aetherbound-guild/docs/runtime/FULL_GAME_IMPLEMENTATION_ROADMAP.md

Aetherbound Guild Full-Game Implementation Roadmap

Status: ACTIVE Owner-approved: 2026-08-16 Active phase: FG-4 Complete RG-03 And RG-04 Program Goal: docs/goals/AETHERBOUND_GUILD_COMPLETE_DEVELOPMENT_GOAL.md Active milestone plan: docs/runtime/fg4/IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md

Current Truth

• The complete design catalogs exist, but a design row is not implemented content and a production brief is not a finished asset.
• RG-01's two Contracts have a verified playable runtime baseline.
• RG-02 is runtime-verified through Round 4 and stable Market 5.
• P10.3 is complete through stable Market 8 at simulation_verified + runtime_verified + agent_visual_reviewed. Five profiles and the complete Save-v9/layout candidate matrix pass from fixed source d00c7ad.
• The executable and production presentation authority now covers 4 of 16 Contracts through the complete RG-02 candidate.
• FG-2 is locally complete at immutable source 3302134. Candidate, Release Web and real-browser-touch evidence pass. On 2026-08-16 the Owner authorized continued development from private Gallery item GA9__qV4NWw5; unreported human comprehension, fun and listening judgments remain open.
• FG-3 source 370f2a5 passes five-profile simulation, 15-state Save-v10 persistence, complete RG-02 normal rendering, parsed touch, media, audio and MovieWriter gates. Read-only PMO acceptance is complete.
• FG-4 Step 5 source 791187c closes the complete RG-03 candidate. Five profiles cover 265 decisions, 16 winning secondary responses, permanent-loss recovery, nine reloads and 15 Save-v11 states; the retained production runtime passes 12-state layout/accessibility, parsed touch, event-bound audio and a 24.83-second recording. Six of sixteen Contracts now reach simulation_verified + runtime_verified production presentation.

Program Sequence

Only one phase and one child-plan step may be IN_PROGRESS.

Phase	Status	Player outcome	Owned production	Exit evidence	Owner gate
FG-0 Program activation	COMPLETE	Development has one visible endpoint and ordered route.	Program Goal, roadmap, checkpoint and ledger.	Clean pushed planning commit.	Approved 2026-08-16.
FG-1 Finish P10.3	COMPLETE	Clear Siltwake Rounds 5-7, choose an Artifact, optionally promote and reload at changed Market 8.	Existing P10.3 Steps 3-5 only.	Battle counterfactuals, five profiles, save/layout matrix, parsed-touch runtime and recording.	No pause.
FG-2 Production vertical slice and canonical runtime	COMPLETE	One Market -> preparation -> battle -> result/recovery chain looks, moves and sounds like the final game.	Canonical runtime/state integration; final-direction landscape UI; representative actor/enemy animation; event-bound VFX; first music/SFX mix; production asset pipeline.	Functional regressions, 15-30 second normal-render recording, target-size frames, machine media checks and H5 review build.	Owner authorized continuation on 2026-08-16.
FG-3 Complete RG-02	COMPLETE	Finish both Siltwake Contracts, both Bosses and unlock RG-03 with a changed persistent Guild.	Remaining EQ-065..080, AR-009..015, both RG-02 Bosses, Round 8-12 and complete second Contract content, art and audio.	Source 370f2a5; five profiles, 15-state persistence, complete runtime/media/audio candidate.	PMO accepted 2026-08-16.
FG-4 Complete RG-03 and RG-04	IN_PROGRESS	Master delayed heat/construct pressure, then copied actions and archive clauses across four new Contracts.	EQ-081..160, AR-016..030, EN-R3/R4, four Bosses, environments, actors, VFX and regional music/SFX.	Chapter-sized content audits, five profiles per Region, full regression, runtime and asset/audio provenance.	Checkpoint 2: midgame depth, clarity and continuation.
FG-5 Complete RG-05 and RG-06	PENDING	Adapt to echoes, rear intrusion, moving rail order and airborne timing across four Contracts.	EQ-161..240, AR-031..045, EN-R5/R6, four Bosses and complete production media.	Same content, balance, save, runtime, accessibility and media gates as FG-4.	No pause.
FG-6 Complete RG-07 and RG-08	PENDING	Resolve hidden-information and synthesis Regions, defeat the final Boss and choose Chronicle or Oath Season.	EQ-241..320, AR-046..060, EN-R7/R8, four Bosses, ending, Final Ledger and full campaign presentation.	End-to-end first-clear simulations, ending atomicity, full campaign runtime checkpoints and complete content/media coverage.	Checkpoint 3: first-clear beta.
FG-7 Mastery and postgame	PENDING	Discover six hidden hybrids and play strategically different Oath runs without flat-power grinding.	Hidden Profession unlocks, optional run laws, alternate Boss breadth, Records, collection knowledge and mastery challenges.	60+ hour modeled breadth, anti-dominance profiles, save migration and representative postgame runtime.	No pause unless product depth fails.
FG-8 Alpha, beta and local release candidate	PENDING	A new player can understand, finish and replay the complete game in a stable local build.	Whole-game UX polish, balance, localization, accessibility, performance, lifecycle, final media coverage and defect closure.	Full suite, campaign simulations, complete state matrix, normal-render recordings, fresh review H5 and clean pushed source.	Final Owner human acceptance remains open.

