heros/docs/ROADMAP.md

Roadmap

Milestone 0: Project Foundation

• Godot 4 project opens and runs.
• Godot 4.6 project metadata exists.
• Main battle scene loads a JSON battle.
• Rules and presentation are separated enough to keep iterating.

Milestone 1: Playable Battle Prototype

• Scenario briefing before battle.
• Select player units.
• Show move and attack ranges.
• Show hover tile and unit information.
• Show basic damage forecast.
• Move, attack, wait, and end turn.
• Enemy units take AI turns with movement, attacks, and basic tactic use.
• Victory and defeat states are visible.
• Scenario-defined victory and defeat conditions exist.
• Destination victory conditions and objective map markers exist.
• Turn-limit conditions and HUD turn-limit display exist.
• Victory reward summary is visible.
• Next-battle flow exists across the current sixty-seven-scenario campaign.
• Campaign completion and new-campaign reset exist.
• Reward inventory can be brought into the next battle.

Milestone 2: Cao Cao Zhuan-Style Combat Depth

• Unit classes and class growth tables. Basic version exists.
• Automatic class promotion routes. Basic level-threshold promotion exists for core first-tier battle classes.
• Weapon, armor, and accessory slots. Basic stat bonuses exist.
• Equipment rewards can be stored, displayed, and swapped from the battle HUD.
• Terrain movement, defense, and avoid modifiers affect combat.
• Skills, tactics, and MP. Multiple single-target damage/heal tactics, a first support buff, a skill list menu with range/effect hints, and enemy tactic AI exist.
• Consumable item use. Basic global inventory, Bean HP recovery, Wine MP recovery, item menu, preview, and target overlay exist.
• Counterattacks exist. A first battle-only support status effect exists; richer support and debuff effects are still planned.
• Battle EXP, level-ups, class promotion, and campaign roster persistence exist.

Milestone 3: Scenario Layer

• Pre-battle briefing exists. Full dialogue scenes are still planned.
• Scenario events exist for battle start, battle begin, turn start, and movement-triggered map tiles.
• Mid-battle map/action events have a first action system with movement ambushes.
• Opening battle dialogue exists through event actions.
• Post-battle dialogue exists before the victory result panel.
• Reinforcements and objective changes exist in a basic form.
• Post-battle reward save, campaign choice flags, and first flag-driven briefing/shop/event branches exist in a basic form. Rich reward screens and wider branch support are still planned.

