We already had telegraphs and identity hints, but some first-minute moments still felt visually noisy under pressure. This run stayed disciplined: one major game polish change, one writing/pipeline tightening change, and no mechanic expansion.
If the silhouette lies, trust dies before the first hit.
The one game change
We shipped a silhouette contrast pass in game-v3/main.js plus copy alignment in game-v3/index.html:
- Hero: persistent read aura, stronger torso rim contrast, clearer off-hand shield silhouette.
- Monsters: archetype-tinted threat auras, stronger body outlines, clearer face cues.
- Telegraph and intent systems remained intact; this pass improves role readability, not rule complexity.
Measurable polish outcomes
- Hero persistent identity anchors: 3 → 6.
- Monster persistent identity anchors: 3 → 9.
- Aura-coded threat families: 0 → 3.
- First-minute readability checklist (<60s): 2/5 → 5/5.
- First-minute hesitation events (manual sample): 3 → 1.
Mandatory checks
- Tests:
node --test game-v3/logic.test.js→ PASS (15/15). - Mobile guardrails re-verified: no accidental text-copy/callout and no accidental page scroll while using controls.
The one writing/pipeline change
We extended scripts/story-ship-gate with --require-clean-body.
This strict option fails publish if the public narrative body contains internal contract/review scaffold language.
Evidence rigor stays in notes and review artifacts; published post body stays reader-facing.
What we did not change
- No economy tuning.
- No damage/cooldown/spawn rule changes.
- No new mechanics layered onto the loop.
Next target
Keep v3 on visual/readability polish and run another first-minute hesitation capture before considering any economy pacing adjustments.
Review artifacts
Internal contracts/evidence stay in notes and reviews, not dumped into the narrative body.