a327ex.com

Mini Looper Attacks and Enemies

Summary

Second Mini Looper session: built the entire combat layer on top of last session's train movement — enemies, all five auto-attacking unit types, the central building you defend (on a grid), and a continuous fractal "pressure director" for spawning. Ended on a build that survives to ~beat 11 of 18. End-game power-fantasy builds deferred to next session.

Enemy (enemy.lua):

Ram tuning: push direction = 50/50 blend of outward (unit→enemy) and the unit's travel heading u.r (sum the two unit vectors, take the angle); push force scales with train_max_speed (train_ram_force*(1 + 3*(speed-100)/400) → 1x at 100, 4x at 500); enemy speed halved (40/60 → 20/30).

Auto-attack scaffold + Archer (units.lua):

SNKRX unit survey: read SNKRX/main.lua character tables + player.lua attack impls. Listed all 57 characters grouped by which of the five carriers (projectile/area/beam/flicker/prop) the attack maps onto. Recommended hardcoding per-carrier units (no class-set / leveling / shop meta yet — that is the "constraint" layer per the build-heavy pipeline). User also clarified the "I made SNKRX" slip — it's the user's own game, no IP issue, the template exists to port from it.

Units added (Magician / Cannoneer / Outlaw / Geomancer):

Cannoneer correction: SNKRX cannoneer is a projectile that EXPLODES into AoE. Added a generic on_death(x,y) lifecycle hook to projectile.lua (fires at the impact/death point, NOT on the off-screen cull) — a host-composition hook, not an attack-specific knob (respects template decision #1). Cannoneer's on_death spawns an area.

SNKRX area stats: both magician + cannoneer areas are SQUARES (Rectangle(1.5*w) in SNKRX), and the cannoneer projectile is the default 10×4 (mine was wrongly a 16×8 slow shot). Set magician shape='rect' w=32 (later 40px), cannoneer explosion w=96 (later 64px), cannoneer projectile back to normal. Confirmed SNKRX runs a 960×540 window over a 480×270 base = the same coordinate scale as mini-looper, so the sizes copy 1:1.

Big-rock (Geomancer) arc: reverted my fast flight_duration=0.6 to the Orblike default — verified against Invoker-old/v1/main.lua:938 (flight_duration=3, area_radius=30, damage=12). Kept shake/land_shake=0 (no-screen-shake policy). Later flagged: the slow 3s/2s arc means the rock lands where the enemy WAS, which motivated target-leading.

Pack/AoE targeting: unit_pack_target(u, range, cluster_radius) favors the densest enemy cluster (AoE units opt in via aoe_radius); unit_lead_position(e, lead_time) predicts an enemy's future position for delayed attacks — the Geomancer leads by its flight time. Cannoneer is NOT led (a fast directional projectile would aim past the current enemy).

Polish / tuning pass: screen shake re-added to ALL units, scaled to size (archer 1 → cannoneer boom 4 → geomancer slam 8); magician area 40px; damage normalized (outlaw 1→2/pellet, cannoneer down to 1 direct + 4 AoE); cooldown sliders for all 5 units (F1 panel reworked into TWO COLUMNS to fit 8 sliders + the attack toggles inside 270px height). Default cooldowns later set to Archer 1.0 / Magician 1.5 / Cannoneer 2.0 / Outlaw 1.5 / Geomancer 3.0. Pack-size floor raised to round(4 + D*0.8) so waves start at ~5 enemies, not 1 (boring).

The building + grid (building.lua, grid.lua): reframed the one-off "core" as a generic grid-placed building (the central one is just objective=true, so "all buildings will be squares on a grid"). grid.lua = logical grid with odd cell counts + a centering origin so a single cell sits dead-center. building = static box collider (tag building), HP, :hit (knock the enemy back + lose HP = enemy contact_damage, flash + spring, no per-hit FX spam), an HP bar + numeric hp/max below it, breathing draw; objective death → building_destroyed lose state (freeze the sim + "BASE DESTROYED" overlay + R restart). Enemies pile against the static collider; the knockback makes damage repeat. Centered the loop + base on screen (was offset +30,+15 to clear the F1 panel).

Building color: polychrome linear_gradient ramp (light_blue→violet→pink, bayer4_8 dither which preserves a multi-stop ramp, 45° via pattern_param) — the only ramp/gradient object so the base reads as special vs the solid-hue units/enemies. linear_gradient is a LOCAL pattern (auto-spans the square corner-to-corner, ignores pattern_scale).

F2 "Invalid body" crash: draw_collider_shapes indexed a destroyed collider — an enemy killed during the collision pass has its body destroyed by process_destroy_queue (end of frame) but stays in enemies[] until next frame's prune, so the F2 overlay hit a nil body. Fixed with a not e.collider.body guard. Surfaced now because base-defense = sustained enemy deaths while F2 is up.

Spawn rework → continuous pressure director (rewrote wave.lua): the old single-side discrete waves underused the always-circling train and felt slow. Discussed They Are Billions (central base, omnidirectional pressure + telegraphed directional swarms + building), survivors-likes (time-based director, no clear-gating), lane TDs (multiple entrances). User chose a pressure director + mix surges. New model: time → beats (~8s); beat b carries the fractal D(b) = (1 + (b-1)*0.5)*(1 + v3(b)) (v3 = 3-adic valuation); an AMBIENT trickle spawns small groups continuously from around the perimeter (interval shrinks as D rises), small spikes (v3==1) crank ambient automatically, super-spikes (v3≥2: beats 9, 18) TELEGRAPH a sector then pour a flank swarm while ambient dampens. Win = survive past beat 18 (beat_count_max). director_update/director_reset/director_draw_telegraph (pulsing side bar). Surges are constrained to LEFT/RIGHT only (never top/bottom); ambient keeps a 70/30 side preference via angle-cone sampling (random_ambient_angle, AMBIENT_SIDE_PCT). Manual E spawn kept.

Two crashes the user caught:

State at end: the build reaches ~beat 11/18. Movement (last session) + combat + continuous spawning + win/lose/restart loop are all in. Next session: hardcode an end-game power-fantasy build (the second build-heavy fun-gate) before committing to production.

Let's continue on Mini Looper. Read the last log summary and lets get started on enemies and attacks. The easiest is starting with enemies, since they only need to be spawned, move towards the center, and react when hits by train units.

I'll start by finding the Mini Looper project and reading the last log summary.

Glob (/mini-looper//*.md)

mini-looper\README.md
mini-looper\snkrx\findings.md
mini-looper\.claude\CLAUDE.md
mini-looper\ideas.md

Bash (ls -la E:/a327ex/mini-looper/ && echo "---LOGS---" && ls -la E:/a327ex/mini-loop...)

total 4222
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 Jun  1 13:40 ./
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 May 31 23:00 ../
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 May 31 23:00 .claude/
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 Jun  1 12:15 .git/
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121    5214 May 31 23:00 README.md
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 Jun  1 10:24 anchor/
-rwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121 4192256 Jun  1 10:26 anchor.exe*
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 May 31 23:00 assets/
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121     553 Jun  1 13:40 ideas.md
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121    3019 Jun  1 08:40 loop.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   18572 Jun  1 12:04 main.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   28688 May 31 23:00 main_old.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121   18873 May 31 23:00 main_scaffold.lua
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121     365 May 31 23:00 run.bat
drwxr-xr-x 1 adn 197121       0 May 31 23:00 snkrx/
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121    7984 Jun  1 12:08 train.lua
---LOGS---
---SITE LOGS---
mini-looper-1.md
mini-looper-road-and-editor.md

Bash (ls -la --time-style=full-iso E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/ | grep -i "mini|looper...)

-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  238875 2026-06-01 12:14:56.788599800 -0300 mini-looper-1.md
-rw-r--r-- 1 adn 197121  234271 2026-05-27 23:49:21.788575400 -0300 mini-looper-road-and-editor.md

The most recent log is mini-looper-1.md (Jun 1). Let me read it along with the project's CLAUDE.md and the current code files.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/.claude/CLAUDE.md)

This is the snkrx-template orientation doc (Mini Looper was forked from it). Let me read the Mini Looper-specific files and the latest log. Let me look at the project files in parallel.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/README.md)

1    # snkrx-template
2   
3   A starter [Anchor 2](https://github.com/a327ex) project for building **attacks in
4   the SNKRX / Orblike / Invoker visual style** — punchy 2D action with a living,
5   breathing palette. It ships three reusable pieces:
6   
7   - five **attack carriers** (projectile · area · beam · flicker · prop),
8   - a four-axis **effect system** (pattern × color × dither × shape), and
9   - a SNKRX-style **UI toolkit** (panels, slots, bars, cards, HUD widgets, …).
10  
11  Fork the folder, edit `main.lua`, build your game.
12  
13  ## Quickstart
14  
15  ```sh
16  ./run.bat        # runs main.lua — run.bat resolves its own folder name
17  ```
18  
19  `anchor.exe` (the Anchor 2 engine) is committed, so the template runs out of the
20  box. `main.lua` is the clean player-only scene; for the full demo (every carrier
21  + the dev tools) copy **`main_scaffold.lua`** over `main.lua`.
22  
23  ## Fork & use
24  
25  1. **Copy the whole folder** and rename it (`cp -r snkrx-template my-game`).
26     `run.bat` derives its own folder name, so the copy runs immediately — no edits.
27  2. **Boot** is three lines at the top of `main.lua`:
28     ```lua
29     require('anchor')({ width = 480, height = 270, title = 'my-game', scale = 3, filter = 'rough' })
30     require('snkrx')             -- attack carriers + effect system + UI toolkit, in one require
... [72 more lines]

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/ideas.md)

1    # Mini Looper — Ideas
2   
3   Running list of design ideas. Unfiltered; not commitments.
4   
5   ## Solid blocks (non-combat units)
6   
7   Units that are just **solid blocks** — they don't attack and have no HP. Their only purpose is to **increase the train's length**, so the train physically blocks more enemies from reaching the center.
8   
9   - Enables builds that gain **more bonuses the more blocks** you have.
10  - Aids a **ramming archetype**: focus on making the train go fast and deal **contact damage** to enemies as it sweeps, instead of relying on units attacking.
11

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

1    --[[
2     snkrx-template / main.lua — clean reference scene.
3   
4     This is your file. It is a complete, minimal scene: a player you can
5     move (WASD / arrows), the five-layer render stack, a camera, physics,
6     the update / draw skeleton, AND the UI render pipeline — all wired
7     and ready, but firing no attacks and drawing no UI widgets. Read it
8     top to bottom; it is the contract you build on.
9   
10    TWO TOOLKITS, ONE REQUIRE.  `require('snkrx')` pulls in BOTH:
11  
12      snkrx/<carrier>.lua     attack toolkit — projectile / area / beam
13                              / flicker / prop, the effect draw-shader
14                              stack, fx, sounds, example entities.
15      snkrx/ui/<module>.lua   UI toolkit — panel / button / slot / bar /
16                              tabs / checkbox / radio / slider /
17                              list_row / card / text_input / modal /
18                              bracket_tag / stat_chip / pips / ...
19  
20    Both are plain, readable Lua, not opaque modules — open the files.
21  
22    ADDING AN ATTACK.  Every carrier already has its object list and its
23    update / draw loop wired below. To add an attack:
24      1. bind a key in the INPUT section,
25      2. call the carrier's spawn_* helper on that press inside update()
26         — see the ATTACKS comment block there.
27    Nothing else: no new list, no new loop.
28  
29    DRAWING UI.  The UI toolkit is immediate-mode: call widget functions
30    in update() and they queue draws onto `ui_layer`. The render pipeline
... [386 more lines]

Now the two Mini Looper game files:

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/loop.lua)

1    --[[
2     loop.lua — the waypoint loop the train follows (mini-looper, step 1).
3   
4     `loop_points` is just an ordered list of {x, y} points. There is no
5     baked path geometry and no arc-length table — the train walks this
6     list with the `steering_follow_path` behavior and wraps back to point
7     1 at the end, so in practice it loops forever. `loop_cx, loop_cy` hold
8     the loop center (used for the inward test-push).
9   
10      build_loop_ring(cx, cy, rx, ry, n)  -- n points on a plain ellipse
11      build_loop_track(cx, cy)            -- a fixed IRREGULAR loop (twists,
12                                          -- sharp turns, concave notches)
13      nearest_loop_index(x, y)            -- index of the closest loop point
14      loop_draw(layer)                    -- debug: dots + connecting lines
15  ]]
16  
17  loop_points = {}
18  loop_cx, loop_cy = 0, 0
19  
20  -- Place n points evenly around an ellipse centered at (cx, cy) with
21  -- radii rx / ry. Replaces loop_points wholesale.
22  function build_loop_ring(cx, cy, rx, ry, n)
23    loop_cx, loop_cy = cx, cy
24    loop_points = {}
25    for i = 1, n do
26      local a = (i - 1)/n*2*math.pi
27      loop_points[i] = { x = cx + rx*math.cos(a), y = cy + ry*math.sin(a) }
28    end
29    return loop_points
30  end
... [55 more lines]

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua)

1    --[[
2     train.lua — the on-rails SNKRX train (mini-looper).
3   
4     The HEAD (unit 1) is a dynamic body driven kinematically: each frame it
5     eases a HEADING (self.move_r) toward the next waypoint and sets its
6     velocity at that heading (scaled down by train_corner_slow in sharp
7     turns). It walks the loop and lays a breadcrumb trail.
8   
9     FOLLOWERS (units 2..n) are pinned each frame to the head's trail,
10    (index-1)*spacing back, so they trace the head's exact path (classic SNKRX
11    snake). No physics chain.
12  
13    Turning auto-scales with speed (train_apply_speed_coupling): as
14    train_max_speed rises, train_turn_t (heading-ease time) shrinks and
15    train_corner_slow grows, so a faster train still tracks the loop and brakes
16    harder into corners. Anchors: 100 -> (t 0.30, corner 0.40); 200 -> (t 0.15,
17    corner 0.75); linear + clamped.
18  
19    Live knobs (tuning UI in main.lua): train_max_speed, train_seek_distance,
20    train_spacing. train_turn_t / train_corner_slow are derived from speed;
21    train_turn_p is a fixed companion to the ease.
22  ]]
23  
24  train_units = {}
25  train_trail = {}            -- rolling breadcrumb of head positions (newest first)
26  train_head_x, train_head_y = nil, nil  -- head's live position, the trail's distance-0 anchor
27  
28  train_max_speed     = 100   -- patrol speed (px/sec) — drives the turn coupling below
29  train_seek_distance = 15    -- waypoint arrival radius (advances the head's index)
30  train_spacing       = 12    -- gap between consecutive units along the trail
... [174 more lines]

Let me read the latest session log. It's large, so I'll read the beginning (which has the summary) and search for key design context.

Read (E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/mini-looper-1.md)

1    Title: Mini Looper 1
2   Date: 2026-06-01 12:11:47
3   
4   # Mini Looper 1
5   
6   ## Summary
7   
8   First session on the rebooted Mini Looper — a SNKRX-style train that auto-follows a looping road around a defended center. The entire session was about getting the train's *movement* right (the novel core mechanic). Enemies and attacks are deferred to next session. Ended on a clean pure-SNKRX trail-follow snake whose turn response auto-scales with speed.
9   
10  **Project setup / repo rename:**
11  - Renamed the old `mini-looper` → `mini-looper-old` both locally (folder rename + `git remote set-url`) and on GitHub (`gh repo rename`, still private). Old version preserved at `a327ex/mini-looper-old`.
12  - Created a fresh `mini-looper/` by forking `snkrx-template/` (excluding the template's `.git`), `git init`, initial commit, new **private** GitHub repo `a327ex/mini-looper`, pushed. Kept all template files (`main_old.lua`, `main_scaffold.lua`) per user choice.
13  
14  **Design discussion (concept + fun-gates):**
15  - Mini Looper = Loop-Hero skeleton + SNKRX body + TD heart: a multi-unit auto-attacking train on a fixed loop, defending a center, with building placement.
16  - User deflated an early over-built theory of mine: the train is FAST, so there is no persistent "cold arc"/undefended-side tension. Real challenge is a DPS/throughput race + composition + placement.
17  - Agency = TD-like building placement during/between waves. Pushing the train was explored at length, then ultimately **scrapped** as not gameplay-necessary.
18  - Reaffirmed the build-heavy pipeline (validate "beginning" moment-to-moment AND "end" power-fantasy before production); this session is the "beginning" substrate.
19  
20  **Path representation — rejected the old arc-spline/piece-editor:**
21  - User wanted something new/simpler than old `path.lua`/`path_editor.lua`/`pieces.lua`.
22  - Settled on a sequence of waypoint points + steering, no baked geometry. `loop.lua`: `loop_points` (list of {x,y}); `build_loop_track(cx,cy)` makes an irregular closed loop (18 points, hand-authored per-point radius multipliers → bulges, sharp turns, concave notches; angle-sorted so it never self-intersects); `loop_draw` debug dots+segments. Centered down-right of screen center to clear the F1 tuning panel.
23  
24  **Step 1 — single steered unit + push test (train.lua):**
25  - `train_unit` = dynamic box collider; head walks the loop. `:push(angle,force,duration)` ported verbatim from `seeker:push` (impulse + linear-damping bump + tumble-spin + flash); SPACE tested recovery.
26  - F1 live tuning panel (snkrx UI `ui_slider`/`ui_panel`/`ui_text` + RectCut), starts hidden.
27  
28  **Movement smoothing — key iterations:**
29  - Push made inward (toward loop center); on push-end, rejoin the NEAREST loop point (`nearest_loop_index`) rather than the old target.
30  - Decoupled smoothing from speed: ease the HEADING (`move_r`) toward the waypoint with `math.lerp_dt`/`lerp_angle_dt` (signature `(p, t, dt, source, dest)` — covers p% of the gap in t seconds; do NOT hand-roll dt-lerps), then apply a FIXED-magnitude velocity. So EASE P/EASE T control path roundness without sagging speed.
... [90 more lines]

The summary gives me the full picture. Let me read the existing seeker.lua (the template enemy) since the new enemy will be based on it, plus check the stats.lua and how seeker does hit/die/push.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/seeker.lua)

1    --[[
2     seeker.lua — basic chase-the-player enemy.
3   
4     Faithful port of v1's seeker (~main.lua 9203-9514). Same silhouette
5     (14×6 rounded rect), same hp pool, same speed range, same steering
6     recipe (seek + wander + separate combined inside max_force=200),
7     same spawn/hit/death FX, same sounds. The bytepath-era pack /
8     rarity / modifiers system (yellow/blue specials, slow_aura,
9     explode_on_death) is intentionally NOT ported here — Invoker's
10    loot/modifier layer is going to live higher up the stack; the
11    seeker itself stays mechanical.
12  
13    Differences from v1 that aren't cosmetic:
14      • Procedural Anchor 2 patterns: plain field timer/spring/collider,
15        explicit update of each sub-module, `cached_enemies` is replaced
16        by iterating the seekers[] array for steering_separate.
17      • `cyclone_spin` death-spin parameter dropped (no cyclone ability
18        yet — spin defaults to 0, which matches v1's effective behavior
19        when nothing has tagged the seeker with cyclone). Re-add when
20        Cyclone lands.
21      • `damaged_by_area` tick-rate guard dropped — fireball is the only
22        area right now and it's instant, so re-hits per cast can't happen.
23        Bring back the guard when duration zones land.
24      • Push knockback timer-name bug fixed. v1 reuses the name 'push'
25        for both the 0.15s flash-off and the 0.5s pushed-state-off
26        timers, so the second registration cancels the first and the
27        seeker stays white-flashed forever after a push. We use
28        distinct names ('push_flash' / 'push_end') so both fire.
29  ]]
30  
... [343 more lines]

I've got the full picture now. Here's where Mini Looper stands and my proposed design for enemies.

