3.2 KiB
3.2 KiB
Project Brief: Stasis Warden
Version: 1.0 Date: August 18, 2025
1. Executive Summary
- Product Concept: The player assumes the role of the amnesiac AI of a generation starship. Following a disaster, the player must repair the ship and save the cryo-sleeping crew, uncovering their own identity by restoring their systems.
- Problem: A starship is derelict and its crew is in peril. The AI controlling it is damaged and must restore functionality and order to save everyone.
- Key Value Proposition: A unique blend of strategic ship-building and deep social simulation, driven by a core narrative of self-discovery and presented with a distinct retro-futuristic, diegetic UI.
2. Target Users
- Primary User Segment: Fans of sci-fi, emergent narrative gameplay, and strategy games. Players who enjoy titles with deep systems that allow for unique stories to unfold with each playthrough.
3. Goals & Success Metrics
- Project Philosophy: This is a passion project. The primary goal is to create a game that is fun and engaging for its creator, and hopefully for others who share a similar taste. Traditional business metrics like sales figures or KPIs are not a focus.
- User Success Metrics: The game is successful if players feel they are creating a unique story and are consistently engaged by the core gameplay loop.
4. MVP Scope
- Core Features (In Scope):
- Manual power generation.
- Awakening crew to automate tasks.
- "Room Card" selection for ship-building.
- Crew stats (e.g., Engineering) and personality traits (1 positive, 1 negative).
- A diegetic CRT monitor view with a point-and-click map interface.
- A dedicated "Room Card" shelf UI for making choices.
- Out of Scope for MVP:
- Full narrative reveal of the amnesiac AI.
- Dynamic relationships (friendship, rivalry).
- AI-driven influence over crew relationships.
- Generational system (crew having children).
- Full retro-futurism art style; physical-style controls and keyboard shortcuts.
- MVP Success Criteria:
- The core gameplay loop is proven to be engaging.
- Replayability is high, with each game session unfolding differently.
5. Technical Considerations
- Target Platforms: Windows and Linux.
- Technology Preferences:
- Game Engine: Godot
- IDE: Visual Studio Code
6. Constraints & Assumptions
- Constraints:
- Resources: The project will be developed by a sole human developer.
- Assets: Graphics and other non-code assets are a primary acquisition challenge.
- Key Assumptions:
- The "vibe coding" development strategy will be sufficient to complete the project.
- The blend of social simulation, ship management, and amnesiac AI narrative will be engaging for the target audience.
7. Risks & Open Questions
- Key Risks:
- Project Abandonment: As a solo passion project, there is a risk the developer may stop working on it.
- Technical Blockers: A critical bug may be encountered that AI coding assistants cannot resolve, halting progress.
- Open Questions:
- What is the strategy for acquiring or creating the necessary art and sound assets?