EBB Implementation Plan

1→# Emoji Ball Battles: Game Design Document
     2→
     3→## Overview
     4→
     5→Emoji Ball Battles is a **physics auto-battler roguelite** where emoji balls equipped with items fight each other in gravity-driven arenas. The player doesn't control the balls directly — combat is a physics simulation that plays out automatically. The game lives in the tension between watching chaotic physics unfold and the strategic decisions that shape each fight.
     6→
     7→Each run begins with a **draft phase** where the player picks 24 items from a series of diminishing pools (8→6→4→2 items shown, always picking 2). From those 24, they build a **bench** of 12 items: 8 in fixed slots and 4 in limited slots. Before each fight, the player sees their opponent and selects 4 items from their bench to equip — but only 1 limited item can be active at a time, making limited slots situational tech rather than core build pieces.
     8→
     9→Items **evolve through use**. When equipped items are used in a winning fight, they gain XP toward evolution. Each item has multiple evolution branches, and the player chooses which path to follow at special events. This creates a central tension: do you use your already-evolved items that might be suboptimal for this matchup, or equip weaker items that counter the opponent but need training? Between fights, various events offer lateral power gains — merging items, buying player abilities, choosing evolution paths, gambling on performance.
    10→
    11→**Note:** All mentions of gold (🪙) as a resource throughout this document are temporary placeholders. The actual economy and resource types will be defined through playtesting.
    12→
    13→---
    14→
    15→## Inspiration
    16→
    17→The physics ball battles are directly inspired by [Earclacks](https://www.earclacks.com/), a content creator known for satisfying physics simulation videos. The community calls these "Weapon Ball" battles — balls equipped with various weapons (swords, spears, daggers, lances) that bounce around an arena and damage each other through physics collisions. The appeal is watching the physics unfold: unpredictable bounces, weapon clashes, and the tension of HP bars draining. Earclacks' videos range from 1v1 duels to battle royales and raid boss fights, demonstrating how the format scales. The mesmerizing quality of these simulations — where you want to watch "just one more fight" — is the target feeling for Emoji Ball Battles.
    18→
    19→---
    20→
    21→## Combat System
    22→
    23→Combat takes place in a rectangular **arena** with solid walls. Gravity pulls balls downward, causing them to arc and fall rather than drift in straight lines. When balls hit walls, they bounce — momentum is preserved and transferred through collisions. The arena is a closed system; balls cannot escape, and fights continue until one ball is destroyed.
    24→
    25→**Arena properties:**
    26→- Rectangular bounds with solid walls
    27→- Gravity enabled (balls arc and fall)
    28→- Box2D physics simulation
    29→- Wall bounces preserve momentum
    30→
... [736 more lines]

E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.yue
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\object.yue
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\main.yue

1→require 'anchor'
     2→
     3→-- Build a tree:
     4→--       an
     5→--      / | \
     6→--     a  b  c
     7→--    /|     |
     8→--   d e     f
     9→--   |      /|\
    10→--   g     h i j
    11→
    12→a = object 'a'
    13→b = object 'b'
    14→c = object 'c'
    15→d = object 'd'
    16→e = object 'e'
    17→f = object 'f'
    18→g = object 'g'
    19→h = object 'h'
    20→i = object 'i'
    21→j = object 'j'
    22→
    23→an\add a
    24→an\add b
    25→an\add c
    26→a\add d
    27→a\add e
    28→c\add f
    29→d\add g
    30→f\add h
... [30 more lines]

E:\a327ex\Anchor\docs\ENGINE_API.md
E:\a327ex\Anchor\docs\ENGINE_API_QUICK.md
E:\a327ex\Anchor\docs\FRAMEWORK_API_QUICK.md
E:\a327ex\Anchor\docs\FRAMEWORK_API.md
E:\a327ex\Anchor\docs\ANCHOR_CONTEXT_BRIEF.md

1→# Framework API
     2→
     3→Complete documentation for YueScript framework classes. For quick reference signatures, see `FRAMEWORK_API_QUICK.md`.
     4→
     5→---
     6→
     7→## Root Object (an)
     8→
     9→The global `an` object is the entry point for all framework functionality. It manages resources, physics, input, and the object tree.
    10→
    11→### Resource Registration
    12→
    13→#### an\layer(name)
    14→
    15→Creates and registers a layer for rendering.
    16→
    17→```yuescript
    18→game = an\layer 'game'
    19→ui = an\layer 'ui'
    20→```
    21→
    22→Layers are FBO-backed render targets. Drawing commands are queued during update and rendered later. Layers are stored in `an.layers.name`.
    23→
    24→---
    25→
    26→#### an\image(name, path)
    27→
    28→Loads and registers an image (texture).
    29→
    30→```yuescript
... [1690 more lines]