Context recap

Mini Looper = Loop-Hero loop + SNKRX train + TD center-defense. A fast multi-unit train auto-follows a fixed irregular loop (loop.lua); the challenge is a throughput race — kill enemies before they cross the ring and reach the center. Movement is done (train.lua: head walks the waypoint loop, 11 followers pinned to its breadcrumb trail; 12 units, SPEED 100, SEEK 15, SPACING 12).

The template ships a seeker.lua enemy that's a great structural base — but it's hardwired to chase the player p, which Mini Looper doesn't have. Its push / hit / die / FX / HP-bar machinery is exactly what we want; only the steering target changes.

Design brief — enemies (step 1)

1. enemy.lua (new file, beside main.lua/train.lua/loop.lua)

A near-clone of the seeker, retargeted from chase the player to march to the center. New enemy class + global enemies = {} list (the template's own seekers[] stays untouched and empty).

2. Train ↔ enemy contact

3. main.lua wiring

require('enemy') after the loop/train requires; call enemy_spawner_update(sdt); replace the dead seekers[] update/draw loop with an enemies[] one; point the F2 debug overlay at enemies; add the train↔enemy handler. The template's player↔enemy and enemy↔wall handlers are dead in Mini Looper (no player, no walls) — I'll remove them; I'll keep the projectile↔enemy sensor handler since attacks land next session.

Out of scope this step (next up): train units having HP / taking damage / dying. The train is invincible for now — this step is purely enemies spawn → march → react to the train.

Before I write it, three decisions genuinely shape the code:

AskUserQuestion 

Your questions have been answered: "What should "react when hit by train units" do in this first step?"="Contact damage (ram)", "There's no base/core object yet. What happens when an enemy reaches the loop center?"="Nothing yet.", "How should enemies appear while we test?"="Manual key-spawn". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

All three decisions are clear:

That simplifies the brief: no spawner timer, no arrival logic, no leak counter. I'll bind spawning to E. Writing it now.

mcpccd_sessionmark_chapter 

[
  {
    "type": "text",
    "text": "Chapter marked: \"Enemy system\". Continue your current work."
  }
]

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/enemy.lua)

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/mini-looper/enemy.lua (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the main.lua wiring. Eight small edits:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now replace the dead player↔enemy / enemy↔wall handlers with the train-ram handler:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the two draw-side references (F2 debug overlay + the game-layer draw loop):

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

All edits done. Let me verify no stray seekers references remain in main.lua and that the new globals are referenced consistently.

Grep (seekers|seeker:)

127:game_layer    = layer_new('game')     -- player + seekers + every carrier
314:  -- player + seekers + every carrier
414:-- THE FULL DEMO — all five carriers on keys, test seekers + a wall, the

Done. Here's the diff and how to test it.

What changed

New file: enemy.lua — a center-seeking enemy, structurally a retarget of the template's seeker:

main.lua — eight small edits:

The train is driven kinematically, so it plows through unaffected — only enemies react. begin-contact fires once per unit-pass, so the 12-unit train mowing over an enemy lands up to 12 hits (3 dmg each vs 10 hp → dies mid-sweep), while an edge-graze lands one. That's the ramming reward tied to train length.

Test it

cd E:/a327ex/mini-looper && ./run.bat

What to watch for (likely tuning targets)

Want me to surface any of those (damage, hp, knockback) as live sliders in the F1 panel, or leave them as edit-the-globals for now?

Decrease number of units in train to 6, make the smaller and more round, but still a bit irregular.

[Request interrupted by user]

Make the map*

[Request interrupted by user]

And by map I mean like the road, the points

Got it — two tweaks: 6 train units, and make the road/loop (the waypoint points in loop.lua) smaller and rounder while keeping a bit of irregularity. The units themselves stay as-is. These are value tweaks, so I'll just make them.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/loop.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/loop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Done.

Diff:

Loop center is unchanged (270, 150), so it still sits down-right to clear the F1 panel; the smaller radii leave comfortable screen margins.

Test: cd E:/a327ex/mini-looper && ./run.bat — you should see a 6-unit train on a smaller, rounder loop. Spam E to ram enemies as before.

If it's still too elongated or too smooth/spiky, tell me which way and I'll nudge rx/ry and the rmul amplitude.

Push direction based on train direction when the hit happened, so a mix of outwards and train direction. Seeker speed halved. Push force based on train speed. 100 speed = current value, 500 speed = 4x current value.

Three changes, all specified concretely — making them directly:

  1. Push direction = a 50/50 mix of outward (unit→enemy) and the unit's travel heading, so the ram both shoves the enemy off the train and carries it along the sweep.
  2. Enemy ("seeker") speed halved — 40–60 → 20–30 px/s.
  3. Push force scales with train speed — linear: train_ram_force (6) at speed 100, 4× (24) at speed 500.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/enemy.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/enemy.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Done.

Diff:

Notes:

Test: ./run.bat, crank SPEED up in the F1 panel and ram enemies with E — knockback should fling them harder and more along the train's path (sideways sweep) rather than straight away from each unit. At low speed the shove should be gentle.

Two things to eyeball: whether the 50/50 mix leans too far one way (easy to reweight toward outward or train-direction), and whether 4× at top speed is too launchy.

It works well. Let's do attacks next now that enemies and ramming works. Attacks will happen via units, so really we're doing each individual unit. Take a look at all the existing units in SNKRX (folder for it is definitely somewhere in E:/a327ex) and then list them all to me here, highlighting the ones you think would be good for us to implement.

I made SNKRX (well, you did) — let me dig into the actual unit/class definitions rather than recall them, so the list is accurate. Let me find the data.

Bash (ls E:/a327ex/SNKRX/ 2>/dev/null; echo "--- nested? ---"; find E:/a327ex/SNKRX -m...)

LICENSE
README.md
arena.lua
assets/
build.sh*
builds/
buy_screen.lua
conf.lua
devlog.md
enemies.lua
engine/
main.lua
mainmenu.lua
media.lua
objects.lua
player.lua
run.sh*
shared.lua
todo
--- nested? ---
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/arena.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/buy_screen.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/conf.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/enemies.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/engine/init.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/engine/sound.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/engine/system.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/main.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/mainmenu.lua
E:/a327ex/SNKRX/media.lua
... [3 more lines]

SNKRX units are the playable characters. Let me find where they're defined — the data tables and the per-character attack logic.

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/SNKRX; echo "=== shared.lua size ==="; wc -l shared.lua player.lua ...)

=== shared.lua size ===
   878 shared.lua
  4000 player.lua
  2144 main.lua
   446 objects.lua
  7468 total
=== character tables in shared.lua ===

Grep (character|classes|^\s['?\w+'?]\s=\s*{)

1:-- Shared functions and classes for projects using JUGGLRX's visual style.

Grep (character_classes|^\scharacters\s=|class_color|character_names|classes\s=\s{|set_name|^\s\w+\s=\s{\s$)

237:  class_colors = {
256:  class_color_strings = {
275:  character_names = {
335:  character_colors = {
395:  character_color_strings = {
455:  character_classes = {
515:  character_class_strings = {
590:  character_descriptions = {
652:  character_effect_names = {
712:  character_effect_names_gray = {
772:  character_effect_descriptions = {
832:  character_effect_descriptions_gray = {
892:  character_stats = {
952:  class_stat_multipliers = {
990:  class_descriptions = {
1012:  tier_to_characters = {
1022:  character_tiers = {
1083:    local classes = {'vagrant', 'archer', 'scout', 'outlaw', 'blade', 'wizard', 'cannoneer', 'dual_gunner', 'hunter', 'spellblade', 'engineer', 'corruptor', 'beastmaster', 'jester', 'assassin', 'barrager', 
1106:      for _, unit_class in ipairs(character_classes[unit.character]) do
1171:    local classes = {}
1173:      table.insert(classes, table.copy(character_classes[unit.character]))
1178:  class_set_numbers = {
1197:  passive_names = {
1284:  passive_descriptions = {
1372:  passive_descriptions_level = {
1459:  level_to_tier_weights = {
1487:  level_to_gold_gained = {
1525:  level_to_elite_spawn_weights = {
1572:  level_to_boss = {
1595:  level_to_elite_spawn_types = {
... [4 more lines]

Found the data. Let me read the key tables — character names, classes, descriptions, and the class list.

Read (E:/a327ex/SNKRX/main.lua)

275    character_names = {
276     ['vagrant'] = 'Vagrant',
277     ['swordsman'] = 'Swordsman',
278     ['wizard'] = 'Wizard',
279     ['magician'] = 'Magician',
280     ['archer'] = 'Archer',
281     ['scout'] = 'Scout',
282     ['cleric'] = 'Cleric',
283     ['outlaw'] = 'Outlaw',
284     ['blade'] = 'Blade',
285     ['elementor'] = 'Elementor',
286     ['saboteur'] = 'Saboteur',
287     ['bomber'] = 'Bomber',
288     ['stormweaver'] = 'Stormweaver',
289     ['sage'] = 'Sage',
290     ['squire'] = 'Squire',
291     ['cannoneer'] = 'Cannoneer',
292     ['dual_gunner'] = 'Dual Gunner',
293     ['hunter'] = 'Hunter',
294     ['sentry'] = 'Sentry',
295     ['chronomancer'] = 'Chronomancer',
296     ['spellblade'] = 'Spellblade',
297     ['psykeeper'] = 'Psykeeper',
298     ['engineer'] = 'Engineer',
299     ['plague_doctor'] = 'Plague Doctor',
300     ['barbarian'] = 'Barbarian',
301     ['juggernaut'] = 'Juggernaut',
302     ['lich'] = 'Lich',
303     ['cryomancer'] = 'Cryomancer',
304     ['pyromancer'] = 'Pyromancer',
... [310 more lines]

Let me get the rest of the descriptions — that's the gold for understanding each unit's attack.

Read (E:/a327ex/SNKRX/main.lua)

614      ['engineer'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]drops turrets that shoot bursts of projectiles, each dealing [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('engineer', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage' end,
615     ['plague_doctor'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]creates an area that deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('plague_doctor', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage per second' end,
616     ['barbarian'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('barbarian', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] AoE damage and stuns enemies hit for [yellow]4[fg] seconds' end,
617     ['juggernaut'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('juggernaut', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] AoE damage and pushes enemies away with a strong force' end,
618     ['lich'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]launches a slow projectile that jumps [yellow]7[fg] times, dealing [yellow]' ..  2*get_character_stat('lich', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage per hit' end,
619     ['cryomancer'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]nearby enemies take [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('cryomancer', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage per second' end,
620     ['pyromancer'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]nearby enemies take [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('pyromancer', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage per second' end,
621     ['corruptor'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]shoots an arrow that deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('corruptor', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage, spawn [yellow]3[fg] critters if it kills' end,
622     ['beastmaster'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]throws a knife that deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('beastmaster', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage, spawn [yellow]2[fg] critters if it crits' end,
623     ['launcher'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]all nearby enemies are pushed after [yellow]4[fg] seconds, taking [yellow]' .. 2*get_character_stat('launcher', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage on wall hit' end,
624     ['jester'] = function(lvl) return "[fg]curses [yellow]6[fg] nearby enemies for [yellow]6[fg] seconds, they will explode into [yellow]4[fg] knives on death" end,
625     ['assassin'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]throws a piercing knife that deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('assassin', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage + [yellow]' ..
626       get_character_stat('assassin', lvl, 'dmg')/2 .. '[fg] damage per second' end,
627     ['host'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]periodically spawn [yellow]1[fg] small critter' end,
628     ['carver'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]carves a statue that creates [yellow]1[fg] healing orb every [yellow]6[fg] seconds' end,
629     ['bane'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]curses [yellow]6[fg] nearby enemies for [yellow]6[fg] seconds, they will create small void rifts on death' end,
630     ['psykino'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]pulls enemies together for [yellow]2[fg] seconds' end,
631     ['barrager'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]shoots a barrage of [yellow]3[fg] arrows, each dealing [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('barrager', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage and pushing enemies' end,
632     ['highlander'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]deals [yellow]' .. 5*get_character_stat('highlander', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] AoE damage' end,
633     ['fairy'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]creates [yellow]1[fg] healing orb and grants [yellow]1[fg] unit [yellow]+100%[fg] attack speed for [yellow]6[fg] seconds' end,
634     ['priest'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]creates [yellow]3[fg] healing orbs every [yellow]12[fg] seconds' end,
635     ['infestor'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]curses [yellow]8[fg] nearby enemies for [yellow]6[fg] seconds, they will release [yellow]2[fg] critters on death' end,
636     ['flagellant'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]deals [yellow]' .. 2*get_character_stat('flagellant', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage to self and grants [yellow]+4%[fg] damage to all allies per cast' end,
637     ['arcanist'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]launches a slow moving orb that launches projectiles, each dealing [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('arcanist', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage' end,
638     ['illusionist'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]launches a projectile that deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('illusionist', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage and creates copies that do the same' end,
639     ['artificer'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]spawns an automaton that shoots a projectile that deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('artificer', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage' end,
640     ['witch'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]creates an area that ricochets and deals [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('witch', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] damage per second' end,
641     ['silencer'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]curses [yellow]5[fg] nearby enemies for [yellow]6[fg] seconds, preventing them from using special attacks' end,
642     ['vulcanist'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]creates a volcano that explodes the nearby area [yellow]4[fg] times, dealing [yellow]' .. get_character_stat('vulcanist', lvl, 'dmg') .. ' AoE [fg]damage' end,
643     ['warden'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]creates a force field around a random unit that prevents enemies from entering' end,
... [8 more lines]

Now the class set-bonus descriptions, which define the archetypes:

Read (E:/a327ex/SNKRX/main.lua)

990    class_descriptions = {
991     ['ranger'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']3[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']6 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']8%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']16% [fg]chance to release a barrage on attack to allied rangers' end,
992     ['warrior'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']3[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']6 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+25[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+50 [fg]defense to allied warriors' end,
993     ['mage'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']3[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']6 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']-15[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']-30 [fg]enemy defense' end,
994     ['rogue'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']3[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']6 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']15%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']30% [fg]chance to crit to allied rogues, dealing [yellow]4x[] damage' end,
995     ['healer'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+15%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+30% [fg] chance to create [yellow]+1[fg] healing orb on healing orb creation' end,
996     ['enchanter'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+15%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+25% [fg]damage to all allies' end,
997     ['nuker'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']3[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']6 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+15%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+25% [fg]area damage and size to allied nukers' end,
998     ['conjurer'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+25%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+50% [fg]construct damage and duration' end,
999     ['psyker'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+4 [fg]total psyker orbs and [yellow]+1[fg] orb for each psyker' end,
1000        ['curser'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+1[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+3 [fg]max curse targets to allied cursers' end,
1001        ['forcer'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+25%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+50% [fg]knockback force to all allies' end,
1002        ['swarmer'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+1[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+3 [fg]hits to critters' end,
1003        ['voider'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+20%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+40% [fg]damage over time to allied voiders' end,
1004        ['sorcerer'] = function(lvl) 
1005          return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4[light_bg]/[' .. ylb3(lvl) .. ']6 [fg]- sorcerers repeat their attacks once every [' .. 
1006            ylb1(lvl) .. ']4[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']3[light_bg]/[' .. ylb3(lvl) .. ']2[fg] attacks'
1007        end,
1008        ['mercenary'] = function(lvl) return '[' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']2[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']4 [fg]- [' .. ylb1(lvl) .. ']+8%[light_bg]/[' .. ylb2(lvl) .. ']+16% [fg]chance for enemies to drop gold on death' end,
1009        ['explorer'] = function(lvl) return '[yellow]+15%[fg] attack speed and damage per active class to allied explorers' end,
1010      }
1011

Pulled the real definitions from E:/a327ex/SNKRX/main.lua (the character_* tables, lines 275–650, plus the class set-bonuses at 990). There are 57 units. Here's the full roster, organized by the lens that actually matters for us: which of our five carriers (projectile / area / beam / flicker / prop) the attack maps onto, since porting a unit = nearest-enemy targeting + an attack-speed timer + fire a carrier. That scaffold is shared; the per-unit part is tiny.

A. Map directly onto a carrier we already have — the candidate pool

→ projectile

→ area

→ flicker (chain-hop blades)

→ prop (lobbed explosive)

B. Need one small new mechanic (good second wave)

C. Need a whole new system — defer

* saboteur / hunter / illusionist are cut in the shipped build — their class tags are commented out.

What I'd actually implement, and why

The beam carrier has no clean SNKRX analog (no unit is a pure laser — Lich's jumping projectile is the closest), so I'd leave it for a custom unit later.

My recommended first four give one unit per remaining carrier and maximally distinct feel:

Unit Carrier Why
Archer projectile The baseline ranged auto-attacker. Build the shared targeting+timer scaffold here.
Magician area Point-of-impact AoE — different rhythm from a shooter.
Scout flicker Chain-hop knife — feels nothing like the other two.
Bomber prop Lobbed arc + explosion — the "heavy" feel.

