From bb23b155a6f43f954e3c069462e53addb17db036 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: VinPropane Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:06:10 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] chore: lock game-design vocabulary (gig vs skill) --- docs/game-design/README.md | 2 +- docs/game-design/overview.md | 8 ++-- docs/game-design/skills.md | 78 ++++++++++++++++++++---------------- 3 files changed, 49 insertions(+), 39 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/game-design/README.md b/docs/game-design/README.md index 36254e2..5b9086f 100644 --- a/docs/game-design/README.md +++ b/docs/game-design/README.md @@ -2,6 +2,6 @@ **Master index:** [`overview.md`](overview.md) — summary, artifact table, and links to related docs. -Non-implementation notes: skills, professions, zones, mechanics, items, abilities, and other design artifacts before they are tied to concrete systems or tickets. +Non-implementation notes: **gigs** (combat roles), **skills** (non-combat), zones, mechanics, items, abilities, and other design artifacts before they are tied to concrete systems or tickets. Implementation-facing breakdowns stay under [`docs/decomposition/`](../decomposition/README.md) and plans under [`docs/plans/`](../plans/). diff --git a/docs/game-design/overview.md b/docs/game-design/overview.md index cdf1b5b..60edbea 100644 --- a/docs/game-design/overview.md +++ b/docs/game-design/overview.md @@ -6,23 +6,25 @@ This folder holds **vision-level** design: what we want players to feel, do, and Neon Sprawl’s design work here starts from **concrete visions** of progression, places, risk, economy, social play, combat, and the items/abilities that express them. Documents below are added as we write them; each should stay opinionated and specific enough to argue with, without pretending to be a full GDD. +**Vocabulary ([skills.md](skills.md)):** **gig** = combat role; **skill** = non-combat trained capability only. + ## Artifact index | Document | Focus | Notes | |----------|--------|--------| -| [skills.md](skills.md) | Hybrid: combat gigs + classless non-combat skills | First vision artifact | +| [skills.md](skills.md) | Gigs (combat) + skills (non-combat); hybrid progression | First vision artifact | | *(add rows as files land)* | | | ### Planned topics (stubs) Link new files here when they exist; remove or rewrite this subsection once the table is populated. -- **Skills & combat gigs** — [skills.md](skills.md): gig-style **combat roles** for grouping; **classless skilling** for gather/craft/etc. *Professions* stay folded into non-combat skills + rep unless a future doc defines a non-skill meaning. +- **Gigs & skills** — [skills.md](skills.md): **gigs** for combat; **skills** (classless) for gather/craft/etc. *Professions* stay folded into **skills** + rep unless a future doc defines something separate. - **Zones** — tone, danger, faction or economic role of a place. - **Travel & connections** — how places link (gates, costs, downtime, danger en route); complements zone identity. - **Mechanics** — loops, constraints, what the server vs. client must honor. - **Items** — categories, rarity philosophy, crafting vs. drops. -- **Abilities** — inputs, timing, combo with items and skills. +- **Abilities** — inputs, timing; combo with items; **gig** vs **skill** gates (see [skills.md](skills.md) vocabulary). - **Gathering & resources** — nodes, competition, exhaustion, what “open world” contesting feels like. - **Crafting & recipes** — depth vs. breadth, failure, specialization; pairs with items but is its own loop. - **Economy** — currency velocity, sinks, trade vs. self-sufficiency, how wealth shows up in play. diff --git a/docs/game-design/skills.md b/docs/game-design/skills.md index a33eb37..c9630fb 100644 --- a/docs/game-design/skills.md +++ b/docs/game-design/skills.md @@ -1,79 +1,87 @@ -# Skills & combat gigs (hybrid progression) +# Gigs & skills (hybrid progression) -Vision-level design for how characters grow. **Combat** leans **gig-style** (swap roles for grouping clarity). **Non-combat** stays **classless skilling** (gathering, crafting, and similar loops). [Epic 2 — Classless progression](../decomposition/epics/epic_02_classless_progression.md) (E2.M1–M4) still describes the **skill/XP machinery**; a **combat job layer** may sit beside or above it in data—decomposition should be revisited when this split hardens. +Vision-level design for how characters grow. **Combat** uses **gigs** (swap roles for grouping clarity). **Non-combat** uses **skills** (gathering, crafting, and similar loops). [Epic 2 — Classless progression](../decomposition/epics/epic_02_classless_progression.md) (E2.M1–M4) still describes **skill** XP machinery; a **gig** progression layer may sit beside or above it in data—decomposition should be revisited when this split hardens. + +## Vocabulary + +From here on in game-design docs: + +| Term | Means | +|------|--------| +| **Gig** | The **combat role** (combat “class”): what you bring to a fight—kit, tuning band, party expectations. Not used for crafting or gathering. | +| **Skill** | A **non-combat** trained capability only (gather, craft, etc.). Never used to mean the combat gig. | + +Fiction and UI may still say *job*, *contract*, or *loadout* in dialogue; design vocabulary stays **gig** / **skill** to avoid ambiguity. ## Why hybrid -- **Gig-style combat** gives parties a readable answer to “what are you on this run?” without forcing alts. It matches **contracts, loadouts, and corporate muscle** as fantasy. -- **RuneScape-style non-combat** keeps the **economy and crafting** surface wide: anyone can work the world’s jobs over time, and “street doc” can mean high medic craft + rep, not only a combat button pick. +- **Gigs** give parties a readable answer to “what are you on this run?” without forcing alts. They match **contracts, loadouts, and corporate muscle** as fantasy. +- **Skills** keep the **economy and crafting** surface wide: anyone can work those capabilities over time, and “street doc” can mean high medic **craft skill** + rep, not only an active gig. -## Combat gigs (roles) +## Gigs (combat) -**Gig** (job / role—final name TBD) is the **combat identity** you bring to a fight: ability access, baseline tuning band, and party expectations (tank, support, control, damage, etc.). Gigs are **swapped** under rules TBD—not necessarily mid-fight. +A **gig** is the **combat identity** you bring to a fight: ability access, baseline tuning band, and party expectations (tank, support, control, damage, etc.). Gigs are **swapped** under rules TBD—not necessarily mid-fight. -- **Swap constraints** (out of combat only, hub-only, cooldown, consumable, story gate) are a major feel knob: permissive = FF flexibility; strict = sharper commitment per outing. +- **Swap constraints** (out of combat only, hub-only, cooldown, consumable, story gate) are a major feel knob: permissive = high flexibility; strict = sharper commitment per outing. - **Progression per gig:** separate level/track vs. shared “combat rank” with gig-specific unlocks—**open**; separate tracks support “I main tank but leveled medic for backup” at the cost of more balancing. -- **Mastery/perks** can attach to **gigs** (combat expression) while **non-combat skills** use the same *idea* for craft depth (E2.M3-style), or stay separate—**open**. +- **Mastery/perks** can attach to **gigs** (combat expression) while **skills** use the same *idea* for craft depth (E2.M3-style), or stay separate—**open**. -## Non-combat skills (classless) +## Skills (non-combat, classless) -Everything **outside combat role resolution**—gathering, refining, crafting lines, hacking that isn’t the combat gig, etc.—uses **classless skills**: +Everything **outside combat role resolution**—gathering, refining, crafting lines, non-combat tech, etc.—uses **skills**: -- **Any character can train any non-combat skill** over time (subject to world gates: discovery, rep, licenses—those expand content, they are not “you picked the wrong class”). -- **Identity** for “what you do in the economy” is the **non-combat skill graph + reputation + gear**, not the combat gig you wore last night. +- **Any character can train any skill** over time (subject to world gates: discovery, rep, licenses—those expand content, they are not “you picked the wrong gig”). +- **Identity** for “what you do in the economy” is the **skill graph + reputation + gear**, not the gig you ran last night. - **Long-term:** avoid dead-end grinds; slow or expensive is fine, “wrong choice forever” is not. -### What counts as a non-combat skill +### What counts as a skill -A **skill** here is a persistent, leveled capability improved primarily by **doing the activity** (chop, refine, assemble, etc.). Supplementary sources (books, training) stay optional. Skills stay **data-defined** (stable IDs, categories, prerequisites). +A **skill** is a persistent, leveled