1→# Engine API Reference
     2→
     3→Detailed documentation for all C-to-Lua bindings in the Anchor engine. For a compact signature list, see `ENGINE_API_QUICK.md`.
     4→
     5→---
     6→
     7→## Layer & Texture
     8→
     9→### layer_create
    10→
    11→`layer_create(name) -> layer`
    12→
    13→Gets or creates a named layer. Layers are FBOs that can be drawn to and composited.
    14→
    15→```lua
    16→local game_layer = layer_create("game")
    17→local ui_layer = layer_create("ui")
    18→```
    19→
    20→### layer_rectangle
    21→
    22→`layer_rectangle(layer, x, y, w, h, color)`
    23→
    24→Draws a filled rectangle with top-left corner at (x, y).
    25→
    26→```lua
    27→layer_rectangle(layer, 100, 100, 50, 30, rgba(255, 0, 0))  -- top-left at (100, 100)
    28→```
    29→
    30→### layer_circle
... [1836 more lines]

No .gitmodules file

E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/main.yue

E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/array.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/camera.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/collider.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/color.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/font.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/image.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/init.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/layer.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/math.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/object.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/random.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/shake.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/spring.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/timer.yue
E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/main.yue

array.yue
camera.yue
collider.yue
color.yue
font.yue
image.yue
init.lua
init.yue
layer.yue
math.yue
object.lua
object.yue
random.yue
shake.yue
spring.yue
timer.yue

1→# CLAUDE.md
     2→
     3→Guidelines for Claude Code instances working on Emoji Ball Battles.
     4→
     5→---
     6→
     7→## Engine vs Game
     8→
     9→**Engine** — C code in `anchor/engine/src/anchor.c` exposing functions to Lua
    10→**Game** — YueScript code using the engine to build games
    11→**Engine Mode** — when modifying anchor.c or engine behavior
    12→**Game Mode** — when writing gameplay code in YueScript
    13→
    14→This is a **Game** repository. For Engine Mode, work from the Anchor repository (`E:/a327ex/Anchor/`).
    15→
    16→---
    17→
    18→## Engine Documentation
    19→
    20→The engine lives in `anchor/` (submodule). Key docs:
    21→- `anchor/docs/ENGINE_API_QUICK.md` — function signatures
    22→- `anchor/docs/ENGINE_API.md` — detailed API with examples
    23→- `anchor/docs/FRAMEWORK_API_QUICK.md` — framework class signatures
    24→- `anchor/docs/FRAMEWORK_API.md` — detailed framework documentation
    25→- `anchor/docs/ANCHOR_CONTEXT_BRIEF.md` — design reasoning
    26→
    27→---
    28→
    29→## Game Design Documents
    30→
... [84 more lines]

The file E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/.claude/CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully.

1→# CLAUDE.md
     2→
     3→Guidelines for Claude Code instances working on the Anchor engine.
     4→
     5→---
     6→
     7→## Engine vs Game vs Framework
     8→
     9→**Engine** — C code in `engine/src/anchor.c` exposing functions to Lua
    10→**Game** — YueScript code using the engine to build games
    11→**Framework** — YueScript framework classes in `Anchor/framework/anchor/` (object.yue, init.yue, etc.)
    12→
    13→**Engine Mode** — when modifying anchor.c or engine behavior
    14→**Game Mode** — when writing gameplay code in YueScript (from a game's repository)  
    15→**Framework Mode** — when editing the YueScript framework classes in `Anchor/framework/anchor/`
    16→
    17→This is the **Engine** and **Framework** repository. For Game Mode, work from a game's repository (e.g., `emoji-ball-battles/`).
    18→
    19→---
    20→
    21→## Read First
    22→
    23→**Source of truth:** `engine/src/anchor.c` — the complete engine implementation (~7000 lines, single file).
    24→
    25→**Engine API:**
    26→- `docs/ENGINE_API_QUICK.md` — compact function signatures, one per line (for quick lookup)
    27→- `docs/ENGINE_API.md` — detailed documentation with examples for every function
    28→
    29→**Framework API:**
    30→- `docs/FRAMEWORK_API_QUICK.md` — compact function signatures for YueScript framework classes
... [141 more lines]