Plus a stretch pick — Barrager or Juggernaut — specifically because they fire the knockback we just built, tying attacks into the ram system.

Scope guard (fun-gate): I'd hardcode each unit's attack as a small function — no class set-bonuses, leveling, or shop yet. The thing we're fun-testing is: do auto-attacking units firing from a moving train feel good? That's the "beginning." The SNKRX meta (classes, draft, gold) is the "constraint" layer that comes only after this proves fun.

Per our pacing, I'd build them one at a time — scaffold + first unit, you test, then we add the rest. So:

AskUserQuestion 

Your questions have been answered: "Which unit should I build first? It carries the shared auto-attack scaffold (nearest-enemy targeting + attack-speed timer + fire-carrier-at-target) that every other unit reuses."="[No preference]". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

No preference — I'll go with Archer (the cleanest scaffold target, as flagged).

This is a non-trivial change (a shared auto-attack system + the first unit), so per the design-brief rule I'll post a brief and we'll iterate before I write code. First let me check the projectile carrier's actual API so the brief is accurate — particularly how it aims and whether the per-shot caster juice (camera shake/recoil) can be suppressed for rapid auto-fire.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

1    --[[
2     projectile.lua — straight-line attack carrier (minimal v1 port).
3   
4     Scope of this first pass (per session 2 decisions):
5       • Default rounded-rect shape (w=10, h=4). No shape variants yet
6         (ball_lightning circle, wind_slash blades, arc crescent come later).
7       • Straight-line travel only. No homing / linear-return / arc-return.
8       • Sensor box collider — projectiles pass through enemies/walls
9         visually. Enemy hits are surfaced via sensor_entities_begin in
10        main.lua. Walls are caught by a per-frame forward raycast (sensors
11        don't physically collide).
12      • Spawn juice: spring pull on 'main' + 0.2s white flash.
13      • Wall hit:  6r/0.15s hit_circle + 2 particles, then die.
14      • Enemy hit: full damage + hit_effect sprite burst, then die. No
15        pierce/chain in this first pass — that's gameplay-side anyway.
16      • Death:     8r/0.2s hit_circle + 2 particles, particle color =
17                   spec_color(self.spec).
18  
19    Caller API (per session 2 decision — "everything in spawn_projectile,
20    caster passed in, everything else derived"):
21      spawn_projectile(caster, {
22        aim_r,             -- optional, default: caster -> main_camera.mouse
23        spawn_offset,      -- default 8 (v1's hardcoded muzzle offset)
24        spec,              -- four-axis effect spec; default caster.spec
25        max_range,         -- default nil = unlimited
26        damage,            -- default 1
27        speed,             -- default 190
28        w, h,              -- default 10, 4
29      })
30    No player coupling inside the carrier — the spawn helper just reads
... [251 more lines]

[Request interrupted by user]

Why did you say "I made SNKRX" at the start of the message? I assume something about restrictions regarding copying from someone else's IP?

Honestly, it was just clumsy phrasing on my part, not a coded reference to any IP restriction.

What happened: I was acknowledging that SNKRX is your game before diving into its source. I started typing "I made SNKRX" as casual narration (the way you'd say "let me look at the thing I'm working with"), caught that it's actually your game not mine, and stuck the correction in parentheses — "(well, you did)." It came out as a weird little stumble rather than a clean sentence. No hidden reasoning behind it.

And to be clear on the IP point you're guessing at: there's no restriction in play here. SNKRX is yours — you're a327ex. Porting its units into Mini Looper is copying your own prior work into your own new project, which is exactly what the whole snkrx-template was built to enable (it already ports v1's carriers, sounds, and the seeker). So there's nothing to be cagey about, and I wasn't trying to be.

(For what it's worth, even the general case — game mechanics and systems aren't protected by copyright; only specific code, art, music, and text are — but that's moot when it's your own game.)

I'll drop the cutesy asides and just get to the point in future. Want me to continue into the auto-attack scaffold + Archer design brief?

Sure, go ahead.

Good — spawn_projectile gives me what I need, but with one catch: it always fires shake_push(main_camera.shake, aim_r, 3) and flashes the caster white. That's fine for a mouse-driven shot, but 6 units auto-firing ~1×/sec would strobe the screen and constantly blip the units white. Let me check the spring API (the helper pulls a 'shoot' spring the train units don't have) before I commit the brief.

Grep (function spring_pull|function spring_add|function shake_push|function spring_new)

mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua:109:function shake_push(s, angle, amount, frequency, bounce)
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-110-  ensure_spring(s)
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-111-  if s.push_cap then
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-112-    local remaining = s.push_cap - s.push_used
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-113-    if remaining <= 0 then return end
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-114-    if amount > remaining then amount = remaining end
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-115-    s.push_used = s.push_used + amount
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-116-  end
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-117-  spring_pull(s.spring, 'x', math.cos(angle)*amount, frequency, bounce)
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-118-  spring_pull(s.spring, 'y', math.sin(angle)*amount, frequency, bounce)
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-119-end
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-120-
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\shake.lua-121---[[
--
mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua:27:function spring_new()
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-28-  local s = {
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-29-    _names = {},
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-30-  }
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-31-  spring_add(s, 'main', 1)
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-32-  return s
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-33-end
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-34-
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-35---[[
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-36-  spring_add(s, name, [x], [frequency], [bounce])
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-37-  Creates a new named spring with initial value x (default 0), frequency
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-38-  (default 5 Hz), and bounce (default 0.5).
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-39-]]
mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua:40:function spring_add(s, name, x, frequency, bounce)
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-41-  x = x or 0
E:\a327ex\mini-looper\anchor\spring.lua-42-  frequency = frequency or 5
... [24 more lines]

spring_pull no-ops safely on an unregistered key (if not sp then return end), and shake_push's amount is just a parameter — so I can make both tunable cleanly. Here's the design brief.

Design brief — auto-attack scaffold + Archer

Approach

Every unit is an auto-attacker: on a cooldown, it finds the nearest enemy in range and fires a carrier at it. That's three pieces of shared machinery (targeting + cooldown + fire) plus a tiny per-character attack function. The shared part lives in a new units.lua; each character is one entry in a registry table. Adding the 2nd unit (Magician, etc.) is then just one more registry entry — no new plumbing.

The projectile/area/etc. update, draw, and damage plumbing already exists in main.lua (the template wired projectiles[] loops + the sensor_entities_begin('projectile','enemy') → pr:on_hit(e) handler, and physics_enable_sensor('projectile','enemy') is on). So a unit firing a projectile needs zero new main.lua wiring — the shot is updated, drawn, and damages enemies for free. Projectiles aren't a sensor pair with train, so they pass harmlessly through the train.

Interfaces (what it touches)

The carrier tweak (snkrx/projectile.lua)

spawn_projectile always does shake_push(main_camera.shake, aim_r, 3) and flashes the caster white. Great for a mouse shot; nauseating for 6 units firing ~1×/sec. I'll add two opts: shake (default 3) and flash (default true). Auto-fire passes shake = 0, flash = false. Two conditionals; preserves current behavior for every existing caller. (The recoil 'shoot' spring-pull is already a safe no-op on train units — confirmed spring_pull returns on an unregistered key. The muzzle hit-circle + particles stay — they become the main "shot fired" tell once shake/flash are off.)

Functions

units.lua

train.lua

Tuning starting points (all editable globals/fields)

Archer: cooldown 1.0s, range 130 (loop radius ~115, so it covers enemies crossing the ring), damage 2, speed 200, max_range 160 → 5 shots to kill a 10-hp enemy solo, ~1s with the train focus-firing. Projectiles use the unit's spec (blue), not a per-character color yet.

Two things I want to flag, not decide unilaterally

Once you're good with this, I'll write it. The fun-test after: do 6 units auto-shooting from a moving loop feel good against the enemy stream?

The unit should flash and spring pull when it fires, you should only remove the shake. Everything else looks good.

Got it — keep spawn_projectile's flash and recoil, only make the shake tunable. One implementation detail that follows from "the unit should spring pull when it fires": the carrier's recoil pulls a 'shoot' spring, but train_unit currently only has 'main' and only draws 'main' — so the recoil would be invisible. To make it actually show, I'll register a 'shoot' spring on the unit and fold it into the draw scale. The carrier change stays exactly "remove the shake."

Writing it now.

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the carrier tweak — shake opt only:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

<tool_use_error>String to replace not found in file.
String:     Caster-side juice (always applied — these are part of "fire a
    projectile"; for a silent shot, call projectile() directly):
      • shake_push(main_camera.shake, aim_r, 3) — directional kick
(note: Edit also tried swapping \uXXXX escapes and their characters; neither form matched, so the mismatch is likely elsewhere in old_string. Re-read the file and copy the exact surrounding text.)</tool_use_error>

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

208    Caster-side juice (always applied — these are part of "fire a
209   projectile"; for a silent shot, call projectile() directly):
210     • shake_push(main_camera.shake, aim_r, 3) — directional kick
211     • spring_pull(caster.spring, 'shoot', 0.25) — recoil
212     • caster.flashing = true + timer 'shoot_flash' (0.15s)
213       — distinct timer name from :hit's 'hit_flash' so a hit + fire
214       in the same frame don't clobber each other's restoration.
215     The spring / timer pulls are nil-guarded so a caster without
216     those fields still fires (it just gets no body juice).
217

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now train.lua — character field + 'shoot' spring + combat init, draw scale, attack tick, and the roster in train_build:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the main.lua require, plus a note in train.lua's header about combat:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me verify the archer's sound keys actually exist (avoid a nil at fire time):

Grep (arrow_shoot)

mini-looper\snkrx\projectile.lua:272:  -- v1's "standard projectile" stack is the arrow_hit_wood + arrow_shoot
mini-looper\snkrx\findings.md:67:| `piercing_arrow` | physical | rect | `arrow_hit_wood` + `arrow_shoot` | (no specific) | inherent pierce; wall stick via `wall_arrow` |
mini-looper\snkrx\findings.md:68:| `arrow_barrage` | physical | rect | `arrow_hit_wood` + `arrow_shoot` | (no specific) | fires `barrage_count=6` arrows with jitter |
mini-looper\snkrx\findings.md:516:| physical | `arrow_shoot`, `bow_release_*` | `arrow_hit_wood`, `arrow_hit_wall_1/2`, `Arrow Impact wood 1/3` | n/a | Real arrow samples |
mini-looper\snkrx\init.lua:88:  arrow_shoot     = 0.46,  -- v1 line 65
mini-looper\snkrx\init.lua:110:sounds.arrow_shoot    = sound_load('assets/RPG3_GenericArrow_Shoot01.ogg')

Both keys exist (volumes.arrow_shoot, sounds.arrow_shoot). Everything's wired.

Diff

Test

cd E:/a327ex/mini-looper && ./run.bat

Watch for / likely tunes

The fun-test question: does a loop of auto-shooting units against the enemy stream feel good? Once you've played it, tell me how it lands and which unit you want next (Magician/area, Scout/flicker, or Bomber/prop).

Randomize the initial cooldown a little so that they don't all fire at the same time. Similarly, give me a knob to change the cooldown itself for archers. Make archers green instead of blue. Make the projectiles have no range, currently they die after a certain range, they should just keep going and only die way offscreen.

Four changes. Three are quick (cooldown jitter, cooldown knob, no range), but two need me to check the actual data first — the spec definitions (to make a green that matches the breathe style) and confirming the projectile's offscreen-cull story. Also, an important subtlety on the "fire at the same time" issue. Let me look.

Grep (player_spec|enemy_spec|attack_spec|_spec\s=\s{)

49:player_spec = { pattern = 'organic', pattern_scale = 0.5, color = 'mix',
50-                color_a = 'snkrx_blue', color_b = 'light_blue', dither = 'bayer4_2' }
51:enemy_spec  = { pattern = 'organic', pattern_scale = 0.5, color = 'mix',
52-                color_a = 'red',    color_b = 'orange', dither = 'bayer4_2' }
53:attack_spec = { pattern = 'organic', pattern_scale = 0.5, color = 'mix',
54-                color_a = 'red',    color_b = 'orange', dither = 'bayer4_2' }
55:rock_spec   = { pattern = 'organic', pattern_scale = 0.5, color = 'mix',
56-                color_a = 'yellow', color_b = 'orange', dither = 'bayer4_2' }
57:wall_spec   = { color = 'none' }   -- flat: walls pass through their own slate base
58-
59--- flash_spec: flat near-white. A drawable swaps its spec for this while
--
62:flash_spec  = { color = 'solid', color_a = 'text' }
63-
64--- ── Support modules ───────────────────────────────────────────────

Now the green palette tokens (need the names for a green breathe like snkrx_blue↔light_blue):

Grep (green|lime)

73:lime          = color(148, 176,  41)
74:green         = color(106, 166,  52)
93:snkrx_green   = color(121, 177,  89)
112:  'red', 'orange', 'yellow', 'lime', 'green', 'light_blue', 'blue',
115:  'snkrx_blue', 'snkrx_purple', 'snkrx_red', 'snkrx_green', 'snkrx_orange',
125:  red = red, orange = orange, yellow = yellow, lime = lime, green = green,
128:  snkrx_green = snkrx_green, snkrx_orange = snkrx_orange,
169:  red = 'orange', orange = 'yellow', yellow = 'lime', lime = 'green',
170:  green = 'light_blue', light_blue = 'blue', blue = 'violet',
175:  snkrx_green = 'snkrx_blue', snkrx_orange = 'snkrx_yellow',

Good — there's snkrx_green and lime for a green breathe (mirroring player_spec's snkrx_blue↔light_blue).

One important note on "they don't all fire at the same time": I already randomize the initial cooldown across the full interval — but it gets defeated. When a unit has no target it pins its cooldown to "ready" (0), so during any lull all units collapse to 0 and then volley on the same frame the instant enemies arrive. So initial-only randomization isn't enough. The real fix is to jitter every cooldown reset and have idle units re-arm after a small random delay. I'll do that (and keep the initial random).

Rewriting units.lua with all four changes, then the supporting edits:

API Error: The socket connection was closed unexpectedly. For more information, pass verbose: true in the second argument to fetch()

Randomize the initial cooldown a little so that they don't all fire at the same time. Similarly, give me a knob to change the cooldown itself for archers. Make archers green instead of blue. Make the projectiles have no range, currently they die after a certain range, they should just keep going and only die way offscreen.

Executing all four changes now.

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/train.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the F1 panel — bump height and add the ARCHER CD slider:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

All four changes are in.

Diff

units.lua (rewritten):

snkrx/projectile.lua — projectiles now die ~120px past the screen edge (no FX, since it's not visible). This is the catch-all so a rangeless arrow that misses doesn't live forever. max_range stays optional for callers that still want a hard cap.

train.lua — a unit's self.spec (color) now comes from its unit_defs entry, falling back to blue player_spec if the character has no spec.

main.lua — F1 panel grew a ARCHER CD slider (0.2–3.0s) and the panel height bumped to fit it.

Test

./run.bat, F1 for the panel, E to spawn enemies.

One judgment call I made: idle units re-arm within 0.1s (so they scatter the first volley too), which adds at most 0.1s of targeting latency — imperceptible at enemy speeds, but tell me if you'd rather they fire the exact instant a target appears.

Add this to ideas.md, I'm adding it there because I was gonna ask you to do this now but it ends up being a detail that's unrelated to our current task of testing if the game is fun. When pressing F3, the first sounds that should show are sounds that have played in this run of the program, in order of most recently played. Played sounds should have a visual indicator that they played (maybe even the total number of times played), while sounds that didn't play should have none.

This is a tooling detail, not gameplay — parking it in ideas.md as you asked, so it doesn't pull focus from the fun-test.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/ideas.md)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/ideas.md has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Added to ideas.md under a new "F3 sound tuner — surface played sounds first" section, captured exactly:

Back to the actual task whenever you are — testing whether the auto-attacking train feels fun.

The auto-attacking feels decent, but I need more variation before making more judgement. So let's add more units.

On-task — more unit variety to judge the feel. Adding units is cheap now (the scaffold handles targeting/timer/draw/damage), but each wires a different carrier with its own spawn signature and feel knobs, so let me read the three remaining carriers before proposing exact attacks. The natural variation set is one per remaining carrier: Magician (area), Scout (flicker), Bomber (prop).

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/area.lua)

1    --[[
2     area.lua — area-of-effect attack carrier.
3   
4     Three base shapes with an orthogonal `jagged` flag:
5       'circle'  + jagged=false:  filled disc + orbiting arc segments
6       'circle'  + jagged=true:   filled disc + jittered perimeter polygon outline
7       'rect'    + jagged=false:  filled rect + bracket corners
8       'rect'    + jagged=true:   filled triangle fan + jittered perimeter polygon outline
9       'polygon' + jagged=false:  filled disc + clean polygon outline
10      'polygon' + jagged=true:   filled disc + jittered polygon outline (jitter mutates hit area)
11  
12    Damage queries match base shape (not jagged):
13      circle  → query_entities_circle   (jagged is visual-only)
14      rect    → query_entities_box      (jagged is visual-only)
15      polygon → query_entities_polygon  (jagged actually changes hit area, since verts are the shape)
16  
17    Two lifecycle modes selected by `duration`:
18  
19      Instant (default, duration = nil): tween radius 0 → target over 0.05s
20        → single damage pass + spring pop + 0.15s flash → 0.2s hold → blink × 7 → kill.
21  
22      Persistent (duration set): tween radius 0 → target over 0.25s. Damage
23        ticks every `tick_rate` seconds (default 0.5s); each tick that lands
24        on anyone plays `dot_tick`, pulls the spring 0.1, flashes 0.1s, and
25        spikes the arc speed by 1.25π (capped at 3π). After `duration`
26        seconds, blink × 7 → kill. Per-enemy cooldown prevents the same
27        enemy from being hit more than once per tick_rate window.
28  
29    Caller API:
30      spawn_area(x, y, {
... [468 more lines]

Area carrier read. Two notes: it damages the 'enemy' tag (✓ our enemies) and calls e:hit(damage), but like the projectile it applies caster shake on every cast (shake_push(..., 4)), which I'll need to make tunable for auto-fire. Let me read flicker and prop too before proposing — especially flicker, which does a hit_stop on its final burst (likely bad for a per-second auto-attacker).

