Changes to Research Areas

README.md

@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ node dev/server.mjs 8080
   `maxConcurrent: 1`). A deck progress bar tracks the run; completion fires
   the tech's `effects` (e.g. `tether: {level: N}` grows the home tether's
   range) and a toast. Each category's tree is its own JSON file under
-  `data/research/` (**Exploration**: Tether Level 1–3, Tether Anchoring,
-  Signal Amplification; **Mining**: Improved Mining Arm, Advanced Mining
+  `data/research/` (**Exploration**: Tether Level 1–3;
+  **Mining**: Improved Mining Arm, Advanced Mining
   Arm, Improved Mining Storage — all three unlock the matching build in
   the console's MINING tab). Unlocks and in-progress work
   persist in the save bank — and resume correctly on load

data/game.json

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
       "smallBox": 26,
       "smallHitSlack": 16,
       "expandDelay": 300,
-      "collapseDelay": 400
+      "collapseDelay": 2000
     }
   }
 }

data/research/exploration.json

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "_comment": "EXPLORATION — the player's reach. Tether tech is the BLUEPRINT only (effects: {}) — the player installs it as a build on a world (data/builds.json, the build carries the effect): Tether Level 2 → a TETHER - LEVEL 2 build on a world holding a level-1 tether (→ tether-l2), Tether Level 3 → a TETHER - LEVEL 3 build on a world holding a level-2 tether (→ tether-l3). Radius = 5,120 × 2^(level−1) (data/tether.json). Tether Anchoring and Signal Amplification grant capability flags (seam) that future mechanics read. Node contract: `requires` = parents that must be RESEARCHED first (the DAG edges — authoritative); `unlocks` = what completing the tech opens: `builds` (ids in data/builds.json the tech makes available — the build's own `requires` is the authoritative gate, this list is the declaration, and the test keeps the two in lock-step) and `research` (a readable mirror of the children's `requires` edges); `effects` = what the scene applies on completion. `starting` = already researched on a fresh run, so its children are available the first time the console opens. duration is in research.timeUnit (seconds); 0 = granted, never researched.",
+  "_comment": "EXPLORATION — the player's reach. Tether tech is the BLUEPRINT only (effects: {}) — the player installs it as a build on a world (data/builds.json, the build carries the effect): Tether Level 2 → a TETHER - LEVEL 2 build on a world holding a level-1 tether (→ tether-l2), Tether Level 3 → a TETHER - LEVEL 3 build on a world holding a level-2 tether (→ tether-l3). Radius = 5,120 × 2^(level−1) (data/tether.json). Node contract: `requires` = parents that must be RESEARCHED first (the DAG edges — authoritative); `unlocks` = what completing the tech opens: `builds` (ids in data/builds.json the tech makes available — the build's own `requires` is the authoritative gate, this list is the declaration, and the test keeps the two in lock-step) and `research` (a readable mirror of the children's `requires` edges); `effects` = what the scene applies on completion. `starting` = already researched on a fresh run, so its children are available the first time the console opens. duration is in research.timeUnit (seconds); 0 = granted, never researched.",
   "starting": ["tether_l1"],
   "nodes": {
     "tether_l1": {
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       "icon": "tether",
       "duration": 0,
       "requires": [],
-      "unlocks": { "builds": [], "research": ["tether_l2", "signal_amp"] },
+      "unlocks": { "builds": [], "research": ["tether_l2"] },
       "effects": {}
     },
     "tether_l2": {
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       "icon": "tether",
       "duration": 60,
       "requires": ["tether_l1"],
-      "unlocks": { "builds": ["tether-l2"], "research": ["tether_l3", "tether_anchors"] },
+      "unlocks": { "builds": ["tether-l2"], "research": ["tether_l3"] },
       "effects": {}
     },
     "tether_l3": {
@@ -28,24 +28,6 @@
       "requires": ["tether_l2"],
       "unlocks": { "builds": ["tether-l3"], "research": [] },
       "effects": {}
-    },
-    "tether_anchors": {
-      "label": "Tether Anchoring",
-      "description": "Tether relays that bolt to worlds and stations you hold. Their zones stitch into your own — the union of every ring you anchor becomes open space, with no wall between them.",
-      "icon": "anchor",
-      "duration": 120,
-      "requires": ["tether_l2"],
-      "unlocks": { "builds": [], "research": [] },
-      "effects": { "capability": "tether-anchors" }
-    },
-    "signal_amp": {
-      "label": "Signal Amplification",
-      "description": "Booster coils for the ship's long-range array. Faint emissions — distant beacons, far stations, half-dead transponders — resolve at range, and scans return cleaner hits.",
-      "icon": "signal",
-      "duration": 60,
-      "requires": ["tether_l1"],
-      "unlocks": { "builds": [], "research": [] },
-      "effects": { "capability": "signal-amplification" }
     }
   }
 }

