Add market research, asset gates, and task split

[RollNuts]

Purpose

Set up the public ARPG bakeoff as a research- and PR-driven program instead of continuing the old Unity mock or reusing the existing Unreal hotel project.

Evidence

• Market references checked: Hades II, V Rising, No Rest for the Wicked, Death Must Die, Halls of Torment, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, Soulstone Survivors, Ravenswatch, Jotunnslayer, Realm of Ink.
• Images/video/audio checked: Steam store screenshots/trailer thumbnails, official/OST-facing sources summarized in the docs.
• Assets or tools consumed: none. This PR spends no Maya/Meshy/API credits and imports no assets.

Scope Control

• Adds market-fit notes, visual/audio benchmark, free asset source notes, engine bakeoff rules, Maya/Meshy usage gate, and task split.
• Does not add a Unity project, Unreal project, generated model, paid asset, or copied existing implementation.
• New Maya/Meshy/API spend: none.

Linked Tasks

• Closes M1-T01 Write the final-frame visual brief #1
• Closes M0-T02 Ask Veripsa Core to review program split #2
• Relates to M1-T02 Build a free/CC0 asset shortlist #3
• Relates to M0-T01 Confirm branch protection and docs-gate #4
• Relates to M3-T01 Select the first playable hero source #5
• Relates to M2-T01 Build Unity fresh-slice evidence #6
• Relates to M2-T03 Decide engine by screenshot and 10-second evidence #7
• Relates to M2-T02 Build Unreal 5.8 fresh-slice evidence #8
• Relates to M4-T01 Produce the first 30-second commercial-read capture #9

Veripsa Core Request

Please review the task split, program boundaries, and next PR ordering. Flag anything that is too broad, depends on hidden assets, should be split before implementation, or risks pulling the work back into the old Unity mock.

Specific questions:

1. Should M1 visual target and M1 free asset shortlist be separate PRs?
2. Should Unity and Unreal bakeoff tasks be owned by separate agents/branches?
3. What is the minimum evidence needed before engine selection?
4. Are any tasks too broad for PR review?

[veripsa-core]

Veripsa — heading to main

❓ Unknown — not enough signal to call this clear

This PR reserves: Assets/Editor.meta, Assets/Editor/Nightwatch.meta, Assets/Editor/Nightwatch/WolfForestFoundationSceneBuilder.cs, Assets/Editor/Nightwatch/WolfForestFoundationSceneBuilder.cs.meta, Assets/Scripts/Cameras.meta, Assets/Scripts/Cameras/ThirdPersonFollowCamera.cs, Assets/Scripts/Cameras/ThirdPersonFollowCamera.cs.meta, Assets/Scripts/Combat/CombatHit.cs, and more

New paths in this PR — coupling will be computable after merge. These paths are NEW in this PR, so there is no main-side graph to compare against yet (expected, not a warning): Assets/Editor.meta, Assets/Editor/Nightwatch.meta, Assets/Editor/Nightwatch/WolfForestFoundationSceneBuilder.cs, Assets/Editor/Nightwatch/WolfForestFoundationSceneBuilder.cs.meta, Assets/Scripts/Cameras.meta, Assets/Scripts/Cameras/ThirdPersonFollowCamera.cs, Assets/Scripts/Cameras/ThirdPersonFollowCamera.cs.meta, Assets/Scripts/Combat/CombatHit.cs, and more. Veripsa will compute their coupling once this PR lands.

Some other paths aren't in Veripsa's graph yet (unverified, not 'safe'). These paths are in main but NOT in Veripsa's graph — an unsupported language, an un-indexed area, or an extractor gap — so Veripsa can't compute their coupling: .github/workflows/repo-check.yml. Treat as unknown, not clear.

_{Veripsa records what is heading to main and who reserved what — it does not assert correctness. Advisory by default; your branch-protection policy decides what blocks.}

[RollNuts]

Veripsa Core follow-up request:

Please review the planning docs in this PR as program structure, not implementation code. I need traffic-control feedback on:

1. whether M1 visual target and M1 free/CC0 asset shortlist should be separate PRs,
2. whether Unity and Unreal bakeoff tasks should be owned by separate branches/agents,
3. what minimum evidence is required before engine selection,
4. which tasks in docs/production/task-split.md are too broad for PR review,
5. whether any path risks pulling the work back into the old Unity mock.

The intended next step is small PRs only; no old project copy, no paid/API asset spend before gate approval.

