Appearance
UX/UI Design
Status: DRAFT — July 19, 2026
Source: Consolidated from battle-system.md §8, co-op-design.md §9, and meta-progression.md §3
Table of Contents
- Design Principles
- Screen Inventory
- Battle HUD
- Timeline Bar
- Unit Selection & Info
- Action Palette & Targeting
- Tooltip System
- Overworld Map
- Draft Screen
- Shop & Camp
- Hub Screen
- Main Menu & Settings
- Co-op UI
- Input Scheme
- Visual Style
- MVP Scope
- Open Questions
1. Design Principles
| # | Principle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everything is readable at a glance | Deterministic combat only works if the UI is clear. No hidden information. |
| 2 | The timeline is the centerpiece | It's always visible. It's the primary reference point. Players think in ticks. |
| 3 | Hover reveals, click commits | Hover shows previews (damage, range, LOS). Click confirms the action. |
| 4 | Tooltips are generous | Every number has an explanation. Every status has a tooltip. The game teaches itself. |
| 5 | The UI is in on the joke | Loading tips, tooltip flavor text, and menu microcopy wink at the player. Not characters — the UI itself. |
| 6 | Two clicks to any action | Select unit → pick action → target tile. No nested menus in battle. |
2. Screen Inventory
Screen Map
Main Menu
├── New Run → Draft Screen → Battle (loop)
│ ├── Shop Screen
│ ├── Camp Screen
│ └── Victory / Defeat Screen
├── Continue Run → Battle
├── Hub (between runs)
│ ├── Timeline Tapestry (run history)
│ ├── Book of Fallen (permadead units)
│ ├── Echo Market (meta-progression shop)
│ ├── Roster (characters)
│ └── Synergy Codex (post-MVP)
├── Co-op Lobby → Draft → Battle (loop)
└── SettingsScreen Transition Flow
Boot → Main Menu
Main Menu → New Run → Draft → [Island 1 Node 1: Battle]
Battle → Victory → [Node Map: choose next node]
→ Shop → [Back to Node Map]
→ Camp → [Back to Node Map]
→ Boss Victory → [Next Island or Victory Screen]
→ Defeat → Defeat Screen → Hub
Hub → Main Menu or New Run3. Battle HUD
Layout (1920×1080 reference)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Turn Indicator] [Island: Node Name] [⚙️] │ ← Top bar (40px)
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ │
│ GAME WORLD │ ← Main viewport
│ (8×12 isometric grid) │ (fills center)
│ │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [Undo] [Unit Portrait] [HP ████░░ 18/25] [MP ██░░ 4/8] │ ← Info bar (80px)
│ [Aspects: K♦ F♢ M♢ D♢ U◇] [Status: ⚡Haste] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Move: [⬆⬇⬅➡] Act: [⚔Strike] [🏹Shoot] [🔥Fireball] │ ← Action bar (120px)
│ [3 tiles] [5 dmg] [3 dmg] [8 dmg AoE ⏳1] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ TICK: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 │ ← Timeline bar
│ 🟦You 🟦You 🔴Foe 🔴Foe 🔴Foe 🟦Ally 🔴Foe 🟦You 🔴Foe│ (100px, always visible)
│ ⚔️@3,4 🔥@6,2 🦷@5,4 ⚔️@2,3 ⏳🔥@4,4 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Zone Descriptions
| Zone | Position | Size | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top bar | Top edge, full width | 40px | Turn indicator ("Your Turn" / "Enemy Phase"), island + node name, pause/settings button |
| Game world | Center | Flexible (fills remaining space) | 8×12 isometric grid. Free camera pan + zoom. |
| Info bar | Above action bar | 80px | Selected unit portrait, HP/MP bars, aspect slot icons, status effect icons, quick stats (ATK/DEF/MAG/SPD on hover) |
| Action bar | Above timeline | 120px | Move range slider, available actions as icon + name + damage preview buttons. Greyed out if on cooldown or insufficient MP. |
| Timeline bar | Bottom edge, full width | 100px | Horizontal scrollable timeline. See §4. |
Co-op Variant
| Element | Solo | Co-op |
|---|---|---|
| Turn indicator | "Your Turn" | "Player 1's Turn" (blue) / "Player 2's Turn" (orange) |
| Timeline units | All grey | P1 = blue, P2 = orange, Enemies = red |
| Unit info | Standard | + "Controlled by [Name]" badge |
| Ping overlay | N/A | Ping icons on grid (fade after 3s) |
| Partner preview | N/A | Partner's planned move shown as translucent ghost (togglable) |
4. Timeline Bar
Layout
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TICK: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 │
│ [You] [EnemyA] [Ally] [EnemyB] [You]
│ Slash Fireball Heal@ Bite ???