Milestone Rules

Every phase receives its own child Goal, frozen contract and implementation plan before product edits. Each plan must:

1. define one player-visible stopping point;
2. keep exactly one step IN_PROGRESS;
3. list owned and forbidden paths;
4. test static/schema, focused behavior, regressions, simulations and runtime in increasing cost order;
5. create an explicit focused commit and push it before advancing;
6. update this roadmap, CURRENT_CHECKPOINT.md and the append-only ledger only after the actual state changes.

Ordinary completion advances directly to the next approved phase. Work pauses only at the three Owner checkpoints, a real product redesign boundary, an external service/account blocker, or a separately authorized delivery boundary.

Content Completion Definition

A content identity is complete only when its schema validates, mechanic is implemented, references resolve, localization exists, decision counterfactual passes, production asset/audio state is recorded and the content appears in a real rendered encounter. Count-only JSON or Markdown does not close content.

Bulk Region production must reuse the FG-2 canonical runtime and production pipeline. Do not create another phase-specific duplicate simulator for each Region. Compatibility adapters may preserve immutable regressions, but new gameplay authority must have one source of truth.

Planned Human Review Deliveries

• Checkpoint 1: short H5 focused on final-direction Market, battle motion, result and recovery. This decides presentation before bulk production.
• Checkpoint 2: continuous build through RG-04 for strategy-depth and comprehension review.
• Checkpoint 3: complete first-clear beta and later final local candidate.

H5 export/deployment is activated at each checkpoint; native packaging, signing, device installation, stores and publishing remain outside this plan.

Program Issue Register

ID	Status	Boundary
FG-I01	RESOLVED_FG1	P10.3 Step 3 proves three Artifact and two promotion valuation reversals.
FG-I02	RESOLVED_FG2_STEP1	The campaign adapter now preserves exact P10.0 snapshots/events and forwards all transactions to canonical services.
FG-I03	RESOLVED_FG2_STEP4	Production art, motion and original event-bound audio now pass their local runtime/machine gates.
FG-I04	OPEN_OWNER	Human comprehension, fun, visual and listening acceptance remain unproven.
FG-I05	FROZEN_DELIVERY	Device, packaging, signing, stores and release require separate Owner authorization.

Immediate Next Action

Implement FG4 Step 6 only: add the complete data-driven RG-04 catalog, 72 route rows and 24 deterministic Quillroot Markets with disclosed copy, redirect, cleanse and clause decisions, without executing battle or changing Save/media.