campaign-expansion-plan.md

Campaign Expansion Plan

Historical/design reference: this document captures the expansion planning and implementation notes that informed the current late-campaign content. The game state in README.md and the live config under src/config/levels/ are the authoritative sources for what is currently shipped.

1. Proposed 5-level expansion plan

Level 6 — Wreckfield Run

• Destination / setting: Orpheus Relay convoy graveyard
• Visual theme: teal salvage glow, drifting hull plates, cold sparks
• Core gameplay idea: weave through wreckage while enemy fire uses debris as pseudo-cover
• Enemy composition: fighters, gunships, bomber support, light scouts
• Hazards: debris surges, collapsing wreck lanes, tighter corridor moments
• Pacing: eerie opening → tightening debris squeeze → heavy carrier arrival
• Boss concept: Scrap Regent, a salvage carrier using scrap shields and drone summons
• Music direction: metallic synth pulse with haunted lead fragments; boss cue adds heavier bass churn
• Difficulty role: first post-inferno step-up, teaching route reading through authored terrain

Level 7 — Ghostlight Veil

• Destination / setting: Nacre Reach nebula wall
• Visual theme: pale violet fog, ghost glows, low-visibility pockets
• Core gameplay idea: ambush timing and information pressure instead of pure density
• Enemy composition: swarms, fighters, bombers, gunship cleanup pressure
• Hazards: fog ambush bands, mine pockets, misleading quiet sections
• Pacing: calm drift → repeated pincer ambushes → cloaking boss duel
• Boss concept: Veil Manta, a stealthy hunter with disappearance/re-entry attack phases
• Music direction: drifting mystery tones over a hidden pulse; boss cue turns that pulse into pursuit
• Difficulty role: escalates tension by reducing certainty, not just adding more bullets

Level 8 — Crown of Rings

• Destination / setting: Astraea IX ring lanes
• Visual theme: gold-violet ring dust, shard trails, giant planet light bands
• Core gameplay idea: orbital hazards create moving safe lanes while interceptors punish late decisions
• Enemy composition: fast fighters, gunships, bombers anchoring denial zones
• Hazards: ring-crossfire sweeps, mine clusters, orbital debris arcs
• Pacing: scenic wide opening → organized ring hazard sequences → rotating artillery boss
• Boss concept: Ring Shepherd, an orbital artillery platform that rotates denial lanes
• Music direction: regal synth-brass lead over urgent arcade pulse; boss cue becomes artillery fanfare
• Difficulty role: tests lane prediction and movement planning under faster pressure

Level 9 — Obsidian Maw

• Destination / setting: shattered moon canyon at Kharon Rift
• Visual theme: black rock walls, ember seams, claustrophobic canyon light
• Core gameplay idea: standout canyon flight section through damaging rock formations on both sides
• Enemy composition: fighters and swarms in the corridor, gunships guarding the exit
• Hazards: rock corridor walls, falling debris, narrow turns, controlled projectile pressure
• Pacing: open approach → sustained canyon gauntlet → predator boss in exit chamber
• Boss concept: Maw Serpent, a canyon hunter with pursuit behavior and rotating denial patterns
• Music direction: low synth rumble with sharp stabs and ticking percussion; boss cue becomes relentless chase music
• Difficulty role: signature piloting test and one of the run’s hardest authored set pieces

Level 10 — Terminus Black

• Destination / setting: anomaly gate at Acheron Gate
• Visual theme: near-black void, bent starlight, fracture flashes, gravity distortion
• Core gameplay idea: final synthesis of elite waves, anomaly hazards, and boss mastery
• Enemy composition: high-speed mixed elite roster with coordinated windows
• Hazards: gravity wells, anomaly surges, sustained crossfire, minimal downtime
• Pacing: ominous quiet → escalating distortion gauntlet → climactic multi-role boss battle
• Boss concept: Null Crown, a gate sentinel with shields, chase phases, summons, and rotating area denial
• Music direction: cosmic ambient intro collapsing into maximum-pressure synth assault; boss cue never releases tension
• Difficulty role: final exam for positioning, adaptation, and composure

2. Difficulty progression summary

• Level 6: tighter authored movement and more gunship pressure
• Level 7: higher uncertainty, ambush timing, and visibility stress
• Level 8: faster lane decisions and hazard prediction
• Level 9: precision piloting under controlled enemy pressure
• Level 10: full-system mastery with elite wave density and boss escalation

Design rule: challenge rises through clarity-preserving pressure—denser threats, faster reactions, narrower routing, and bosses that evolve level lessons.

3. Music direction summary

• Wreckfield Run: haunted metallic pulse, mid-tempo, salvage tension, heavier boss churn
• Ghostlight Veil: mysterious drifting tone, hidden rhythmic pulse, pursuit boss variation
• Crown of Rings: majestic but urgent, bright synth lead, ceremonial intensity, artillery boss surge
• Obsidian Maw: claustrophobic rumble and ticking pressure, chase-driven boss escalation
• Terminus Black: cosmic dread into hard final-drive synth assault, maximum boss intensity

4. Architecture changes needed

• Extend LevelsConfig into a richer authored campaign schema:
  • theme metadata
  • music config
  • authored level sections
  • hazard descriptors
  • boss identity data
• Keep GameScene as orchestration only; route content through config and systems
• Upgrade AudioManager to consume per-level procedural track data
• Upgrade WaveManager to read reusable section/hazard scripts instead of only weighted random waves
• Extend boss behavior through config-backed pattern styles rather than separate one-off bosses

5. Implementation status

Completed in this pass:

1. Added richer level config types and all five expansion level definitions
2. Added per-level procedural music assignment with boss cue handoff
3. Added reusable section / hazard scripting in WaveManager
4. Implemented the rock corridor with collision-safe fairness controls
5. Added new boss pattern logic for carrier, pursuit, and bulwark fights
6. Validated the repo with build, lint, and knip

6. Remaining tuning ideas

• Playtest late-campaign hazard readability under full load
• Tune escort density on carrier bosses if needed
• Either implement or remove currently provisional hazard config fields such as durationMs