│ @(3,4) lands(6,2) (3,3) @(5,4)
│ ⚠ CANCEL? │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Entry Design
Each timeline entry is a card showing:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Portrait | Unit icon or character face (16×16 or 24×24) |
| Player color | Background tint: blue (P1), orange (P2), red (enemy) |
| Action name | "Slash", "Fireball", "Heal", etc. |
| Target indicator | @(x,y) — grid coordinates of target |
| Charge indicator | ⏳N — ticks remaining until spell lands. Pulses when ≤ 2 ticks. |
| Cancel warning | ⚠ CANCEL? — appears when caster takes damage mid-charge |
| Damage preview | Number on target tile overlay (not on the timeline card itself) |
| (?) indicator | For Dodge-enabled units: shows (?) instead of action name |
Interaction
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Hover entry | Highlight the entry AND pulse the unit on the grid. Show full tooltip. |
| Click entry | Move camera to that unit. If it's your unit and it's your turn: select it. |
| Horizontal scroll | Scroll through ticks. Current tick auto-centered. |
| Current tick | Highlighted with bright border. "NOW" label. |
Visual Priority
| Priority | What | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Spell about to land (≤ 1 tick) | Red pulse on ⏳ icon |
| Critical | Unit about to permadie (⚰️ counter at 1) | Red flash on unit portrait |
| High | Your units about to act (next tick) | Gold border on entry |
| High | Enemies acting this tick | Red border on entry |
| Medium | Buffs/Debuffs on unit | Small icon overlay on portrait |
| Low | Units acting in 3+ ticks | Greyed out |
Size & Scaling
- Default: shows 5-8 tick entries visible at once.
- Scroll to see earlier/future ticks.
- Minimum card width: 80px per entry.
- At 8 units + enemies: timeline may need 120-150px height with wrapped entries.
5. Unit Selection & Info
Selection Flow
- Click unit on grid (or click their timeline entry)
- Unit highlights with selection ring (team color)
- Info bar populates with unit data
- Move range overlay appears on grid (blue highlighted tiles)
- Action bar populates with available actions
Info Bar Content
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Portrait] Brick Lv.3 HP ████████░░ 18/25 MP ████░░ 4/8 │
│ Knight ⚔️ [K♦] [Alch F♢] [Horse M♢] [Parry D♢] [--- U◇] │
│ ATK: 8 DEF: 10 MAG: 2 SPD: 5 │
│ Status: ⚡Haste (2 ticks) 🛡️Fortified (2 ticks) │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Aspect Slot Icons
- K♦ = Key (gold diamond)
- F♢ = Function (blue diamond outline)
- M♢ = Movement (green diamond outline)
- D♢ = Defense (red diamond outline)
- U◇ = Utility (grey diamond outline, empty at MVP)
- Each icon shows the first letter or icon of the equipped aspect
- Hover icon: tooltip with full aspect name + abilities
Enemy Unit Info (On Hover)
- HP bar (shows current/max)
- Active status effects
- Telegraphed action: "Will cast Fireball at (6,2) — 8 damage"
- Behavior archetype hint: "Behavior: Flanker — targets isolated units"
- Does NOT show ATK/DEF/MAG/SPD unless Scout utility aspect is equipped
6. Action Palette & Targeting
Action Bar Layout
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MOVE [3 tiles ████░░░░] │ ACTIONS: │
│ │ [⚔ Strike] [🛡 Taunt] [💪 Fortify] │
│ │ 5 dmg Redirect +5 DEF │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Move Input
- Unit selected → blue highlight overlay on all valid move tiles
- Hover tile → ghost of unit appears at that position
- Click tile → unit moves. Action bar stays; unit has moved but not acted.