1→# CLAUDE.md
     2→
     3→Guidelines for Claude Code instances working on Emoji Ball Battles.
     4→
     5→---
     6→
     7→## Engine vs Game
     8→
     9→**Engine** — C code in `E:/a327ex/Anchor/engine/src/anchor.c` exposing functions to Lua
    10→**Game** — YueScript code using the engine to build games
    11→**Engine Mode** — when modifying anchor.c or engine behavior
    12→**Game Mode** — when writing gameplay code in YueScript
    13→
    14→This is a **Game** repository. For Engine Mode, work from the Anchor repository (`E:/a327ex/Anchor/`).
    15→
    16→---
    17→
    18→## Framework & Documentation
    19→
    20→The `anchor/` folder contains framework classes (YueScript files that wrap the C engine). Key docs:
    21→- `docs/FRAMEWORK_API.md` — detailed framework documentation with examples
    22→- `docs/FRAMEWORK_API_QUICK.md` — framework class signatures for quick reference
    23→
    24→For engine-level documentation (rarely needed for game code), see `E:/a327ex/Anchor/docs/`.
    25→
    26→---
    27→
    28→## Game Design Documents
    29→
    30→- `EMOJI_BALL_BATTLES_DESIGN.md` — main design document
... [83 more lines]

The file E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/.claude/CLAUDE.md has been updated successfully.

1→global *
     2→
     3→require 'anchor'
     4→
     5→-- =============================================================================
     6→-- ENGINE STATE TESTS
     7→-- =============================================================================
     8→print "=== ENGINE STATE TESTS ==="
     9→print "Static values (set at init):"
    10→print "  an.width = #{an.width}"
    11→print "  an.height = #{an.height}"
    12→print "  an.dt = #{an.dt}"
    13→print "  an.platform = #{an.platform}"
    14→
    15→-- =============================================================================
    16→-- COLOR TESTS (Phase 1: Basic creation, RGB, packed value)
    17→-- =============================================================================
    18→print "=== COLOR TESTS ==="
    19→
    20→-- Test 1: Creation with defaults
    21→c1 = color!
    22→print "Test 1 - Default color: r=#{c1.r} g=#{c1.g} b=#{c1.b} a=#{c1.a}"
    23→print "  Expected: r=255 g=255 b=255 a=255"
    24→
    25→-- Test 2: Creation with RGB
    26→c2 = color 255, 0, 0
    27→print "Test 2 - Red color: r=#{c2.r} g=#{c2.g} b=#{c2.b} a=#{c2.a}"
    28→print "  Expected: r=255 g=0 b=0 a=255"
    29→
    30→-- Test 3: Creation with RGBA
... [800 more lines]

@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
.\yue.exe -r main.yue
.\yue.exe -r anchor/
..\engine\build\anchor.exe .

No .exe files

E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/yue.exe*

The file E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/main.yue has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
     1→global *
     2→
     3→require 'anchor'
     4→
     5→-- Screen dimensions
     6→W, H = 480, 270
     7→
     8→-- Create layer
     9→game = an\layer 'game'
    10→
    11→-- Colors
    12→bg_color = color 30, 30, 40
    13→white = color 255, 255, 255
    14→red = color 255, 100, 100
    15→
    16→-- Test that framework loads
    17→print "=== Emoji Ball Battles ==="
    18→print "  an.width = #{an.width}"
    19→print "  an.height = #{an.height}"
    20→print "  an.platform = #{an.platform}"
    21→print "Press ESC to quit"
    22→
    23→-- Quit on escape
    24→an\action =>
    25→  if an\key_is_pressed 'escape'
    26→    os.exit!
    27→
    28→-- Draw a simple test scene
    29→an\late_action 'draw', =>
... [9 more lines]

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/run.bat

430→    -- Swap playlist channel so it tracks the now-active channel
   431→    @playlist_channel = crossfade.to_channel
   432→    @crossfade_state = nil
   433→  else
   434→    -- Interpolate volumes
   435→    progress = crossfade.time / crossfade.duration
   436→    music_set_volume 1 - progress, crossfade.from_channel
   437→    music_set_volume progress, crossfade.to_channel
   438→
   439→-- Playlist auto-advance action
   440→an\early_action 'playlist', (dt) =>
   441→  return if #@playlist == 0
   442→  -- Skip check for one frame after advancing (music_at_end can still be true briefly)
   443→  if @playlist_just_advanced
   444→    @playlist_just_advanced = false
   445→    return
   446→  -- Check current playlist channel for end of track
   447→  if music_at_end(@playlist_channel) and not music_is_playing(@playlist_channel)
   448→    -- Advance to next track
   449→    @playlist_index = (@playlist_index % #@playlist) + 1
   450→    -- Regenerate shuffle if we looped back to start
   451→    if @playlist_index == 1 and @playlist_shuffle_enabled
   452→      @\playlist_generate_shuffle!
   453→    @\playlist_play!
   454→
   455→-- Physics world state
   456→an.colliders = {}        -- body_handle -> collider (internal registry)
   457→an.collision_pairs = {}  -- tracks enabled pairs for queries
   458→an.sensor_pairs = {}
   459→an.hit_pairs = {}

