WEEK 1: THE TARGET
Game Design Document — Vertical Slice (v1.7)
PART I: FOUNDATIONS
1) High Concept
A cooperative, time-boxed GURPS “station-crawl” where four specialists race to validate the Moon-shot’s required muzzle velocity v₀ and resulting barrel pressure P. Players lock irreversible commitments, clear Teacher-judged physics gates, and survive a shared failure clock before Week 1 “breaks.”
Core tension: Physics correctness is necessary but insufficient; the system tests risk posture, resource triage, and compounding consequences.
2) Design Lens
Scarcity + Irreversible Commitments + Shared Pressure
| Principle | Implemented As | Table Effect |
| Scarcity | Teacher Time (2), GC, limited tokens | You cannot buy certainty everywhere |
| Irreversibility | Commitments locked for Week 1 (costly switch only) | Early choices cast forward shadows |
| Shared Pressure | Week 1 Clock (0–3+), Backlash | One player’s failure stresses everyone |
Design rule: Every mechanic must serve at least one lens principle.
3) Player Configuration
| Role | Core Skills | Station | Output |
| Producer | Merchant/Finance | 1–1.5 | Risk posture, funding, Backlash/Safety |
| Astronomer | Astronomy/Physics | 2 | v_esc, Δv_loss, v₀ |
| Artillerist | Artillery Math, Explosives/TL | 3 | a, F, P, powder stability |
| Engineer | Materials/Armoury | 4 | σ (hoop stress), material + thickness, build validity |
Session: 3–4 players, 60–90 min, TL5, 3d6 resolution.
4) Success and Failure
Week 1 Success (Stations 1–4): Team completes Station 4 with documented, Teacher-APPROVED outputs:
- v_esc and v₀
- a, F, P
- σ vs yield limits (or explicitly fiction-bounded material choice)
- Week 1 completed on first pass or after one restart
Failure:
- Second BREAKING POINT during restarted Week 1 → Campaign Failure
- Table chooses to abandon due to insolvency/clock pressure (record as tuning signal)
PART II: GLOBAL SYSTEMS
5) Shared State
5.1 Week 1 Clock (0–3+)
Public track: 0, 1, 2, 3, 3+
| Rule | Effect |
| Floor | Clock cannot go below 0. If an effect would reduce it below 0, set to 0. |
| Baseline | Any REJECTED gate would add Clock +1 (subject to reducer window; see §8.1). |
| Penalty | All competence rolls are at −(Clock). |
| Overflow | If Clock would increase while already at 3, mark 3+, finish current station, then trigger BREAKING POINT. |
5.1.1 BREAKING POINT (Binder-Exact)
Trigger: Clock would increase while already at 3 (any +1 when Clock = 3; any +2 when Clock ≥ 2).
Procedure:
- Mark Clock 3+
- Finish current station (resolve remaining gates/rolls)
- Log current values (v₀, P, commitments, tokens) for post-mortem
- RESTART WEEK 1 with:
- Clock resets to 0
- GC resets to 4
- Teacher Time resets to 2
- All commitments cleared
- All tokens cleared (Momentum, Gate Bonus, Safety)
- Restart Penalty: Apply −1 to all team rolls during restarted Week 1
Second BREAKING POINT: If triggered again during restarted Week 1 → Campaign Failure. Week 1 ends.
5.2 GC (Group Currency)
Starting GC: 4
GC Gains (Week 1 core):
- +1 GC per APPROVED gate (or treated-as-APPROVED gate)
- Producer funding options (see Station 1)
- Commitment options that grant GC
GC Spends (core):
- Tutoring (REJECTED): 1 GC + 1 Teacher Time
- AT-RISK Tutoring: 1 GC + 1 Teacher Time
- AT-RISK Redo: 1 GC (or Clock +1 if specified)
- Commitment costs (see stations)
- Emergency Model Switch (Station 4 only): 1 GC + Clock +1 (see §13.2.1)
GC Payment Rule: If you cannot pay a required GC cost, take the listed alternative if one exists; otherwise the action is unavailable.
5.3 Teacher Time (Shared, Week 1)
Teacher Time: 2 tokens total, shared team pool.
Only uses:
- Convert REJECTED → APPROVED (with 1 GC)
- Treat AT-RISK gate as APPROVED (with 1 GC)
Timing (tight):
- Must be declared immediately after REJECTED (before any next roll), or at AT-RISK choice point before any work is shown
- Tutoring cannot undo Backlash once Backlash has already triggered on a resolved failure
If Teacher Time = 0: No tutoring available anywhere this week.
