guts/docs/LANES/ROUND2_INSTRUCTIONS.md

# GUTS — Round 2 lane instructions (from Fable, integrator)

Date: 2026-07-16 · Written after reviewing all four round-1 lanes (A/B/C/D — E did not run
and joins this round) and integrating their offered wiring. Every round-1 claim I checked
held up: A's hash `cefc4f83` and 8-draw sweep, B's `node --check` ESM no-op (reproduced on a
deliberately broken file), C's 3/3 selfcheck, D's manifest. Superb round, all of you.

## Repo state (F integrated, commit this round)

**The game is a game now.** Default boot = A's world on C's `L2_esophagus` with D's textures,
B's ENDO-1 + camera + combat, level-event pump live. Verified by stepped simulation (60 sim
seconds, deterministic dt): flow carried the player to s=777, checkpoints + pickups fired,
9 draws / 52–61k tris, zero console errors, zero asset misses.
Evidence: `docs/shots/laneF/round1_integrated_s777.png`.

F landed since round 1: B/C/D snippets in `boot.js` (assets → world, player/combat wiring,
`?stub=1&lvl=` composing, event pump) · qa.sh **ESM gate fixed** (it had never checked
anything — thank you B) + A's spline selfcheck gate · TECH: world contract **frozen v1.1**,
bus events ratified, asset entry points ratified, colorspace + crest-speed laws · stub:
`crestSpeed()`, CREST factor, colorspace fix. Second dev server config `guts-f` on **8141**
(8140 was held by another session — lanes: if 8140 is busy, use your own port and say so).

## The ONE integration gap found (and it was predicted)

Stepped sim confirmed: **all 11 L2 spawn events no-op with `[combat] unknown enemy type
"bolus_chunk"/"eosinophil_swarm"/"candida_bloom"`.** C's fiction-id → archetype resolve
(LANE_C_NOTES → Lane B #1) is the single blocker between "it boots" and "it's a game with
enemies". B: it is your first task.

## Integrator rulings (settled — argue in NOTES for round 3 if you must)

1. **Surf: CREST_FACTOR = 1.6.** B proved crest speed == flow makes surfing strictly worse
   than throttle (LANE_B_NOTES §surf). Ruling: `crestSpeed(s) = 1.6 × flow(s)` (beats
   throttleMax 1.4), A implements `k(s) = OMEGA/(1.6·flow)`, B speed-locks to
   `world.crestSpeed(s)` while riding, gameplay wave == visual wave stays law. Stub already
   complies — B can build now. C re-runs pacing (pars will compress; the finale's escape
   math changes deliberately — surfing becomes the stylish escape).
2. **Colorspace law** (TECH §Shader law): every custom shader ends `main()` with
   `#include <colorspace_fragment>`. Stub done. A (wall), B (emissive) apply this round —
   expect a visible shift; A re-eyeballs biome tints against D's textures after.
3. **Texture naming**: D renames keys to A's biome ids **early in the round** and pings in
   NOTES; A deletes the slug map after pulling. That order, one round, done.
4. **`level:event` pump is boot's (F).** Landed. B: when you build respawn, tell F what
   reset/replay API the pump needs (`### → Lane F`), don't work around it.
5. **`web/dev/` ratified** as the shared dev-harness dir, per-file lane ownership, never
   shipped. D's texview stays. A: `world/dev.html` may move there or die, your call.
   D's `pipeline/shot_sink.py` is the **house evidence tool** — all lanes:
   `python3 pipeline/shot_sink.py --dir docs/shots/lane<x> --port 8143` (NOT 8140/8141),
   then POST the canvas. `DBG.shot()`'s download silently no-ops in the pane (A was right).
6. **WebP shots ratified** (B's 25 KB vs 1.9 MB argument). PNG also fine. Name the round.
7. **C's GDD refinements + boss specs: signed off.** C folds the three boss one-pagers into
   GDD.md proper. Per-level pars stand. A/D treat boss specs as stable input.
8. **A's uv simplification** (one uv attr + uTile uniform, no uv2): ratified, contract-level.
   **C's arena semantics + A's per-segment `wave` override request: approved** — C specs
   `segments[].wave: { amp }` into schema v2, A implements `waveMaxAt` preferring it.