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/flicker.lua)

1    --[[
2     flicker.lua — flicker-strike line/trail carrier (v1 flicker_strike).
3   
4     A self-contained moving entity. NOT the player — the caster only
5     supplies a spawn position, an aim direction, and an edition tint;
6     after that the flicker is autonomous. It hops between enemies along
7     cubic-bezier curves, leaving a fading dashed trail and spawning the
8     full v1 flicker-strike hit FX at each enemy it reaches. Port of v1's
9     flicker_strike (line 4450) — visuals + sounds, no player movement,
10    no modifiers (multistrike / melee_splash / echo are gameplay-side).
11  
12    Lifecycle:
13      1. Find an initial target: closest enemy to the click position
14         (target_x/target_y) within `range` of it — v1 flicker_strike's
15         first jump (closest enemy to the cursor). No target → fizzle.
16      2. Hop to it via a cubic bezier (control points 80% along the
17         entry/exit angles; exit angle pre-bends toward the next target),
18         lerped over `hop_delay`. Departure puff + 2 particles + shake.
19      3. On arrival: per-enemy hit FX (fx_energy_122 burst, hit_circle,
20         4 zag particles) + arrival juice (slash sounds, shake, body
21         flash + spring pulse).
22      4. After `hits` enemies are struck (or targets run out), stop with
23         the final burst (hit_stop, slash_final, AoE knockback, big FX).
24         The trail fades; the entity self-destructs once it's empty.
25  
26    Caller API:
27      spawn_flicker(caster, {
28        target_x,        -- click position; first hop targets the enemy
29        target_y,        --   closest to it. default: main_camera.mouse
30        aim_r,           -- optional, default: caster → click position
... [369 more lines]

Flicker is built as a deliberate player cast — every single cast does hit_stop(0.08), multiple big shake_shake/shake_push calls, slash-sound stacks, and a screen-spanning dashed trail. On 6 units auto-firing ~1×/sec that'd be constant micro-freezes and shake chaos. It's the wrong carrier for a per-second auto-attacker without gutting what makes it a flicker. I'll flag that. Let me read prop for the Bomber assessment:

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

1    --[[
2     prop.lua — breakable polygon prop + the big-rock attack carrier.
3   
4     `prop` is a generic breakable: a jagged polygon entity that shatters
5     into `debris`. It is the general form — think breakable vases / boxes
6     in an ARPG. The Orblike v1 big_rock attack is one configured instance
7     of it: a prop that is thrown in an arc and deals damage where it
8     lands.
9   
10    Two layers live in this file:
11  
12      GENERIC (prop + debris)
13        • prop  — a polygon outline that can be static (sits until
14                  shattered) or thrown (lerps its own x/y to a target
15                  while an `airborne` arc drives height + draw scale;
16                  on landing it shatters and fires an on_land hook).
17        • debris — one polygon shard with a physics collider, the output
18                   of prop:shatter. Rock-styled visuals for now.
19        Neither knows anything about damage.
20  
21      ATTACK (the polygonal_* carrier functions)
22        • spawn_polygonal      — fires the big-rock attack: a thrown prop
23                                 with the rock's on_land payload.
24        • polygonal_on_land    — the rock's landing payload: damage +
25                                 rocky particles + shake + landing sound.
26        • polygonal_land_damage — the separated damage portion. The ONLY
27                                 place the rock attack hurts anything.
28  
29    Port of v1 big_rock_effect (line 11390) + rock_fragment (11696).
30    Behaviour and visuals of the thrown-rock path are an exact port; the
... [496 more lines]

Read all three. Here's what I found, which changes the recommendation:

Carrier assessment for auto-fire

The cheap win I'd add instead

Two SNKRX units are pure projectile-parameter variants — zero carrier work, shake already solved, and they feel distinct:

Proposed set

Archer (have) + Magician (AoE burst) + Cannoneer (heavy single) + Outlaw (fan) gives four clearly different feels — rapid single-target, heavy single-target, shotgun spread, and area — with the only carrier change being the one-line shake opt on area. Each unit: its own unit_defs entry, a distinct color (named palette tokens, avoiding red/orange so units don't read as enemies — archer green, magician blue, cannoneer purple, outlaw yellow), and a <name>_cooldown live global (I'll keep the F1 slider for archer only so the panel doesn't overflow; easy to add more on request).

To get a mixed train for testing, train_build would take a roster list, e.g. train_build(6, {'archer','magician','cannoneer','outlaw','archer','magician'}).

Which do you want in this batch?

AskUserQuestion 

Your questions have been answered: "Which units should I add this batch (for variation to judge feel)?"="Magician, Cannoneer, Outlaw, and one that uses the "Big Rock" attack. Not sure what to call it, what would be a good name for a Rock Thrower unit?". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

All four it is — Magician, Cannoneer, Outlaw, and a rock-thrower (the prop "Big Rock" carrier). For the rock-thrower I'll do the taming I flagged: short flight (~0.6s instead of 3s so it can actually land on a moving enemy), plus shake/land_shake opts on prop.lua so its throw + slam don't hammer the screen at 6× density.

On the name — SNKRX has no literal rock-thrower (its "Bomber" plants bombs), so this is a fresh one. A few that fit the lobbed-arc-AoE role and SNKRX's plain agent-noun style (Archer / Bomber / Launcher):

AskUserQuestion 

Your questions have been answered: "What should the rock-thrower unit be called? (It lobs a rock in an arc that slams down for AoE.)"="Geomancer". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

Geomancer it is. Let me check the full palette so I pick distinct, non-enemy (no red/orange) colors for the four units — especially an earthy one for the Geomancer.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/palette.lua)

60   panel_border  = color(56, 60, 65)
61  grey          = color(74, 77, 80)
62  text_muted    = color(140, 140, 145)
63  white         = color(200, 200, 200)
64  text          = color(240, 240, 235)
65  
66  -- Accents, roughly by hue (a hue wheel: red → … → pink → back to red).
67  -- Mixing an accent with its neighbor here is a warm/cool hue breathe — the
68  -- SNKRX "polychrome" feel — which is how the entity specs reproduce the old
69  -- edition shimmer.
70  red           = color(210,  49,  56)
71  orange        = color(233, 108,  27)
72  yellow        = color(234, 171,  28)
73  lime          = color(148, 176,  41)
74  green         = color(106, 166,  52)
75  light_blue    = color( 35, 143, 194)
76  blue          = color( 39,  88, 180)
77  violet        = color(110,  63, 178)
78  pink          = color(208,  66, 120)
79  
80  -- Aliases that some Anchor 2 helpers expect (memory tracker etc.). Cheap.
81  fg_color      = text
82  bg_color      = bg
83  
84  -- =============================================================================
85  -- LEGACY SNKRX TOKENS — the original SNKRX accent set. Distinct hues from
86  -- the canonical accents above (snkrx_blue is a bright teal, NOT the canonical
87  -- navy `blue`), so they're kept as first-class tokens. The player defaults to
88  -- snkrx_blue. Use the canonical accents for new work where a clear hue exists.
89  -- =============================================================================
... [45 more lines]

Palette confirmed — I'll use snkrx_neutral↔snkrx_yellow (a stony tan/gold breathe) for the Geomancer, and keep the others distinct and clear of the red/orange enemy palette: archer green, magician blue, cannoneer purple, outlaw yellow.

Building all four now — three units.lua entries plus the area/prop shake opts and the mixed roster.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the area shake opt (code + doc):

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/area.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/area.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/area.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/area.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now prop — throw shake, landing shake scale, and the doc:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

<tool_use_error>String to replace not found in file.
String:       spec            = opts.spec or caster.spec,
      gravity         = opts.gravity,
      on_land         = function(p) polygonal_on_land(p, damage) end,
  })
  props[#props + 1] = pr

  -- Caster-side throw juice. Nil-guarded so an AI caster without a
  -- spring / timer still throws (it just gets no body juice).
  local throw_r = math.angle_to_point(caster.x, caster.y, tx, ty)
  shake_push(main_camera.shake, throw_r, 3)</tool_use_error>

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

439    local pr = prop(caster.x, caster.y, {
440     target_x        = tx,
441     target_y        = ty,
442     flight_duration = opts.flight_duration,
443     radius          = opts.area_radius,
444     spec            = opts.spec or caster.spec,
445     gravity         = opts.gravity,
446     on_land         = function(p) polygonal_on_land(p, damage) end,
447   })
448   props[#props + 1] = pr
449 
450   -- Caster-side throw juice. Nil-guarded so an AI caster without a
451   -- spring / timer still throws (it just gets no body juice).
452   local throw_r = math.angle_to_point(caster.x, caster.y, tx, ty)
453   shake_push(main_camera.shake, throw_r, 3)
454   if caster.spring then spring_pull(caster.spring, 'shoot', 0.25) end
455   if caster.timer then
456     caster.flashing = true
457     timer_after(caster.timer, 0.15, 'shoot_flash',
458                 function() caster.flashing = false end)
459   end
460   sfx(sounds.fissure_cast_1, volumes.fissure_cast_1)
461 
462   return pr
463 end

Indentation was off. Two precise edits:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now polygonal_on_land — accept and apply the land_shake scale:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the prop docblock and the mixed roster:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/prop.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

All four units are in. Here's the summary.

Diff

units.lua — three new unit_defs entries + per-unit colors and cooldown knobs: | Unit | Carrier | Feel | Color | Cooldown | |---|---|---|---|---| | Magician | area | instant AoE circle (r22, 3 dmg) | blue | 1.2s | | Cannoneer | projectile | big slow heavy shot (16×8, 6 dmg, speed 120) | purple | 1.6s | | Outlaw | projectile | 3-way fan (1 dmg ×3, one sound/cast) | yellow | 1.1s | | Geomancer | prop | lobbed rock → AoE slam (r26, 8 dmg, 0.6s flight) | stone tan | 1.8s |

Each has a <name>_cooldown live global (archer still has the F1 slider; others are code-editable). Colors are named palette tokens, all clear of the red/orange enemy hues.

Carrier tweaks (the only shared-code changes):

main.lua — train_build(6, { 'archer', 'magician', 'cannoneer', 'outlaw', 'geomancer', 'archer' }) so the test train has one of each (plus 2 archers).

Magician and Geomancer still flash + recoil on cast (via their carriers' caster juice) — only the screen shake is suppressed.

Test

./run.bat, E to spawn enemies. You should see a six-color train where each unit attacks differently — a steady archer, a slow heavy cannon shot, a yellow fan, a blue AoE pop, and a tan rock arcing down with a shatter. Edit the roster string in main.lua to try other mixes, and the *_cooldown globals in units.lua to retune fire rates.

Watch for / likely tunes

This should give you enough contrast to judge whether the auto-attacking core is actually fun.

Also, cannoneer in SNKRX is actually a projectile + big AoE attack, your description misses it.

You're right — I checked the line I read earlier:

['cannoneer'] = ... 'shoots a projectile that deals [yellow]' .. 2*get_character_stat(...) .. ' AoE[fg] damage'

It's a projectile that explodes into AoE on impact, not just a fat single-target shot. My implementation missed the explosion. Fixing it.

Approach (one real design decision)

The projectile carrier has no impact hook, so to make it explode I'll add a minimal, generic lifecycle hook: an optional on_death(x, y) callback that projectile:die() invokes at the impact point. The Cannoneer passes one that spawns an area there.

I'm deliberately doing it as a generic hook, not an explode_radius/aoe knob on the projectile — template decision #1 says carriers shouldn't grow attack-specific knobs; instead the host composes carriers (projectile → area). on_death is just a lifecycle hook (fires on enemy/wall/range death, not on the off-screen cull, since that path uses entity_kill directly — so a missed shot doesn't explode in the void). Any existing caller that doesn't pass it is unaffected.

Cannoneer becomes: a slow heavy projectile (small direct damage) that on impact spawns a purple AoE blast (radius 28, the bulk of the damage). Same color, shake = 0, no caster juice on the explosion (it's away from the unit).

Implementing:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the docblock and the Cannoneer rework:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/projectile.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Done. Cannoneer is now a proper projectile-into-AoE shot.

Diff

snkrx/projectile.lua — added a generic on_death(x, y) hook: stored in :new, forwarded by spawn_projectile, and invoked in :die() at the impact point (but not by the off-screen cull, which kills directly — so a miss doesn't explode in the void). Existing callers that don't pass it are unaffected.

units.lua — Cannoneer reworked: a slow heavy shot (direct 2 dmg) whose on_death spawns a purple AoE blast at impact (spawn_area, radius 28, 5 dmg, no caster so no stray shake/recoil). A direct hit lands 2 + 5 = 7 on the primary and 5 splash to everything near the impact.

Test

./run.bat, E to spawn a clump. The Cannoneer's purple shot should travel slowly, then pop into an explosion on the first enemy it hits — damaging the whole cluster, not just one. A shot that misses everything still just flies off-screen and vanishes (no phantom explosion).

Tunables in the Cannoneer def: projectile damage (direct), and the on_death area's radius/damage (the blast).

That's the four units corrected and complete — archer, magician, cannoneer (now AoE), outlaw, geomancer. Enough variety to judge whether the core loop is fun.

Give me toggles on each unit attacking, hard to see when they all attack at the same time. But I already see some issues. Rock is rising/dropping too fast, use default values from Orblike/Invoker instead of the changed ones.

Two things. Let me first confirm the Geomancer arc point — I overrode flight_duration to 0.6 (carrier default is 3, which prop.lua claims is the v1 port). Let me verify the actual Orblike/Invoker value before reverting, so I use the real one.

Grep (big_rock|flight_duration|apex_scale|rock.gravity|duration.=.*3)

Invoker-old\player.lua:132:        duration = random_float(0.1, 0.3),
Invoker-old\projectile.lua:136:        duration = random_float(0.1, 0.3),
Invoker-old\projectile.lua:179:      duration = random_float(0.1, 0.3),
Invoker-old\projectile.lua:309:      duration = random_float(0.3, 0.6),
Invoker-old\reference\008 - Antitower [success]\main.yue:572:    @duration = lun\random_float 0.15, 0.3
Invoker-old\reference\008 - Antitower [success]\main.lua:1188:          self.duration = lun:random_float(0.15, 0.3) -- 572
Invoker-old\reference\001-No-title\unit.lua:152:    effects:container_add(hit_circle(self.x, self.y, {colors = {colors.fg[0], 0.5, self.color}, duration = 0.3, rs = 12}))
Invoker-old\reference\001-No-title\unit.lua:154:      effects:container_add(hit_particle(self.x, self.y, {colors = {colors.fg[0], 0.5, self.color}, duration = an:random_float(0.2, 0.6), speed = an:random_float(50, 150), w = an:random_float(3.5, 7)}))
Invoker-old\reference\001-No-title\projectile.lua:40:  effects:container_add(projectile_death_effect(self.x, self.y, {colors = {colors.fg[0], 0.75, self.color}, duration = an:random_float(0.3, 0.4), w = 10}))
Invoker-old\seeker.lua:101:  spawn_hit_circle(self.x, self.y, {radius = 10, duration = 0.3}):change_color(0.5, red)
Invoker-old\reference\004\lua\anchor\flash.lua:7:           if duration == nil then -- 3
Invoker-old\reference\004\lua\anchor\flash.lua:8:               duration = 0.15 -- 3
Invoker-old\reference\004\lua\anchor\flash.lua:10:          self.duration = duration -- 3
Invoker-old\reference\004\lua\anchor\init.lua:35:local duration = require('anchor/duration') -- 34
Invoker-old\reference\ai_coding_paradigms.md:104:      mid    = {count = 6,  speed = {150, 300}, duration = {0.15, 0.3},  size = {3, 5}},
Invoker-old\reference\ai_coding_paradigms.md:113:      radial = {count = 16, speed = {60, 200}, duration = {0.1, 0.3}, size = {3, 5}},
Invoker-old\reference\interactions.md:1431:## big_rock (area, physical, earth)
Invoker-old\reference\interactions.md:1486:- **ability_copy** — After firing, all other orbs fire big_rock too (staggered).
Invoker-old\reference\file_split_and_ownership.md:28:| `carriers.lua` | The instant-fire carrier *implementations* extracted from `orb:activate`: melee (1350-1439), self_area (1440-1514), aimed_area (1515-1582), chain (1583-1788), big_rock (1789-1856), construct (1857-1942), random (1943-1948), projectile/default (1949-2114), plus `fire_triggered_ability` (7531-7548) since it's used by carriers | ~1000 lines |
Invoker-old\reference\file_split_and_ownership.md:35:| `effects.lua` | All 14 visual effect classes (9481-11399): hit_circle, hit_particle, hit_effect, fx_effect, lightning_line, cyclone_particle, psylance_effect, big_rock_effect, rock_fragment, rock_debris, railgun_flash, arc_trail_line, beam_particle, slightly_jagged_line, dash_clone | ~2000 lines |
Invoker-old\reference\008 - Antitower [success]\lun\object.lua:27:          if duration == nil then -- 73
Invoker-old\reference\008 - Antitower [success]\lun\object.lua:28:              duration = 0.15 -- 73
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:385:          chain = chain .. 'atrim=duration=' .. string.format('%.3f', sd.duration_ms/1000) .. ','
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:686:  elseif mods['knockback++'] then force, duration = 10, 0.35
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:899:    charge_duration = 0.3,
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:929:  big_rock = {
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:932:    carrier = 'big_rock',
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:938:    flight_duration = 3,
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:1091:  'big_rock', 'railgun', 'psylance', 'wind_slash', 'righteous_fire',
Invoker-old\v1\main.lua:1429:          duration = an.random:float(0.3, 0.6),
... [2 more lines]

Confirmed: Invoker-old/v1/main.lua:938: flight_duration = 3 — the prop carrier's default (3) is the Orblike value. Let me read the full v1 big_rock def to match the other arc params too:

Read (E:/a327ex/Invoker-old/v1/main.lua)

929    big_rock = {
930     activation = 'manual',
931     tags = {'area', 'physical', 'earth'},
932     carrier = 'big_rock',
933     color = yellow,
934     cooldown = 5,
935     area_radius = 30,
936     damage = 12,
937     element = 'earth',
938     flight_duration = 3,
939     fire_sound = 'fissure_cast_1',
940     area_sound = 'fissure_cast_2',
941   },
942   railgun = {
943     activation = 'manual',
944     tags = {'beam', 'physical'},

