Table of Contents
- Challenges (260115)
Challenges (260115)
Document Date: 2026-01-15 (YYMMDD: 260115)
This page documents the challenges, action items, and design decisions for the Mneme World Generator PWA.
Overview
This project is research—not just about what is possible for a TTRPG (a Filipino-made hard sci-fi TTRPG set of tools), but an experiment to explore AI-assisted development workflows. Even if 20-40% of the productivity claims are true, it represents a significant gain.
Related Resources
Version 1.5 Strategy
Version 1.5 software will be built first because it tests the rules by going through the creation process many times (automated generation). This approach:
- Validates the Mneme rules through repetition
- Identifies edge cases and logical inconsistencies
- Produces statistical distributions for verification
- Enables rapid iteration on the specification
See Mneme-Logic-Specification-260202 for the current draft of Version 1.5 rules.
UI/UX Challenges
| Issue | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "Next" button visibility | Pending | Tell user to scroll down; button sometimes doesn't show |
| Phone-friendly design | Priority | Will be primary focus in next series of fixes |
| Tile/Window deployment | Under exploration | Investigating alternative layout approaches |
Module-by-Module Status
Primary Star
Status: OK (with specification updates)
By Jan 29, the specification should be sufficiently detailed to generate a Primary Star procedurally.
World Context / Tech Level (TL)
Status: Needs improvement
- Issue: Need to explain that an interstellar game needs at least TL10
- Action: Add reference to Mneme-to-Cepheus-Engine TL conversion
Companion Stars
Status: Needs clarification
- Issue: Need "Skip making Companion Stars - Just a Single Star" option
- Action: Will revisit after core mechanics are stable
Primary World
Status: OK (with clarifications)
- Clarification: Habitats are not necessarily one structure but a constellation of structures
Cultural Profile
Status: OK
Habitability
Status: OK (with process changes)
- Issue: Position determination is problematic
- Solution: Implement "Waterfall System" for position calculation
- Reference: See Mneme-Logic-Specification-260202#determine-main-world-prime-inras
Inhabitants
Status: Needs improvement
| Enhancement | Description |
|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | Calculate inequality rating; people cannot imagine what inequality means |
| Social Status Breakdown | Add breakdown showing effective standard of living per SOC |
| Amberzone Classification | Roll with option to disregard or select the resource |
| GDP Calculation | Required for economic modeling |
Starport Classification
Status: Needs improvement
Need to fix GDP calculations. Preview of new metrics:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| GTV (Gross Trade Value) | Value of goods moved through the port |
| PSV (Port Service Value) | All services the port provides (piloting, stevedoring, warehousing, refueling) |
PSV is proportional to orbital position.
Open Question: What can end-users do with this data? Needs UX exploration.
Planetary System Challenges
Moons and Rings
Status: Improvised rules needed
This section deviates from "Determine Planetary System" in the original rules.
Key Concepts:
- Jupiter has ~100 moons due to its mass "catching" objects
- Larger planets catch more passing objects
- Stability tends toward ONE significant moon (3-Body Problem)
- Planets with RINGS are under constant bombardment
Planned Approach:
- Follow companion star generation patterns
- Apply Power Law Size-Frequency Distribution
- Use Collisional Cascade / Dohnanyi's Law (simplified)
- Inherit asteroid and disk rules
Secondary Planets and Disks
Status: Fundamental redesign needed
Core Problem: The current mechanism doesn't solve the fundamental issue of stellar maps in TTRPGs:
- How far are planets from each other?
- How do we calculate travel times using brachistochrone trajectories?
- Constant-thrust space travel calculations
Resources:
Goal: Position the app to enable a set of tools for these calculations.
Deviation from PDF: Page 33 uses "roll for each kind, then roll 2D6 for mass." The new approach uses a Waterfall mechanism.
The Waterfall Mechanism (Preview)
- Take the largest INRAS (IntraStellar System component)
- Use waterfall system to determine its position
- Everything tends to be far apart (AU scale) to reduce gravitational interference
- Stable star systems avoid 3-Body Problems
- "Stable" = 10-14 billion years old
Context: Our universe is ~14B years old, but space has expanded faster than light—the observable universe is ~46.5B light-years across.
Action Items
Target: January 29, 2026
| Owner | Task |
|---|---|
| Justin | Fix rules and make them more programming-friendly |
| Justin | Complete detailed specification document |
| Team | Discuss objectives and tool options (Claude Code, etc.) |
Post-January 29
- Sit and discuss objectives
- Evaluate AI coding assistants for testing purposes
- Review feedback on specification clarity
Research Context
AI Development Tools Under Evaluation
- Claude Code - For testing purposes
- Gemini CLI - Alternative approach
- Codex - Comparison baseline
Industry Reading
- "Why AI Agents Replaced the Arduino IDE in My ESP32 Projects"
- "Shopify's AI Memo Changed Hiring Forever" (concerns noted)
- "Task Queues Are Replacing Chat Interfaces"
Related Pages
- Architecture - Technical architecture of the PWA
- Mneme-Logic-Specification-260202 - Current draft of Version 1.5 rules