Project-M/Docs/Vault/06_Roadmap/Iteration_2026-07_CoopHades.md

---
title: Iteration 2026-07 — Co-op Hades Conversion (Trunk + Hub-ification + Depth + Blender)
date: 2026-07-06
tags: [roadmap, iteration, coop-hades, direction, plan]
permalink: gamevault/06-roadmap/iteration-2026-07-coophades
---

# Iteration 2026-07 — Co-op Hades Conversion

**Operator decision (2026-07-06, dev-loop iteration session):** commit the *Fix-the-Fight-in-Place trunk* PLUS the full
*Co-op Hades* direction — cut/mothball the tower-defense layer, base becomes a Hades-house hub, boons become
mechanic-changers, kit gains a second ability, real node types, second boss, co-op revive. **Depth folds in now** (not
after a playtest gate). **Blender scope: hero props + decals.** No time estimates (operator directive). Grounded by a
9-agent analysis workflow (`wf_8afc6e5a-b9e`, 9/9 clean) + a live end-to-end play tour with screenshots
(`Assets/Screenshots/iter_*.png`).

## Evidence base (why this direction)

- Live tour findings: half of all rooms (sub-slot X+1500) have **no ground/colliders/decor**; enemies interpenetrate
  into a blob and spawn converges on the player; HUD header reads "AT BASE" inside expedition rooms; boon offer
  contained a strictly-dominated pair (-25% vs -15% ability cooldown); portal beacon renders as a blown-out white egg;
  storage crate floats; **save-persisted `RunRuntime.WasAllReady=1` deadlocks the next session's launch** (un-ready →
  re-ready is the only escape).
- Critique consensus: every reward is a flat stat mod (zero mechanic-changers/synergies); kit = 3 verbs/class with 1
  distinct ability; run 2 ≡ run 1; threat is walk-out-able (boss slam escape needs 4.07 u/s vs 5.1 available; melee
  knockback stunlocks all trash; death = free heal + re-conscription); the boss is a 1.6× Charger with one attack.
  The code-side feel layer (cones, slash arcs, hit-stop, flashes) is STRONG — the gap is the asset/scene layer under it.
- Market: Windblown's chart-topping demo = 1 biome + 1 boss (loop is demo-sized already); Cult of the Lamb = the
  base↔run tie done right, Moonlighter = the cautionary tale; HoH2's retention lever = every run banks something;
  Synty-look ceiling proven by Death Scourges / RoR2 / Soulstone Survivors (dynamic-light-first, dark ambient).

## Phase 0 — Stabilize (bugs found live, do first)

1. Commit the working-tree portal fix (incl. the `_portalMat` comment-swallow NRE repair applied 2026-07-06 — the NRE
   killed CombatFeedbackSystem every session and auto-paused the editor via Error Pause). Re-run 456 EditMode first.
2. ~~`WasAllReady` save deadlock~~ **RETRACTED (2026-07-06):** misdiagnosis caused by frozen-world polling (the
   `execute_code` main-thread-sleep hazard) — `CycleDirectorSpawnSystem`'s restore builds `RunRuntime` fresh (HostSalt
   only, WasAllReady=0) and nothing persists it; the observed "deadlock" was a run that had already launched between
   MCP calls. Lesson reinforced: never sleep-poll; check `isPaused` first.
3. Lifecycle-aware HUD header (kill "AT BASE" in rooms; kill stale "choose your boon" after pick — the location-line
   switch had NO RoomExplore case, so the RoomReward text stuck through the loot window).
4. Ground the floating storage crate (**root cause: `GridOrigin.y=1` is the CC capsule-center plane** —
   `CellToWorld` returns it; center-pivot meshes (Turret/Wall) look grounded there, base-pivot meshes (crate) float
   1 u. Watch this on every future grid-placed base-pivot mesh); tame the portal-beacon HDR (2.6/3.4 bloomed to a
   white egg) + ground the beacon (its `pos.y` was the capsule plane too).