6) Definitions (Anti-Lawyering)
6.1 Rolls
| Term | Definition |
| Roll resolves | Dice compared to effective skill; Success/Failure declared |
| Teacher Verdict | Not a roll |
| Non-Teacher roll | Any roll that is not a Teacher Verdict |
| Team roll | Any non-Teacher roll made by any station/PC this week |
| Competence roll | Station’s initial “do you know your job?” roll |
| Station task roll | Any non-Teacher roll that is not a competence roll |
Week 1 Station Task Rolls (Exhaustive): Powder-Handling (Station 3), Build (Station 4).
Clock/Backlash Clarification: Clock penalty (−Clock) applies to all competence rolls, but competence failures do not trigger Backlash.
6.2 Backlash-Eligible Failure (Canonical Definition)
A Backlash-eligible failure is any failure on:
- A Station Task roll (Powder-Handling, Build), OR
- A −5 Guess-penalized roll
Backlash triggers on the first Backlash-eligible failure after Press Deadline commitment. Once triggered, mark Backlash SPENT.
6.3 Launch/Engineering-Related (Global Scope)
A roll is launch/engineering-related if it is:
- A Station 3–4 station task roll (Powder-Handling, Build), OR
- Any later roll explicitly marked launch/engineering by the binder
Not included: Funding rolls, competence rolls, Teacher Verdicts.
7) Token Economy (Global Standard)
7.1 Token Types
| Token | Source | Effect | Stacking |
| Momentum | Scholarly Analysis success; Yellow Journalism success; Press Deadline | +1 to any non-Teacher roll | Non-stacking: cannot combine with any other +1 token on the same roll |
| Gate Bonus | Each APPROVED gate | +1 to launch/engineering-related non-Teacher roll | stacks with other Gate Bonus (max +3 held); cannot combine with Momentum |
| Safety | Peer Review commitment | negates baseline Clock +1 from one REJECTED gate | one-use prevention |
Token Timing: Declare before rolling. Tokens expire end of Week 1.
Momentum Clarifier: You can hold multiple Momentum tokens, but may spend only one on a given roll.
Gate Bonus Cap Rule: If you would gain a Gate Bonus token while already holding 3, the extra token is lost.
Priority/No-Waste Rule: Safety Token and Thick-Wall reduction cannot both apply to the same baseline REJECTED Clock +1; choose one.
7.2 Gate Rewards (Canonical Clause)
APPROVED (or treated-as-APPROVED): Gain +1 GC and +1 Gate Bonus token.
Use this exact reward for every gate. Apply Gate Bonus cap rule if already at 3.
8) Failure Conversion Procedures
8.1 REJECTED Gate Procedure
- Mark gate REJECTED
- BASELINE CLOCK WINDOW:
– REJECTED would add Clock +1
- REDUCER WINDOW (immediate, one only):
– If Safety Token OR Thick-Wall valve available,
player may spend ONE to negate this +1
– No double-spend; no reducing below 0
– If no reducer spent (or none available): apply Clock +1 now
- Choose ONE:
┌─ TUTORING ───────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cost: 1 GC + 1 Teacher Time │
│ Effect: Convert gate to APPROVED │
│ Rewards: Gain +1 GC and +1 Gate Bonus token │
│ Note: Clock +1 already applied (or negated) │
│ Unavailable if: Teacher Time = 0 or GC = 0 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ GUESS ──────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cost: None │
│ Effect: Proceed to next gate/station │
│ Penalty: Next launch/engineering-related │
│ non-Teacher roll is at −5 │
│ Cascade: If that −5 roll fails → Clock +1 │
│ Note: −5 Guess roll is Backlash-eligible │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
8.2 AT-RISK Gate Procedure
Triggered when competence roll fails. Timing lock: choose BEFORE showing any gate work.
┌─ AT-RISK TUTORING ──────────────────────────────┐
│ Cost: 1 GC + 1 Teacher Time │
│ Effect: Gate treated as APPROVED (record steps) │
│ Rewards: Gain +1 GC and +1 Gate Bonus token │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ AT-RISK REDO ──────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cost: 1 GC OR Clock +1 (player’s choice) │
│ Effect: Attempt gate normally │
│ Risk: If REJECTED, normal procedure follows │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ REFUSE ────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cost: None │
│ Effect: Gate treated as REJECTED │
│ Then: Apply REJECTED GATE PROCEDURE (§8.1) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
No Double-Charge: If you paid AT-RISK costs, do not pay again at the gate.
