create-control-manifest

name	create-control-manifest
description	After architecture is complete, produces a flat actionable rules sheet for programmers — what you must do, what you must never do, per system and per layer. Extracted from all Accepted ADRs, technical preferences, and engine reference docs. More immediately actionable than ADRs (which explain why).

Create Control Manifest

The Control Manifest is a flat, actionable rules sheet for programmers. It answers "what do I do?" and "what must I never do?" — organized by architectural layer, extracted from all Accepted ADRs, technical preferences, and engine reference docs. Where ADRs explain why, the manifest tells you what.

Output: docs/architecture/control-manifest.md

When to run: After $architecture-review passes and ADRs are in Accepted status. Re-run whenever new ADRs are accepted or existing ADRs are revised.

---

1. Load All Inputs

ADRs

• Glob docs/architecture/adr-*.md and read every file
• Filter to only Accepted ADRs (Status: Accepted) — skip Proposed, Deprecated, Superseded
• Note the ADR number and title for every rule sourced

Technical Preferences

• Read docs/studio/technical-preferences.md
• Extract: naming conventions, performance budgets, approved libraries/addons, forbidden patterns

If the Engine field is missing, blank, or still [TO BE CONFIGURED], stop and tell the user:

"No engine is configured yet. Run $setup-engine first, then re-run $create-control-manifest."

Engine Reference

• Read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/VERSION.md for engine + version
• Read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/deprecated-apis.md — these become forbidden API entries
• Read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/current-best-practices.md if it exists

Report: "Loaded [N] Accepted ADRs, engine: [name + version]."

If no Accepted ADRs are found, stop and tell the user:

"No Accepted ADRs exist yet, so there is nothing meaningful to extract into a control manifest. Create and accept the prerequisite ADRs first — typically via $architecture-decision followed by $architecture-review — then re-run $create-control-manifest."

---

2. Extract Rules from Each ADR

For each Accepted ADR, extract:

Required Patterns (from "Implementation Guidelines" section)

• Every "must", "should", "required to", "always" statement
• Every specific pattern or approach mandated

Forbidden Approaches (from "Alternatives Considered" sections)

• Every alternative that was explicitly rejected — why it was rejected becomes the rule ("never use X because Y")
• Any anti-patterns explicitly called out

Performance Guardrails (from "Performance Implications" section)

• Budget constraints: "max N ms per frame for this system"
• Memory limits: "this system must not exceed N MB"

Engine API Constraints (from "Engine Compatibility" section)

• Post-cutoff APIs that require verification
• Verified behaviours that differ from default LLM assumptions
• API fields or methods that behave differently in the pinned engine version

Layer Classification

Classify each rule by the architectural layer of the system it governs:

• Foundation: Scene management, event architecture, save/load, engine init
• Core: Core gameplay loops, main player systems, physics/collision
• Feature: Secondary systems, secondary mechanics, AI
• Presentation: Rendering, audio, UI, VFX, shaders

If an ADR spans multiple layers, duplicate the rule into each relevant layer.

---

3. Add Global Rules

Combine rules that apply to all layers:

From technical-preferences.md:

• Naming conventions (classes, variables, signals/events, files, constants)
• Performance budgets (target framerate, frame budget, draw call limits, memory ceiling)

From deprecated-apis.md:

• All deprecated APIs → Forbidden API entries

From current-best-practices.md (if available):

• Engine-recommended patterns → Required entries

From technical-preferences.md forbidden patterns:

• Copy any "Forbidden Patterns" entries directly

---

4. Present Rules Summary Before Writing

Before writing the manifest, present a summary to the user:

## Control Manifest Preview
Engine: [name + version]
ADRs covered: [list ADR numbers]
Total rules extracted:
  - Foundation layer: [N] required, [M] forbidden, [P] guardrails
  - Core layer: [N] required, [M] forbidden, [P] guardrails
  - Feature layer: ...
  - Presentation layer: ...
  - Global: [N] naming conventions, [M] forbidden APIs, [P] approved libraries

Ask: "Does this look complete? Any rules to add or remove before I write the manifest?"

---

4b. Director Gate — Technical Review

Review mode check — apply before spawning TD-MANIFEST:

• solo → skip. Note: "TD-MANIFEST skipped — Solo mode." Proceed to Phase 5.
• lean → skip. Note: "TD-MANIFEST skipped — Lean mode." Proceed to Phase 5.
• full → spawn as normal.