## Phase 1 — Trunk (direction-agnostic physical/feel/teaching layer)

1. **Rooms become places:** fix the X+1500 void (ground + collider ring + decor for sub-slot 1); seed 3–6 collidable
   Environment-layer props per room so cover/LOS/Charger-baiting exist; readable room edge.
2. **Enemy separation** (server-side repulsion, MaxAlive=12 so O(n²) is fine) + soft player pushout; no standing
   inside the boss. Verify spawn ring staggering reads (spawn VFX).
3. **Animation triage:** Synty Sword/Bow Combat anim packs (shared Generic skeleton, no retarget) — death clips +
   corpse window, spawn, hit-react, ranged-fire, dash; creature locomotion for monsters (stop human jog on Husks).
4. **Threat repair:** poise byte (light hits stop stunlocking trash); boss second attack (re-enable its baked Charger
   lunge) + party-size HP scaling.
5. **Live knobs:** promote all Boss*/enemy/grace-timer knobs into the TuningConfig overlay + values-to-clipboard.
6. **Teaching:** RMB class ability + dash coach-marks; fix stale copy (StartingOre 50→90 etc.); run-failed banner.
7. **Clarity swaps:** distinct spit/pickup/harvest meshes (Synty interim), class weapon meshes on the hand bone,
   ground darkening + character rim/outline, point lights on projectiles (RoR2 trick).

**Gate:** one honest solo campaign to Victory + one 2-instance LAN lap with the overlay open.

> **Gate outcome (2026-07-07 operator playtest):** trunk holds mechanically, but the verdict is *"not cohesive, very
> static, visually boring — comparable games' environments are dynamic and interactable"* + ability upgrades boring +
> the 07-07 harvest shrink/pop never showed on-screen (the pre-flagged PostTransformMatrix-on-root risk is real).
> → **Phase 1.5 (World Alive) inserted below; mechanic-changer boons PULLED FORWARD from Phase 3 (Phase 1.7).**
> Explicit operator framing: make the game **look better**, not more "juice" — the code-side hit-feel layer stays as-is.

### Slice B folded design (design-review `wf_fd177263-b67`, 2026-07-06 — 3 lenses done, 15 verify verdicts ALL isReal=true; synthesis died on session limit, folded by hand from the verified findings)

- **B3 Dying window:** server-only `Dying{uint UntilTick}` (TickUtil.NonZero, stamp ONCE on the 0-crossing in
  HealthApplyDamageSystem for EnemyTag; destroy after ~54 ticks via Temp ECB). At the mark: zero the REPLICATED
  `AttackWindup`, disable `IsLunging`, zero `KnockbackState` (else corpses keep live telegraphs). CONFIRMED: no AI
  pass self-health-gates today and EVERY count edge counts entities — gate the actor passes (EnemyAI/BossAI move,
  windup, contact) and make every count LIVING-only: RoomEnemyDirectorSystem :48/:68 (room clear + MaxAlive fit),
  ExpeditionObjective.Remaining, boss-summon cap, base-siege cleared checks, aggro snapshots, ProjectileDamageSystem
  :83-91 target snapshot + gamepad auto-aim (no Health>0 filter today — corpses become shields/aim magnets). Client:
  EnemyAnimationDriveSystem writes `IsDead = Health.Current<=0` (param exists, never written); CombatFeedbackSystem
  fires the kill CRUNCH at the 0-crossing (today it fires at prune — would land ~1 s late), prune keeps only a
  cleanup puff; hide health bars at <=0.
- **B1 separation:** a pass INSIDE EnemyAISystem (sole-position-writer invariant; BossAISystem only has
  [UpdateAfter(EnemyAISystem)]). Pairwise among LIVING enemies, skip lunging/knocked/Dying receivers, boss immovable
  (others push out of its radius), displacement through the swept EnemyMoveUtil move (no wall-shoving). Player
  pushout radius SMALL (< melee range, ~HitRadius+0.35) or grunts can't strike + Spitter cornered-hold re-breaks.
- **B2 poise:** the windup-cancel is the knockback CONTINUE branch (EnemyAISystem :119-133 grunt, :234-248 charger).
  Threshold on the EXISTING `KnockbackState.Speed` channel (no per-kind data): below it, kb velocity nudges but the
  windup/lunge survives; at/above it, stagger as today. Make the finisher + Warrior cone stamp a higher kb Speed so
  the channel actually distinguishes (light 6 / heavy 9, threshold ~7).
- **B4 boss lunge:** BossState gains a server-only attack byte; lunge = reposition move (no unique damage — the
  slam stays the damage beat). Telegraph rides `AttackWindup` + the boss's already-baked `IsLunging` ghost bit;
  the client boss-ring override SKIPS the slam ring while IsLunging (draws the standard Charger lunge tell). The
  windup-elapse branch keys on the state byte (today it would deal SLAM AoE on any elapse).
- **B5 party HP scale:** in the RoomEnemyDirectorSystem boss branch (sole spawn site), scale Health by LIVING
  EXPEDITION players (RegionTag+Health>0), NOT RunParticipant (dead-respawned keep the tag at base).
- **B6 run-failed banner:** client-only; cache Charge + a wentInRun flag at launch; on the (in-run)->Staging
  transition with Charge unchanged -> "EXPEDITION FAILED" banner. NEVER key on Returning (1-tick transient, and the
  bank lands one tick after it). Launching->Staging aborts don't count (wentInRun gate).
- **B7 fire-anim pulse:** stateless absolute window derived from AbilityCooldown (the SwingActive idiom) — no
  cached edges (rollback/join-unsafe).
- **Hygiene:** bytes not enums in Bursted systems; no new [UpdateBefore/After] edges; ~54-tick window + stagger
  threshold + separation strength as live TuningConfig knobs. ⚠ Bursted query-set edits on an UNFOCUSED editor can
  leave a stale Burst binary — have the editor focused for the compile, or expect the restart cure.