Confirmed the Orblike big_rock: flight_duration = 3, area_radius = 30, damage = 12 (gravity/apex unspecified → carrier defaults 2/3). My 0.6 flight was the culprit for the fast rise/drop. Reverting the Geomancer to those Orblike values (keeping shake/land_shake at 0 per your no-screen-shake policy), and adding the per-unit-type attack toggles to the F1 panel.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the F1 panel — taller, with the per-type ATTACK toggles:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me verify the ui_checkbox API (label arg + return fields) so the panel doesn't error at runtime:

Grep (function ui_checkbox|clicked\s=|checked\s=|return ui_ret)

187:  return ui_ret(r, { hovered = hovered, clicked = clicked })
188-end
189-
190---[[
--
284:  return ui_ret(r, { hovered = hovered, clicked = clicked })
285-end
286-
287---[[
--
375:  return ui_ret(r, {})
376-end
377-
378---[[
--
426:  return ui_ret({ x = opts.x, y = opts.y, w = opts.w, h = h }, {})
427-end
428-
429---[[
--

[Showing results with pagination = limit: 20]

Grep (function ui_checkbox)

584:function ui_checkbox(opts)
585-  local r    = opts.rect
586-  local id   = opts.id
587-  local font = opts.font or ui_font_body_ark
588-  local ed   = opts.spec
589-  local on   = opts.checked
590-
591-  -- Hit region spans the indicator box plus the label.
592-  local hit = { x = r.x, y = r.y, w = r.w, h = r.h }
593-  local lw  = opts.label and font:text_width(opts.label) or 0
594-  if opts.label then hit.w = r.w + 6 + lw end
595-
596-  local hovered, clicked = form_control_interact(id, hit)
597-  local checked = on
598-  if clicked then checked = not on end
599-
600-  -- Indicator — scale-popped around the box center.
601-  local s = (id and ui_juice_scale(id)) or 1
602-  layer_push(ui_layer, r.x + r.w/2, r.y + r.h/2, 0, s, s)
603-  local lc = { x = -r.w/2, y = -r.h/2, w = r.w, h = r.h }
604-  if on then
605-    ui_rrect(lc.x, lc.y, lc.w, lc.h, 3, green, ed)
606-    draw_checkmark(lc.w, lc.h, text, ed)
607-  else
608-    -- Off state — just a charcoal fill (no thin border outline).
609-    -- Hover indication is the scale-pop juice alone.
610-    ui_rrect(lc.x, lc.y, lc.w, lc.h, 3, charcoal, ed)
611-  end
612-  layer_pop(ui_layer)

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/snkrx/ui/widgets.lua)

612    layer_pop(ui_layer)
613 
614   -- Label, to the right (drawn outside the scale push).
615   if opts.label then
616     ui_text({ rect = { x = r.x + r.w + 6, y = r.y, w = lw + 4, h = r.h },
617               text = opts.label, font = font, color = text,
618               align_v = 'center', spec = ed })
619   end
620 
621   return ui_ret(r, { checked = checked, clicked = clicked })
622 end
623 
624 --[[
625   ui_radio(opts) -> { selected, clicked }
626 
627   One radio button: a circular indicator + an optional label, the whole

Good — ui_checkbox returns { checked, clicked } and takes label. But reading the source caught a bug in my panel code: the checkbox draws its indicator at the full rect size, so passing a full-width row rect would render a 126px-wide box. I need to pass a small square rect (label is auto-drawn to its right). Fixing:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Both changes are in.

Diff

Per-unit-type attack toggles (units.lua + main.lua):

Geomancer rock arc → Orblike defaults (units.lua):

Test

./run.bat, F1 → tick units off to isolate one at a time; E to spawn enemies. The rock should now arc up and down slowly like Orblike.

⚠️ One thing the slow arc reintroduces

With the 3s flight, the Geomancer throws at where the enemy is at cast time, and over 3 seconds a moving enemy walks ~60–90px away — so the rock will usually land behind it and miss. In Orblike the rock was player-aimed, so the long flight was fine; an auto-targeter against moving enemies isn't. If it feels useless once you watch it, the fix is target leading (aim where the enemy will be after the flight) — that keeps the slow Orblike arc and lands the hit. Want me to add that, or leave it as-is for now?

Take a look at the magician + cannoneer areas in SNKRX and copy their stats, I'm pretty sure they're both rectangular and with different sizes than now. Cannoneer projectile should also be normal sized like in SNKRX.

Let me find the actual magician and cannoneer attack implementations in SNKRX's player.lua.

Grep (magician|cannoneer)

40-
41:  elseif self.character == 'magician' then
42-    self.attack_sensor = Circle(self.x, self.y, 96)
43-    self.t:cooldown(2, function() local enemies = self:get_objects_in_shape(self.attack_sensor, main.current.enemies); return enemies and #enemies > 0 end, function()
44:      if self.magician_invulnerable then return end
45-      local enemy = self:get_random_object_in_shape(self.attack_sensor, main.current.enemies)
46-      if enemy then
47-        self:attack(32, {x = enemy.x, y = enemy.y})
48-      end
49-    end, nil, nil, 'attack')
50-    if self.level == 3 then
51-      self.t:every(12, function()
52:        self.magician_aspd_m = 1.5
53:        self.t:after(6, function() self.magician_aspd_m = 1 end, 'magician_aspd_m')
54-      end)
55-    end
56-
57-  elseif self.character == 'gambler' then
58-    self.sorcerer_count = 0
59-    local cast = function(pitch_a)
60-      local enemy = table.shuffle(main.current.main:get_objects_by_classes(main.current.enemies))[1]
61-      if enemy then
62-        gambler1:play{pitch = pitch_a, volume = math.clamp(math.remap(gold, 0, 50, 0, 0.5), 0, 0.75)}
63-        enemy:hit(2*gold)
64-        if main.current.sorcerer_level > 0 then
65-          self.sorcerer_count = self.sorcerer_count + 1
--
325-
326:  elseif self.character == 'cannoneer' then
327-    self.attack_sensor = Circle(self.x, self.y, 128)
... [222 more lines]

I need the Player:attack (magician), the Area class shape, and the projectile sizing. Let me pull those.

Grep (function Player:attack|function Player:shoot|^Area =|^Projectile =|function Area:init|function Area:draw|function Projectile:init|self.shape = (Rectangle|Circle))

1791:function Player:shoot(r, mods)
1792-  mods = mods or {}
1793-  camera:spring_shake(2, r)
1794-  self.hfx:use('shoot', 0.25)
1795-
1796-  local dmg_m = 1
1797-  local crit = false
1798-  if self.character == 'beastmaster' then crit = random:bool(10) end
1799-  if self.chance_to_crit and random:bool(self.chance_to_crit) then dmg_m = ((self.assassination == 1 and 8) or (self.assassination == 2 and 10) or (self.assassination == 3 and 12) or 4); crit = true end
1800-  if self.assassination and table.any(self.classes, function(v) return v == 'rogue' end) then
1801-    if not crit then
1802-      dmg_m = 0.5
1803-    end
1804-  end
1805-
1806-  if self.character == 'thief' then
1807-    dmg_m = dmg_m*2
1808-    if self.level == 3 and crit then
1809-      dmg_m = dmg_m*10
1810-      main.current.gold_picked_up = main.current.gold_picked_up + 1
1811-    end
1812-  end
1813-
--
1917:function Player:attack(area, mods)
1918-  mods = mods or {}
1919-  camera:shake(2, 0.5)
1920-  self.hfx:use('shoot', 0.25)
1921-  local t = {group = main.current.effects, x = mods.x or self.x, y = mods.y or self.y, r = self.r, w = self.area_size_m*(area or 64), color = self.color, dmg = self.area_dmg_m*self.dmg,
1922-    character = self.character, level = self.level, parent = self}
... [92 more lines]

Found the SNKRX values:

So both areas should be shape = 'rect' with half-side = w/2 (magician radius 16 → 32px square; cannoneer radius 48 → 96px square), and the cannoneer projectile drops back to the normal 10×4. Making those edits, plus a quick check of SNKRX's resolution to judge how the 96px square scales to our arena.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Bash (cd E:/a327ex/SNKRX && grep -nE "gw|gh|game_width|game_height|width|height|=.*480...)

conf.lua:3:  t.window.width = 960
conf.lua:4:  t.window.height = 540
main.lua:16:  input:bind('move_right', {'d', 'e', 's', 'right', 'dpright', 'm2'})
main.lua:17:  input:bind('enter', {'space', 'return', 'fleft', 'fdown', 'fright'})
main.lua:123:  song3 = Sound('Kubbi - Ember - 03 Firelight.ogg', {tags = {music}})
main.lua:232:  lightning_strike = Image('lightning_strike')
main.lua:315:    ['highlander'] = 'Highlander',
main.lua:375:    ['highlander'] = yellow[0],
main.lua:435:    ['highlander'] = 'yellow',
main.lua:495:    ['highlander'] = {'warrior'},
main.lua:555:    ['highlander'] = '[yellow]Warrior',
main.lua:604:    ['stormweaver'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]infuses projectiles with chain lightning that deals [yellow]20%[fg] damage to [yellow]2[fg] enemies' end,
main.lua:632:    ['highlander'] = function(lvl) return '[fg]deals [yellow]' .. 5*get_character_stat('highlander', lvl, 'dmg') .. '[fg] AoE damage' end,
main.lua:665:    ['stormweaver'] = '[blue]Wide Lightning',
main.lua:689:    ['bane'] = '[purple]Nightmare',
main.lua:692:    ['highlander'] = '[yellow]Moulinet',
main.lua:713:    ['vagrant'] = '[light_bg]Experience',
main.lua:714:    ['swordsman'] = '[light_bg]Cleave',
main.lua:715:    ['wizard'] = '[light_bg]Magic Missile',
main.lua:716:    ['magician'] = '[light_bg]Quick Cast',

SNKRX runs at a 960×540 window over a 480×270 base canvas (2× scale) — the same coordinate space as Mini Looper. So the w=32/w=96 sizes are 1:1 faithful, no rescaling needed.

Diff (units.lua)

Both areas are now shape = 'rect' (our smooth-rect draws a filled translucent square + corner brackets — exactly SNKRX's Area:draw):

Before Now (SNKRX)
Magician area circle, r22 32×32 square (radius 16), dmg 3
Cannoneer explosion circle, r28, dmg 5 96×96 square (radius 48), rotated along travel, dmg 6 (2×)
Cannoneer projectile 16×8, slow (speed 120) normal 10×4, default speed (like the archer)

The Cannoneer is no longer a "slow heavy shot" — it's a normal projectile whose identity is the big square blast on impact (SNKRX's "projectile that deals 2× AoE damage"). I set the explosion damage to 6 (2× the magician's 3) to mirror that 2× relationship.

Test

./run.bat, F1 to solo each unit, E to spawn enemies.

Heads-up: the 96px cannoneer square is genuinely large — it's SNKRX-accurate, but against our compact loop it covers a meaningful slice of the play area (which is the point — it's the heavy AoE unit). If you want it scaled to the smaller arena later, the radius 48 is the dial.

Decrease cannoneer area 64px. Add screen shake to big rock and cannoneer attacks, as they were originally. Decrease big rock to 2 seconds instead of 3. Make the function for searching the next enemy to hit for AoE attacks to favor packs of enemies instead of the closest enemy. Add an additional function for attacks that take time to hit (such as big rock) to predict the movement of enemies and thus choose a more appropriate position for the attack.

Five changes. Let me lay out the approach for the two new functions (the only real design decisions), then implement all of it:

Implementing:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the three AoE unit defs — pack targeting, the 64px cannoneer area, restored shakes, 2s rock + leading:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

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All five changes are in (units.lua).

Diff

  1. Cannoneer area 96 → 64px — explosion radius 48 → 32.
  2. Screen shake restored on the heavy units:
    • Geomancer: dropped my shake=0/land_shake=0 → back to the Orblike defaults (throw kick 3, landing shake_push 8 + shake_shake 5).
    • Cannoneer: small fire kick (shake 2) + a shake_shake(4, 0.2) boom at the explosion.
    • (Archer / magician / outlaw stay shake-free — they fire too often.)
  3. Big rock flight 3 → 2s — flight_duration = 2.
  4. Pack-favoring targeting — new unit_pack_target(u, range, cluster_radius): picks the enemy whose neighborhood (within the AoE radius) holds the most enemies, so the blast lands on the densest cluster (tie-break nearest). The three AoE units carry an aoe_radius (magician 16, cannoneer 32, geomancer 30) and use it; archer/outlaw still target nearest.
  5. Movement prediction — new unit_lead_position(e, lead_time): predicts the enemy's spot from velocity × lead_time. The Geomancer leads by its 2s flight so the rock lands where the pack will be.

Test

./run.bat, F1 to solo a unit, E to spawn enemies — spawn a few close together to make a "pack."

Caveats / notes

Add screen shake to most attacks actually, it doesn't feel bad, just make sure the amount corresponds to the attack intensity/size itself. Increase magician area to 40px. Normalize damage, Outlaw is doing too little, Cannoneer doing too much. Give me sliders for all currently implemented units' cooldowns too.

Got it — five changes:

  1. Screen shake on all units, scaled to attack size (archer lightest → geomancer heaviest).
  2. Magician area 32→40px.
  3. Damage normalize: Outlaw up, Cannoneer down.
  4. Cooldown sliders for all 5 units (needs a two-column F1 panel — 8 sliders + toggles won't fit one column in a 270px-tall screen).

Shake gradient: archer 1 → outlaw/magician 2 → cannoneer boom 4 → geomancer slam 8 (unchanged Orblike). Making the edits.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

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Now the two-column F1 panel with all five cooldown sliders:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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All edits in. Here's the summary.

Diff

Shake on every unit, scaled to size (units.lua): | Unit | Shake | |---|---| | Archer | 1 (tiny kick) | | Outlaw | 2 once per fan (not per pellet) | | Magician | 2 cast shake | | Cannoneer | 2 fire kick + 4 boom on impact | | Geomancer | Orblike throw 3 + slam 8/shake 5 (unchanged) |

Magician area → radius 20 (40px square), aoe_radius 20 to match.

Damage normalized: | Unit | Before | Now | |---|---|---| | Outlaw | 1/pellet (≤3) | 2/pellet (≤6) | | Cannoneer | 2 direct + 6 AoE (=8 primary) | 1 direct + 4 AoE (=5 primary, 4 splash) |

Archer (2), Magician (3/target), Geomancer (12, the heavy nuke) unchanged — so the spread is now ~2–6 with the geomancer as the deliberate outlier.

F1 panel → two columns (main.lua): 8 sliders + toggles don't fit one column on a 270px screen, so:

Panel is wider now (232px), so it covers more of the play area while open — but it's only up on F1.

Test

./run.bat, F1 for the panel.

Yea, the game feels good. We need to work on details later like enemy speed, spawn patterns, and so on, to make it work fully, but the actual combat feels good to watch. Reading the idea for the game from the first log, what do you think we should do next? More units or other tasks?

Honestly, my read is that neither "more units" nor the tuning tasks is the right next move — the next thing should be faking the end-game power fantasy. Here's the reasoning, straight from the design in that first log.

Where we are on your own build-heavy pipeline. The pipeline you wrote down is: validate the beginning (moment-to-moment feels good) AND the end (the maxed-out, screen-clearing power fantasy is fun) before committing to production — and the end-game is a kill-gate at the front, tested by hardcoding a fake powered build, not by building the systems to reach it.

You just validated the beginning: a train of auto-attackers mowing through a stream of enemies is fun to watch. Good — that's a real gate passed. But "fun to watch for a bit" is exactly the thing that fakes you out on the first sitting. The question that actually decides whether Mini Looper is worth producing is the end: when you've got a long, fully-powered train tearing through a dense swarm, is it a satisfying power fantasy or just noise? We haven't seen that yet, and it's cheap to check.

Why not more units. More units is content breadth on a thing that's already proven fun — it feels productive but it doesn't answer the open question. And critically, you don't need more unit types to fake the end-game: you can crank the five you have (20-unit roster, cooldowns at 0.3, doubled AoE, a couple of hardcoded fake-modifiers like "all projectiles pierce / everything explodes") and throw a 50-enemy swarm at it. That's the fake. Per your own rule — don't build the modifier/draft/shop systems to get there, hardcode the effect. If the end-game's fun, more units becomes part of production; if it's not, you've saved yourself from building a roster for a game that doesn't pop.

What the fake also de-risks — and these are Mini-Looper-specific unknowns:

The looming question after that is agency — right now you watch, you don't play. Your design's answer is composition + building placement (the TD heart), but that's the "constraint" layer, and the pipeline puts it after both fun-gates. The end-game fake will directly inform how that should feel, so it's the right thing to do first anyway.

So my vote is clear, but it's your call:

AskUserQuestion 

Your questions have been answered: "What should we tackle next?"="We also have another thing we could do which is placing buildings, having enemies attack them, etc. Maybe it would be better to test endgame builds once we have a fail condition and a bit more to the game?". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

You're right on the important part, and I think it sharpens the plan rather than replacing it.

Where you're right: a power fantasy needs stakes. Testing "does the maxed build feel good clearing a swarm" with nothing at risk is a hollow test — half of what makes a screen-clear satisfying is "that swarm was about to kill me and I deleted it instead." Right now enemies reach the center and nothing happens, so there's no "instead." So yes — a fail condition makes the end-game test honest, not premature. Good catch.

Where I'd hold the line: there's a real difference between two things you bundled together —

The phrase to watch in your message is "a fail condition and a bit more to the game." The fail condition is justified; "a bit more" is the exact spot where the kill-gate quietly turns into a post-commitment confirmation — you build the buildings, the placement UI, the enemy-attacks-building logic, and then test the ceiling, having already sunk the work. Your CLAUDE.md is blunt about this: the end-game check is "a kill-gate at the front, never a confirmation step after I've committed."

So my committal recommendation: do the minimal fail condition and stop there — a core at the center with HP, enemies deal damage when they reach it, lose state when it dies. Then immediately fake the end-game against that. That gives you the honest test (maxed build vs threatening swarm with a real lose condition) without building the agency layer first.

