{
  "_comment": "ASTEROID CLUSTERS — loose groups of slowly tumbling rocks drifting in the system's void. texture = spritesheet of frameWidth×frameHeight asteroid frames (frameCount frames). cluster = how a group looks & moves: groupSize = rocks per cluster (minFullSize guarantees at least one full-size rock), sizes = per-rock diameter px, spread = how far a rock may sit from the cluster center, gapFactor = the small edge-gap between ANY two rocks, as a multiple of their combined radii (1.0 = touching, 1.12 = a subtle gap — the generator pushes apart just the overlapping pairs, each by half, so groups stay compact), spin = each rock's OWN very slow tumble (deg/s, direction per-rock random), groupSpin = the whole loose group drifts around its center (deg/s), tint = subtle warm/cool starlight per cluster (anchors blended toward white by strength), halo = soft glow behind the group, debris = a halo of fine dust motes orbiting just outside the rocks. distribution = how many clusters a NON-barren system gets: targetObjects − planetCount, ±jitter, clamped to [minClusters, maxClusters] (more planets ⇒ fewer clusters); the starting system always gets at least startingSystemMinClusters, and those first ones are placed INSIDE the player's initial tether so they're reachable from the spawn. barren = the dead-end (gate-only) systems: the cluster drifts INSIDE the arrival gate's level-1 tether (tether.json → level1Radius, minus the cluster's extent + tetherMargin) — the stop's only payload: mine it, then head back (clusters = how many, minRadius = nearest a cluster center may sit to the gate, px). placement = where clusters may sit: minObjectSpacing = no cluster may be closer (center-to-center) than this to ANY other object (home world, planets, free-space stations, jump gates, other clusters); minRadius/maxRadius = the annulus around the origin random clusters live in (the starting system's tether-inside clusters and the barren gate clusters are exempt — they sit in their own tether annulus); tetherMargin = how far inside the tether rim a tether-bound cluster must sit (whole group stays reachable). shipClearance = how close (edge-to-edge) the ship may get to a rock — clusters are solid, like worlds.",
  "enabled": true,
  "texture": "assets/images/asteroids.png",
  "frameWidth": 128,
  "frameHeight": 128,
  "frameCount": 10,
  "typeLabel": "Asteroid Cluster",
  "compassColor": "#c8d2e0",
  "shipClearance": 50,
  "mining": {
    "_comment": "MINING (v0.4) — the ship's energy arm. armExtendMs = the 'Extending Mining Arm...' reach before the beam fires (the ship is locked while it extends). beam = the arm's line: inMs/outMs = the beam extends (ship→rock) / retracts (rock→ship); glowWidth/midWidth/mainWidth/coreWidth = the white core in its blue glow (px, additive under the core); ghostOffset = the console RGB fringe split off the beam sides. ore = the mineral stream: motes ride the beam rock→ship (speedPxPerSec along the beam), each with a travelling wobble + a tail, absorbed at the hull. impact = the molten bite point: glowScale × rock radius (glowMinPx floor), the hot core, shock rings, and chipping sparks. surge = the big ore packets riding the beam home (the arm brightens while one is in flight). popup = the context menu a rock click opens (world-anchored at the click). economy = the rock IS its minerals: its size (width = height, px) at the start of mining is the minerals it holds; ratePerSec = minerals extracted per second (× the ship's stats.miningSpeed multiplier) — each mineral shrinks the rock by 1 px (width AND height; the beam tracks the live rock, so the impact point stays latched as it shrinks) and loads the ship's hold (capped at stats.mineralStorage — a full hold ends the run). splitLostFraction = once the rock has lost this fraction of its ORIGINAL size it breaks: ≤ smallSizeMaxPx it shatters into smallPieces of floor(size × pieceFraction) px each and ALL pieces are sucked into the ship (their minerals land on impact, capped); > smallSizeMaxPx it splits in HALF (floor(size/2) each, both starting fresh with their own original size) and the beam re-latches onto one half to keep mining. suckSpeedPxPerSec / suckStaggerMs = the shattered pieces' ride home. Every break plays sfx mining_split.",
    "armExtendMs": 1500,
    "beam": {
      "inMs": 420,
      "outMs": 380,
      "glowWidth": 30,
      "glowColor": "#2f7bff",
      "glowAlpha": 0.1,
      "midWidth": 15,
      "midColor": "#00b3ff",
      "midAlpha": 0.22,
      "mainWidth": 7,
      "mainColor": "#00e5ff",
      "mainAlpha": 0.5,
      "coreWidth": 2.6,
      "coreColor": "#ffffff",
      "coreAlpha": 0.95,
      "ghostOffset": 2.6,
      "ghostCyan": "#00e5ff",
      "ghostMag": "#ff2d6f",
      "ghostAlpha": 0.2
    },
    "ore": {
      "maxParticles": 28,
      "spawnEveryMs": [55, 110],
      "speedPxPerSec": [140, 280],
      "wobblePx": [1.5, 4],
      "sizePx": [5, 12],
      "tailPx": [8, 16]
    },
    "impact": {
      "glowScale": 0.6,
      "glowMinPx": 30,
      "coreSizePx": 12,
      "ringEveryMs": [550, 1100],
      "sparkEveryMs": [90, 240]
    },
    "surge": {
      "enabled": true,
      "everyMs": [1800, 4200],
      "durationMs": 320,
      "bandLen": 46
    },
    "popup": {
      "width": 248,
      "padTop": 10,
      "padBottom": 12,
      "gap": 8,
      "headerHeight": 20,
      "lift": 14
    },
    "economy": {
      "ratePerSec": 1,
      "splitLostFraction": 0.33,
      "smallSizeMaxPx": 64,
      "smallPieces": 4,
      "pieceFraction": 0.25,
      "suckSpeedPxPerSec": 460,
      "suckStaggerMs": 70
    }
  },
  "cluster": {
    "groupSize": { "min": 4, "max": 8 },
    "sizes": { "min": 64, "max": 128 },
    "minFullSize": 1,
    "spread": 140,
    "gapFactor": 1.12,
    "spin": { "minDegPerSec": 0.3, "maxDegPerSec": 1.6 },
    "groupSpin": { "minDegPerSec": 0.12, "maxDegPerSec": 0.4 },
    "tint": {
      "enabled": true,
      "anchors": ["#dfe9ff", "#ffe9d6", "#e8e4f8"],
      "strength": 0.5
    },
    "halo": {
      "enabled": true,
      "scale": 2.8,
      "alpha": 0.26,
      "color": "#7fa8d8"
    },
    "debris": {
      "enabled": true,
      "count": [18, 36],
      "inner": 0.9,
      "outer": 2.4,
      "size": [2.5, 6],
      "alpha": [0.4, 0.85]
    }
  },
  "distribution": {
    "targetObjects": 9,
    "jitter": 1,
    "minClusters": 1,
    "maxClusters": 6,
    "startingSystemMinClusters": 2
  },
  "barren": {
    "clusters": [1, 2],
    "minRadius": 1024
  },
  "placement": {
    "minObjectSpacing": 1024,
    "minRadius": 2048,
    "maxRadius": 18432,
    "tetherMargin": 96,
    "maxPlacementAttempts": 400
  }
}