## Phase 1.5 — World Alive (inserted 2026-07-07 from playtest verdict; visual + dynamism, explicitly NOT juice)

Operator interactivity scope (all four selected + two write-ins): breakable clutter with drops · environmental
hazards · cosmetic reactivity + ambient motion · destructible cover · **collision precision** · **more distinct
attacks/animations/effects**. Art direction deliberately UNDECIDED — lighting pass first, then pick (see gate).

### Stabilize first (bugs, do before the pass)

1. **Node harvest feedback fix:** the shrink/pop drives `PostTransformMatrix` on the ghost ROOT, but node meshes are
   render (LEG) children → scale the render children instead (the 07-07 session log pre-flagged exactly this).
   **Verify ON-SCREEN this time** — the operator's eyes are the test for skinned/scaled visuals.
2. **Collision precision pass:** operator reports collisions imprecise/not working well. Diagnose scope FIRST
   (environment collision vs body-blocking vs melee/projectile hit registration — each is a different system) with a
   live repro session, then fix. Swept-not-point rules apply to anything hit-reg.

### Short-term wins (asset/scene/client layer)

3. **Lighting/atmosphere pass (direction-agnostic):** ambient way down, dynamic point lights on projectiles / portal /
   pickups / braziers / ability impacts, per-biome fog + color-grade tune. Build AS IF no pixel filter (it composes on
   top). Then the **art-look decision gate**: side-by-side screenshots pixel filter ON vs OFF over the lit scene →
   operator locks pixel-art-3D vs dark-Synty vs both. Every later visual choice hangs off this lock.
4. **Ambient motion layer (client-only, zero netcode):** foliage sway/rustle on walk-through, per-biome dust/embers/fog
   drift particles, critters that scatter, flags/banners. Biggest bang-per-effort for "not static".
5. **Breakable clutter with drops:** Hades-style urns/crates/Blight growths seeded per room; shatter on hit → small
   resource drops. Reuses the destructible-ghost + `BlightClutter` + pickup patterns — netcode-cheap.
6. **Attack distinctness:** every enemy kind + class ability gets a unique read — anim + VFX + effect shape (not more
   hit-stop). Builds on the shipped Blender clip pipeline + sword-combo work; creature locomotion for monsters still
   open from Phase 1.3.

### Long-term (server-sim; adversarial design-review REQUIRED per slice)

7. **Environmental hazards:** exploding barrels, Blight geysers, trap tiles — damage BOTH sides so enemies can be
   baited into them. Real combat interplay; replication + predicted-damage surface needs the review.
8. **Destructible cover:** in-room cover rocks take damage and crumble (Charger smashes through, players carve LOS).
   Structures already have Health; **re-validate the enemy stuck-fix backstop when cover can disappear mid-fight.**

**Gate:** operator playtest says "no longer static"; node harvest feedback visibly works; art direction LOCKED.

## Phase 1.7 — Boon overhaul (PULLED FORWARD from Phase 3, operator call 2026-07-07)

- **Boons → ~12 mechanic-changers** on existing hooks: dash damage trail, finisher AoE detonation, projectile
  pierce/fork/chain, ability-SWAP boons (replicated AbilityRef byte via the ClassSwapUtil pattern), knockback→pull…
  plus synergy tags, duplicate/dominated-offer protection. Design-review before coding (replicated ability swaps).