- Movement range considers: base move + aspect bonuses + terrain costs + height costs
- Red tint on tiles that would trigger fall damage or hazards
Act Input
- Click action button in action bar
- Targeting mode activates:
- Strike/Melee: Adjacent enemies highlighted red
- Shoot/Ranged: Valid targets highlighted. LOS blocked targets grey with "No LOS" tooltip.
- Cast/AoE: AoE template shown on grid. Hover to preview affected tiles.
- Heal/Buff: Valid allies highlighted green.
- Taunt/Debuff: Valid enemies highlighted purple.
- Hover target → damage/heal preview number appears on target
- Click target → action executes
- Right-click or Escape → cancel targeting, return to action bar
Damage Preview
When hovering a target during targeting:
- Shows: Final damage number (after DEF/height/resistances)
- Color: white (normal), green (advantageous, e.g. height bonus), red (disadvantageous)
- Shows breakdown on hover tooltip: "Base 8 + Height +2 (10) - DEF 4 = 6"
Cooldown & MP Display
- Actions on cooldown: greyed out with turn counter "⚔ Strike [2]"
- Actions with insufficient MP: greyed out with MP cost in red
- Once-per-battle actions: gold border, "⚡" icon
Undo
- Button in bottom-left corner (or Ctrl+Z)
- Undoes the last move only (not the full turn)
- After acting: undo disabled. No take-backs on committed actions.
- In co-op: each player undoes their own moves.
7. Tooltip System
Tooltip Triggers
| Trigger | Content | Delay |
|---|---|---|
| Hover enemy on grid | Name, HP, telegraphed action, behavior hint | 200ms |
| Hover ally on grid | Name, HP, status effects | 100ms |
| Hover tile | Height tier, terrain type, hazard (if any), cover HP (if any) | 100ms |
| Hover timeline entry | Full action details: ability name, target, damage, charge time | 100ms |
| Hover aspect icon | Aspect name, slot type, equipped abilities | 200ms |
| Hover status icon | Status name, effect, remaining duration | 100ms |
| Hover relic icon | Relic name, effect | 200ms |
| Hover any number in damage preview | Breakdown: base + modifiers - DEF = result | 50ms |
Tooltip Design
┌──────────────────────────┐
│ Fireball │
│ Type: Magical / Fire │
│ Base Damage: 8 │
│ AoE: 2×2 tiles │
│ Charge Time: 1 tick │
│ Range: 4 tiles │
│ MP Cost: 6 │
│ ───────────────────── │
│ "It's a ball. Of fire. │ ← Flavor text (comedic)
│ Do not catch." │
└──────────────────────────┘Tooltip Rules
- Never obscure the tile/unit being hovered (offset up or right)
- Maximum width: 300px
- Auto-dismiss after 3 seconds of no movement OR on click
- No tooltip stacking (only one visible at a time)
- Flavor text is optional, italicized, grey. Can be toggled off in settings.
8. Overworld Map
Node Map Screen
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Island 1: The Fractured Plains [Squad Roster] │
│ │
│ [👑 BOSS] │
│ │ │
│ ┌─────────────┼─────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ [⚔️ FIGHT] [🛒 SHOP] [⚔️ FIGHT] │
│ +Relic +Equipment +Relic │
│ │ │ │ │
│ └─────────────┼─────────────┘ │
│ [START] │
│ │
│ Gold: 120 Relics: 3 Squad: 3/3 │
│ [Continue] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Node Display
- Current node: pulsing border
- Available next nodes: bright with full info (type icon, reward preview)
- Future nodes (beyond next row): dimmed but icon visible
- Completed nodes: checkmark overlay
- Connections: visible lines. Locked connections: dashed line.