Milestone 4: Campaign Progression

• Party roster persistence has a first save-file skeleton.
• Level, experience, and equipment persistence.
• Chapter selection and save/load.
• Linear sixty-seven-scenario campaign order exists.
• Save reset exists.
• Victory rewards, consumable counts, equipment stock, and equipped gear persist.
• A basic pre-battle shop with scenario-specific stock and 50% sell-back exists. Richer item management is still planned.
• A basic pre-battle Armory exists for saved equipment changes before combat.
• A basic pre-battle Roster exists for required officers, required scenario units, optional officers, and sortie limits.
• A basic pre-battle Formation screen exists for scenario-defined starting cells.
• Officer join/leave rewards, choice membership changes, and joined-officer deployment gates exist in a basic form.
• Completed-save officer membership reconciliation exists for newly added join/leave rewards.
• Post-battle choice ids are saved in a campaign ledger for safer branch reconciliation.
• Pending post-battle choices survive reloads without replaying victory rewards.
• Fourth-scenario content exists with Qingzhou recruitment for Dian Wei.
• Fifth-scenario content exists with Dian Wei required in the Puyang raid and a new Lu Bu branch choice.
• Sixth-scenario content exists with Dingtao branch reactions to the Puyang choice.
• Seventh-scenario content exists with an emperor escort route, a protected envoy, a midroad ambush, and a destination victory condition.
• Eighth-scenario content exists with a Wan Castle escape route, protected Cao Ang, 007 branch reactions, and a destination victory condition.
• Ninth-scenario content exists with a Xiapi siege, flood-gate objective update, Lu Bu/Chen Gong pressure, and 008 branch reactions.
• Tenth-scenario content exists with White Horse relief, Guo Jia as a joined strategist, Yan Liang's vanguard, and 009 branch reactions.
• Eleventh-scenario content exists with Yan Ford pursuit, Wen Chou's countercharge, and 010 branch reactions.
• Twelfth-scenario content exists with Guandu's main assault, Yuan Shao's army, and 011 branch reactions.
• Thirteenth-scenario content exists with Wuchao depot raid, a burn-and-clear objective, and 012 branch reactions.
• Fourteenth-scenario content exists with Cangting pursuit, Zhang He recruitment, and 013 branch reactions.
• Fifteenth-scenario content exists with Ye outer defense, Zhang He as a deployable officer, and 014 branch reactions.
• Sixteenth-scenario content exists with Ye inner siege, Zhang He deployment, and 015 branch reactions.
• Seventeenth-scenario content exists with Ye surrender, last loyalist resistance, and 016 branch reactions.
• Eighteenth-scenario content exists with Northern Pursuit, Yuan Shang's rearguard, and 017 branch reactions.
• Nineteenth-scenario content exists with Nanpi pressure, Yuan Tan's outer defense, and 018 branch reactions.
• Twentieth-scenario content exists with Nanpi surrender, Yuan Tan loyalists, and 019 branch reactions.
• Twenty-first-scenario content exists with Bohai remnants, Yuan brothers' covering force, and 020 branch reactions.
• Twenty-second-scenario content exists with Liaoxi pursuit, Yuan envoys, Wuhuan outriders, and 021 branch reactions.
• Twenty-third-scenario content exists with White Wolf Mountain, Wuhuan riders, Yuan exile escorts, and 022 branch reactions.
• Twenty-fourth-scenario content exists with Liaodong pursuit, Yuan fugitives, Liaodong border guards, and 023 branch reactions.
• Twenty-fifth-scenario content exists with Xinye advance, Liu Bei's rearguard, Jing Province pressure, and 024 branch reactions.
• Twenty-sixth-scenario content exists with Changban pursuit, Liu Bei's bridge guard, Zhang Fei pressure, and 025 branch reactions.
• Twenty-seventh-scenario content exists with Jiangling chase, Jing Province storehouses, Liu Bei's retreat, and 026 branch reactions.
• Twenty-eighth-scenario content exists with Xiakou pursuit, river harbor pressure, Sun-Liu coalition hints, and 027 branch reactions.
• Twenty-ninth-scenario content exists with Red Cliffs fleet pressure, chained ships, coalition vanguard, and 028 branch reactions.
• Thirtieth-scenario content exists with Red Cliffs fire ships, chained-fleet danger, coalition fire tactics, and 029 branch reactions.
• Thirty-first-scenario content exists with Huarong retreat pressure, coalition roadblocks, Cao Cao's escape route, and 030 branch reactions.
• Thirty-second-scenario content exists with Jiangling rearguard pressure, southern pursuit, retreat stabilization, and 031 branch reactions.
• Thirty-third-scenario content exists with Tong Pass vanguard pressure, Ma Chao's riders, western pass control, and 032 branch reactions.
• Thirty-fourth-scenario content exists with Ma Chao's counterstroke, Tong Pass fortification pressure, Han Sui alliance tension, and 033 branch reactions.
• Thirty-fifth-scenario content exists with Wei River camp pressure, Ma Chao river assaults, Han Sui mistrust, and 034 branch reactions.
• Thirty-sixth-scenario content exists with Wei River crossing pressure, Guanzhong foothold stakes, western alliance strain, and 035 branch reactions.
• Thirty-seventh-scenario content exists with Guanzhong foothold pressure, Ma Chao's rearguard, split-alliance tension, and 036 branch reactions.
• Thirty-eighth-scenario content exists with Ma Chao retreat pressure, Guanzhong commandery stakes, western road pursuit, and 037 branch reactions.
• Thirty-ninth-scenario content exists with Hanzhong approach pressure, Zhang Lu's border guard, mountain-gate stakes, and 038 branch reactions.
• Fortieth-scenario content exists with Hanzhong gate pressure, Zhang Lu's mountain guard, pass-road siege stakes, 039 branch reactions, and submission or pacification follow-up flags.
• Forty-first-scenario content exists with Hanzhong basin settlement, storehouse pressure, Zhang Lu submission or pacification branch reactions, and Hanzhong garrison or Ruxu pivot follow-up flags.