PART III: STATIONS 1–4
9) Core Station Loop (Shared Grammar)
Competence Roll → Locked Commitment → Math Gate(s) (Teacher Verdict) →
Station Task Roll (if any) → Handoff
10) Station 1 — Producer (Funding + Audit Regime)
10.1 Funding Roll
Choose approach before rolling.
| Option | Cost | Roll | Success Reward | Failure |
| Scholarly Analysis | Pay 1 GC | Merchant −1 | +2 GC (net +1), +1 Momentum Token | No gain (GC spent) |
| Yellow Journalism | None | Merchant −5 | +1 GC, +1 Momentum Token | Clock +2 |
Proceed to 10.2.
10.2 Producer Commitment (Locked for Week 1)
No roll. Choose one audit regime.
Option A — Peer Review
Slow + credible; investors impatient
| Effect | Timing |
| Pay 1 GC | Now |
| Clock +1 | Now |
| Gain Safety Token | Now |
Safety Token (1 use, expires end of Week 1):
- After any REJECTED gate, spend immediately after REJECTED to negate baseline Clock +1
- If Clock = 3, also prevents that REJECTED from creating 3+
- Cannot combine with Thick-Wall reduction on same REJECTED
Option B — Press Deadline
Fast + impressive; brittle underneath
| Effect | Timing |
| Gain +1 GC | Now |
| Clock −1 (min 0) | Now |
| Gain Momentum Token | Now |
| Arm Backlash | Now |
Backlash (once/Week 1):
- Triggers on first Backlash-eligible failure (Station Task roll or −5 Guess roll)
- Adds Clock +1 extra immediately after failure resolves (before Guess/Tutoring choice)
- Persists even if failure later converted by Tutoring
- “First means first”: if multiple failures in one resolution window, GM chooses which counts
- Competence-roll failures do not trigger Backlash
Handoff: Current GC, Clock, Teacher Time, tokens, Backlash armed/spent.
11) Station 2 — Astronomer (v_esc, Δv_loss, v₀)
11.1 Competence Roll
Roll: Astronomy or Physics at −(Clock)
Failure: Gate A is AT-RISK → use AT-RISK procedure (timing lock before showing work)
11.2 Locked Commitment: Δv_loss Policy
Choose before calculating. Locked for Week 1.
| Policy | Δv_loss | GC | Clock |
| Minimal | 300 m/s | +1 | +1 now |
| Standard | 600 m/s | — | — |
| Conservative | 900 m/s | −1 | −1 now (min 0) |
11.3 Constants
R_E = 6.4 × 10⁶ m
μ = 3.99 × 10¹⁴ m³/s²
11.4 Gates (Teacher Verdict)
Gate A: v_esc = √(2μ/R_E) (Expected ≈ 11,200 m/s)
Gate B: v₀ = v_esc + Δv_loss
Per gate: If APPROVED (or treated-as-APPROVED) → +1 GC +1 Gate Bonus token.
If REJECTED → baseline would add Clock +1 (reducer window), then §8.1.
Handoff: v_esc, Δv_loss, v₀, constants.
12) Station 3 — Artillerist (a, F, P + Powder)
12.1 Competence Roll
Roll: Artillery Math or Gunner (Cannon) at −(Clock)
Failure: Gate A is AT-RISK → use AT-RISK procedure
12.2 Locked Commitment: Propellant Quality
Choose before any gate math. Locked for Week 1.
Definition: “Powder failure” = FAILURE on 12.5 Powder-Handling roll.
| Option | Cost/Gain | Effect |
| Certified Lot | Pay 1 GC now | Once per Week 1, ignore first baseline Clock +1 from powder failure |
| Mixed Lot | Gain +1 GC now | Each powder failure adds extra Clock +1 (total +2) |
If cannot pay for Certified, must take Mixed.
12.3 Given Values
L = 274 m; A = 5.9 m²; m = 8,732 kg; u = 0 m/s; r_i = √(A/π) ≈ 1.37 m
Critical: Use v₀ from Astronomer (not v_esc).
12.4 Gates (Teacher Verdict)
Gate A: a = v₀²/(2L)
Gate B: F = m·a
Gate C: P = F/A
Per gate: APPROVED → +1 GC +1 Gate Bonus token. REJECTED → §8.1.
