aetherbound-guild/AGENTS.md

Aetherbound Guild Agent Contract

This file narrows the portfolio rules for this repository.

Current Stage

The repository is design-only. Agents may research, specify, diagram, simulate, review, and build non-runtime HTML design prototypes. They may not create game runtime code, engine projects, production packages, store records, or bulk final art/audio without a later owner-approved Goal.

Originality Boundary

• Authorized private reference material may be inspected only to identify systems, player decisions, content categories, pacing patterns, and production scope.
• Do not copy reference names, prose, formulas, layouts, progression trees, source code, art, music, sound effects, or other expressive assets.
• Do not place third-party commercial assets in this repository.
• Every product-facing design must be independently authored and traceable to this game's approved product contract.

Design Completion Gate

Formal development remains frozen until all of these are complete, mutually consistent, independently reviewed, and owner-approved:

1. Product and player-experience contract.
2. Core loop, battle, profession, skill, progression, economy, failure, save, difficulty, and postgame specifications.
3. Complete generated-recruit rules; 12 base, 24 advanced, and 6 hidden professions; 36 mechanical traits; 320 equipment items; 60 artifacts; 100 ordinary/elite enemies; 16 bosses; and 8 regions, with no filler rows. Recruits are not fixed story protagonists and do not require relationship, affinity, romance, personal-arc, or individual voice-content systems.
4. Complete screen/state map, onboarding, accessibility, localization, input, error, empty, confirmation, settings, and endgame states.
5. Art direction, asset inventory, animation matrix, VFX language, music plan, and SFX event catalog.
6. Landscape HTML design gallery showing every player-facing page and key state.
7. Economy/build simulations and a decision-density audit.
8. Interactive design prototype and owner review.

Human visual, comprehension, fun, listening, device, packaging, store, and release acceptance remain separate gates.