Spawn technical-director as a subagent using gate TD-MANIFEST (docs/studio/director-gates.md).

Pass: the Control Manifest Preview from Phase 4 (rule counts per layer, full extracted rule list), the list of ADRs covered, engine version, and any rules sourced from technical-preferences.md or engine reference docs.

The technical-director reviews whether:

• All mandatory ADR patterns are captured and accurately stated
• Forbidden approaches are complete and correctly attributed
• No rules were added that lack a source ADR or preference document
• Performance guardrails are consistent with the ADR constraints

Apply the verdict:

• APPROVE → proceed to Phase 5
• CONCERNS → surface via a concise plain-text choice list with options: Revise flagged rules / Accept and proceed / Discuss further
• REJECT → do not write the manifest; fix the flagged rules and re-present the summary

---

5. Write the Control Manifest

Ask: "May I write this to docs/architecture/control-manifest.md?"

Format:

# Control Manifest

> **Engine**: [name + version]
> **Last Updated**: [date]
> **Manifest Version**: [date]
> **ADRs Covered**: [ADR-NNNN, ADR-MMMM, ...]
> **Status**: [Active — regenerate with `$create-control-manifest update` when ADRs change]

`Manifest Version` is the date this manifest was generated. Story files embed
this date when created. `$story-readiness` compares a story's embedded version
to this field to detect stories written against stale rules. Always matches
`Last Updated` — they are the same date, serving different consumers.

This manifest is a programmer's quick-reference extracted from all Accepted ADRs,
technical preferences, and engine reference docs. For the reasoning behind each
rule, see the referenced ADR.

---

## Foundation Layer Rules

*Applies to: scene management, event architecture, save/load, engine initialisation*

### Required Patterns
- **[rule]** — source: [ADR-NNNN]
- **[rule]** — source: [ADR-NNNN]

### Forbidden Approaches
- **Never [anti-pattern]** — [brief reason] — source: [ADR-NNNN]

### Performance Guardrails
- **[system]**: max [N]ms/frame — source: [ADR-NNNN]

---

## Core Layer Rules

*Applies to: core gameplay loop, main player systems, physics, collision*

### Required Patterns
...

### Forbidden Approaches
...

### Performance Guardrails
...

---

## Feature Layer Rules

*Applies to: secondary mechanics, AI systems, secondary features*

### Required Patterns
...

### Forbidden Approaches
...

---

## Presentation Layer Rules

*Applies to: rendering, audio, UI, VFX, shaders, animations*

### Required Patterns
...

### Forbidden Approaches
...

---

## Global Rules (All Layers)

### Naming Conventions
| Element | Convention | Example |
|---------|-----------|---------|
| Classes | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Variables | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Signals/Events | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Files | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Constants | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |

### Performance Budgets
| Target | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Framerate | [from technical-preferences] |
| Frame budget | [from technical-preferences] |
| Draw calls | [from technical-preferences] |
| Memory ceiling | [from technical-preferences] |

### Approved Libraries / Addons
- [library] — approved for [purpose]

### Forbidden APIs ([engine version])
These APIs are deprecated or unverified for [engine + version]:
- `[api name]` — deprecated since [version] / unverified post-cutoff
- Source: `docs/engine-reference/[engine]/deprecated-apis.md`

### Cross-Cutting Constraints
- [constraint that applies everywhere, regardless of layer]

---

6. Suggest Next Steps

After writing the manifest:

• If epics/stories don't exist yet: "Run $create-epics layer: foundation then $create-stories [epic-slug] — programmers can now use this manifest when writing story implementation notes."
• If this is a regeneration (manifest already existed): "Updated. Recommend notifying the team of changed rules — especially any new Forbidden entries."

---

Collaborative Protocol

1. Load silently — read all inputs before presenting anything
2. Show the summary first — let the user see the scope before writing
3. Ask before writing — always confirm before creating or overwriting the manifest. On write: Verdict: COMPLETE — control manifest written. On decline: Verdict: BLOCKED — user declined write.
4. Source every rule — never add a rule that doesn't trace to an ADR, a technical preference, or an engine reference doc
5. No interpretation — extract rules as stated in ADRs; do not paraphrase in ways that change meaning