[RollNuts]

Veripsa Core merge-order request:

Current PR stack for traffic control:

• Add market research, asset gates, and task split #10 -> base main: market research, visual/audio benchmark, engine bakeoff plan, task split, docs-gate workflow.
• docs: add Issue #1 final frame brief #11 -> base plan/market-research-and-task-split: final-frame visual brief.
• Add engine bakeoff ownership plan #12 -> base plan/market-research-and-task-split: engine bakeoff ownership plan.
• Add free CC0 asset shortlist and ledger template #13 -> base plan/market-research-and-task-split: free/CC0 asset shortlist and asset ledger.
• Add 30-second capture acceptance checklist #14 -> base plan/market-research-and-task-split: 30-second capture acceptance checklist.

Please propose a merge order and call out whether any PR should be split further, rebased, or held until another PR lands. The goal is to keep the new public repo clean, avoid pulling old Unity mock work forward, and prevent paid/API asset spend before an explicit asset gate.

[RollNuts]

Veripsa Core stack update:

New implementation PR added:

• Add Phase 1 Unity player-character slice #15 -> base capture/30-second-acceptance: Unity 6000.3 Phase 1 player-character slice, scene, controller, VFX, camera, HUD, and Unity-rendered evidence screenshots.

Current intended stack:

1. Add market research, asset gates, and task split #10 -> main: market research, visual/audio benchmark, engine bakeoff plan, task split, docs-gate workflow.
2. docs: add Issue #1 final frame brief #11/Add engine bakeoff ownership plan #12/Add free CC0 asset shortlist and ledger template #13 -> plan/market-research-and-task-split: final-frame brief, engine bakeoff ownership, free/CC0 asset shortlist.
3. Add 30-second capture acceptance checklist #14 -> plan/market-research-and-task-split: 30-second capture acceptance checklist.
4. Add Phase 1 Unity player-character slice #15 -> capture/30-second-acceptance: first Unity Phase 1 player-character implementation evidence.

Please include #15 in merge-order guidance. Specifically call out whether #15 should remain stacked on #14, be rebased after #10 lands, or be split into Unity project bootstrap vs player slice/evidence PRs.

[RollNuts]

Veripsa Core stack update:

New PR added:

• Polish Phase 1 player slice visuals and HUD #16 -> base phase1/player-character-slice: focused visual polish pass for Add Phase 1 Unity player-character slice #15. It reduces floor repetition, fixes the empty HUD read, improves hero separation, strengthens VFX fade timing, switches evidence capture to HDR render texture, and regenerates evidence PNGs.

Current intended stack now:

1. Add market research, asset gates, and task split #10 -> main: market research, visual/audio benchmark, engine bakeoff plan, task split, docs-gate workflow.
2. docs: add Issue #1 final frame brief #11/Add engine bakeoff ownership plan #12/Add free CC0 asset shortlist and ledger template #13 -> plan/market-research-and-task-split: final-frame brief, engine bakeoff ownership, free/CC0 asset shortlist.
3. Add 30-second capture acceptance checklist #14 -> plan/market-research-and-task-split: 30-second capture acceptance checklist.
4. Add Phase 1 Unity player-character slice #15 -> capture/30-second-acceptance: first Unity Phase 1 player-character implementation evidence.
5. Polish Phase 1 player slice visuals and HUD #16 -> phase1/player-character-slice: Phase 1 visual/HUD/VFX polish evidence.

Please include #16 in merge-order guidance. In particular, confirm whether #16 should stay stacked on #15 or whether regenerated evidence PNGs should be separated from code polish.

[RollNuts]

Veripsa Core stack update after adding #17:

1. Add market research, asset gates, and task split #10 plan/market-research-and-task-split -> base main
2. Add Phase 1 Unity player-character slice #15 phase1/player-character-slice -> base Add market research, asset gates, and task split #10 branch
3. Polish Phase 1 player slice visuals and HUD #16 phase1/visual-polish-pass -> base Add Phase 1 Unity player-character slice #15 branch
4. Add Phase 1 demo contact sheet capture #17 phase1/demo-capture -> base Polish Phase 1 player slice visuals and HUD #16 branch

Requested merge order remains #10 planning first when externally approved, then #15, #16, and #17. Please check whether #17 should stay as a separate evidence/capture PR or be folded into #16 before merge. Branch protection still requires external approval; I am not weakening it.

[RollNuts]

Veripsa Core stack update after adding #18:

• Add character production pipeline and video tooling notes #18 research/character-pipeline-and-video-tools -> base plan/market-research-and-task-split

This PR is research/planning only. It adds character production pipeline notes, divergent hero/enemy pattern cards, 2D-to-3D/Meshy/Maya spend gates, free ffmpeg/ffprobe tooling notes, and a minimal Unity .gitignore for generated folders.

Please include #18 in merge-order guidance. My current preference: merge after #10 planning is approved, before any Meshy/Maya asset-spend PR. It should not block #15-#17 except where Veripsa recommends folding the .gitignore earlier.