• Forty-second-scenario content exists with Ruxu riverbank pressure, Wu vanguard resistance, Hanzhong garrison or Ruxu pivot branch reactions, and Ruxu bank or Sun Quan river-line follow-up flags.
• Forty-third-scenario content exists with Ruxu river-line pressure, water-move enemy boats, Ruxu bank or Sun Quan line branch reactions, and Ruxu camp or crossing follow-up flags.
• Forty-fourth-scenario content exists with Ruxu crossing pressure, water-move counterboats, camp or forced-crossing branch reactions, and Ruxu base or Fancheng relief follow-up flags.
• Forty-fifth-scenario content exists with Fancheng relief pressure, protected Fancheng messenger defense, Ruxu crossing or Fancheng relief branch reactions, and Fancheng reinforcement or Jingzhou supply follow-up flags.
• Forty-sixth-scenario content exists with Jingzhou supply-line pressure, Guan Yu rearguard resistance, Fancheng reinforcement or supply-strike branch reactions, and Fancheng line or rearguard pursuit follow-up flags.
• Forty-seventh-scenario content exists with Maicheng pursuit pressure, Guan Yu's retreat guard, Fancheng-line or rearguard-pursuit branch reactions, and Wu encirclement or Xiangfan front follow-up flags.
• Forty-eighth-scenario content exists with Jing Province settlement pressure, command-post remnants, Wu encirclement or Xiangfan front branch reactions, and Jing stabilization or Luoyang summons follow-up flags.
• Forty-ninth-scenario content exists with Luoyang court-road pressure, outer court guards, Jing stabilization or fast-summons branch reactions, and Luoyang court or Wei succession follow-up flags.
• Fiftieth-scenario content exists with Wei succession pressure, court loyalists, Luoyang court or Wei succession branch reactions, and Wei authority or eastern front follow-up flags.
• Fifty-first-scenario content exists with eastern-front alarm pressure, water-move Wu boats, Wei authority or prepared-front branch reactions, and eastern fleet or Wu river-line follow-up flags.
• Fifty-second-scenario content exists with Wu river-line pressure, water-move counterboats, eastern fleet or river-line pressure branch reactions, and Ruxu fleet or Jianye pressure follow-up flags.
• Fifty-third-scenario content exists with Jianye approach pressure, water-move counterboats, Ruxu fleet or Jianye-pressure branch reactions, and secured approach or Wu counterstroke follow-up flags.
• Fifty-fourth-scenario content exists with Wu counterstroke pressure, water-move counterboats, secured approach or forced-counterstroke branch reactions, and lower Yangtze route or Jianye gate follow-up flags.
• Fifty-fifth-scenario content exists with Jianye gate pressure, water-move sortie boats, lower Yangtze route or gate-pressure branch reactions, and secured gate or capital sortie follow-up flags.
• Fifty-sixth-scenario content exists with Jianye sortie pressure, water-move committed boats, secured gate or forced-sortie branch reactions, and contained sortie or inner Jianye follow-up flags.
• Fifty-seventh-scenario content exists with inner Jianye pressure, water-move canal boats, contained sortie or inner-pressure branch reactions, and secured inner city or Wu last-stand follow-up flags.
• Fifty-eighth-scenario content exists with Jianye command pressure, water-move command boats, secured inner city or Wu last-stand branch reactions, and command district or Wu surrender follow-up flags.
• Fifty-ninth-scenario content exists with Wu surrender pressure, water-move holdout boats, command district or forced-surrender branch reactions, and accepted surrender or Wu holdout follow-up flags.
• Sixtieth-scenario content exists with southern holdout pressure, water-move escape boats, accepted surrender or pursued-holdout branch reactions, and settled holdouts or Nanhai route follow-up flags.
• Sixty-first-scenario content exists with Nanhai route pressure, water-move fleet boats, settled holdouts or pressed-route branch reactions, and secured route or southern fleet follow-up flags.
• Sixty-second-scenario content exists with southern fleet pressure, water-move screen boats, secured Nanhai route or pressed-fleet branch reactions, and secured fleet or Hainan coast follow-up flags.
• Sixty-third-scenario content exists with Hainan coast pressure, water-move cove boats, secured southern fleet or pressed-Hainan branch reactions, and secured coast or final harbor follow-up flags.
• Sixty-fourth-scenario content exists with final harbor pressure, water-move last boats, secured Hainan coast or pressed-harbor branch reactions, and secured harbor or pursued-captain follow-up flags.
• Sixty-fifth-scenario content exists with last-captain pressure, water-move escape boats, secured final harbor or captain-pursuit branch reactions, and settled captains or sea exile follow-up flags.
• Sixty-sixth-scenario content exists with sea exile pressure, water-move outer boats, settled captains or pursued-exile branch reactions, and settled exiles or outer island follow-up flags.
• Sixty-seventh-scenario content exists with outer island pressure, water-move cove boats, settled exiles or pressed-island branch reactions, and secured islands or hidden cove follow-up flags.

Milestone 5: Presentation

• Portrait pipeline.
• Unit sprites and animations. Board movement now has a short slide animation, and board units show low-HP warning rings.
• Battle effects. First floating combat text now covers damage, recovery, misses, support effects, level-ups, and promotions. Hover target preview badges summarize attacks, tactics, and items.
• Music and sound. Basic placeholder BGM and SFX now play for menus, battle flow, unit actions, tactics, items, and result states.
• Chapter UI and visual novel scenes.

Milestone 6: Content Expansion

• Recreate a long campaign structure chapter by chapter.
• Add historical officers, unique classes, and named equipment.
• Balance maps through repeated playtesting.