304:an.playlist = {}           -- array of track names

243:  -- Reset playlist channel to 0 when stopping all channels
245:    @playlist_channel = 0
281:  -- Determine channels: from current playlist channel, to the other one
282:  from_channel = @playlist_channel
283:  to_channel = 1 - @playlist_channel  -- toggles between 0 and 1
304:an.playlist = {}           -- array of track names
305:an.playlist_index = 1      -- current index
306:an.playlist_shuffled = {}  -- shuffled order (when shuffle enabled)
307:an.playlist_shuffle_enabled = false
308:an.playlist_crossfade_duration = 0  -- 0 = instant switch
309:an.playlist_channel = 0             -- which channel playlist is currently using
310:an.playlist_just_advanced = false   -- skip at_end check for one frame after advancing
313:  Sets the playlist tracks.
316:    an\playlist_set {'menu', 'battle', 'boss'}
321:an.playlist_set = (tracks) =>
322:  @playlist = tracks
323:  @playlist_index = 1
324:  @playlist_shuffled = {}
325:  @\playlist_generate_shuffle! if @playlist_shuffle_enabled
328:  Starts or resumes playlist playback.
331:    an\playlist_play!
333:an.playlist_play = =>
334:  return if #@playlist == 0
335:  track = @\playlist_current_track!
336:  if @playlist_crossfade_duration > 0
337:    @\music_crossfade track, @playlist_crossfade_duration
339:    @\music_play track, false, @playlist_channel
340:  @playlist_just_advanced = true
343:  Stops playlist playback.
346:    an\playlist_stop!
... [46 more lines]

430→
   431→self.playlist_channel = crossfade.to_channel
   432→self.crossfade_state = nil else local progress = 
   433→
   434→
   435→crossfade.time / crossfade.duration
   436→music_set_volume(1 - progress, crossfade.from_channel)return 
   437→music_set_volume(progress, crossfade.to_channel)end end)
   438→
   439→
   440→an:early_action('playlist', function(self, dt)if #
   441→self.playlist == 0 then return end;if 
   442→
   443→self.playlist_just_advanced then
   444→self.playlist_just_advanced = false
   445→return end;if 
   446→
   447→music_at_end(self.playlist_channel) and not music_is_playing(self.playlist_channel) then
   448→
   449→self.playlist_index = (self.playlist_index % #self.playlist) + 1;if

-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  6133 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/array.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 16485 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/array.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  4851 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/camera.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  7548 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/camera.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  5828 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/collider.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  5252 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/collider.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  6018 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/color.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  9605 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/color.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   945 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/font.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  2086 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/font.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   567 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/image.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   899 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/image.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 20703 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 33920 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  2982 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/layer.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  9096 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/layer.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  8985 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/math.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 10996 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/math.yue
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  9232 Jan 19 20:35 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/object.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121 15602 Jan 19 20:30 E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/object.yue

295→self.crossfade_state = { duration = duration, time = 
   296→0, from_channel = 
   297→from_channel, to_channel = 
   298→to_channel, original_from_volume = 
   299→original_from_volume, original_to_volume = 
   300→original_to_volume }end
   301→
   302→
   303→
   304→an.playlist = {  }
   305→an.playlist_index = 1
   306→an.playlist_shuffled = {  }
   307→an.playlist_shuffle_enabled = false
   308→an.playlist_crossfade_duration = 0
   309→an.playlist_channel = 0
   310→an.playlist_just_advanced = false
   311→
   312→
   313→
   314→
   315→
   316→
   317→
   318→
   319→
   320→
   321→an.playlist_set = function(self, tracks)
   322→self.playlist = tracks
   323→self.playlist_index = 1
   324→self.playlist_shuffled = {  }if

380→
   381→
   382→self.dead then return end;if 
   383→self.early_update then self:early_update(dt)end;if 
   384→self.early_actions then for i, fn in 
   385→ipairs(self.early_actions) do if 
   386→fn(self, dt) == true then if not 
   387→self.early_actions_to_remove then self.early_actions_to_remove = {  }end;local _obj_0 = 
   388→self.early_actions_to_remove;_obj_0[#_obj_0 + 1] = i end end end end, _update = function(self, dt)if 
   389→
   390→
   391→
   392→
   393→
   394→
   395→
   396→
   397→
   398→
   399→