## Round-2 goal

**L2 esophagus, playable start to finish, textured, scored, survivable and losable** — every
spawn live, all three hazards real, checkpoints/death/respawn, gate → `level:complete`,
HUD + audio on top. Tag `v0.2`. (Round-3 preview: arenas — L1 tutorial + L3 acid sea + the
Pyloric Guardian.)

---

## Lane A — contract v1.2 + the look, deepened

1. **`crestSpeed(s)` + CREST_FACTOR 1.6** (ruling #1) — small, unblocks B, do first.
2. **Answer C's biggest dependency** (LANE_C_NOTES → A #4): segment radius **blending**.
   C assumes a smooth ~40–60u taper at joins (12→9 at s 1100, 10→6.8 at 2600). Confirm or
   implement; a hard step reads as a level seam and breaks the constrictions.
3. **Per-segment `wave` override** (ruling #8) — the hiatus should be tight AND calm.
4. Colorspace one-liner in the wall shader (ruling #2), then re-eyeball all six biome tints
   with D's textures; adjust `biomes.js` freely (C's selfcheck re-checks live, as designed).
5. **TBN normal maps** — lift D's `perturb()` from `web/dev/laneD_texview.html` (their NOTES
   has the exact GLSL and the trap: never add tangent-space normals to vertex normals). Wire
   `_b` variants + matcap. This is the round's visual headline; D called it "the single
   biggest visual win" and their shots agree.
6. `sample(s, out)` out-param variant (v1.2) — B adopts on landing.
7. Stomach-arena shape read for C (→ C #5): propose capsule/lobed/chained-spheres, one
   paragraph + sketch, before C authors the acid sea in round 3. Triplanar arena shells if
   time (the pole-pinch fix) — acid plane can wait for round 3 with the L3 work.
Defer: villi band (no L4 level yet).

## Lane B — make L2 a game (priority order is the order)

1. **C's three consumption fixes** (LANE_C_NOTES → B #1–3, exact snippets provided):
   `getEnemy()` resolve, `theta` arrays, `spread`. Verify against the live L2: sim to s=800
   and the console warns must be gone, bolus/eosinophil/candida all spawning.
2. **The three L2 hazards** (params in `levels/enemies.js` HAZARDS): `reflux_surge` (rear
   chaser; emit `hazard:proximity {kind,distance}` — C's most important UI dependency),
   `aortic_squeeze` (**directional** — one-sided by design, keep contact non-lethal or tell
   C), `ring_gate` (timeable point gate). Emit `hazard:warn {kind,s,eta}` from each event's
   `warn` field.
3. **Checkpoint / death / respawn** (≤30 s law). Define the pump reset API with F (ruling
   #4). Respawn never inside a hazard zone (C placed checkpoints accordingly — keep it true).
4. **Pickups**: nutrient, mucin, B12, antacid ammo, biopsy samples (`pickup` events are in
   L2 already; economy numbers from C via NOTES if you need more than `levels/enemies.js`).
5. **Gate → `level:complete {stats}`** with score/time/samples for E's medal card.
6. **Surf speed-lock** on `world.crestSpeed(s)` (stub has it now; A lands theirs early).
   Re-measure: riding a crest must beat throttle-mashing by a margin worth learning.
7. Colorspace in `emissive.js` (your own finding) — then re-shoot `round1_combat`'s hostile
   amber and confirm it reads amber.
8. Stretch only: arena 6DOF controller (round 3 needs it for L1/L3).
Your tuning.js header still cites the stale `wallRho` numbers (C flagged) — fix the comment.

## Lane C — validate with a real canal

1. **Fly L2 on the integrated build** once B's #1 lands (mid-round — watch B's NOTES). Use
   F's stepped-sim technique (f-progress documents it) or the browser; replace sim numbers
   with observed ones. **The hiatus (s 2600–3000) is the thing to validate**; your open
   question #4 (`MIN_CLEARANCE 2.5`) gets its answer here, alongside John's playtest.
2. **Re-run pacing under CREST 1.6 surf** (ruling #1): pars, the finale escape math, and
   whether antacid-stalling is still the smart play. Adjust `par` values with rationale.
3. **Schema v2**: `segments[].wave` override (approved) — spec it, re-author the hiatus calm
   (amp ~0.6), selfcheck it.
4. Fold boss specs into GDD.md (signed off, ruling #7).
5. **L1 encounter design on paper** (molar crush-cycles, saliva tides, epiglottis exam) —
   full authoring waits for B's arena controller in round 3, but the design doc and the
   skeleton→full upgrade plan land now.
6. Give B the pickup economy (counts/values) as data or NOTES — B's #4 consumes it.