- BOSS node: always visible with unique crown border
Interaction
- Click available node → path highlights → "Travel" button appears
- Hover node → tooltip: node type, enemy count (for fights), reward preview
- Squad roster button (top-right): shows all units, their aspects, HP, status
- "Continue" button: travel to selected node (or auto-select if only one path)
9. Draft Screen
Layout
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DRAFT YOUR SQUAD │
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Brick │ │ Mira │ │ [LOCKED] │ │
│ │ Knight │ │ Mage │ │ Pick │ │
│ │ HP:35 │ │ HP:22 │ │ next │ │
│ │ ATK:8 │ │ MAG:14 │ │ │ │
│ │ [Select] │ │ [Select] │ │ │ │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Greta │ │ Null │ │ Lyric │ │
│ │ (Locked)│ │ Shaman │ │ Bard │ │
│ │ │ │ HP:24 │ │ HP:22 │ │
│ │ │ │ MAG:11 │ │ SPD:10 │ │
│ │ [🔒 80 ] │ │ [Select] │ │ [Select] │ │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │
│ │
│ Squad: 1/3 selected [Confirm Squad] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Draft Rules
- Player picks 3 units from a pool of 6 options.
- Each option shows: character portrait, name, Key Aspect name, base stats.
- Locked characters (not yet unlocked) show cost and lock icon.
- Selected units fill slots 1-3. Click selected to deselect.
- After 3 selected: "Confirm Squad" button enables.
- Each selected unit gets 2 random Common flex aspects assigned automatically (can swap post-draft).
Co-op Draft
- Shared pool of 6 units.
- P1 picks first → P2 picks second → alternate until each has 3.
- Both players see picks in real-time.
- Starting flex aspects auto-assigned per player.
10. Shop & Camp
Shop Screen
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🛒 SHOP — Island 1 Gold: 120 │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ Short Sword │ │ Leather Armor│ │ Potion ×2 │ │
│ │ ATK +4 │ │ DEF +3 │ │ Heal 30% HP │ │
│ │ [Buy: 60g] │ │ [Buy: 50g] │ │ [Buy: 20g] │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ Phoenix Down │ │ Hire Unit ★ │ │
│ │ Revive ally │ │ Random Key │ │
│ │ [Buy: 150g] │ │ [Hire: 100g] │ ← If slot open │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Gold remaining after purchase: ___ │
│ [Leave Shop] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Camp Screen
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🏕️ CAMP — Island 2 │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ All units fully healed! │ │
│ │ All negative statuses removed. │ │
│ │ Free Aspect swap available for 1 unit. │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Brick: "So, anyone else notice the volcano │ │
│ │ getting closer? Just me? Okay." │ │
│ │ Mira: "It's been getting closer for 847 │ │
│ │ timelines. You get used to it." │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [Swap Aspect] [View Squad] [Continue] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘11. Hub Screen
Layout
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⏱️ COMMANDER'S SANCTUM Echoes: 245 │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ 🧵 Timeline │ │ 📖 Book of │ │ 🛒 Echo │ │
│ │ Tapestry │ │ Fallen │ │ Market │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │
│ │ 👥 Roster │ │ 🏆 Achieve- │ │ ⚙️ Settings │ │
│ │ │ │ ments │ │ │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [New Run] [Continue Run] [Co-op] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Hub Tone
- Quiet and contemplative. Slow music box version of main theme.
- Starfield background with floating observatory elements.
- Commander's Journal sits open in corner (flavor text updates based on last run).
- The jokes happen in the run. The hub is where you reflect.
Sub-Screens
Timeline Tapestry:
- Scrollable timeline of all past runs.
- Each run = a glowing thread. Bright = victory. Dim = defeat.
- Hover run: quick stats. Click: full run summary.
Book of Fallen:
- Tome UI. Pages turn with animation.