1→global *
     2→
     3→--[[
     4→  Anchor framework initialization.
     5→
     6→  This file:
     7→    1. Requires all framework classes (object, layer, image, font)
     8→    2. Creates the root object 'an' with resource registries
     9→    3. Attaches registration methods to 'an'
    10→    4. Defines the global update() function called by the C engine
    11→
    12→  The 'an' object is the root of the object tree and the central access point
    13→  for all framework resources (layers, images, fonts).
    14→]]
    15→
    16→require 'anchor.object'
    17→require 'anchor.layer'
    18→require 'anchor.image'
    19→require 'anchor.font'
    20→require 'anchor.timer'
    21→require 'anchor.math'
    22→require 'anchor.collider'
    23→require 'anchor.spring'
    24→require 'anchor.camera'
    25→require 'anchor.shake'
    26→require 'anchor.random'
    27→require 'anchor.color'
    28→require 'anchor.array'
    29→
    30→--[[
... [20 more lines]

grep: unknown option --  
Usage: grep [OPTION]... PATTERN [FILE]...
Try 'grep --help' for more information.

E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.yue:304:an.playlist = {}           -- array of track names
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:304:an.playlist = {  }
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:322:self.playlist = tracks
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:334:self.playlist == 0 then return end;local track = 
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:359:self.playlist == 0 then return end
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:360:self.playlist_index = (self.playlist_index % #self.playlist) + 1;return 
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:370:self.playlist == 0 then return end
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:371:self.playlist_index = ((self.playlist_index - 2) % #self.playlist) + 1;return 
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:405:local indices;do local _accum_0 = {  }local _len_0 = 1;for i = 1, #self.playlist do _accum_0[_len_0] = i;_len_0 = _len_0 + 1 end;indices = _accum_0 end;while #
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:414:self.playlist[self.playlist_shuffled[self.playlist_index]]else return 
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:416:self.playlist[self.playlist_index]end end
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:441:self.playlist == 0 then return end;if 
E:\a327ex\emoji-ball-battles\anchor\init.lua:449:self.playlist_index = (self.playlist_index % #self.playlist) + 1;if

235:      @\early_action -> print 'runs every frame'           -- anonymous
236:      @\early_action 'input', -> @\handle_input!           -- named
237:      @\early_action -> true                               -- one-shot (returns true to remove)
240:      - Anonymous: function stored in @early_actions array
249:  early_action: (name_or_fn, fn) =>
250:    @early_actions = {} unless @early_actions
251:    @early_action_names = {} unless @early_action_names
254:      for i, n in ipairs @early_action_names
256:          @early_actions[i] = fn
259:      @early_actions[] = fn
260:      @early_action_names[] = name
263:      @early_actions[] = name_or_fn
264:      @early_action_names[] = false
344:      E = early_action
363:  E: (name_or_fn, fn) => @\early_action name_or_fn, fn
379:      - Runs all early_actions, marking those that return true for removal
384:    if @early_actions
385:      for i, fn in ipairs @early_actions
387:          @early_actions_to_remove = {} unless @early_actions_to_remove
388:          @early_actions_to_remove[] = i
450:      if obj.early_actions_to_remove
451:        for i = #obj.early_actions_to_remove, 1, -1
452:          idx = obj.early_actions_to_remove[i]
453:          name = obj.early_action_names[idx]
455:          table.remove obj.early_actions, idx
456:          table.remove obj.early_action_names, idx
457:        obj.early_actions_to_remove = nil

1→
     2→
     3→
     4→
     5→
     6→
     7→
     8→
     9→
    10→
    11→
    12→
    13→
    14→
    15→
    16→require('anchor.object')
    17→require('anchor.layer')
    18→require('anchor.image')
    19→require('anchor.font')
    20→require('anchor.timer')
    21→require('anchor.math')
    22→require('anchor.collider')
    23→require('anchor.spring')
    24→require('anchor.camera')
    25→require('anchor.shake')
    26→require('anchor.random')
    27→require('anchor.color')
    28→require('anchor.array')
    29→
    30→
... [70 more lines]