dev/compass-far.mjs

@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ const run = async () => {
   scene.compass.onChipOut(e); // the chip's pointerout handler
   check('hover OUT: a stray exit doesn\u2019t yank it down (grace armed)',
     e.mode === 'full' && e.collapseAt != null);
-  // Grace (400 ms) + the fold fade + headroom.
-  await wait(900);
+  // Grace (2000 ms) + the fold fade + headroom.
+  await wait(2600);
   check('hover OUT (grace runs out): folds back to the compact display (still far)',
     e.mode === 'small' && e.w === cfg.smallBox && e.typeText.alpha < 0.1);
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ const run = async () => {
     (() => { scene.compass.onChipOver(e); return e.collapseAt === null && e.mode === 'full'; })());
   // Leave it for good: folded back to the small box before the guard tests.
   scene.compass.onChipOut(e);
-  await wait(900);
+  await wait(2600);
   check('final leave: back to the compact display', e.mode === 'small' && e.w === cfg.smallBox);
 
   // --- The scene's click guard around the small box --------------------

dev/discovery.test.mjs

@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ check('lerpAngle eases the short way (3→−3, no long-way sweep)', Math.abs(le
   check(
     'far display is configured (farDistance 5120 / arrow 0.6 / smallBox 26 / intent delays)',
     fc.farDistance === 5120 && fc.farArrowScale === 0.6 && fc.smallBox === 26 && fc.smallHitSlack === 16
-    && fc.expandDelay === 300 && fc.collapseDelay === 400,
+    && fc.expandDelay === 300 && fc.collapseDelay === 2000,
   );
   check('isFarTarget: beyond farDistance ⇒ compact', isFarTarget({ x: 6000, y: 0 }, { x: 0, y: 0 }, 5120) === true);
   check('isFarTarget: exactly at farDistance ⇒ full', isFarTarget({ x: 5120, y: 0 }, { x: 0, y: 0 }, 5120) === false);
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ check('lerpAngle eases the short way (3→−3, no long-way sweep)', Math.abs(le
   const compass = new DiscoveryCompass(fakeScene);
   check('compass far defaults match the config (incl. intent delays)',
     compass.farDistance === 5120 && compass.smallBox === 26 && compass.farArrowScale === 0.6
-    && compass.expandDelay === 300 && compass.collapseDelay === 400);
+    && compass.expandDelay === 300 && compass.collapseDelay === 2000);
   const noop = () => {};
   const entry = {
     mode: 'full',

dev/research-builds.test.mjs

@@ -170,17 +170,16 @@ check('model: issues(tree) is clean', Array.isArray(issues(tree)) && issues(tree
 // research); the build side is the authoritative gate; the test locks the
 // two declarations together.
 const { unlocksOf, buildDefs, unlockIssues, buildIssues } = await import('../js/research/ResearchModel.js');
-check('model: unlocksOf normalizes {builds, research}', JSON.stringify(unlocksOf(tree, 'tether_l2')) === JSON.stringify({ builds: ['tether-l2'], research: ['tether_l3', 'tether_anchors'] }));
+check('model: unlocksOf normalizes {builds, research}', JSON.stringify(unlocksOf(tree, 'tether_l2')) === JSON.stringify({ builds: ['tether-l2'], research: ['tether_l3'] }));
 check('model: unlocksOf(tether_l3) declares the level-3 build', JSON.stringify(unlocksOf(tree, 'tether_l3')) === JSON.stringify({ builds: ['tether-l3'], research: [] }));
-check('model: unlocksOf is empty for a node without unlocks', JSON.stringify(unlocksOf(tree, 'signal_amp')) === JSON.stringify({ builds: [], research: [] }));
+check('model: unlocksOf normalizes a node with no builds', JSON.stringify(unlocksOf(tree, 'tether_l1')) === JSON.stringify({ builds: [], research: ['tether_l2'] }));
 check('model: unlockIssues(tree) is clean (mirrors + build wiring agree)', unlockIssues(tree).length === 0);
 check('model: buildIssues() is clean (every build require resolves)', buildIssues().length === 0);
 
