once a scenario spawns types 5-7 (the explicit
      `--portrait-type` override is already in `capture_realism.gd`).
- [ ] Human-authored tree/hedge silhouettes: the whole scene now reads well except the foliage,
      which is still flat-shaded clumps (`_shrub()`/`_tree()` in `tools/blender_assets.py`).
      Only worth doing if a higher-poly organic builder is added to the library.
- [ ] Camera height: the concept frames are shot at ~1.55 m with a slightly wider lens; the game
      camera sits at 1.7 m. Decide whether the first-person height should match the art direction
      or stay at the current gameplay value.

## Future ideas (optional, not scheduled)

- [ ] Live 3D body-camera replay (the timeline is text-only today).
- [ ] Additional venues or seasonal events authored from the new `.tres` files.
- [ ] Real voice/dialogue audio (the crowd bed and radio crackle are procedural).
- [ ] Swap the primitive prop builder for an image-to-mesh model API behind the same
      `assets/models/generated/<prop>.glb` contract.