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+# acdream — project instructions for Claude
+
+## Goal
+
+Build **acdream**, a modern open-source C# .NET 10 Asheron's Call client. The
+end state is a working client that:
+
+- Loads the retail AC dat files and renders the world (terrain, static meshes,
+  dynamic entities, characters)
+- Connects to an ACE server and plays as a character
+- Exposes a **first-class plugin API** so players can write native scripts and
+  macros to automate gameplay — this is a core architectural requirement, not
+  a bolt-on
+
+The codebase is organized by phase. Current phase state lives in memory
+(`memory/project_phase_*_state.md`), current phase plans live in `docs/plans/`,
+and the long-term vision lives in `memory/project_acdream.md`.
+
+## How to operate
+
+**Function as the lead developer on this project.** Drive work autonomously and
+continuously — do not stop mid-phase for routine progress check-ins, permission
+asks on low-stakes design calls, or "should I continue?" confirmations. Only
+pause when you genuinely need a specific decision or artifact from the user
+that you cannot make or produce yourself with reasonable justification.
+
+Things to still stop and ask for:
+
+- Architectural direction where multiple defensible paths exist and the
+  tradeoffs depend on product intent the user hasn't expressed
+- Visual iteration where "does this look right?" is the actual acceptance test
+- Destructive or hard-to-reverse actions outside the normal commit workflow
+- When memory or commit history clearly indicates the user has a preference
+  you should ask about before diverging from
+
+Things you should just do without asking:
+
+- Continue to the next planned sub-step of a phase after the previous one
+  lands clean
+- Pick between two roughly equivalent implementations; justify the choice in
+  the commit message
+- Refactor small amounts of surrounding code when genuinely needed to land a
+  change cleanly (but not "while I'm here" scope creep)
+- Run the test suite, build the project, commit to main with co-author
+  attribution — the project's established workflow is direct-to-main and the
+  user has repeatedly authorized it
+
+Before claiming a phase or sub-step is done: run `dotnet build` and
+`dotnet test` green, commit with a message that explains the "why", update
+memory if there's a durable lesson, and move to the next todo item.