Docs / Project / Open Questions
Open Questions
Every still-deferred design or technical decision, why it's deferred, and the milestone it must close at. Mirrors GDD §17. If you find a question on this list you have a strong opinion on, that's a good moment to push for a lock.
Why defer? Three reasons each TBD on this list still exists:
(1) it needs playtest data we don't have yet, (2) it depends on content that hasn't
been designed, or (3) it would over-constrain a downstream decision if locked early.
Recently Resolved v0.6
The Phase 1 redesign (CL 448) closed several long-running deferrals. Listed here for context — they are no longer open.
- Resource generation/sink numerics (structural). Resolved by Pillar #1: Resource Producer rule + per-tile stockpiles + gatherer transport + pay-upfront engineer projects. Specific per-resource rate curves still pending balance pass — see below.
- Distance / supply falloff curve. Retired — supply is now an explicit mechanic via gather-paths and per-tile stockpiles. Combat math no longer needs a falloff multiplier.
- Eliminated-player tile behavior. Resolved by Pillar #4 dormant-state + occupation-timer capture.
- Comeback defensive bonus shape. Resolved structurally as a single damage-reduction multiplier on the defending side, applied before the priority cascade. Curve still tunable.
- Mobile base × Home Base rule reconciliation. Resolved — Home Base rule + stockpile + DefaultHomeBaseProducesType move with the T=2:00 swap; both tiles' paths reset.
Content & Identity
| Question | Why deferred | Locks at |
|---|---|---|
| Leader kits (3 MVP → full roster) | Need core combat mechanics validated first; kits without a tested combat layer are guesswork. | M24 (3) → M28 (full) |
| Leader-kit content (per-type aura buff values, ability lists, faction kits) | Resolved structurally — type-appropriate per-unit aura buffs, leader XP via combat + first-time visit. Specific values per leader at M16. | M16 |
| Army rosters, base stats, special unit options | Depends on stat-curve calibration from M6 + M13. | M24 (3) → M29 (full) |
| Default leader↔army pairings | Downstream of the above two. | M24 |
| Resource type names per army | Slots locked (R1 Currency / R2 Material / R3 Research / R4 Essence); flavored names come with army design. | M24 / M29 |
| Full tile-type catalog | Beyond Trap / Training / Nexus — tied to biome system. Each special tile type ships with a type-baked default Rule + sub-config. | M18 → M19 (biome-locked types) |
| Biome system | Geographic regions of map gating tile-type pools. | M19 |
Balance & Numerics
| Question | Why deferred | Locks at |
|---|---|---|
| Per-unit-type stat baselines (HP, attack, defense per type) | Pillar #2 locks placeholders (Army HP=10, Defender HP=30, Gather HP=5, Engineer HP=5, Scout binary). Balance pass tunes via providers. | M6 (placeholders) → continuous |
| Per-resource generation rate curve (Resource Producer per-level rate) | Locked structurally to be level-scaled; the formula awaits playtest. | M6 |
| Engineer-project work-seconds defaults (per project type) | Rule swap, level-up, type conversion all want their own work-time defaults. | M7 |
| Scout respawn delay | Tower rule maintains level Scouts via free regen; the delay between scout death and Tower respawn is balance-tunable (~10s placeholder). |
M10 |
| Dormant-tile decay rate | Eliminated-player tiles drop one level per X seconds when sitting empty (~60s placeholder). | M11 |
| Loose-pile decay rate | Drop-on-death cargo piles slow-decay when uninteracted with (~1%/min placeholder). | M6 |
| Upgrade ratio (currently 7:1) | 117,649 raw inputs / level-6 unit may be too steep — want playtest signal. | M13 |
| Spawn rate scaling | Tied to combat throughput and walk speed. | M6 / M11 |
| Defensive comeback bonus curve | Behavior across player counts becomes observable at scale. | M21 |
| Leader respawn formula (escalator) | Need observed death-frequency data. | M16 / M17 playtest |
| Ability cooldowns & resource costs | Per leader — comes with leader kit design. | M17 / M24 |
| HP curve refinement (post-first-cut) | Currently linear; may shift to non-linear if grind feel demands it. | Continuous M4 → M30 |
Match Format
| Question | Why deferred | Locks at |
|---|---|---|
| Match length targets per map size tier | Depends on real telemetry from M21 N-team matches. | M21 |
| Map size catalog (small / medium / large / marathon dimensions) | Anchored to match-length targets above. | M21 |
| Team / alliance modes (friendly-fire, shared vision) | 1–12 teams of 1–12 locked; per-mode behavior detail awaits implementation. | M21 |
| AI difficulty tiers | Easy ships at M11; Medium / Hard land in Phase 3 follow-up. | Phase 3 follow-up |
Meta & Infrastructure
| Question | Why deferred | Locks at |
|---|---|---|
| Per-leader XP tree structure & power/cosmetic split | Power/cosmetic split has competitive-integrity consequences; want signal first. | M26 |
| Monetization model | Depends on platform decision and the cosmetic vs. power split above. | M25 / M26 latest |
| Reconnect behavior | Trivial state-restore vs. mid-match grace period — depends on networking model. | M23 |
| Backend for leaderboards / match history | Custom HTTP service vs. PlayFab-native — operational decision. | M25 |
Decision Hygiene
When closing one of these questions:
- Update the relevant
GDD.mdsection. Bump the version at the top. - Add a changelog entry.
- If the milestone hasn't started yet, add the resolution to its
Decisions to lock first section in
milestones.md. - Submit as a CL with a
[design]prefix in the message. - If the question affects this site, update the relevant page.