ROADMAP.md draft

[ibloud]

Veiled Dominion Roadmap

Purpose

This roadmap gives contributors a short, stable orientation point for where the project is headed next.

It is intentionally higher level than the full rulebook and lower level than long-form architecture notes. The goal is to help contributors understand what the repository is optimizing for across near-term and medium-term milestones.

v0.1 — Foundation and public scaffold

Status: largely established

Focus areas:

• baseline rulebook and project framing in README.md
• contributor workflow and governance docs
• devcontainer-based onboarding
• first-pass engine scaffolding in src/Board/, src/Pieces/, and src/Systems/
• initial variant and accessibility documentation

Representative outcomes:

• repository can onboard contributors conceptually
• core game thesis is documented
• initial code scaffold exists for board geometry, board state, piece base types, and Radius of Ruin recalculation

v0.2 — Deterministic engine core

Focus areas:

• turn loop controller
• explicit start/action/resolution phase lifecycle
• baseline move validation flow
• Veiled state lifecycle enforcement
• Leadership Point tracking
• end-state checks
• unit tests for board geometry and aura/state transitions

Success criteria:

• contributors can run and extend a deterministic baseline game loop
• core systems behavior is testable without rendering dependencies

v0.3 — Local playable prototype

Focus areas:

• local input flow for 4-player turn progression
• basic move selection and piece interaction UI
• visible state feedback for Veiled pieces and Radius of Ruin
• first-pass browser or engine-hosted playtest surface

Success criteria:

• a contributor can play through the baseline rules locally
• the prototype demonstrates the restraint-fantasy loop clearly enough for external playtest feedback

v0.4 — Rendering and accessibility hardening

Focus areas:

• Death/Rebirth signature rendering pass
• compliance with docs/ENGINE_ACCESSIBILITY_A11Y_PARADOX.md
• safe transition behaviors, pulse timing, and frame pacing
• WebGL/export stability checks
• prototype-safe presentation of visual state changes

Success criteria:

• the project’s visual thesis is represented without violating the engine-level safety guidance
• rendering contributors have explicit safety and implementation targets

v1.0 — Public contributor-ready prototype

Focus areas:

• stable baseline prototype loop
• documented extension points for variants
• contributor-ready starter issues and docs
• clearer architecture contract for future engine and content work
• enough polish for broader external review and recruitment

Success criteria:

• the repository supports meaningful external contribution without maintainers needing to restate core architecture verbally
• the baseline prototype is understandable, testable, and extensible

Notes

This roadmap should evolve conservatively. It is a coordination document, not a speculative promise sheet.

If milestone goals change substantially, update this file alongside the README or related contributor docs so project expectations stay aligned.