 const layout = layoutTree(tree);
-check('model: layout rows = 3 (l1 → l2/anchor/signal → l3)', layout.rows === 3);
-check('model: layout levels — l1 root, l2/signal tier 1, l3/anchors tier 2',
-  layout.level.tether_l1 === 0 && layout.level.tether_l2 === 1 && layout.level.signal_amp === 1 &&
-  layout.level.tether_l3 === 2 && layout.level.tether_anchors === 2);
+check('model: layout rows = 3 (l1 → l2 → l3)', layout.rows === 3);
+check('model: layout levels — l1 root, l2 tier 1, l3 tier 2',
+  layout.level.tether_l1 === 0 && layout.level.tether_l2 === 1 && layout.level.tether_l3 === 2);
 check('model: layout is deterministic (same tree → same columns)', JSON.stringify(layout.col) === JSON.stringify(layoutTree(tree).col));
 
 // a fresh run: starting techs pre-unlocked, the rest follow the rules
@@ -188,17 +187,16 @@ const state = new ResearchState();
 for (const id of tree.starting) state.unlock(tree.id, id);
 check('state: a fresh run already owns Tether Level 1', state.isUnlocked('exploration', 'tether_l1'));
 check('state: Tether Level 2 is the FIRST thing to research', isAvailable(tree, state, 'tether_l2'));
-check('state: Signal Amplification is also available (requires only L1)', isAvailable(tree, state, 'signal_amp'));
 check('state: Tether Level 3 waits on L2 (locked)', !isAvailable(tree, state, 'tether_l3'));
 check('state: missingRequires names the parents (L3 ← L2)', JSON.stringify(missingRequires(tree, state, 'tether_l3')) === JSON.stringify(['tether_l2']));
 
 // one project at a time — the in-flight slot
 check('state: start() claims the slot', state.start('exploration', 'tether_l2', 60_000, 0) === true);
-check('state: a second start() is refused while one runs', state.start('exploration', 'signal_amp', 60_000, 0) === false);
+check('state: a second start() is refused while one runs', state.start('exploration', 'tether_l3', 60_000, 0) === false);
 check('state: progress runs 0→1 over the duration', state.progress(0).fraction === 0 && state.progress(60_000).fraction === 1);
 check('state: tick() reports completion at the deadline', state.tick(59_999).length === 0 && state.tick(60_000).length === 1);
 check('state: L2 is researched after completion', state.isUnlocked('exploration', 'tether_l2'));
-check('state: L3 + Tether Anchoring open up next', isAvailable(tree, state, 'tether_l3') && isAvailable(tree, state, 'tether_anchors'));
+check('state: L3 opens up next', isAvailable(tree, state, 'tether_l3'));
 
 // save/restore round-trip — the in-flight project keeps its remaining time
 const state2 = new ResearchState();

dev/research-shot.mjs

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * Dev-only: boot GameScene and open the RESEARCH console (depth 80) so a
  * headless screenshot shows the whole feature — left video feed (muted
  * loop), category tabs, the top→down tech tree (Tether Level 1 owned →
- * Level 2 + Signal Amplification available), the detail readout with the
+ * Level 2 available), the detail readout with the
  * RESEARCH button, and a project started in flight (deck bar + status).
  *
  *   node dev/slow-server.mjs 8081        # serves / + /sleep?ms=N

docs/PROJECT_NOTES.md

@@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ The player holds a REPUTATION (standing) on each planet and space station:
       Pure rules/state in `js/research/` (Node-tested), the window is a
       passive view, `effects` carry the payload (e.g. `tether.level` grows
       the home tether). First category **Exploration** is live (Tether
-      Level 1–3, Tether Anchoring, Signal Amplification); second category
+      Level 1–3); second category
       **Mining** is live (Improved Mining Arm → Advanced Mining Arm +
       Improved Mining Storage — all 60 s blueprints, each unlocking its
       ship-upgrade build in the console's Mining tab); add a category =

js/ui/DiscoveryCompass.js

@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export class DiscoveryCompass extends Phaser.GameObjects.Container {
     // after pointer-enter, the fold-back waits collapseDelay after
     // pointer-leave (hover back within the grace and it stays expanded).
     this.expandDelay = Math.max(0, cfg.expandDelay ?? 300);
-    this.collapseDelay = Math.max(0, cfg.collapseDelay ?? 400);
+    this.collapseDelay = Math.max(0, cfg.collapseDelay ?? 2000);
     /** @type {Map<string, object>} target id → entry (arrow, chip, angle…) */
     this.entries = new Map();
     // Autopilot seam: clicking a chip calls this with the target's id —