**Gate:** two consecutive runs feel different from boons alone.

## Phase 2 — Hub-ification (structural; adversarial design-review REQUIRED before coding)

- **Mothball, don't delete:** sieges/CoreIntegrity/turret-ammo retired from the flow via baked toggles (the
  `ScheduleEnabled` pattern); code + tests keep compiling for reversibility.
- **Win condition moves fully into the expedition** (N boss-clears / final-boss Victory; `GoalReachedSystem` +
  `RunOutcome` rework; SaveData v7 additive).
- **Base = hub:** class/prep/meta/ready + deposit; visible growth (unlocks at Charge milestones); staging HUD →
  progressive disclosure (5 dense panels → contextual).
- **Economy simplification** (4 currencies is bureaucracy; turret-ammo Charge frees up) — scope at the design review.

**Gate:** returning player goes staging→launch in <60 s; hub reads as prep+growth, not friction.

## Phase 3 — Depth (folded in now; design-review per netcode-heavy slice)

- **Kit:** second ability slot + one new active per class (reuse AbilityRef catalog + predicted-input review).
- ~~Boons~~ **MOVED to Phase 1.7** (pulled forward 2026-07-07 — operator playtest called flat-stat upgrades boring).
- **Real node types:** Elite (affixed alphas via the boss spawn-stamp pattern), Shrine (combat-free choice), Survive,
  Cursed.
- **Second boss chassis** (Spitter artillery) so lap 2 differs.
- **Co-op:** downed/revive (ex-MC-5), duo boons, party-scaled spawns/HP; death-cost design lands here (with revive in,
  death = run stakes, killing the suicide-heal exploit).

**Gate:** two consecutive runs feel different (build + path + boss); a duo playtest yields a clutch-revive moment.

## Phase 4 — Blender workstream (parallel from Phase 1; hero props + decals)

Portal gate ring · hub Core crystal centerpiece · boss bone-socket armor/spike kitbash (no new rig) + second-boss
silhouette parts · distinct projectile/pickup/harvest meshes · class weapons · ground decal/telegraph quad set.
Pipeline (validated + researched): UV new geometry onto the existing Synty atlas for style match (or Imphenzia palette
PNG); FBX for anything skinned (glTFast Mecanim-clip issues), glb via gltfast for statics; Apply Scalings = FBX Units
Scale; Key All Bones for clips; realize geo-nodes instances before export; Play-verify materials (dark-frame hazard).

## Phase 5 — Dev tooling (woven through)

New DebugOps: KillRoom (death-path kill — ClearEnemies destroys without kill credit), SkipToRoom/SpawnBoss, GrantBoon,
run-state line in the overlay · pause-proof screenshot rig (MCP bridge `ScreenshotUtility` calls `EditorApplication.Step()`
and leaves the editor PAUSED — unpause after every capture; never `Thread.Sleep`-poll in `execute_code`, it freezes the
sim) · encounter-composition buttons in DevSandbox · WasAllReady regression test.

## Consolidation notes

Supersedes the DR-042 "final beat = base siege" lock (win moves fully expedition-side). DR-034 Core / EB-1/2 siege
systems → mothballed, not deleted. The "present forks" ritual re-runs at each phase's design review.

**2026-07-07 restructure (Phase 1 gate playtest):** Phase 0 + Phase 1 SHIPPED (commits `7c1fee097`…`cc2e7ad95`, incl.
Blender clips, sword combo, pixel-art render style, enemy-stuck fix, markers, harvest feedback). Gate playtest verdict
= static/boring world → **Phase 1.5 World Alive** inserted (stabilize: node-feedback fix + collision precision; short:
lighting→art-look gate, ambient motion, breakables, attack distinctness; long: hazards + destructible cover, review-first)
and **boons pulled forward to Phase 1.7**. Phase 2 (hub) now follows 1.7. Order: 1.5 → 1.7 → 2 → 3 → 4/5 parallel.