No matches found

No matches found

Found 2 files
anchor\init.lua
anchor\init.yue

440:an\early_action 'playlist', (dt) =>

300→    :original_to_volume
   301→  }
   302→
   303→-- Playlist state
   304→an.playlist = {}           -- array of track names
   305→an.playlist_index = 1      -- current index
   306→an.playlist_shuffled = {}  -- shuffled order (when shuffle enabled)
   307→an.playlist_shuffle_enabled = false
   308→an.playlist_crossfade_duration = 0  -- 0 = instant switch
   309→an.playlist_channel = 0             -- which channel playlist is currently using
   310→an.playlist_just_advanced = false   -- skip at_end check for one frame after advancing
   311→
   312→--[[
   313→  Sets the playlist tracks.
   314→
   315→  Usage:
   316→    an\playlist_set {'menu', 'battle', 'boss'}
   317→
   318→  Parameters:
   319→    tracks - array of music names (registered via an\music)
   320→]]
   321→an.playlist_set = (tracks) =>
   322→  @playlist = tracks
   323→  @playlist_index = 1
   324→  @playlist_shuffled = {}
   325→  @\playlist_generate_shuffle! if @playlist_shuffle_enabled
   326→
   327→--[[
   328→  Starts or resumes playlist playback.
   329→
... [90 more lines]

-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  6133 Jan 17 20:11 E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/array.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  4851 Jan 17 20:11 E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/camera.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  5826 Jan 17 20:11 E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/collider.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  6018 Jan 17 20:11 E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/color.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   945 Jan 17 20:11 E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/font.lua

859d858
<

375→
   376→    Behavior:
   377→      - Returns immediately if @dead
   378→      - Calls @\early_update(dt) if object has an early_update method
   379→      - Runs all early_actions, marking those that return true for removal
   380→  ]]
   381→  _early_update: (dt) =>
   382→    return if @dead
   383→    @\early_update dt if @early_update
   384→    if @early_actions
   385→      for i, fn in ipairs @early_actions
   386→        if fn(@, dt) == true
   387→          @early_actions_to_remove = {} unless @early_actions_to_remove
   388→          @early_actions_to_remove[] = i
   389→
   390→  --[[
   391→    Internal: runs main phase for this object.
   392→    Called by init.yue's update loop, not meant to be called directly.
   393→
   394→    Behavior:
   395→      - Returns immediately if @dead
   396→      - Calls @\update(dt) if object has an update method
   397→      - Runs all actions, marking those that return true for removal
   398→  ]]
   399→  _update: (dt) =>
   400→    return if @dead
   401→    @\update dt if @update
   402→    if @actions
   403→      for i, fn in ipairs @actions
   404→        if fn(@, dt) == true

require('anchor.object')

an = object('an')

update = function(dt)local all_objects = 
an:all()for _index_0 = 
1, #all_objects do local obj = all_objects[_index_0]if 
obj.dead then goto _continue_0 end;if 
obj.update then obj:update(dt)end::_continue_0::end end

global *

class object
  new: (name) =>
    @name = name
    @parent = nil
    @children = {}
    @dead = false
    @tags = {}

  add: (child) =>
    @children[] = child
    child.parent = @
    if child.name
      @[child.name] = child
    if @name
      child[@name] = @
    @

  all: (tag) =>
    nodes = {}
    stack = {}
    for i = #@children, 1, -1
      stack[] = @children[i]
    while #stack > 0
      node = table.remove stack
      if not node.dead
        if tag
          nodes[] = node if node.tags[tag]
        else

56

438→
   439→
   440→an:early_action('playlist', function(self, dt)if #
   441→self.playlist == 0 then return end;if 
   442→
   443→self.playlist_just_advanced then
   444→self.playlist_just_advanced = false
   445→return end;if 
   446→
   447→music_at_end(self.playlist_channel) and not music_is_playing(self.playlist_channel) then
   448→
   449→self.playlist_index = (self.playlist_index % #self.playlist) + 1;if 
   450→
   451→self.playlist_index == 1 and self.playlist_shuffle_enabled then
   452→self:playlist_generate_shuffle()end;return

No matches found

502:j = j + 1 end end end end }if _base_0.__index == nil then _base_0.__index = _base_0 end;_class_0 = setmetatable({ __init = function(self, name)self.name = name;self.parent = nil;self.children = {  }self.dead = false;self.tags = {  }end, __base = _base_0, __name = "object" }, { __index = _base_0, __call = function(cls, ...)local _self_0 = setmetatable({  }, _base_0)cls.__init(_self_0, ...)return _self_0 end })_base_0.__class = _class_0;object = _class_0 end

No matches found

E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua:304:an.playlist = {  }
E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua:322:self.playlist = tracks
E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua:334:self.playlist == 0 then return end;local track = 
E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua:359:self.playlist == 0 then return end
E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua:370:self.playlist == 0 then return end
E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/anchor/init.lua:441:self.playlist == 0 then return end;if