## Lane D — heroes and the full pack

1. **Slug rename first** (ruling #3): `wall_small_intestine_a` etc., manifest + batch JSONs,
   ping A in NOTES same session.
2. **Hero meshes, the round-2 headline**: ENDO-1 ship, `bolus_chunk`, `eosinophil_swarm` —
   concepts via flux_local (ART_BIBLE stems + C's tints in `levels/enemies.js`) →
   **concepts into `docs/shots/laneD/` + NOTES for F/C sign-off BEFORE any TRELLIS run** →
   sf3d draft → trellis_mac → normalize (port `normalize.py` + `glb_stat.py` from PROCITY —
   the GLB law is unenforced until they exist) → thumbs → manifest. `candida_bloom` as a
   decal/sprite sheet (your call, ratified — C agreed).
3. **Colon + mouth walls** (2 each) + acid/decal sprites — completes the biome texture set.
4. **Full audio pack**: E must hand you their key list by mid-round (E's #5); if it hasn't
   arrived, propose the keys yourself in NOTES and E adapts. Beds for all six biomes, sfx
   (torpedo, gate, alarm, checkpoint, death/respawn, UI ticks), 3 boss stingers, ≤10 MB law.
5. Tapeworm stays a **round-3** fal.ai candidate — do NOT spend on it yet; if concepts are
   ready early, put it on `FAL_LIST.md` with the concept attached for John's go.

## Lane E — you have a full house waiting (round-1 charter + these specifics)

Read your charter + the `→ Lane E` sections in B/C/D/A NOTES — all four wrote APIs for you.
1. **HUD** from `player:state` + `combat:state` (emitted every frame, live now): coat/hull,
   heat, throttle/speed/flow, boost cd, score/combo. Bus-only, no imports from B.
2. **Gut-map v1** (the signature): `listLevels()`/`getLevel()` in `levels/index.js` give you
   names/lengths/pars; L2 has 7 named segments + 10 checkpoints authored for exactly this.
3. **Rear-proximity indicator** for `hazard:proximity` + telegraph pings for `hazard:warn` —
   C calls this the single most important UI request (the surge chases from behind).
4. Title (over `?fly=1`-style drift) · pause · **medal card** on `level:complete` (par data
   in the level) · death/respawn feed-drop. Damage = feed corruption, never red vignette.
5. **Audio engine**: D's pack via `assets.audioUrl/audio` (keys + gain law in LANE_D_NOTES →
   Lane E), procedural fallback beeps (`?localassets=0` must make noise), bed crossfade on
   `biomeAt`, heartbeat tempo → danger scalar (define it from bus events, document mapping).
   **Hand D your round-3 key wishlist by mid-round** (D's #4).
6. Respect `?shots=1`/`?mute=1`; every screen screenshotted into `docs/shots/laneE/`.

## Lane F (me) — done this round: the integration above. On-call for contract questions;
end of round: boot matrix, v0.2 tag, ROUND3.

---

## 🎮 John's playtest checklist (the things no agent can measure)

Open `http://localhost:8140/?dbg=1` (or 8141) in a real browser and just play:
1. **The fps number** in the bottom-left overlay (we can only prove draws/tris; rAF is
   paused in our tooling — every lane flagged this honestly).
2. **Feel** — B set `bank.gain`, `cam.discFollow`, `aim.lag` by reasoning, not play. Say
   "banking feels heavy/floaty/right" in any form; B will translate.
3. **The hiatus** (s 2600–3000, once B's hazards land): thrilling or miserable? This decides
   C's clearance floor.
4. **Dart readability** when a turret volley passes the camera (B suspects too dominant).
5. **Audio ear-check** of D's pack (spectrograms pass; ears are yours).