12.5 Powder-Handling Roll (Station Task Roll)
Roll: Explosives/TL (default IQ−5) or Chemistry
Failure: baseline Clock +1, then apply Certified/Mixed effect.
Backlash: If armed and not spent, this failure is Backlash-eligible.
Handoff: a, F, P with steps; propellant choice; powder result; Certified insurance status.
13) Station 4 — Engineer (Hoop Stress + Build)
13.1 Competence Roll
Roll: Materials/Structural Design (or Engineer/Armoury) at −(Clock)
Failure: Gate A is AT-RISK → use AT-RISK procedure
13.2 Locked Commitment: Model & Tolerance Policy (v1.7)
Choose before solving for thickness. Locked for Week 1 (except via Emergency Model Switch; see §13.2.1).
Option 1 — Thin-Wall Approach
Fast; used for diagnostic demonstration of impossibility
Validity constraint: t ≤ 0.1 · r_i (t ≤ 0.137 m)
Diagnostic Use (Explicitly Allowed):
Thin-wall math may be used outside validity (t > 0.1 · r_i) for diagnostic purposes only to demonstrate no valid thin-wall design exists. Diagnostic work:
- is NOT a viable design submission
- cannot be submitted for Gate A approval as a final answer
- must be followed by either Emergency Switch (§13.2.1) or a formal fictional-material declaration
Gate A Submission Rules (Thin-Wall):
- t ≤ validity AND σ ≤ σ_y → submittable for APPROVED
- t ≤ validity AND σ > σ_y → declare fictional σ_y or Emergency Switch
- t > validity → auto-REJECTED if submitted as final design (diagnostic only)
Build Roll Penalty (Thin-Wall only):
- If Clock ≥ 2 and you are still Thin-Wall at Build: Build Roll (13.5) suffers −1
Penalty timing: Applies only at Build Roll (13.5), after commitment and after Gate A resolves.
Option 2 — Thick-Wall / Conservative Build
Robust; required for survivability at corrected P
Cost: Pay 1 GC now (once only)
Benefit (1× per Week 1): After any REJECTED gate in Stations 3–4, reduce baseline Clock +1 by 1 (min 0)
Cannot combine: Cannot use with Safety Token on same REJECTED gate; choose one.
13.2.1 Emergency Model Switch (v1.7 FINAL)
Purpose: Preserves commitment irreversibility while providing a costly escape valve when Thin-Wall proves unworkable.
Trigger: Engineer committed to Thin-Wall but discovers (via diagnostic calculation) that no valid thin-wall design survives.
Cost: Pay 1 GC + Clock +1
Timing: May be declared after Gate A diagnostic work but before final Gate A submission.
Effect:
- Commitment changes from Thin-Wall to Thick-Wall
- Engineer must now use thick-wall formula for Gate A
- Does NOT retroactively grant Thick-Wall’s reducer benefit (that required paying at commitment time)
- After switching, you also do not gain Thick-Wall’s “1×/Week reducer” for the remainder of Week 1. The switch buys the formula, not the insurance.
- Build Roll penalty from “Clock ≥ 2 + Thin-Wall” is removed (you are no longer Thin-Wall)
Clock Overflow Rule: If Clock is currently 3 and you declare Emergency Switch, the +1 Clock from the switch cost triggers BREAKING POINT after Station 4 resolves (per §5.1.1 Overflow). You may still complete Gate A and Build Roll before restart.
Irreversibility Note: This is the only way to change a locked commitment in Week 1. The cost (1 GC + Clock +1) ensures switching is painful, not routine.
13.3 Materials (Teacher Standard)
| Material | Yield Strength (σ_y) |
| Cast Iron | ≈ 200 MPa |
| Bessemer Steel | ≈ 500+ MPa |
| Fictional “Columbiad Steel” | Teacher-approved (typically 1,500 MPa) |
13.4 Gate A — Hoop Stress (Teacher Verdict)
Thin-Wall (valid only): σ = (P · r_i)/t
Thick-Wall (Lamé): σ_max = P · (r_o² + r_i²)/(r_o² − r_i²), where r_o = r_i + t
Teacher APPROVES if:
- Correct model for current commitment
- Thin-wall submissions satisfy t ≤ 0.1·r_i (else auto-REJECTED)
- Correct computation
- States implication (survivable under σ_y, or period-impossible / fictional σ_y declared)
Auto-REJECTED: invalid thin-wall submission (t > 0.1·r_i), arithmetic errors, wrong formula.