245→
   246→
   247→
   248→
   249→
   250→self.early_actions then self.early_actions = {  }end;if not 
   251→self.early_action_names then self.early_action_names = {  }end;if 
   252→type(name_or_fn) == 'string' then local name = 
   253→name_or_fn;for i, n in 
   254→ipairs(self.early_action_names) do if 
   255→n == name then
   256→self.early_actions[i] = fn
   257→self[name] = fn;return 
   258→self end end;do local _obj_0 = 
   259→self.early_actions;_obj_0[#_obj_0 + 1] = fn end;do local _obj_0 = 
   260→self.early_action_names;_obj_0[#_obj_0 + 1] = name end
   261→self[name] = fn else do local _obj_0 = 
   262→
   263→self.early_actions;_obj_0[#_obj_0 + 1] = name_or_fn end;local _obj_0 = 
   264→self.early_action_names;_obj_0[#_obj_0 + 1] = false end;return 
   265→self end, action = function(self, name_or_fn, fn)if not 
   266→
   267→
   268→
   269→
   270→
   271→
   272→
   273→
   274→
... [10 more lines]

245→    Early phase runs before main phase, useful for input handling.
   246→
   247→    Returns: @ (for chaining)
   248→  ]]
   249→  early_action: (name_or_fn, fn) =>
   250→    @early_actions = {} unless @early_actions
   251→    @early_action_names = {} unless @early_action_names
   252→    if type(name_or_fn) == 'string'
   253→      name = name_or_fn
   254→      for i, n in ipairs @early_action_names
   255→        if n == name
   256→          @early_actions[i] = fn
   257→          @[name] = fn
   258→          return @
   259→      @early_actions[] = fn
   260→      @early_action_names[] = name
   261→      @[name] = fn
   262→    else
   263→      @early_actions[] = name_or_fn
   264→      @early_action_names[] = false
   265→    @
   266→
   267→  --[[
   268→    Adds an action to run during the main phase.
   269→
   270→    Usage:
   271→      @\action -> print 'runs every frame'                 -- anonymous
   272→      @\action 'move', -> @x += @speed * dt                -- named
   273→      @\action -> @lifetime -= dt; @lifetime <= 0          -- one-shot when lifetime expires
   274→

451:-- Setup playlist
452:an\playlist_set {'track1', 'track2', 'track3'}
459:print "4 - Start playlist"
465:print "0 - Stop playlist"
633:    an\playlist_play!
637:    an\playlist_next!
638:    print "Playlist: next -> " .. an\playlist_current_track!
641:    an\playlist_prev!
642:    print "Playlist: prev -> " .. an\playlist_current_track!
645:    an\playlist_shuffle not an.playlist_shuffle_enabled
646:    print "Playlist shuffle: " .. tostring(an.playlist_shuffle_enabled)
651:      an\playlist_set_crossfade 2
654:      an\playlist_set_crossfade 0
662:    an\playlist_stop!
787:  is_playing = music_is_playing(an.playlist_channel) or (an.crossfade_state and music_is_playing(an.crossfade_state.to_channel))
789:  shuffle_status = an.playlist_shuffle_enabled and "ON" or "OFF"
790:  crossfade_status = an.playlist_crossfade_duration > 0 and "#{an.playlist_crossfade_duration}s" or "OFF"
791:  current_track = #an.playlist > 0 and an\playlist_current_track! or "none"
795:  if an.playlist_shuffle_enabled and #an.playlist_shuffled > 0
796:    order_parts = [tostring(i) for i in *an.playlist_shuffled]
799:  ui\text "Track: #{current_track} [#{an.playlist_index}/#{#an.playlist}]", 'main', 5, 5, white!

The file E:/a327ex/Anchor/framework/anchor/init.yue has been updated successfully.

419:an\early_action 'crossfade', (dt) =>
440:an\early_action 'playlist_auto_advance', (dt) =>

No matches found

No files found

E:/a327ex/anchor.blot.im/notes/Writing and Gamedev.txt
E:/a327ex/website/notes/Writing and Gamedev.txt

E:/a327ex/anchor.blot.im/logs/emoji-ball-battles-temporary-end-design.md
E:/a327ex/anchor.blot.im/logs/2026-01-01_19-37.md
E:/a327ex/anchor.blot.im/logs/2026-01-04_12-15.md
E:/a327ex/anchor.blot.im/logs/2026-01-01_07-37.md
E:/a327ex/anchor.blot.im/logs/2026-01-03_18-20.md

File content (34320 tokens) exceeds maximum allowed tokens (25000). Please use offset and limit parameters to read specific portions of the file, or use the GrepTool to search for specific content.

