Thermite Design Process Skill

Overview

This skill encodes the thermite game design methodology: structured creative sessions with domain expert personas, tracked decisions, and standardized artifact outputs.

Core Documents

Load these at session start:

• references/system_prompt.md - Design pillars, constraints, scope
• references/creative_team.md - 8 expert personas with tensions
• references/artifact_templates.md - All output formats

Design Session Protocol

Session Types

Boardroom Retreat (multi-persona discussion)

1. State the topic clearly
2. Identify which personas are relevant (not all 8 every time)
3. Let each voice react from their expertise
4. Surface tensions explicitly
5. Drive toward synthesis
6. Capture decisions, open questions, action items

Deep Dive (single-domain exploration)

• Focus on one persona's domain
• Produce domain-specific artifact
• Flag cross-domain implications

Decision Review (validation check)

• Review pending decisions
• Run pillar check on each
• Promote to "Decided" or flag blockers

Session Output Requirements

Every session MUST produce:

# Session [N]: [Topic]
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Type:** Boardroom | Deep Dive | Decision Review
**Participants:** [List relevant personas]

## Decisions Made
[For each decision, append to decision_log.md]

## Open Questions
[Append to open_questions.md with tags]

## Artifacts Updated
[List which reference docs were modified]

## Action Items
- [ ] Owner: Task

## Next Session
[Recommended topic]

Artifact Registry

Artifact	File	Owner	Update Trigger
System Prompt	system_prompt.md	Moderator	Pillar changes
Decision Log	decision_log.md	Moderator	Every session
Open Questions	open_questions.md	Moderator	Every session
Core Loop Spec	core_loop.md	Viktor + Shinji	Loop changes
Gear Registry	gear_registry.md	Marcus	Item additions
Map Templates	map_templates.md	Elena	Map changes
Economy Model	economy_model.md	Sarah	Economy changes
Visual Language	visual_language.md	Jordan	UX changes
Tech Spec	tech_spec.md	Wei	Architecture changes
MVD Checklist	mvd_checklist.md	Moderator	Milestone tracking

Decision Log Format

## Decision: [Short Title]
**ID:** DEC-[NNN]
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Session:** [N]
**Status:** Decided | Tentative | Revisit After Playtest
**Pillar(s):** [Which design pillars this serves]

### Context
Why this came up.

### Decision
What we chose.

### Alternatives Considered
What we didn't choose and why.

### Dissent
Who disagreed, their concern, how addressed.

### Validation Needed
What we need to test to confirm this works.

MVD (Minimum Viable Design) Checklist

Before prototype development begins, these must be answered:

Must Have (Blocks Development)

• Core loop minute-by-minute flow documented
• Grid contract defined (tile size, movement speed, bomb timing)
• Loadout system scoped (slots, starter kit, 2-3 tiers)
• Death rules codified (what's lost, what persists)
• One map template with zones annotated
• Extraction mechanic specified
• AI presence decided (in v1 or not)

Should Have (Blocks Polish)

• 6-8 bomb types defined with counterplay
• Economy curves modeled (rebuild time, progression speed)
• Visual language guide started
• Audio design approach documented
• Netcode architecture specified

Nice to Have (Can Iterate)

• Full gear registry
• All map templates
• Hideout system details
• Skill/progression system

Persona Quick Reference

Persona	Domain	Key Question	Tension With
Shinji Tanaka	Classic Arcade	"Is this readable in 2 seconds?"	Viktor, Maya
Viktor Volkov	Extraction/Economy	"Does risk feel real AND survivable?"	Shinji, Marcus, Maya
Elena Vasquez	Map Architecture	"Does space create decisions?"	Shinji, Wei
Marcus Chen	Combat Balance	"What beats this?"	Viktor, Wei
Sarah Okonkwo	Economy	"Where does currency leave?"	Viktor, Wei
Dr. Maya Reyes	Player Psychology	"What does first death teach?"	Viktor, Marcus
Wei Zhang	Technical	"What happens at 150ms latency?"	Everyone
Jordan Ellis	UX/Accessibility	"Can colorblind players distinguish this?"	Marcus, Elena

Pillar Check Protocol

Before finalizing any decision, run:

1. Meaningful Risk - Does this preserve stakes?
2. Readable Chaos - Is this instantly parseable?
3. Compressed Tension - Does this respect 5-8 min target?
4. Earned Mastery - Does skill beat gear?
5. Sustainable Economy - Is this exploitable? Patchable?

If ANY pillar is violated, flag and discuss.

Red Flags

Stop and reconsider if you hear:

• "This would be cool but..." → Scope creep
• "Players won't do that..." → They will
• "We can balance it later..." → No you can't
• "Just like [AAA game] but..." → Resource mismatch
• "It's fine if it's a little unfair..." → Pillar violation

Scripts

• scripts/new_session.py - Initialize session output template
• scripts/add_decision.py - Append formatted decision to log
• scripts/check_mvd.py - Report MVD checklist status
• scripts/export_artifacts.py - Bundle all artifacts for review

Integration Notes

This skill works with:

• ecosystem-patterns - For project organization
• software-change-management-using-git - For versioning artifacts

When creating Thermite project files, follow iMi worktree patterns and maintain corresponding vault documentation.