Per gate: APPROVED → +1 GC +1 Gate Bonus token. REJECTED → §8.1.
Binder-Accurate Implication: With P ≈ 375 MPa and t ≤ 0.137 m, σ ≈ 3,750 MPa → period metallurgy fails.
13.5 Build Roll (Station Task Roll)
Roll: Engineer (Materials) or Armoury (Heavy Weapons)
Apply eligible tokens/modifiers, then apply current-model penalties:
| Condition | Build Roll Modifier |
| Thin-Wall + Clock 0–1 | — |
| Thin-Wall + Clock ≥ 2 | −1 |
| Thick-Wall (any Clock) | — |
| Emergency Switch used | — (no longer Thin-Wall) |
Failure: Clock +1 (Backlash-eligible if armed and not spent).
Output: Material, thickness t, σ (or σ_max), comparison to limits, commitment used, penalties applied, final Week 1 state.
PART IV: REFERENCE SHEETS
14) Constants Reference (Week 1)
| Constant | Symbol | Value | Units |
| Earth radius | R_E | 6.4 × 10⁶ | m |
| Gravitational parameter | μ | 3.99 × 10¹⁴ | m³/s² |
| Barrel length | L | 274 | m |
| Base area | A | 5.9 | m² |
| Projectile mass | m | 8,732 | kg |
| Barrel inner radius | r_i | 1.37 | m |
r_i = √(A/π) ≈ 1.37 m; r_o = r_i + t.
15) Formula Reference
| Quantity | Formula | Station |
| Escape velocity | v_esc = √(2μ/R_E) | 2 |
| Muzzle velocity | v₀ = v_esc + Δv_loss | 2 |
| Acceleration | a = v₀²/(2L) | 3 |
| Force | F = m·a | 3 |
| Pressure | P = F/A | 3 |
| Hoop stress (thin) | σ = (P·r_i)/t | 4 |
| Hoop stress (thick) | σ_max = P(r_o² + r_i²)/(r_o² − r_i²) | 4 |
16) Tracking Sheet (Compact)
┌─ SHARED STATE ──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Clock: [ 0 ][ 1 ][ 2 ][ 3 ][ 3+ ] │
│ GC: ____ (Start: 4) │
│ Teacher Time: [ ][ ] (Start: 2) │
│ Backlash: [ ] Armed [ ] Spent │
├─ TOKENS ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Momentum: [ ][ ] Safety: [ ] Gate Bonus: [ ][ ][ ] (max 3) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ STATION 1 — PRODUCER ──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Funding: [ ] Scholarly [ ] Yellow Result: Pass / Fail │
│ Commitment: [ ] Peer Review [ ] Press Deadline │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ STATION 2 — ASTRONOMER ────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Competence: Pass / Fail │
│ Commitment: [ ] Minimal [ ] Standard [ ] Conservative │
│ Gate A (v_esc): APPROVED / REJECTED v_esc = _________ m/s │
│ Gate B (v₀): APPROVED / REJECTED v₀ = _________ m/s │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ STATION 3 — ARTILLERIST ───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Competence: Pass / Fail │
│ Commitment: [ ] Certified [ ] Mixed │
│ Gate A (a): APPROVED / REJECTED a = _________ m/s² │
│ Gate B (F): APPROVED / REJECTED F = _________ N │
│ Gate C (P): APPROVED / REJECTED P = _________ MPa │
│ Powder Roll: Pass / Fail Certified used: [ ] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ STATION 4 — ENGINEER ──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Competence: Pass / Fail │
│ Commitment: [ ] Thin-Wall [ ] Thick-Wall │
│ Emergency Switch used: [ ] (cost: 1 GC + Clock +1) │
│ NOTE: Switch grants NO Thick-Wall reducer (past or future) │
│ Material: ________________ σ_y = _________ MPa │
│ Thickness t = _________ m │
│ Gate A (σ): APPROVED / REJECTED σ = _________ MPa │
│ Build Roll: Pass / Fail Thin-Wall penalty applied: [ ] │
│ Implication: [ ] Survivable [ ] Fictional material required │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ FINAL STATE ───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Outcome: [ ] SUCCESS [ ] BREAKING POINT │
│ Restarts used: 0 / 1 Final Clock: ____ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
PART V: ONE-PAGE QUICK-PLAY REFERENCE
Week 1 Flow
STATION 1 ──► STATION 1.5 ──► STATION 2 ──► STATION 3 ──► STATION 4
Funding Commitment v_esc, v₀ a, F, P σ, Build
(2 gates) (3 gates) (1 gate)
+ Powder + Build
Starting Resources
GC 4; Teacher Time 2; Clock 0; Gate Bonus 0 (max 3)
Clock Rules
- Competence rolls at −(Clock)
- Clock would increase at 3 → mark 3+ → finish station → BREAKING POINT
- Floor 0
REJECTED Gate Procedure (Summary)
Baseline would add Clock +1 → Reducer window (Safety or Thick-Wall; choose one) → if no reducer, apply +1 → choose Tutoring or Guess.