1→# Emoji Ball Battles - Temporary End Design
     2→
     3→## Summary
     4→
     5→This session focused on pre-implementation design work for Emoji Ball Battles, applying the "beginning, end, constraint" framework from the user's recent blog post to evaluate and strengthen the game design before coding begins.
     6→
     7→**Applying the Beginning/End/Constraint Framework:**
     8→- The user's blog post explains that creative work needs three elements: a beginning, an end, and a constraint
     9→- Applied this framework to Emoji Ball Battles: the constraint (meta loop/draft system) was already strong, but the "end" (what a broken late-game build feels like) was weak
    10→- This identified the key design gap: no articulated vision of what powerful builds should feel like
    11→
    12→**Earclacks Research and Attribute Analysis:**
    13→- Researched the Earclacks Weapon Ball roster by searching wikis and documenting 19 weapon balls and 11 block breaker balls
    14→- Created `reference/earclacks-attribute-analysis.md` with comprehensive breakdown of scaling triggers (on hit, on parry, on wall collision, timed intervals), scaling targets (damage, speed, rotation, weapon size/length), and scaling patterns (linear, percentage, multiplicative, Fibonacci)
    15→- Extrapolated additional mechanics not in Earclacks: on damage taken, on kill, HP/armor/knockback scaling, status effects (slow, root, freeze)
    16→- Identified 16 power fantasy archetypes that define "broken" end-game builds (Blender, Artillery, Wall, Berserker, etc.)
    17→
    18→**Defense System Design:**
    19→- User specified no % damage reduction — only flat armor
    20→- Added shield system inspired by Path of Exile/Nova Drift: regenerating shield with regen rate, regen cooldown, on shield break/full triggers
    21→- Resource systems: HP, armor, shield (class-dependent), charge stacks (ability-dependent), heat, combo meter — no mana, abilities use cooldowns/triggers
    22→
    23→**108 Emoji Item System Design:**
    24→- Created `reference/emoji-ball-battles-items.md` with 18 ball classes (face emojis), 18 weapons, 72 passive items
    25→- Ball classes have strong Earclacks-style identities — one core scaling mechanic each (e.g., 😈 Imp increases rotation speed per hit, 😡 Rage increases damage based on missing HP)
    26→- User requested all non-face emojis be changed to faces: 🔥→😤, 💀→🤯, 🎲→🤡, 🎭→🥸, etc.
    27→- Resolved duplicate emoji conflicts by picking alternative emojis for items vs weapons
    28→- Preserved Super Auto Pets design language where sensible (🍎=damage, 🧄=armor, 🍯=summon on death)
    29→
    30→**Implementation Scope Clarified:**
... [170 more lines]

User has answered your questions: "For Phase 1 testing, should we start with 1v1 (one ball per side) or multi-ball teams?"="The game will only have 1v1 battles, never teams.", "How should weapons attach to balls physically?"="Fixed offset", "How prominent should fight UI be?"="None initially", "For Phase 2 broken builds, which power fantasies should we test first?"="All five archetypes.". You can now continue with the user's answers in mind.

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/reference/implementation-plan.md

Command running in background with ID: b9d284a. Output is being written to: C:\Users\adn\AppData\Local\Temp\claude\E--a327ex-emoji-ball-battles\tasks\b9d284a.output

The file E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles/reference/implementation-plan.md has been updated. Here's the result of running `cat -n` on a snippet of the edited file:
     1→# Emoji Ball Battles - Implementation Plan
     2→
     3→## Philosophy
     4→
     5→This plan follows the **beginning/end/constraint** framework:
     6→
     7→1. **Beginning**: Get the moment-to-moment combat working
     8→2. **End**: Validate power fantasies by implementing actual classes/weapons/items and testing broken builds
     9→3. **Middle**: Only then build the meta loop (draft, evolution, etc.) — planned after Phase 2 findings
    10→
    11→---
    12→
    13→## Architecture Principles
    14→
    15→### Single File
    16→
    17→The entire codebase lives in `main.yue`. No separate modules, no `game/` or `data/` folders.
    18→
    19→```
    20→emoji-ball-battles/
    21→├── main.yue           -- everything
    22→├── anchor/            -- framework classes
    23→├── assets/
    24→│   ├── emoji/         -- emoji sprites (later)
    25→│   └── sounds/        -- sound effects (later)
    26→└── reference/
    27→    └── implementation-plan.md
    28→```
    29→
... [386 more lines]

The user doesn't want to proceed with this tool use. The tool use was rejected (eg. if it was a file edit, the new_string was NOT written to the file). STOP what you are doing and wait for the user to tell you how to proceed.