Track post-alpha and beta roadmap decomposition

[JOY]

Purpose

Track future roadmap decomposition after the alpha slice is playable and verified.

This is a broad planning issue, not an alpha implementation ticket.

Source Docs

• docs/design/85-post-alpha-and-beta-roadmap-decomposition.md
• docs/design/148-open-design-decision-backlog.md

Current Status

• Planning only.
• Do not implement directly from this issue.
• Do not split deferred lanes until the relevant alpha evidence exists.
• Open decisions in docs/design/148-open-design-decision-backlog.md remain non-approved until moved into the GDD, decision register, ADR, or issue-specific source doc.

Phase Gates Before Splitting

Do not treat the project as post-alpha until evidence exists for:

• Full Garden to Gate to outcome alpha route.
• Body loss, body choice, and reinhabitation language.
• Reward, TIME, SECOND, and inventory custody authority.
• Focused NPC believability with memory, relationship, fallback, and debug evidence.
• Server-authoritative combat hit, damage, defeat, and denial proof.
• Player-facing HUD, dialogue, objective, mission card, and outcome copy without debug panels.
• Stable Unity validation, docs tracking, and issue routing workflow.

Decision Gate Before Splitting

Before creating child implementation issues from this roadmap, check docs/design/148-open-design-decision-backlog.md and confirm the lane is not blocked by:

• unresolved voice provider or Convai-style dependency
• unverified Ida Faber facial blendshape profile
• unapproved SECOND live economy values
• unapproved Vitality to max TIME capacity rule
• unresolved player-facing TIME-class geography wording

If a child issue touches one of those rows, it must link the decision row and say whether the decision is still open, newly defaulted, moved to the decision register, or deferred again.

Candidate Lanes To Split Later

• RAG memory.
• Expanded quest system.
• Multi-zone travel.
• Marketplace and NFT trade.
• Guild system.
• NPC voice quality expansion after Track scoped NPC voice sessions and playback implementation lane #288.
• Post-slice Bonebound implementation after Design post-slice Bonebound Frame hidden class spec #264 promotion gates.
• Guild PvP.
• Pet breeding.
• Movement-only mounts.
• Economy balancing.
• Gate tiering and Pioneer Charter.
• Live ops and public beta.
• Seasons, modding, Sentis, and advanced body or soul progression redesign.

Split Rules

• Link the source design doc and observed alpha evidence.
• Link any relevant open decision row from docs/design/148-open-design-decision-backlog.md.
• Name one owner and one reviewer lane.
• State the exact first proof, not the full final feature.
• Add an evidence template or checklist before implementation starts.
• Keep economy, marketplace, PvP, pets, mounts, and advanced progression separate unless a dependency doc proves they must ship together.
• Use closing keywords only when a focused child issue is fully completed by a PR.

Forbidden Scope

• Do not implement post-alpha systems from this issue.
• Do not promise beta dates from this issue.
• Do not add live economy, marketplace, PvP, pets, mounts, or advanced progression before alpha evidence gates.
• Do not revive deferred cultivation/Nibirium as a normal XP bar without a fresh approved design pass.

[JOY]

Refined the #265 post-alpha and beta roadmap decomposition in docs/design/85-post-alpha-and-beta-roadmap-decomposition.md.

Added:

• split trigger matrix for RAG memory, daily return, second zone, mission variants, guilds, marketplace, PvP, pets, mounts, and advanced progression
• recommended first five post-alpha issues after alpha evidence exists
• dependency gates for major systems before they become executable work
• extra companion link to post-alpha zone and Gate expansion candidates

This keeps #265 broad but prevents premature marketplace, guild PvP, pet breeding, mount, public beta, season, and advanced progression work before the alpha evidence gates exist.

Verification run locally:

• tools/windows/check-backlog-sync.ps1: OK
• git diff --check -- docs ROADMAP.md: OK
• generated dash-character scan on touched Track post-alpha and beta roadmap decomposition #265 docs/tracking files: OK
• local markdown link check: OK

[JOY]

Tracking clarification:

• docs/setup/alpha-open-issue-handoff-coverage.md now marks broad roadmap lanes as tracking-only and blocks direct implementation from Track post-alpha and beta roadmap decomposition #265.
• Future RAG, multi-zone travel, marketplace, guild, PvP, pets, mounts, live ops, and advanced progression work should be split into smaller issues only after alpha route evidence makes the next phase credible.

[JOY]

Added the post-alpha and beta roadmap decomposition source doc.

Docs updated:

• docs/design/85-post-alpha-and-beta-roadmap-decomposition.md
• docs/SUMMARY.md
• docs/design/03-systems-index.md
• docs/setup/github-project-tracking.md
• ROADMAP.md stale voice reference corrected from Track NPC voice session and custom Ida Faber facial-animation lane #262 to Track scoped NPC voice sessions and playback implementation lane #288/Track post-alpha and beta roadmap decomposition #265.

The doc keeps #265 as planning-only scope and defines:

• alpha exit gates before post-alpha split work
• post-alpha, beta, and post-launch candidate lanes
• split triggers for future issues
• scope boundaries that prevent later attractive features from invading the first playable alpha

Verification:

• tools/windows/check-backlog-sync.ps1 OK
• git diff --check OK
• no generated em-dash/en-dash matches in touched files
• local markdown links OK
• SUMMARY coverage OK for current design docs
• targeted systems-index links OK for Define external scheduler path for offline-agent and NPC simulation #84 and docs: track Nakama hardening backlog #85

[JOY]

Docs tracking update: PR #336 added the first post-alpha split queue and a child issue template to docs/design/85-post-alpha-and-beta-roadmap-decomposition.md. The queue prioritizes a second Garden-to-Gate route, deeper NPC memory retrieval, daily return/offline-agent continuity, non-economic first-clear records, and a second-zone travel stub after alpha evidence exists. Marketplace, guild PvP, pets, mounts, public beta, seasons, and advanced progression remain blocked until those candidates ship or are explicitly deferred.