From dddadbc1ac24c34b4d1311636e8654563282b967 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: josh Date: Fri, 8 May 2026 23:29:01 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] docs(01-06): author anti-FOMO doctrine consolidating PROJECT/REQUIREMENTS/CLAUDE/PITFALLS constraints (PIPE-05, UX-13) - Banned Mechanics table enumerates 17 banned patterns (gacha, lootboxes, narrative gating, daily login, streaks, limited-time, energy/stamina, rewarded ads, push notifications, loss-aversion copy, countdown timers, Season skipping, time-skip purchases, hint systems, mobile nag UX, etc.) - Allowed Engagement section names the 4 affordances that respect presence rather than demand it (Memory Storm opt-in, while-you-were-away letter, tab-title bloom indicator, Season-transition save-export reminder) - Review Checklist provides 3 questions for every UX/copy/monetization change - Source Documents section cites PROJECT.md, REQUIREMENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, .planning/research/PITFALLS.md - Per CONTEXT D-07: doctrine is enforced by review, NOT by lint rule on UX strings (the doc explicitly notes this and proposes no lint rule) - Per CONTEXT D-09: lives in .planning/ alongside other internal design docs --- .planning/anti-fomo-doctrine.md | 75 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 75 insertions(+) create mode 100644 .planning/anti-fomo-doctrine.md diff --git a/.planning/anti-fomo-doctrine.md b/.planning/anti-fomo-doctrine.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fe3f95f --- /dev/null +++ b/.planning/anti-fomo-doctrine.md @@ -0,0 +1,75 @@ +# Anti-FOMO Doctrine + +*Phase 1 deliverable per PIPE-05 + UX-13. Consolidated from PROJECT.md, REQUIREMENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, and .planning/research/PITFALLS.md #9.* + +This document is referenced at every UX, monetization, and copy review going +forward. It enumerates mechanics this game does not use, with the reason for +each, so the answer to a "should we add X?" question is in writing rather +than relitigated. + +Per CONTEXT D-07: this doctrine is enforced by **review**, not by lint rules +on UX strings. The reviewer (you, at every UX/monetization/copy decision) +consults this list and rejects or rewrites any change that violates it. + +## Banned Mechanics + +| Mechanic | Why Banned | +|----------|------------| +| Gacha mechanics | Directly contradicts the game's thematic argument that complex things cannot be reduced to simple transactions. (PROJECT.md, REQUIREMENTS.md Out of Scope, CLAUDE.md) | +| Lootboxes | Same reason as gacha — undermines the story's monetization-as-meaning argument. | +| Narrative gating behind purchase | The story IS the product; story content is never paid. | +| Random-drop monetization | All cosmetics must be deterministic catalog purchases. | +| Daily login bonuses | Presence is not a debt the game collects. | +| Login streaks | Skipping a day is allowed, even encouraged. | +| Limited-time / time-limited content | The game's premise is *what persists*. | +| Energy / stamina systems | Anti-cozy gating that interrupts contemplative play. | +| Rewarded ads | Anti-cozy; tonally incoherent with a contemplative grief-narrative. | +| Re-engagement push notifications | Memory Storm opt-in is the **only** allowed notification class. | +| Loss-aversion copy ("you'll lose your X") | Tonally incompatible with cozy/contemplative. | +| Visible countdown timers in core UI | The cello is the timer. The seasons are the timer. Not a digit. | +| "Don't miss out" / "limited time" / "only X hours left" copy | Bannable phrases at copy review. | +| Season *skipping* (vs. Season *acceleration*) | Players must never miss authored story beats; acceleration is allowed, skipping is forbidden. | +| Time-skip purchases that bypass real-time | Real-time IS the metaphor for memory; skip-time would violate mechanic-as-metaphor doctrine. | +| Hint system / objective tracker | Discovery-driven progression (A Dark Room rule); explicit objectives violate the tone. | +| Mobile-style nag UX | Cozy audience expects respect; nag patterns will tank reviews. | + +## Allowed Engagement + +The following engagement affordances are explicitly **allowed** because they respect +presence rather than demand it: + +- **Memory Storm opt-in notifications** — the single allowed notification class. + Player must explicitly opt in. Never daily, never marketing, never streak-based. +- **"While you were away" letter on return** — written in Lura's voice, never a stat dump + (UX-02). Describes what bloomed, what the wind brought; never "fragments per hour." +- **Tab-title bloom indicator** when a fragment is ready (UX-09, Phase 8) — passive + surfacing, no notification. +- **Save-export reminder after Season transitions** — relationship-saving, not nag. + +## Review Checklist + +When reviewing any UX, copy, monetization, or feature change, ask three questions: + +1. **Does this create urgency around presence rather than around content?** If yes → reject. +2. **Does this frame absence as loss?** If yes → rewrite or reject. +3. **Would removing this from the game make it less *cozy*?** If no → reconsider whether the change belongs. + +Additional sanity checks for monetization specifically: + +- Does this mechanic gate any story content? → reject (PROJECT.md hard constraint). +- Is this random-drop / gacha / lootbox shaped? → reject. +- Is this a "limited-time" anything? → reject. + +## Source Documents + +This doctrine consolidates constraints already locked in: + +- **PROJECT.md** § "Out of Scope" — anti-features (gacha, lootboxes, narrative gating, Season skipping, generic flora, combat, multiplayer, voiced dialogue, named Keeper, generic cosmetics) +- **REQUIREMENTS.md** UX-13 + § "Out of Scope" table — 24 explicit exclusions +- **CLAUDE.md** § "Hard Thematic Constraints (Out of Scope by Design)" — 13 thematic exclusions, no FOMO push notifications, no daily login bonuses, no streaks, no limited-time, no energy/stamina +- **.planning/research/PITFALLS.md** § "Pitfall 9: FOMO/Nag Mechanics Violate Cozy Tone" — rationale + warning signs + +--- + +*Authored: Phase 1 deliverable. Updates: append-only — entries can be added (new +banned patterns identified) but never removed without surfacing the change for review.*