Backlash (Press Deadline Only)
Triggers on first Backlash-eligible failure (Powder/Build or −5 Guess). Effect: Clock +1 extra immediately after failure resolves. No competence-trigger.
Gate Rewards (Every Gate)
APPROVED (or treated-as-APPROVED): +1 GC and +1 Gate Bonus token (cap 3; extra lost).
Station 4 — Thin-Wall Rules (v1.7)
Validity: t ≤ 0.1·r_i (t ≤ 0.137 m)
| Thin-Wall Submission | Result |
| t ≤ validity, σ ≤ σ_y | Submittable |
| t ≤ validity, σ > σ_y | Declare fictional σ_y or Emergency Switch |
| t > validity (final answer) | Auto-REJECTED |
| t > validity (diagnostic only) | Allowed; must then Switch or declare fictional |
Emergency Model Switch: 1 GC + Clock +1 → change Thin-Wall to Thick-Wall mid-station
- Does not grant Thick-Wall reducer benefit (past or future)
- If Clock = 3: triggers BREAKING POINT after Station 4 resolves
Build Roll Penalty (Thin-Wall only):
| Clock | Build Modifier |
| 0–1 | — |
| ≥ 2 | −1 |
PART VI:
17)
Scarcity (GC/Teacher Time), irreversibility (commitments locked; switch is costly), shared pressure (Clock/Backlash) all visibly drive decisions.
Anti-Lawyering Architecture
- Exhaustive roll taxonomy and Backlash scope
- Timing locks at decisions
- Canonical rewards clause
- Cap/stacking rules explicit
- Penalties only modify rolls, never Teacher Verdicts
- Baseline Clock uses “would add” with explicit reducer window
- Thin-wall diagnostic vs submission is explicitly separated
- Emergency Switch is edge-case-proofed (no reducer benefit; overflow clarified)
Pedagogical Bite
Binder-accurate constants reveal the metallurgy gap; players discover “fiction requires fictional materials” via their own math.
18) Iteration Knobs (Week 1)
| Parameter | Current | Range | Effect of Increase |
| Starting GC | 4 | 3–6 | More buffer |
| Teacher Time | 2 | 1–3 | More forgiveness |
| Clock threshold | 3 | 2–4 | More tolerance |
| Gate Bonus cap | 3 | 2–4 | More roll insurance |
| Certified Lot cost | 1 GC | 0–2 | Riskier choice |
| Thick-Wall cost | 1 GC | 1–3 | Less attractive |
| Emergency Switch cost | 1 GC + Clock +1 | 1–2 GC, 0–2 Clock | Easier/harder pivot |
| Restart penalty | −1 | 0 to −2 | Harsher restarts |
19) Version Changelog
v1.7
- Added Clock overflow clarification for Emergency Switch: if Clock = 3, switch cost triggers BREAKING POINT after Station 4 resolves
- Added reducer benefit clarification: Emergency Switch grants no Thick-Wall reducer benefit for the remainder of Week 1 (the switch buys the formula, not the insurance)
v1.6
- Added Emergency Model Switch concept and diagnostic vs submission separation
- Standardized “would add” baseline language with explicit reducer window sequencing
v1.5
- Moved Thin-Wall penalty to Build Roll (timing-compliant)
v1.4–v1.2
- Momentum source/stacking clarifications; binder-accurate constants; Thick-Wall cost corrected; Producer competence removed
Document Version: 1.7 (Portfolio-Ready)
Vertical Slice: Week 1 (Stations 1–4)
Design Lens: Scarcity + Irreversible Commitments + Shared Pressure
Status: Definition-consistent, timing-sound, irreversibility-compliant, edge-case-proofed, table-proofed