And there's an upside to that ordering for the buildings themselves: the end-game fake will tell you what the building/placement layer needs to do. If a maxed train already trivially holds the line, buildings need to add pressure-relief or coverage; if the train can't cover the loop at scale, buildings become the patch for the gaps. Designing the TD layer before you've seen the ceiling means guessing at the problem it's solving.

So: minimal fail condition → end-game fake → then design buildings/agency. Buildings are the next real feature after the gate, not before it.

If that lands, I'll write up a design brief for the core/fail-condition (what the core is, how enemies damage it, lose/restart, the HP readout) and we go from there. Want me to?

You're right. Let's do the core. It should be just a simple square/circle in the center, a physical object, and once enemies hit it, it pushes them back but also takes damage. Should be an HP bar below it showing its HP visually and in numbers. Do that, and then we'll do enemy spawn patterns.

The core is approved with a clear spec. Per the brief rule I'll lay out the plan before coding (there's one genuinely open decision — what losing does). Let me first confirm two API details so the brief is accurate: world-space text drawing (for the numeric HP) and a static circle collider.

Grep (layer_text(|'static'|\"static\"|collider(.*circle)

mini-looper\anchor\font.lua:6:    layer_text(game_layer, "Hello", fonts.main, 100, 50, color)
mini-looper\anchor\layer.lua:193:function layer_text(lyr, text, f, x, y, color)
mini-looper\anchor\memory.lua:182:  layer_text(layer, 'MEMORY (F3 hide / F4 baseline)', font, x, y, header_color)
mini-looper\anchor\memory.lua:185:    layer_text(layer, 'baseline captured', font, x, y, header_color)
mini-looper\anchor\memory.lua:187:    layer_text(layer, 'no baseline yet', font, x, y, header_color)
mini-looper\anchor\memory.lua:199:    layer_text(layer, label, font, x, y, text_color)
mini-looper\anchor\memory.lua:200:    layer_text(layer, fmt_value(cur, kind), font, x + col_label_w, y, text_color)
mini-looper\anchor\memory.lua:202:      layer_text(layer, fmt_delta(delta, kind), font, x + col_label_w + col_value_w, y, delta_color)
mini-looper\main_old.lua:662:  layer_text(debug_layer, 'homing: ' .. (current_beam_homing and 'ON' or 'OFF'),
mini-looper\main_old.lua:664:  layer_text(debug_layer, string.format('turn_rate: %.4f  [1/2]', current_beam_homing_turn_rate),
mini-looper\main_old.lua:666:  layer_text(debug_layer, string.format('proximity: %d  [3/4]', current_beam_homing_proximity),
mini-looper\main_old.lua:668:  layer_text(debug_layer, string.format('step_size: %d  [5/6]', current_beam_homing_step_size),
mini-looper\main_old.lua:670:  layer_text(debug_layer, 'beam: ' .. (current_beam_persistent and 'PERSISTENT' or 'INSTANT'),
mini-looper\snkrx\wall.lua:18:    • The collider's chain shape signature is `(owner, tag, 'static',
mini-looper\snkrx\wall.lua:20:      `self:add(collider('wall', 'static', 'chain', local_verts, true))`.
mini-looper\snkrx\wall.lua:70:  self.collider = collider(self, 'wall', 'static', 'chain', local_verts, true)
mini-looper\snkrx\ui\paint.lua:92:  layer_text(ui_layer, str, font, x, y, color())
mini-looper\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:71:  layer_text(lyr, nstr, ui_font_body, x, y, text_muted())
mini-looper\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:72:  layer_text(lyr, title:upper(), ui_font_body,
mini-looper\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1167:  layer_text(ui_layer, 'UI KIT', ui_font_header_l, 8, 6, text())
mini-looper\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1168:  layer_text(ui_layer,
mini-looper\snkrx\ui\gallery.lua:1176:  layer_text(ui_layer, ind, ui_font_body,
mini-looper\snkrx\palette.lua:27:        layer_text(layer, msg, font, x, y, text())

Both confirmed: layer_text(lyr, text, font, x, y, color) works in world space (so numeric HP under the core is fine), and static colliders exist (collider(self, tag, 'static', shape, ...) — circle is supported). Here's the brief.

Design brief — the core

Approach

A new core.lua: a single static circular object at the loop center (loop_cx, loop_cy) that enemies attack. Because it's a static collider, enemies (which already seek the center) physically pile against it — they can't overlap it. On each contact-begin, the core knocks that enemy back (radially) and loses HP equal to the enemy's contact_damage. The knockback is what makes damage repeat: a bounced enemy re-approaches and re-collides, so a swarm chips the core continuously; if the train can't thin them, the core dies → you lose. (Circle over square for a clean radial push; trivial to switch.)

It draws itself (a breathing circle through the effect pipeline) plus an HP bar below it — a charcoal background + colored fill + numeric hp / max text via layer_text, all in world space on game_layer.

Interfaces (main.lua glue)

Functions

Tunables: core_max_hp (100), core_radius (14), core_push_force (~8).

The one open decision — what losing does

My proposal: at 0 HP, set core_destroyed = true + a death burst, freeze the field (skip spawning + the sim updates while dead), and show a screen overlay “CORE DESTROYED — press R to restart.” R → core_reset() (HP back to full, clear all enemies, unfreeze); the train keeps running. Minimal, gives a real lose-and-retry without any wave/score system.

If you'd rather it just auto-reset with no overlay, or not freeze, say so — otherwise I'll build the freeze+overlay+R version. Good to go?

Instead of calling it "core," let's just make this a generic building, like all other buildings will be, that happens to be the central one. Buildings are squares and are placed on a logical grid that makes up the entire screen area.

Good reframe — making it a generic grid-placed building from the start avoids a throwaway core we'd refactor the moment a second building exists. I'll keep the behavior exactly as you specified (square, physical, push-on-contact, takes damage, HP bar below) and just generalize it onto a grid. Importantly, I'm scoping this to the abstraction + the one central building — no placement UI / mouse / multiple building types yet (that's the agency layer, still after the end-game gate). Here's the revised brief.

Design brief — buildings + grid (central building first)

Approach

Interfaces (main.lua)

Functions

grid_cell_center / grid_cell_at / grid_draw; building:new(col,row,opts) (cell→x,y, static box collider, hp, objective flag) / :hit / :update / :draw / :destroy; building_place(col,row,opts) (registers in buildings + grid occupancy, stores central_building if objective); building_reset() (restore objective HP, clear lose flag, clear enemies).

Decisions to confirm

  1. Sizes — propose cell_size = 24 → grid ~20×11; buildings draw ~20px squares (4px cell padding); building_max_hp = 100, push_force = 8. The central building is one cell (not bigger). OK, or different cell/building size?
  2. Grid visualization — draw faint grid lines only when F2 (debug) is on. Good?
  3. Lose state — unchanged from before: at 0 HP, freeze the field + overlay “BASE DESTROYED — press R to restart”, R resets (full HP, clear enemies, unfreeze).

Good to go, or adjust the sizes/grid-viz?

Go ahead.

Approved — building it. Two new files (grid.lua, building.lua) plus the main.lua wiring. Starting with the grid:

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua)

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/building.lua)

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/mini-looper/building.lua (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the main.lua wiring. Requires, physics, input:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Now the SCENE — place the central building:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Now the update logic — move the spawn check, add the lose gate, the buildings update loop, and the collision handler:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Now the draw side — buildings, grid debug, and the lose overlay:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

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All wired. Here's what landed.

New files

main.lua wiring

Test

./run.bat

Tunables: building_max_hp (100), building_size (20), building_push_force (8), grid_cell_size (24).

Two small notes

Next up, per your plan: enemy spawn patterns. Want to go there now, or play this first?

Color the square properly, it's just white now. Maybe a polychrome/ramp linear gradient on it.

Right — text↔white reads as plain white. Let me switch it to a polychrome ramp + linear-gradient pattern. One thing to get right: the current spec's bayer4_2 dither is 2-level, which would collapse a ramp to just its endpoints — so I need a dither that preserves a multi-stop ramp. Let me check what's available before picking.

Grep (dither|linear_gradient|ramp)

2:  effect.lua — four-axis visual effect system (pattern × color × dither × shape).
11:        f = dither(f, pixel_pos)              -- quantize to discrete levels
24:    effect_clear(layer)                      pattern/color/dither/shape → passthrough
38:      effect_next_dither(cur),  effect_prev_dither(cur)
45:      color          'none'      -- 'none' | 'solid' | 'mix' | 'ramp'
46:      dither         'off'       -- see DITHER list below
49:      ramp           effect_ramp -- ordered token-name list, used by color='ramp'
66:               color='mix' for a flat 50/50 dither texture.
69:      linear_gradient / radial_gradient
78:               2-level dither this becomes per-pixel A-or-B with no blending;
79:               with a multi-level dither it becomes N-step palette interp.
80:      ramp     f mapped across the ordered `ramp` token list (generalizes mix
82:               f, so an animated pattern sweeps the ramp in time and a gradient
84:    Dither (34 modes; see dither_pretty_names for HUD labels):
87:      bayer2_4, bayer4_4, bayer4_8, bayer8_7,      Bayer ordered dither,
97:    The level count baked into each multi-level dither's name controls how
133:  linear_gradient = 10,
141:  ramp  = 3,
144:-- Ordered palette tokens for color='ramp' — the on-palette "polychrome". f maps
147:effect_ramp = { 'red', 'orange', 'yellow', 'green', 'blue', 'pink' }
149:-- SHAPE: re-express the field as a grid of circles (runs before dither). The
179:-- assets/draw_shader.frag's apply_dither(). 2-level group at the top
183:dither_kinds = {
189:  -- Bayer ordered dither, multi-level
236:  'truchet', 'contours', 'linear_gradient', 'radial_gradient',
238:color_cycle_names   = { 'none', 'solid', 'mix', 'ramp' }
259:-- Dither cycle order matches the integer id order in dither_kinds (and the
261:dither_cycle_names = {
286:-- dither labels are spelled out a bit so the HUD reads more like the snkrx
288:dither_pretty_names = {
... [12 more lines]

The dither catalog has multi-level Bayer modes (bayer4_4, bayer4_8, bayer8_7) that preserve a ramp, plus linear_gradient (pattern 10) and ramp (color 3) confirmed. Let me check how linear_gradient uses pattern_scale so the gradient spans the small square as one sweep rather than banding.

Grep (linear_gradient|u_pattern_scale|PATTERN_LINEAR)

30://                          10=linear_gradient 11=radial_gradient (LOCAL)
31://   u_pattern_scale  float world-units multiplier for the pattern field
32-//                          (ignored by the LOCAL gradient patterns)
33-//   u_pattern_param  float pattern-specific knob (unused by organic/solid)
34-//   u_pattern_param2 float 2nd pattern-specific knob — gradient OFFSET / RANGE
35-//   u_dither_kind    int   0=off, 1=bayer4_2, 2=bayer8_2, 3=noise_2
36-//   u_shape_kind     int   0=none, 1=circle(size), 2=circle(hard)
37-//   u_shape_size     float shape grid cell size in pixels
--
91:uniform float u_pattern_scale;
92-uniform float u_pattern_param;     // per-pattern intrinsic knob (meaning varies by pattern)
93-uniform float u_pattern_param2;    // second per-pattern intrinsic knob (used by the local gradients)
94-uniform float u_pattern_speed;     // animation rate multiplier (universal)
95-uniform float u_pattern_contrast;  \ mid-range spread (universal): <1 softer, >1 punchier
96-uniform int   u_dither_kind;
97-uniform int   u_shape_kind;        // 0=none 1=circle(size) 2=circle(hard) 3=sprite(bg) 4=sprite(field)
--
308:// linear_gradient — A→B ramp across the rect. param = ANGLE (0..1 → 0..2π),
309-// aspect-corrected so the angle reads as a true screen angle. param2 = OFFSET
310-\ ([-1, 1]): biases the midline (f = 0.5) along the angle — 0 = rect center,
311-// +1 slides it to the far corner, -1 to the near corner. Normalized so the
312-// ramp spans the rect corner-to-corner along the angle direction.
313:float pattern_linear_gradient(vec2 uv, vec2 quad_px, float param, float offset) {
314-    float ang = param * 6.28318530718;
315-    vec2 dir = vec2(cos(ang), sin(ang));
316-    vec2 c = (uv - 0.5) * quad_px;                                  // centered, pixel space
317-    float proj = dot(c, dir);
318-    float half_extent = 0.5 * (abs(dir.x) * quad_px.x + abs(dir.y) * quad_px.y);
319-    return clamp(0.5 + 0.5 * (proj / max(half_extent, 1.0) - offset), 0.0, 1.0);
--
... [12 more lines]

linear_gradient is a local pattern — it auto-spans the square corner-to-corner exactly once (ignores pattern_scale, so no banding), with pattern_param = angle. And bayer4_8 is an 8-level dither that preserves a multi-stop ramp (unlike the 2-level bayer4_2). So I can do a clean diagonal polychrome gradient:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/building.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/building.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Done — one-line spec change in building.lua.

The base is now a cyan → violet → pink polychrome gradient running diagonally across the square (45°), dithered with bayer4_8 so it keeps the game's pixel-stipple texture while showing all three ramp colors. It's the only ramp/gradient object in the game, so it reads as distinctly "special" against the solid-hue units and red/orange enemies.

Test: ./run.bat — the center square should show the diagonal multi-color gradient.

Easy knobs if you want to tweak the look:

Note it's a static gradient (doesn't breathe like the units) — which I think suits "solid structure you defend," but I can animate it (sweep the colors) if you'd prefer it feel alive. Otherwise, ready for enemy spawn patterns next.

Default CD for attacks: Geomancer = 3, Archer = 1, Magician = 1.5, Outlaw = 1.5, Cannoneer = 2.

Lua draw() error: anchor/collider.lua:154: Invalid body

Error that only happens when pressing F2 when grid is active.

Two items — the cooldown defaults (trivial), and the F2 crash (needs diagnosis). Let me look at the collider error first.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/anchor/collider.lua)

120  function collider:get_friction(shape) return physics_shape_get_friction(shape or self.shape) end
121 function collider:set_restitution(restitution, shape) physics_shape_set_restitution(shape or self.shape, restitution) end
122 function collider:get_restitution(shape) return physics_shape_get_restitution(shape or self.shape) end
123 function collider:set_density(density, shape) physics_shape_set_density(shape or self.shape, density) end
124 function collider:get_density(shape) return physics_shape_get_density(shape or self.shape) end
125 function collider:set_filter_group(group, shape) physics_shape_set_filter_group(shape or self.shape, group) end
126 function collider:destroy_shape(shape, update_mass)
127   if update_mass == nil then update_mass = true end
128   physics_shape_destroy(shape, update_mass)
129 end
130 
131 -- Additional shapes (multi-shape bodies)
132 function collider:add_circle(tag, radius, opts)
133   return physics_add_circle(self.body, tag, radius, opts or {})
134 end
135 function collider:add_box(tag, width, height, opts)
136   return physics_add_box(self.body, tag, width, height, opts or {})
137 end
138 function collider:add_capsule(tag, length, radius, opts)
139   return physics_add_capsule(self.body, tag, length, radius, opts or {})
140 end
141 function collider:add_polygon(tag, vertices, opts)
142   return physics_add_polygon(self.body, tag, vertices, opts or {})
143 end
144 function collider:add_chain(tag, vertices, is_loop)
145   return physics_add_chain(self.body, tag, vertices, is_loop)
146 end
147 
148 -- Body queries
149 function collider:get_mass() return physics_get_mass(self.body) end
... [40 more lines]

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/anchor/collider.lua)

1    --[[
2     collider — thin wrapper around a Box2D physics body + shape.
3   
4     Stays as a class (with :method syntax) because:
5       1. It bundles body + shape + tag into one object
6       2. Steering behaviors logically operate on the collider, not a bare body
7       3. Multiple method calls per entity per frame — call site ergonomics matter
8   
9     Usage:
10      function seeker:new(x, y, args)
11        self.x = x
12        self.y = y
13        make_entity(self)                                        -- must be before collider
14        self.collider = collider(self, 'enemy', 'dynamic', 'box', 14, 6)
15        self.collider:set_position(x, y)
16      end
17  
18      function seeker:update(dt)
19        -- sync position from physics body to self.x/self.y
20        self.x, self.y = self.collider:get_position()
21        -- or call self.collider:sync() which does it for you
22      end
23  
24      function seeker:destroy()
25        self.collider:destroy()
26      end
27  
28    The collider stores a back-reference to its owner (`self.owner`) set at
29    creation. The physics body's user_data is set to owner.id, so physics
30    queries can resolve bodies back to entities via entities[user_data].
... [60 more lines]

Line 154 is physics_get_shapes_geometry(self.body) — so a collider in the F2 loop has an invalid body, and the new one is the building's static collider. Let me check the C engine to see what "Invalid body" guards and why a static body would trip it.

Grep (Invalid body|physics_get_shapes_geometry|physics_create_body)

6119:static int l_physics_create_body(lua_State* L) {
6120-    if (!physics_initialized) {
6121-        return luaL_error(L, "Physics not initialized. Call physics_init() first.");
6122-    }
6123-
6124-    const char* type_str = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
6125-    float x = (float)luaL_checknumber(L, 2);
6126-    float y = (float)luaL_checknumber(L, 3);
6127-
--
6137:        return luaL_error(L, "Invalid body type: %s (use 'static', 'dynamic', or 'kinematic')", type_str);
6138-    }
6139-
6140-    // Create body definition
6141-    b2BodyDef body_def = b2DefaultBodyDef();
6142-    body_def.type = body_type;
6143-    body_def.position = (b2Vec2){x / pixels_per_meter, y / pixels_per_meter};
6144-
6145-    // Create body
--
6158:        return luaL_error(L, "Invalid body");
6159-    }
6160-
6161-    if (b2Body_IsValid(*body_id)) {
6162-        b2DestroyBody(*body_id);
6163-    }
6164-    return 0;
6165-}
6166-
--
... [32 more lines]

Grep (l_physics_get_shapes_geometry)

7054:static int l_physics_get_shapes_geometry(lua_State* L) {
7055-    b2BodyId* body_id = (b2BodyId*)lua_touserdata(L, 1);
7056-    if (!body_id || !b2Body_IsValid(*body_id)) {
7057-        return luaL_error(L, "Invalid body");
7058-    }
7059-
7060-    int shape_count = b2Body_GetShapeCount(*body_id);
7061-    if (shape_count <= 0) {
7062-        lua_newtable(L);
7063-        return 1;
7064-    }
7065-
7066-    b2ShapeId shapes[32];  // max 32 shapes per body
7067-    if (shape_count > 32) shape_count = 32;
7068-    int actual_count = b2Body_GetShapes(*body_id, shapes, shape_count);
7069-
7070-    b2Transform xf = b2Body_GetTransform(*body_id);
7071-
7072-    lua_newtable(L);  // result table
7073-
7074-    for (int i = 0; i < actual_count; i++) {
7075-        if (!b2Shape_IsValid(shapes[i])) continue;
7076-
7077-        lua_newtable(L);  // shape entry
7078-
7079-        b2ShapeType type = b2Shape_GetType(shapes[i]);
7080-
7081-        // Add sensor flag
7082-        bool is_sensor = b2Shape_IsSensor(shapes[i]);
7083-        lua_pushboolean(L, is_sensor);
... [63 more lines]

The guard is !b2Body_IsValid(*body_id) → the building's self.body reads as invalid. The wall is the only other static collider and it's never spawned in Mini Looper, so this static-body path in get_shapes_geometry has never been exercised before. Let me read how physics_create_body stores the body id to see why a static body's userdata would be invalid.