- Every permadead unit listed: name, Key Aspect, death cause, kills, damage dealt.
- Last Will note displayed prominently.
Echo Market:
- Grid of purchasable unlocks.
- Unlocked: full color + checkmark. Locked: greyed + Echoes cost.
- Categories: Key Aspects, Characters, Relic Slots, Squad Slots, Difficulties.
12. Main Menu & Settings
Main Menu
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ CODEX ETERNAL: TACTICS │
│ │
│ [New Run] │
│ [Continue Run] │
│ [Co-op] │
│ [Hub] │
│ [Settings] │
│ [Quit] │
│ │
│ "FFT's soul. ITB's brain. Disgaea's mouth." │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Settings
| Category | Options |
|---|---|
| Audio | Master, Music, SFX, Voice sliders (0-100%) |
| Video | Resolution dropdown, Fullscreen/Borderless/Windowed, VSync toggle |
| Graphics | Quality preset (Low/Med/High), sprite filtering mode |
| Controls | Keybindings (scroll to customize) |
| Gameplay | Tooltip delay slider, Show flavor text toggle, Auto-end turn toggle, Camera pan speed |
| Accessibility | Colorblind mode (deuteranopia/protanopia/tritanopia), Screen shake toggle, Subtitles toggle |
Keybinding Defaults (M+KB)
| Action | Key |
|---|---|
| Select unit / Confirm target | Left Click |
| Deselect / Cancel targeting | Right Click or Escape |
| Pan camera | Middle-mouse drag or Edge scroll |
| Zoom camera | Scroll wheel |
| Undo last move | Ctrl+Z |
| End turn | Enter or Space |
| Open pause menu | Escape |
| Ping: Stack Here (co-op) | 1 |
| Ping: Focus This (co-op) | 2 |
| Ping: Danger (co-op) | 3 |
| Ping: I've Got This (co-op) | 4 |
13. Co-op UI
Differences from Solo
| Element | Solo | Co-op |
|---|---|---|
| Main menu | "New Run" | "Create Co-op Game" + "Join Co-op Game" |
| Draft | Pick 3 from pool of 6 | Alternate picks from shared pool |
| Turn indicator | "Your Turn" | "Player 1's Turn" (blue pulse) / "Player 2's Turn" (orange pulse) |
| Timeline | All units grey | P1 blue / P2 orange / Enemy red |
| Unit info | Standard | + "Controlled by [Player]" badge |
| Undo | P1 undoes own moves | Each player undoes own moves |
| Rewards | P1 picks | Shared screen. Discuss. One player calls the pick. |
| Shop | P1 spends | Shared gold. Discuss purchases. |
| Camp | Standard banter | + Cross-player banter |
Partner's Turn
- Partner's units show translucent planned-move ghost on grid (optional, togglable)
- Camera is free — can pan and hover to read telegraphs
- Ping and emote available
- "Waiting for [Player]" indicator with subtle pulse
Ghost Mode
- Full-screen "GHOST MODE" overlay (semi-transparent)
- HUD shows surviving partner's units only
- Pings and emotes still available
- Free camera to spectate
- "Your partner is fighting to revive you" message
14. Input Scheme
Mouse-First Design
- All primary interactions: left-click.
- Cancel/back: right-click or Escape.
- Camera: middle-mouse drag for pan, scroll wheel for zoom.
- Edge scrolling also available for pan.
Why Not Controller (for MVP)
- Targeting tiles on an 8×12 isometric grid is inherently pointer-driven.
- Controller would require cursor-snapping to tiles (works, but not ideal).
- Every tactical RPG with controller support (Fire Emblem, Disgaea) uses tile-snapping — it's slower but functional.
- Defer to v0.3 when Steam Deck is evaluated.
15. Visual Style
Font
- UI font: Clean sans-serif (TextMeshPro default or similar). Readable at small sizes.
- Flavor font: Serif or hand-drawn for titles and narrative text (Commander's Journal, Last Wills).
- Numbers: Monospace within the font. Damage numbers must align in columns.
