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acdream/memory/project_session_2026_04_17.md
Erik d951304875 memory: capture full 2026-04-17 session + permanent research index 
Two memory files landed:

1. Updated memory/project_session_2026_04_17.md — covers all three
   commits today:
   - ff325ab debug overlay + mouse controls
   - 7230c15 retail UI research + C# scaffold
   - 3f913f1 13-slice deep-dive marathon + scaffolds + roadmap

   Includes the "what to build tomorrow" lookup table, the architectural
   headline findings, and session lessons (Opus-4.7 parallel swarms are
   worth the cost; keystone.dll landmine; GameEvent dispatcher is the
   biggest network gap).

2. New memory/project_retail_research_index.md — permanent index for
   the 20 research docs (6 UI slices + 13 subsystem slices). Quick-
   lookup table "use this slice when you're doing X". Also captures the
   critical cross-cutting findings (architecture, wire, dat ranges) and
   already-extracted retail-faithful formulas for instant reference.

   This file is the standing invariant: before writing any retail-AC-
   specific code, open it first to find the matching slice.
2026-04-18 13:24:11 +02:00

4.9 KiB
Raw Blame History

Session 2026-04-17 — Debug overlay → full-day retail-AC research marathon

Timeline (morning → afternoon)

  1. Morning — Debug overlay (TTF atlas + text batcher + HUD panels) and input-control tuning (per-mode sensitivity, RMB free-orbit, wheel zoom, F8/F9 sensitivity). Shipped in commit ff325ab.
  2. Midday — User requested a deep investigation of the retail AC client's GUI subsystem. Dispatched 6 parallel Opus-4.7 high-effort agents, produced a 30,000-word research bundle + C# UI scaffold. Shipped in commit 7230c15.
  3. Afternoon — User asked to research all remaining major AC subsystems (R1-R13) while they were AFK for 2 hours. Dispatched 13 parallel Opus-4.7 agents, produced a 78,000-word research bundle + master synthesis + 5 C# port scaffolds + rewritten roadmap. Shipped in commit 3f913f1.

What shipped today — three commits on main

Commit Title Insert
ff325ab feat(ui): debug overlay + refined input controls 2,725
7230c15 docs+feat(ui): retail UI deep-dive research + C# scaffold 8,042
3f913f1 docs+feat: 13 retail-AC deep-dives + scaffolds + roadmap 15,312

Total 26,079 lines added, 262 deleted, 55 new files. All three commits green on build + 470 tests.

Key files to know

Research (the goldmine)

  • docs/research/deepdives/00-master-synthesis.md — start here. Nav hub for all 13 deep-dive slices; has the dependency graph and phase sequencing (E/F/G/H).
  • docs/research/deepdives/r01-…-r13-… — 13 subsystem deep-dives, 78,000 words total, every claim cited.
  • docs/research/retail-ui/00-master-synthesis.md — UI framework synthesis. 6 slice docs total, ~30,000 words.
  • memory/project_retail_research_index.md — permanent quick-lookup index for all 20 research docs.

C# scaffolds (what to build on)

  • src/AcDream.App/UI/ — retail-style widget toolkit (UiRoot, UiElement, UiPanel, UiHost, event types matching retail codes)
  • src/AcDream.Core/Items/ItemInstance.cs — R6 inventory data model
  • src/AcDream.Core/Spells/SpellModel.cs — R1 spell cast state machine
  • src/AcDream.Core/Combat/CombatModel.cs — R2 damage math
  • src/AcDream.Core/Audio/AudioModel.cs — R5 audio interfaces
  • src/AcDream.Core/Vfx/VfxModel.cs — R4 particle data model

Updated

  • docs/plans/2026-04-11-roadmap.md — rewritten Phase E-H based on the deep-dive synthesis. Old Phase E renamed to J.

Architectural headline findings

  1. Retail UI widgets live in keystone.dll, not acclient.exe. We implement our own retained-mode toolkit with retail-faithful event codes (0x01 click, 0x15 drag, 0x3E drop, 0x201 WM_LBUTTONDOWN) and consume the same portal.dat fonts + sprites for visual identity.
  2. Of 94 GameEvents (S→C, 0xF7B0 envelope), zero are handled in acdream today. Biggest network-protocol gap; blocks inventory, chat, quest tracking, allegiance.
  3. Motion hooks are the trigger source for audio + VFX + combat timing. R3 motion-hook expansion is the prereq for "feel alive" (Phase E).
  4. Weather is 95% client-side — deterministic from Portal Year server clock. No SetWeather opcode.
  5. Retail lighting is D3D fixed-function with 8-light cap, NO attenuation inside Range, then hard cutoff. "Feels right" not physical.

Pickup for next session

"What should I do tomorrow?" table:

If you want to… Build…
Make the world feel alive (footsteps, sword whooshes, spell auras) Phase E — R3 motion hooks → R5 audio → R4 particles
Actually fight monsters Phase F.3 combat math + F.1 GameEvent dispatcher
Cast a buff + recall to lifestone Phase F.4 spell state machine + F.1 GameEvent
See a character sheet Phase F.2 item model + F.5 attributes panel (UI slice 05)
Enter a dungeon Phase G.3 dungeon streaming (R9)
See a sky Phase G.1 weather/day-night (R12)
Create a character in-client Phase H.4 CharCreate (R7)

The master synthesis (docs/research/deepdives/00-master-synthesis.md §10) recommends a specific week-by-week sequence if the user wants one-thing-at-a-time focus.

Session feedback / lessons

  • Opus-4.7 high-effort parallel agents are the right tool for decompile-intensive research. 13-agent swarm for R1-R13 completed in ~13 minutes, producing ~78,000 words of grounded work. Cost is high but quality justifies it for load-bearing research.
  • keystone.dll is a landmine for anyone trying to "port the UI faithfully" — the widget toolkit isn't in the decompile we have. Own- toolkit approach is the only viable path.
  • Network protocol atlas (R8) is the single biggest unblocker — nearly every other system depends on opcodes we don't handle.