Read (E:/a327ex/Anchor2/engine/src/anchor.c)

6119 static int l_physics_create_body(lua_State* L) {
6120        if (!physics_initialized) {
6121            return luaL_error(L, "Physics not initialized. Call physics_init() first.");
6122        }
6123    
6124        const char* type_str = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
6125        float x = (float)luaL_checknumber(L, 2);
6126        float y = (float)luaL_checknumber(L, 3);
6127    
6128        // Determine body type
6129        b2BodyType body_type;
6130        if (strcmp(type_str, "static") == 0) {
6131            body_type = b2_staticBody;
6132        } else if (strcmp(type_str, "dynamic") == 0) {
6133            body_type = b2_dynamicBody;
6134        } else if (strcmp(type_str, "kinematic") == 0) {
6135            body_type = b2_kinematicBody;
6136        } else {
6137            return luaL_error(L, "Invalid body type: %s (use 'static', 'dynamic', or 'kinematic')", type_str);
6138        }
6139    
6140        // Create body definition
6141        b2BodyDef body_def = b2DefaultBodyDef();
6142        body_def.type = body_type;
6143        body_def.position = (b2Vec2){x / pixels_per_meter, y / pixels_per_meter};
6144    
6145        // Create body
6146        b2BodyId body_id = b2CreateBody(physics_world, &body_def);
6147    
6148        // Return body ID as userdata
... [10 more lines]

Found the root cause. The error isn't the building's body — it's a dying enemy. The sequence: an enemy is killed during the collision pass, then process_destroy_queue() (end of update) destroys its collider (self.body = nil), but the entity stays in the enemies list until next frame's prune. So during this frame's draw(), the F2 overlay iterates that enemy and calls get_shapes_geometry() on a nil body → "Invalid body".

draw_collider_shapes only checked e.collider, not e.collider.body. It surfaced now because base-defense is the first time you're watching sustained enemy deaths while pressing F2 (the building's own static body is fine — it's never destroyed, and static colliders work). The fix is a one-line guard.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the cooldown defaults:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/units.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Both done.

Diff

Test

./run.bat — spawn enemies (E) and let them die while F2 is on; it should no longer crash. Fire rates should feel slower/heavier (especially Geomancer at 3s and Cannoneer at 2s).

One note in case I'm wrong about the cause: if you still hit "Invalid body" on F2 with no enemies on screen at all, that would instead point at the building's static body itself — tell me and I'll dig there. But I'm confident it's the dying-enemy timing (the building body is never destroyed, and static colliders are exercised fine by the template's wall), so this should have it.

Great, it works, let's make sure the building and the map/points are actually centered, I think they're a bit to the right of the screen. Then let's work on enemy spawn patterns. I usually do a 1-2-3 setup where two events are easy and then the third is hard, so if you were to imagine difficulty levels it'd go like 1, 2, 8, 3, 5, 12, 5, 8, 16 and so on, something like this (doesn't need to be these exact values). Let's try applying this fractally to enemy spawn patterns now. We will spawn enemies in packs at a random location on the screen, preferring the sides over top/bottom, because there's more distance to be covered from the sides than from top/bottom. Enemy pack sizes, enemy HP, and enemy velocity (very lightly) all go up according to this rule. So the first pack is easy/small, the second pack is easy/small, the third is hard/bigger, and so on. Try to come up with a decent curve up to a certain number of waves past which the game just wins no matter what.

On it. First the centering (quick), then I'll brief the spawn system since it's a meaty design.

Centering

The loop was deliberately offset +30, +15 (to clear the F1 panel), and the grid had an even cell count so no cell sat dead-center. Fixing both: center the loop on the screen, and make the grid use odd cell counts with a centering origin offset so a single cell lands exactly on screen center.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/grid.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Centering done — loop now at screen center (240,135), grid is 19×11 with a centering offset so the center cell sits exactly on (240,135), and the base lands there. (Quick test: ./run.bat, the loop + base should be screen-centered; F1 panel will overlap the loop's left while open, which is fine.)

Design brief — enemy spawn patterns (fractal waves)

The difficulty curve (the fractal 1-2-3)

A per-wave difficulty score D(n) built from the 3-adic valuation v3(n) (how many times 3 divides the wave number) — this is the fractal: every 3rd wave spikes, every 9th spikes bigger, every 27th bigger still.

baseline(n) = 1 + (n-1)*0.5          -- gentle linear ramp
D(n)        = baseline(n) * (1 + v3(n))   -- ×2 on /3 waves, ×3 on /9, ×4 on /27

Resulting curve (waves 1–18): 1 1.5 4 │ 2.5 3 7 │ 4 4.5 15 │ 5.5 6 13 │ 7 7.5 16 │ 8.5 9 28.5 easy easy HARD ↑ super-spike (9) ↑ super-spike (18) Easy-easy-hard triples, self-similar: the spike at 9 and 18 dwarfs the small /3 spikes — matches your 1,2,8,3,5,12,... rhythm. All constants tunable.

Difficulty → pack params (the three things that scale)

Spawning a pack

spawn_wave(n): compute D, then spawn pack_size enemies clustered (scattered within ~30px) at one weighted-random edge — ~70% left/right, ~30% top/bottom (sides are farther from center, as you noted). Each enemy gets the wave's HP + speed. (enemy:new already accepts hp/speed, so this is just feeding them in.)

Wave flow + win

New file wave.lua

Holds the state + wave_difficulty, the param mappings, spawn_wave, wave_update(dt), wave_reset(), game_won. main.lua calls wave_update(sdt) in the sim, draws the victory overlay, folds game_won into the freeze gate, and resets waves on R. The manual E spawn stays as a debug add.

Decisions to confirm

  1. Spawn trigger — on-clear + delay (proposed, best for feeling each wave) vs timed waves (more overlap pressure)?
  2. Wave count — 18 (ends on the big wave-18 spike)? Or longer/shorter?
  3. Curve shape — happy with the proportional ×(1+v3) model and the param mappings, or want the spikes punchier/gentler?

Good to go, or adjust?

Go ahead.

Approved. Building the wave system — new wave.lua plus the main.lua wiring.

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

File created successfully at: E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the main.lua wiring — require, freeze gate (fold in game_won), the wave_update call, and the combined wave-readout / win-lose overlay:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

All wired. Here's the full system.

New file: wave.lua

main.lua

Test

./run.bat — waves auto-start after ~2s. Watch the top-center readout. Two easy waves, then a hard third, repeating; waves 9 and 18 are the big fractal spikes (bigger packs, tankier, slightly faster). Clear all 18 → VICTORY; lose the base → BASE DESTROYED; R restarts. (E still spawns a debug enemy.) F1 sliders + toggles still work mid-run.

What to judge / tune (all in wave.lua)

This closes the loop into a full playable round (waves → defend → win/lose/retry). Once you've played a few runs, tell me how the curve lands and we can tune — or move on to whatever's next.

Show me the full table for values per difficulty.

Here's the full table the code produces (formulas from wave.lua: D = (1 + (n-1)·0.5)·(1 + v3(n)), pack = round(D·0.8), hp = round(8 + D·0.7), speed× = 1 + D·0.01). Enemy base speed is randomized 20–30, then multiplied — so "Speed×" applies to that range.

Wave v3 D Pack HP Pack total HP Speed×
1 0 1.0 1 9 9 1.01
2 0 1.5 1 9 9 1.02
3 1 4.0 3 11 33 1.04 ◂ spike
4 0 2.5 2 10 20 1.03
5 0 3.0 2 10 20 1.03
6 1 7.0 6 13 78 1.07 ◂ spike
7 0 4.0 3 11 33 1.04
8 0 4.5 4 11 44 1.05
9 2 15.0 12 19 228 1.15 ◂◂ super-spike
10 0 5.5 4 12 48 1.06
11 0 6.0 5 12 60 1.06
12 1 13.0 10 17 170 1.13 ◂ spike
13 0 7.0 6 13 78 1.07
14 0 7.5 6 13 78 1.08
15 1 16.0 13 19 247 1.16 ◂ spike
16 0 8.5 7 14 98 1.09
17 0 9.0 7 14 98 1.09
18 2 28.5 23 28 644 1.29 ◂◂ super-spike (finale)

A few things worth noting from the numbers:

Want me to adjust any of the three mapping constants (or the curve), or add that monotonic floor?

Pack size is way too small and thus boring at the start, should start at like 5-6 and go from there.

Right — wave 1 with a single enemy is dead air. The fix is to raise the floor: change the pack-size mapping from round(D·0.8) to round(4 + D·0.8), so wave 1 starts at 5 and everything scales up from there (HP and speed unchanged — only pack size was the complaint).

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Done. New table (pack = round(4 + D·0.8); HP and Speed× unchanged):

Wave D Pack HP Pack total HP Speed×
1 1.0 5 9 45 1.01
2 1.5 5 9 45 1.02
3 4.0 7 11 77 1.04 ◂ spike
4 2.5 6 10 60 1.03
5 3.0 6 10 60 1.03
6 7.0 10 13 130 1.07 ◂ spike
7 4.0 7 11 77 1.04
8 4.5 8 11 88 1.05
9 15.0 16 19 304 1.15 ◂◂ super-spike
10 5.5 8 12 96 1.06
11 6.0 9 12 108 1.06
12 13.0 14 17 238 1.13 ◂ spike
13 7.0 10 13 130 1.07
14 7.5 10 13 130 1.08
15 16.0 17 19 323 1.16 ◂ spike
16 8.5 11 14 154 1.09
17 9.0 11 14 154 1.09
18 28.5 27 28 756 1.29 ◂◂ finale

Start is now 5 and it climbs to 27 at the finale. The whole curve lifted by ~4.

One tradeoff to flag: raising the floor flattens the early spike contrast in pack count — wave 3 (7) is only +2 over wave 2 (5), where before it was a 3× jump. The big super-spikes (9, 18) still read clearly, and HP/total-HP still spike (wave 3 = 77 vs wave 2 = 45), but if you want the early thirds to feel punchier in raw numbers too, I'd steepen the slope instead of just adding a floor — e.g. round(3 + D·1.0) gives 5, 6, 7, 6, 6, 10, 7, 8, 18, … (start 5–6, but spikes pull further ahead and the finale grows to ~32).

Want me to leave it as the floor version, switch to the steeper one, or land somewhere between?

I think the waves always coming from one side are not that fun, they underuse the fact that the train is going around the whole arena and make the game feel slower than it should be. We need an alternative that has enemies continually spawning I think, but in a way that we control. Take inspiration from what other similar games do. Remember that eventually we want to turn this into a building game, so it's like, kind of an RTS in a sense, maybe take inspiration from games like that.

You've put your finger on the real issue: single-side waves mean the train spends most of its circuit traveling empty loop, and the clear-then-intermission rhythm adds dead time on top. The whole point of an always-moving loop is that it should always be sweeping into something. Let me think about this through the lens of games that solve continuous, controlled pressure.

What similar games do

The reframe I'd propose

Drop discrete "spawn-pack → wait to clear → intermission" and replace it with a continuous pressure director:

This directly fixes both complaints (continuous = no slow downtime; all-around + directional surges = the entire loop earns its keep), and it's the right substrate for the building game: you'll place defenses to cover perimeter approaches and reinforce telegraphed sectors, which is the RTS-defense core.

Two decisions shape how I build it:

AskUserQuestion 

Your questions have been answered: "How should the continuous spawning be structured?"="Pressure director", "How should the fractal difficulty spikes (the 'hard' beats) hit?"="Mix". You can now continue with these answers in mind.

Both locked: pressure director + mix surges. Here's the implementation brief.

Design brief — pressure director (rewrite of wave.lua)

Approach

Replace discrete waves with a continuous, authored director.

Files / wiring

Tuning knobs (all in wave.lua)

beat_duration, beat_count_max, the spawn_interval range, group size, surge density, telegraph_time, and the D→HP/speed mappings. The ambient flow-rate vs the train's kill-rate is the main balance dial — I'll seed conservative values and we tune after you feel it.

Notes

Good to go, or adjust anything (beat length, surge dampening, run length)?

Make sure the surges come from either side, never top or bottom. Go ahead.

Locked — surges from left/right only, never top/bottom. Rewriting wave.lua into the director.

Write (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Now the main.lua updates — the require comment, the call/reset names, the beat readout, and the telegraph draw:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Let me verify no stale wave_* references remain in main.lua:

Grep (wave_update|wave_reset|wave_phase|wave_number|wave_timer|wave_count_max)

No matches found

Verified — no stale references. The director is live.

Diff

Test

./run.bat — enemies should now stream in continuously from every direction the moment the run starts (top-center shows BEAT n / 18), so the train is sweeping into targets all the way around its circuit instead of camping one side. On beats 9 and 18, watch for the pulsing red bar on one side + !! SURGE !!, then a flank swarm from there. Survive to the end of beat 18 → VICTORY; base dies → restart with R.

What to tune (all at the top of wave.lua)

The ambient flow rate vs the train's kill rate is the whole balance — I seeded it conservative so the first run isn't an instant loss:

Two notes: the file's still named wave.lua though it's now the director (easy rename later if it bugs you), and the telegraph bar is a placeholder rectangle — once it feels right we can make the warning prettier. Play a run and tell me how the continuous pressure + the two flank surges land.

Bring back the preference for sides.

Bringing the side preference back for the ambient trickle (surges already come only from the sides, so they're unaffected). I'll bias the spawn angle toward horizontal (left/right) using cones that still tile the full circle, so every direction is possible — just side-weighted, like the original 70/30.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Done — ambient spawns now favor the sides again.

Diff (wave.lua)

Test: ./run.bat — the continuous stream should now lean toward coming from the left and right (with the occasional top/bottom), while still feeding the whole loop. AMBIENT_SIDE_PCT is the dial if you want it more or less lopsided.

Lua draw() error: anchor/color.lua:132: attempt to index a number value (local 'c')

Rare bug, happened quite a while into a run.

Let me look at color.lua:132 to see which function fails and how c should be shaped.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/anchor/color.lua)

100    }, color_mt)
101 end
102 
103 -- Shorter alias — `color(r, g, b, a)` creates a color.
104 -- This makes the v1-style usage `red = color(255, 0, 0)` still work.
105 color = color_new
106 
107 --[[
108   color_from_hsl(h, s, l, a)
109   Create a color from HSL values (h: 0-360, s: 0-1, l: 0-1).
110 ]]
111 function color_from_hsl(h, s, l, a)
112   local r, g, b = hsl_to_rgb(h, s, l)
113   return color_new(r, g, b, a)
114 end
115 
116 -- v1 alias
117 hsl_color = color_from_hsl
118 
119 --[[
120   color_to_hsl(c)
121   Return h, s, l values for a color (h: 0-360, s: 0-1, l: 0-1).
122 ]]
123 function color_to_hsl(c)
124   return rgb_to_hsl(c.r, c.g, c.b)
125 end
126 
127 --[[
128   color_clone(c)
129   Return an independent copy of a color.
... [20 more lines]

Found it. The error is in color_clone(c) — it got a number instead of a color object. The only place that happens is my telegraph draw: color_clone(red()). red() calls the color (returning the packed render value, a number), but color_clone needs the color object — it should be color_clone(red). The reason it's "rare / a while in": the telegraph only draws during a surge, and the first surge is beat 9 (~72s in) — so it crashes the first time you reach a flank surge.

Let me confirm there's no other instance of this mistake in my files, then fix:

Grep (color_clone(\w+())

mini-looper\wave.lua:163:  local c     = color_clone(red())

Confirmed — just the one. Fixing:

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/wave.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Fixed — wave.lua director_draw_telegraph now clones the color object (color_clone(red)) instead of the called render value (red()). It then sets .a for the pulse and calls c() to draw, which is the correct pattern.

Test: ./run.bat and reach a surge (beat 9, ~72s in) — the pulsing side warning bar should draw without crashing. (You can drop beat_count_max/beat_duration in wave.lua temporarily, or just play, to hit beat 9 faster.)

That was a real latent crash that only fired once the first flank surge drew — good catch surfacing it.

[Pasted image/png]

Default font being used kind of looks like this for some reason.

That's not the Ark Pixel font I intended — B and 0 are rendering as blocky E-like glyphs, which means layer_text is falling back to a default font (the font object I'm passing is probably nil/wrong). Let me check the actual UI font globals.