capability improved primarily by **doing the activity** (chop, refine, assemble, etc.). Supplementary sources (books, training) stay optional. Skills stay **data-defined** (stable IDs, categories, prerequisites). ### Categories (families) -Categories group skills for **UI and balance** (e.g. *Gathering*, *Craft*, *Tech*, *Social*). They are **not** combat gigs and do not replace them. +Categories group skills for **UI and balance** (e.g. *Gathering*, *Craft*, *Tech*, *Social*). They are **not** gigs and do not replace them. -### XP, failure, caps, pacing (non-combat) - -Same principles as before, scoped to **non-combat** awards: +### XP, failure, caps, pacing (skills) - **Server-authoritative** grants with structured sources (node, recipe, mission payout, …). - **Failure XP** per activity where it helps fun and not exploits. - **Runaway mitigation** via diminishing returns, context, soft caps. -- **Gates** (recipes, rep, licenses) should **add** paths, not fake classes. -- **Pacing/catch-up** (E2.M4) applies across non-combat skills; combat gigs may use the same engine or a parallel one—**open**. +- **Gates** (recipes, rep, licenses) should **add** paths, not fake gigs. +- **Pacing/catch-up** (E2.M4) applies across **skills**; **gigs** may use the same engine or a parallel one—**open**. -## Seams (where the two halves meet) - -These need crisp answers so players and designers do not argue from different assumptions: +## Seams (gigs ↔ skills) | Topic | Question | |--------|----------| | **Gear** | Can any gig use any weapon, or do gigs restrict weapon classes? | -| **Crafted combat gear** | Gated by non-combat skill, by gig level, or both? | -| **Consumables** | Usually shared; gig might gate *deployment* (e.g. only medic gig applies this stim at full power). | +| **Crafted combat gear** | Gated by **skill**, by **gig** level, or both? | +| **Consumables** | Usually shared; a gig might gate *deployment* (e.g. only medic gig applies this stim at full power). | | **Rep / story** | Almost always **character-wide**; gigs change how you *express* it in combat. | -| **Alts** | Hybrid should reduce alt pressure; if gig swap is too free, maining “everything” becomes the new problem—tune swap cost or ramp. | +| **Alts** | Hybrid should reduce alt pressure; if gig swap is too free, maining every gig becomes the new problem—tune swap cost or ramp. | ## Player-facing readability - **Combat:** UI shows **active gig**, gig level/track, and combat abilities for that gig. -- **Non-combat:** skill list, XP sources, categories—as today. -- Avoid two different words meaning the same thing (“job” for both gig and trade skill) unless intentional in fiction. +- **Non-combat:** **skill** list, XP sources, categories. +- Use **gig** / **skill** consistently in specs and tools; flavor text can vary. ## Decisions log | Topic | Direction | Status | |-------|-----------|--------| -| Combat vs. non-combat | **Gigs** for combat roles; **classless skills** for gather/craft/etc. | Proposed | -| Classless vs. professions (economy) | No separate profession system; economy identity from skills + rep | Agreed ([overview](overview.md)) | -| Primary non-combat XP | Do the activity | Proposed | +| Vocabulary | **Gig** = combat role; **skill** = non-combat only | Agreed | +| Combat vs. non-combat | **Gigs** for combat; **skills** for gather/craft/etc. | Proposed | +| Professions (economy) | No separate profession system; economy identity from **skills** + rep | Agreed ([overview](overview.md)) | +| Primary skill XP | Do the activity | Proposed | | Failure XP | Per-activity; watch exploits | Open | -| Non-combat caps | Prefer soft; hard only if economy/PvP needs | Proposed | +| Skill caps | Prefer soft; hard only if economy/PvP needs | Proposed | | Gig swap rules | — | Open | | Shared vs. per-gig combat progression | — | Open | | Epic 2 doc split | Align modules when gig data model is chosen | TBD | ## Next artifacts -- **Combat gigs** — deeper pass: roster size, swap UX, party finder tags, PvP implications ([overview](overview.md)). -- **Abilities** — which abilities are **gig-locked** vs. **item-locked** vs. **skill-gated** (non-combat). -- **Items** — requirements that reference gig level vs. craft skill. +- **Gigs** — roster size, swap UX, party finder tags, PvP ([overview](overview.md)). +- **Abilities** — **gig-locked** vs. **item-locked** vs. **skill-gated**. +- **Items** — requirements: **gig** level vs. **skill** level.