Color Palette
| Usage | Color |
|---|---|
| Player 1 | Blue (#4A90D9) |
| Player 2 | Orange (#E8913A) |
| Enemy | Red (#D94A4A) |
| HP bar | Green (#4AD94A) → Yellow → Red (gradient) |
| MP bar | Blue (#4A90D9) |
| CT bar | Purple (#9B4AD9) |
| Damage number | White (normal) / Green (advantage) / Red (disadvantage) |
| Height indicator | Green (+good) to Red (−bad) gradient |
| Common rarity | Grey |
| Uncommon rarity | Green |
| Rare rarity | Blue |
| Legendary rarity | Gold |
| UI background | Dark semi-transparent (#1A1A2E at 85% opacity) |
Visual Effects
| Effect | When |
|---|---|
| Screen shake (subtle) | Boss attacks, large AoE spells, permadeath |
| Particle burst | Synergy discovered, Legendary relic acquired, Victory |
| Tile pulse | Charge spell about to land, dynamic event warning |
| HP bar flash | Taking damage |
| Gold border glow | Unit ready to act |
| Vignette | Unit at low HP (<25%) |
Comedic UI Flavor
- Loading screen tips: "Tip: Gravity is not your friend. It's not anyone's friend. Gravity is a jerk."
- Tooltip flavor text (optional, togglable).
- Error messages: "You can't move there. There's a wall. The wall does not care about your plans."
- Death recap: adds a procedurally generated Last Will to the Book of Fallen.
16. MVP Scope
Included
- [x] Battle HUD (all zones: top bar, game world, info bar, action bar, timeline bar)
- [x] Timeline bar with all interaction states
- [x] Unit selection + info panel
- [x] Action palette + targeting overlays
- [x] Tooltip system (all trigger types)
- [x] Overworld node map
- [x] Draft screen (solo + co-op)
- [x] Shop + Camp screens
- [x] Hub screen (Timeline Tapestry, Book of Fallen, Echo Market, Roster)
- [x] Main menu + Settings
- [x] Co-op UI adaptations (turn indicator, color-coding, pings, ghost mode)
- [x] M+KB input with keybinding
- [x] Single-move undo
- [x] Damage preview on hover
- [x] Comedic flavor text on tooltips and loading screens
Deferred to Post-MVP
- [ ] Controller support (v0.3)
- [ ] Synergy Codex UI (v0.3)
- [ ] Bestiary UI (v0.3)
- [ ] Steam achievements UI integration (v1.0)
- [ ] Colorblind mode (v0.3)
- [ ] Advanced damage preview (full modifier breakdown on hover) — base damage only for MVP
- [ ] Partner move preview in co-op (v0.3)
- [ ] Screen shake toggle in settings (v0.2)
17. Open Questions
- Timeline bar orientation: Horizontal at bottom (proposed) vs vertical on the side? Horizontal matches ITB + most strategy games. Vertical gives more tick visibility. Recommend: horizontal for MVP.
- Minimap: A small minimap of the full grid in the corner? Useful for large maps, overkill for 8×12. Skip for MVP.
- Damage preview delay: Instant on hover, or 100ms delay? Instant feels responsive but may flicker during fast mouse movement. Recommend: 50ms delay.
- Action confirmation: Click-to-confirm (proposed) vs drag-and-release? Drag-and-release (like ITB) gives more tactile feedback. Click-to-confirm is simpler. Recommend: click for MVP, drag as option later.
- HP bar style: Segmented bars (like FFT, each segment = ~5 HP) vs continuous bar? Segmented is more readable for small HP pools (max ~40 HP). Continuous is simpler to implement. Recommend: continuous with numbers overlaid.
- Co-op gold sharing UI: How to show "this is our gold" vs "this is my gold"? Shared pool = single gold counter. Personal allowance = two counters. Recommend: shared pool for MVP (matches design).
- Loading screen: Static art with random tip? Or animated scene (Commander's observatory)? Recommend: static art + random tip for MVP.