Grep (ui_font_body_ark|ui_font_header_l|ui_font_body\b|font_load|= font)

24:--   UI element draws body text in `ui_font_body`, which the gallery
26:ui_font_header_l  = font_register('ui_head_l',    'assets/Awesome 9.ttf',                       16)
27:ui_font_header_s  = font_register('ui_head_s',    'assets/FatPixelFont.ttf',                     8)
28:ui_font_body_lana = font_register('ui_body_lana', 'assets/LanaPixel.ttf',                       11)
29:ui_font_body_ark  = font_register('ui_body_ark',  'assets/ark-pixel-10px-proportional-latin.ttf', 10)
33:ui_font_pixul     = font_register('ui_pixul',     'assets/PixulBrush.ttf',                        8)
37:-- Aliased to ui_font_header_l: it's the same Awesome 9.ttf @ 16, and
41:ui_font_bracket = ui_font_header_l
44:ui_font_body = ui_font_body_lana
47:  ui_font_body = (ui_font_body == ui_font_body_lana)
48:    and ui_font_body_ark or ui_font_body_lana
52:  return (ui_font_body == ui_font_body_lana) and 'LanaPixel 11' or 'Ark Pixel 10'
58:ui_font_pirkkala = font_register('ui_pirkkala', 'assets/pirkkala.ttf', 16)

Let me check the font system — what font_register returns and how layer_text consumes the font, since the UI uses these same globals successfully.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/anchor/font.lua)

1    --[[
2     font — thin wrapper over C font functions.
3   
4     Usage:
5       fonts.main = font_register('main', 'assets/monogram.ttf', 11)
6       layer_text(game_layer, "Hello", fonts.main, 100, 50, color)
7   
8     A font is a plain table with .name, .size, .height plus query methods.
9     Stays as a simple class/struct pattern for consistent access.
10  ]]
11  
12  font = class()
13  
14  --- `filter` is optional: 'smooth' (grayscale atlas + linear sampling) or
15  --- 'rough' (1-bit mono atlas + nearest sampling). Defaults to the engine's
16  --- current global filter mode. The filter is baked into the atlas at load time
17  --- and cannot be changed afterward — load two copies if you need both.
18  function font:new(name, path, size, filter)
19    self.name = name
20    self.size = size
21    self.filter = filter
22    font_load(name, path, size, filter)
23    self.height = font_get_height(name)
24  end
25  
26  function font:text_width(text)
27    return font_get_text_width(self.name, text)
28  end
29  
30  function font:char_width(codepoint)
... [14 more lines]

The font object is fine (ui_font_body_ark is a valid registered font that the UI uses). The mangling — B→E, 0→E (curved glyphs eroded into blocky ones) — is the effect shader acting on the text: a stale dither/shape axis on the layer is stippling/re-shaping the glyph pixels. My text draws don't fully reset the effect state. Let me confirm how effect_set handles omitted axes.

Grep (function effect_set|function effect_clear)

346:function effect_setup(opts)
347-  opts = opts or {}
348-  local path = opts.draw_shader or 'assets/draw_shader.frag'
349-  set_draw_shader(path)
350-  effect_draw_shader = get_draw_shader()
351-  effect_write_palette()
352-end
353-
354---[[
355-  effect_write_palette()
356-  Push the active palette to the shader's u_palette[] uniform array. Each
357-  token's RGB is written as a vec4 (alpha is unused — the shader reads .rgb).
358-  Called automatically by effect_setup() AND by palette_init() — but the
359-  latter is a no-op until the shader exists. Safe to call manually after
360-  switching palettes (palette_init does that).
361-
362-  No-op if effect_setup hasn't run yet (shader not loaded) or palette_init
363-  hasn't run yet (no active palette).
364-]]
365-function effect_write_palette()
366-  if not effect_draw_shader then return end
367-  if not palette then return end
368-  for i, name in ipairs(palette_token_names) do
369-    local c = palette[name]
370-    shader_set_vec4_immediate(effect_draw_shader, 'u_palette[' .. (i - 1) .. ']',
371-                              c.r / 255, c.g / 255, c.b / 255, 1.0)
372-  end
373-end
374-
375-local function resolve_color(name)
... [95 more lines]

Wait — effect_set({color='none'}) actually resets all axes to passthrough (pattern=solid, dither=off, shape=none), so the HP text is bracketed cleanly yet still mangles. That rules out the effect shader. Let me read layer_text itself to see exactly how it consumes the font object.

Read (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/anchor/layer.lua)

186      animation_object.frame,
187     x, y,
188     color or 0xFFFFFFFF,
189     flash or 0
190   )
191 end
192 
193 function layer_text(lyr, text, f, x, y, color)
194   local font_name = type(f) == 'string' and f or f.name
195   eng.draw_text(lyr_handle(lyr), text, font_name, x, y, color)
196 end
197 
198 function layer_push(lyr, x, y, r, sx, sy)
199   eng.push(lyr_handle(lyr), x, y, r, sx, sy)
200 end
201 
202 function layer_pop(lyr)
203   eng.pop(lyr_handle(lyr))
204 end
205 
206 function layer_set_blend_mode(lyr, mode)
207   eng.set_blend_mode(lyr_handle(lyr), mode)
208 end
209 
210 --- Queue this layer for compositing to the screen (after layer_render).
211 function layer_draw(lyr, x, y)
212   eng.draw(lyr_handle(lyr), x or 0, y or 0)
213 end
214 
215 function layer_apply_shader(lyr, shader)

layer_text resolves the font by name correctly, so the font is Ark Pixel. The tell is in the screenshot itself: the bars render perfectly but the text glyphs mangle on the same layer — so it's the effect draw shader corrupting textured (glyph) draws on game_layer/debug_layer, whereas the UI renders text cleanly on ui_layer. Let me see how the UI layer renders text differently.

Grep (layer_new|apply_shader|draw_shader|set_draw_shader|layer_render|ui_layer)

11:    • ui_layer — the screen-space UI layer (no camera; effect uniforms reset)
12-    • the toolkit modules: rect (layout), state (interaction), primitives,
13-      gallery (the F4 test scene). Element modules are required here as
--
62:-- elements draw normally to ui_layer; ui_shadow_layer is regenerated
63:-- each frame from ui_layer's canvas via ui_shadow_shader (alpha-to-
64--- dark recolor) and composited beneath at a small offset, giving every
65--- UI element a SNKRX-style soft drop shadow.
--
68:--   layer_render(ui_layer)                            -- flush commands
69---   layer_clear(ui_shadow_layer)
70:--   layer_draw_from(ui_shadow_layer, ui_layer, ui_shadow_shader)
71---   layer_draw(ui_shadow_layer, ui_shadow_offset_x, ui_shadow_offset_y)
72:--   layer_draw(ui_layer)
73---
74--- "No shadow inside a panel" emerges automatically: a text shadow
--
76:-- fill on ui_layer; only shadows that protrude past their containing
77--- chrome (or have no chrome) stay visible.
78:ui_layer            = layer_new('ui')
79:ui_shadow_layer     = layer_new('ui_shadow')
80-ui_shadow_shader    = shader_load_file('assets/shadow.frag')
81-ui_shadow_offset_x  = 2
--
107:-- snkrx's UI runs in update() (widgets queue onto ui_layer there — mouse edge
108--- events are update-only) and composites in draw(). These bundle the
109--- boilerplate so a game's main.lua stays terse:
--
111:--                                 juice, effect_clear(ui_layer) baseline
112:--   draw():   ui_render()       -- composite ui_layer + its soft drop shadow
... [15 more lines]

[Request interrupted by user]

This is very likely a scale issue or being drawn at a .5 position.

You're right — the centering math x - text_width/2 produces a .5 x whenever the text width is odd, and a pixel font drawn at a fractional position under the rough/nearest filter samples between pixels, eroding curved glyphs (B→E, 0→E) while leaving straight ones intact. The bars are fine because they're integer-aligned. Fix: floor the text positions to whole pixels.

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/main.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Edit (E:/a327ex/mini-looper/building.lua)

The file E:/a327ex/mini-looper/building.lua has been updated successfully. (file state is current in your context — no need to Read it back)

Fixed — floored the x on all five centered text draws (BEAT readout, SURGE warning, VICTORY/BASE-DESTROYED title + "press R" subtitle in main.lua, and the building HP numbers in building.lua). The y values were already whole numbers; it was purely the text_width/2 term making x land on a half-pixel.

You diagnosed that faster than I did — I was off chasing the effect shader when it was just sub-pixel text sampling.

Test: ./run.bat — "BEAT 1 / 18", "100/100", and the win/lose overlay should all render as crisp Ark Pixel now.

If any other on-screen text still looks off, the same rule applies — snap positions to integers (the pixel fonts + nearest filter are unforgiving of fractional coords), so I'll keep that in mind for future HUD/text work.

Great, the current build makes it to beat 11. I think it's enough for this session, we'll build endgame builds in the next one. End this session, name it Mini Looper Attacks and Enemies. Rename the previous session from Mini Looper 1 to Mini Looper Movement.

I'll end this session and handle the rename. Let me invoke the end-session workflow.

Skill 

Launching skill: end-session

Base directory for this skill: E:\a327ex.claude\skills\end-session

End Session Workflow

This skill is invoked from the same conversation where the work was done. You already have the full session context in memory — you do NOT need to read the transcript.

Step 1: Get Session Info

Ask the user for the session title (max 30 characters). Examples: "Anchor Phase 10 Part 5", "Physics Arena Setup", "Timer System Fix", "Thalien Lune Design".

Determine the project yourself from your session context — you know which repo(s) were worked on, which files were created/modified, and where they live. No need to ask. See Step 5 for the list of known project roots; if the session touched something outside the list, infer the root from the paths you actually edited.

Step 2: Write Summary

Write the summary from your conversation memory. You have the full session context — no need to read any files.

The summary should be thorough and detailed. Each major topic deserves its own section with multiple specific bullet points. Don't compress — expand.

Purpose: These summaries serve as searchable records. Future Claude instances will grep through past logs to find how specific topics were handled. The more detail you include, the more useful the summary becomes for finding relevant context later.

Format (this is just an example structure — adapt sections to match what actually happened):

# [Title]

## Summary

[1-2 sentence overview of the session's main focus]

**[Topic 1 - e.g., "Spring Module Implementation"]:**
- First specific detail about what was done
- Second detail - include file names, function names
- User correction or feedback (quote if notable)
- Technical decisions and why

**[Topic 2 - e.g., "Camera Research"]:**
- What was researched
- Key findings
- How it influenced implementation

**[Topic 3 - e.g., "Errors and Fixes"]:**
- Specific error message encountered
- Root cause identified
- How it was fixed

[Continue for each major topic...]

---

[Rest of transcript follows]

Rules: - Be thorough — If in doubt, include more detail, not less. Each topic should be as detailed as possible while still being a summary. - Think searchability — Future instances will search these logs. Include keywords, function names, error messages that someone might grep for. - One section per major topic — Don't combine unrelated work into one section - Chronological order — Sections should match conversation flow - Specific details — Error messages, file names, function names, parameter values - Include user quotes — When user gave notable feedback, quote it (e.g., "k/d variables are not intuitive at all") - Weight planning equally — Research, proposals, alternatives considered, user feedback on approach are as important as implementation - Weight problems solved — Errors, root causes, fixes, user corrections all matter - Technical specifics — Include formulas, API signatures, parameter changes when relevant

Step 3: Proceed Without Approval

Do NOT show the summary to the user for approval. Write it directly. The user can review the committed log after the fact and request a follow-up edit if anything is off.

Step 4: Convert Transcript and Write the Log File

# Find recent sessions (Claude + Cursor + Codex). Same script lives in Anchor2:
python E:/a327ex/Anchor2/scripts/find-recent-session.py --limit 5
# or: python E:/a327ex/Anchor/scripts/find-recent-session.py --limit 5

The script shows sessions sorted by when they ended. The first result is the current conversation (since end-session was invoked here). Use it.

Use a lowercase hyphenated slug derived from the title (e.g., "anchor-primitives-hitstop-animation").

Get the end timestamp for the Date frontmatter — this is the wall-clock time when end-session was invoked, NOT the time the JSONL started. Sessions often span multiple days, and the log should be filed under the day the work was wrapped up:

date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"

Use this output verbatim. Do not substitute the JSONL start timestamp; the log appears in the sidebar sorted by Date, and a multi-day session with a Date pinned to day 1 will sort below sessions that ended later but started later, hiding the most recent work.

Convert the transcript to markdown:

python E:/a327ex/Anchor2/scripts/jsonl-to-markdown.py [SESSION_PATH] /tmp/session-log.md
# or: python E:/a327ex/Anchor/scripts/jsonl-to-markdown.py ...

The same script auto-detects Claude Code JSONL vs Cursor/Composer agent JSONL (~/.cursor/projects/.../agent-transcripts/...) vs Codex rollouts (~/.codex/sessions/...). For Composer sessions, use find-recent-session.py (it merges all sources) and pick the [cursor] line for the current chat.

Replace the default header (# Session YYYY-MM-DD...) at the top of /tmp/session-log.md with the approved title and summary, AND prepend frontmatter. The final file shape:

Title: [Title]
Date: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

# [Title]

## Summary

[approved summary text from step 2]

---

[transcript content from jsonl-to-markdown script]

Frontmatter is non-negotiable. Every log file MUST start with Title: and Date: lines. Without them, the site's sidebar shows the slug as the title and 0 (epoch) as the sort date. The backfill script in a327ex-site/deploy/backfill_metadata.py is a safety net, not a substitute — write it correctly the first time.

Then copy the final file to the log destination:

cp /tmp/session-log.md E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/[slug].md

Step 4.5: Decrement the lock (if active)

Read E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/.lock.json if it exists. If it contains {"remaining": N} with N > 0:

  • Decrement N by 1
  • Write {"remaining": N-1} back to the file
  • If N becomes 0, the lock is cleared. You may leave the file at {"remaining": 0} or delete it; both work.

The lock file lives in the a327ex-site repo, so the change is staged automatically by git add -A in Step 6.

If no lock file exists or remaining is already 0, do nothing. (See the /lock skill for the lock's full design.)

Step 5: Commit Project Repo

Identify the project repo(s) worked on this session from your own context — you already know which repos were touched and which files changed. For the common projects:

Project Root Stage command
Anchor E:/a327ex/Anchor git add docs/ framework/ engine/ scripts/ reference/
Anchor2 E:/a327ex/Anchor2 git add framework/ engine/ arena/ reference/ scripts/ docs/ .claude/
emoji-ball-battles E:/a327ex/emoji-ball-battles git add -A
invoker E:/a327ex/Invoker git add -A
thalien-lune E:/a327ex/thalien-lune git add -A
a327ex-site E:/a327ex/a327ex-site git add -A (this IS one of the web repos — the log file added in Step 4 is staged here automatically)

For a project not listed, infer the root from the files you actually created or modified this session and stage those. If multiple candidate roots look valid, ask the user which files to stage.

cd into the project root, stage, run git status to verify before committing.

IMPORTANT — FULL SUMMARY IN COMMIT: The commit message MUST include the FULL summary from the log file. Read the summary back from the log file to ensure nothing is missing.

IMPORTANT — COMMIT METHOD: The summary contains backticks, special characters, and markdown that WILL break heredocs and git commit -m. ALWAYS use the file-based method below. NEVER try a heredoc first — it will fail and produce a malformed commit that needs amending.

# Skip until we hit the line "## Summary", then take everything after the next
# blank line until the --- separator that precedes the transcript.
awk '/^## Summary$/{found=1; next} found && NR>1 && /^---$/{exit} found' \
    E:/a327ex/a327ex-site/logs/[slug].md > /tmp/commit_msg.txt

# Prepend the title (plain text, no #) and append attribution
sed -i "1i [Title]\n" /tmp/commit_msg.txt
printf "\nGenerated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)\n\nCo-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>\n" >> /tmp/commit_msg.txt

git commit -F /tmp/commit_msg.txt

Step 6: Push the Repos

Two pushes — project (to GitHub) and a327ex-site (to the VPS):

# Project repo to GitHub. Skip this push if the project IS a327ex-site
# (handled by the second push below — don't duplicate).
git push origin main

# a327ex-site to the VPS (post-receive hook restarts the Lua server).
cd E:/a327ex/a327ex-site
git add -A
git commit -m "[Title]"
git push prod main 2>&1 | tail -3

Failure handling: if either push fails, the other still happens. Local commits stay intact, so the user can re-push manually once they've fixed whatever blocked it. Don't roll back; the committed state on disk is the source of truth.

Step 7: Confirm

Tell the user: - Project commit hash + GitHub push result - a327ex-site commit hash + VPS push result

Format:

Logged — "[Title]".
  project (Anchor2):  abc1234  pushed to GitHub
  a327ex-site:        ghi9012  pushed to a327ex.com (post-receive deployed)

If a push failed, surface that explicitly with the error.

Notes

  • Frontmatter is non-negotiable. Every log file MUST have Title: and Date: at the top. Enforced at write time in step 4. The backfill script is a safety net, not a substitute.
  • If the project IS a327ex-site (e.g., you spent the session writing the renderer or fixing the theme), there's no separate "project repo to GitHub" push — the a327ex-site push at the end IS the project push. Don't duplicate.
  • Legacy note: this skill used to also dual-write to anchor.blot.im/logs/ and anchor.blot.im/context/. Post-cutover (May 2026), anchor.blot.im is a JS redirect to a327ex.com and no longer receives content. Drop those steps if you find any older docs that still reference them.

ARGUMENTS: Title: Mini Looper Attacks and Enemies. Also rename the previous session log "Mini Looper 1" → "Mini Looper Movement" (update its Title/heading frontmatter and filename wherever it lives).

I'll follow the workflow. Title: "Mini Looper Attacks and Enemies" (29 chars). Project: mini-looper (git add -A). Let me get the session path and end timestamp.

Bash (python E:/a327ex/Anchor2/scripts/find-recent-session.py --limit 5)

2026-06-02T03:06:45.210Z 7ce53a10-5168-4388-84bc-e614b523ec68 [claude] <-- MOST RECENT
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\7ce53a10-5168-4388-84bc-e614b523ec68.jsonl

2026-06-01T23:49:54.162Z 06f5cfc2-4245-4927-9a2d-d7f372358eff [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\06f5cfc2-4245-4927-9a2d-d7f372358eff.jsonl

2026-06-01T16:40:10.573Z 9caedf45-ec7e-4885-add9-bf110e2b90ce [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\9caedf45-ec7e-4885-add9-bf110e2b90ce.jsonl

2026-06-01T15:21:46.150Z 0751ea9b-b519-4976-ba6f-32bffe9fed2f [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\0751ea9b-b519-4976-ba6f-32bffe9fed2f.jsonl

2026-05-31T20:22:11.727Z fcf94e21-dc8f-4fa3-b522-2e8e374fa2c4 [claude]
   C:\Users\adn\.claude\projects\E--a327ex\fcf94e21-dc8f-4fa3-b522-2e8e374fa2c4.jsonl

Bash (date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")

2026-06-02 00:07:27

This session: 7ce53a10-...jsonl. Date: 2026-06-02 00:07:27. Converting the transcript: