Create Control Manifest

Create Control Manifest

The Control Manifest is a flat, actionable rules sheet for programmers. It answers "what do I do?" and "what must I never do?" — organized by architectural layer, extracted from all Accepted ADRs, technical preferences, and engine reference docs. Where ADRs explain why, the manifest tells you what.

Output: docs/architecture/control-manifest.md

When to run: After /architecture-review passes and ADRs are in Accepted status. Re-run whenever new ADRs are accepted or existing ADRs are revised.

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1. Load All Inputs

ADRs

• Glob docs/architecture/adr-*.md and read every file
• Filter to only Accepted ADRs (Status: Accepted) — skip Proposed, Deprecated,

Superseded

• Note the ADR number and title for every rule sourced

Technical Preferences

• Read .agents/docs/technical-preferences.md
• Extract: naming conventions, performance budgets, approved libraries/addons,

forbidden patterns

Engine Reference

• Read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/VERSION.md for engine + version
• Read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/deprecated-apis.md — these become

forbidden API entries

• Read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/current-best-practices.md if it exists

Report: "Loaded [N] Accepted ADRs, engine: [name + version]."

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2. Extract Rules from Each ADR

For each Accepted ADR, extract:

Required Patterns (from "Implementation Guidelines" section)

• Every "must", "should", "required to", "always" statement
• Every specific pattern or approach mandated

Forbidden Approaches (from "Alternatives Considered" sections)

• Every alternative that was explicitly rejected — why it was rejected becomes

the rule ("never use X because Y")

• Any anti-patterns explicitly called out

Performance Guardrails (from "Performance Implications" section)

• Budget constraints: "max N ms per frame for this system"
• Memory limits: "this system must not exceed N MB"

Engine API Constraints (from "Engine Compatibility" section)

• Post-cutoff APIs that require verification
• Verified behaviours that differ from default LLM assumptions
• API fields or methods that behave differently in the pinned engine version

Layer Classification

Classify each rule by the architectural layer of the system it governs:

• Foundation: Scene management, event architecture, save/load, engine init
• Core: Core gameplay loops, main player systems, physics/collision
• Feature: Secondary systems, secondary mechanics, AI
• Presentation: Rendering, audio, UI, VFX, shaders

If an ADR spans multiple layers, duplicate the rule into each relevant layer.

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3. Add Global Rules

Combine rules that apply to all layers:

From technical-preferences.md:

• Naming conventions (classes, variables, signals/events, files, constants)
• Performance budgets (target framerate, frame budget, draw call limits, memory ceiling)

From deprecated-apis.md:

• All deprecated APIs → Forbidden API entries

From current-best-practices.md (if available):

• Engine-recommended patterns → Required entries

From technical-preferences.md forbidden patterns:

• Copy any "Forbidden Patterns" entries directly

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4. Present Rules Summary Before Writing

Before writing the manifest, present a summary to the user:

## Control Manifest Preview
Engine: [name + version]
ADRs covered: [list ADR numbers]
Total rules extracted:
  - Foundation layer: [N] required, [M] forbidden, [P] guardrails
  - Core layer: [N] required, [M] forbidden, [P] guardrails
  - Feature layer: ...
  - Presentation layer: ...
  - Global: [N] naming conventions, [M] forbidden APIs, [P] approved libraries

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Prompt: "Does this rule summary look complete?"
• Options:
• [A] Yes — looks good, run the director review and write the manifest
• [B] Add rules — I have additional rules to include before writing
• [C] Remove rules — some extracted rules should be dropped
• [D] Stop here — I need to review the ADRs first

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4b. Director Gate — Technical Review

Review mode check — apply before spawning TD-MANIFEST:

• solo → skip. Note: "TD-MANIFEST skipped — Solo mode." Proceed to Phase 5.
• lean → skip. Note: "TD-MANIFEST skipped — Lean mode." Proceed to Phase 5.
• full → spawn as normal.

Spawn technical-director via Task using gate TD-MANIFEST (.agents/docs/director-gates.md).

Pass: the Control Manifest Preview from Phase 4 (rule counts per layer, full extracted rule list), the list of ADRs covered, engine version, and any rules sourced from technical-preferences.md or engine reference docs.

The technical-director reviews whether:

• All mandatory ADR patterns are captured and accurately stated
• Forbidden approaches are complete and correctly attributed
• No rules were added that lack a source ADR or preference document
• Performance guardrails are consistent with the ADR constraints

Apply the verdict:

• APPROVE → proceed to Phase 5
• CONCERNS → surface via AskUserQuestion with options: Revise flagged rules / Accept and proceed / Discuss further
• REJECT → do not write the manifest; fix the flagged rules and re-present the summary

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5. Write the Control Manifest

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Prompt: "May I write the Control Manifest?"
• Options:
• [A] Yes — write to docs/architecture/control-manifest.md
• [B] Show me the full draft first, then ask again
• [C] Not yet — I want to make more changes

Format:

# Control Manifest

> **Engine**: [name + version]
> **Last Updated**: [date]
> **Manifest Version**: [date]
> **ADRs Covered**: [ADR-NNNN, ADR-MMMM, ...]
> **Status**: [Active — regenerate with `/create-control-manifest update` when ADRs change]

`Manifest Version` is the date this manifest was generated. Story files embed
this date when created. `/story-readiness` compares a story's embedded version
to this field to detect stories written against stale rules. Always matches
`Last Updated` — they are the same date, serving different consumers.

This manifest is a programmer's quick-reference extracted from all Accepted ADRs,
technical preferences, and engine reference docs. For the reasoning behind each
rule, see the referenced ADR.

---

## Foundation Layer Rules

*Applies to: scene management, event architecture, save/load, engine initialisation*

### Required Patterns
- **[rule]** — source: [ADR-NNNN]
- **[rule]** — source: [ADR-NNNN]

### Forbidden Approaches
- **Never [anti-pattern]** — [brief reason] — source: [ADR-NNNN]

### Performance Guardrails
- **[system]**: max [N]ms/frame — source: [ADR-NNNN]

---

## Core Layer Rules

*Applies to: core gameplay loop, main player systems, physics, collision*

### Required Patterns
...

### Forbidden Approaches
...

### Performance Guardrails
...

---

## Feature Layer Rules

*Applies to: secondary mechanics, AI systems, secondary features*

### Required Patterns
...

### Forbidden Approaches
...

---

## Presentation Layer Rules

*Applies to: rendering, audio, UI, VFX, shaders, animations*

### Required Patterns
...

### Forbidden Approaches
...

---

## Global Rules (All Layers)

### Naming Conventions
| Element | Convention | Example |
|---------|-----------|---------|
| Classes | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Variables | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Signals/Events | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Files | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |
| Constants | [from technical-preferences] | [example] |

### Performance Budgets
| Target | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Framerate | [from technical-preferences] |
| Frame budget | [from technical-preferences] |
| Draw calls | [from technical-preferences] |
| Memory ceiling | [from technical-preferences] |

### Approved Libraries / Addons
- [library] — approved for [purpose]

### Forbidden APIs ([engine version])
These APIs are deprecated or unverified for [engine + version]:
- `[api name]` — deprecated since [version] / unverified post-cutoff
- Source: `docs/engine-reference/[engine]/deprecated-apis.md`

### Cross-Cutting Constraints
- [constraint that applies everywhere, regardless of layer]

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6. Suggest Next Steps

After writing the manifest:

• If epics/stories don't exist yet: "Run /create-epics layer: foundation then /create-stories [epic-slug] — programmers

can now use this manifest when writing story implementation notes."

• If this is a regeneration (manifest already existed): "Updated. Recommend

notifying the team of changed rules — especially any new Forbidden entries."

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Collaborative Protocol

1. Load silently — read all inputs before presenting anything
2. Show the summary first — let the user see the scope before writing
3. Ask before writing — always confirm before creating or overwriting the manifest. On write: Verdict: COMPLETE — control manifest written. On decline: Verdict: BLOCKED — user declined write.
4. Source every rule — never add a rule that doesn't trace to an ADR, a

technical preference, or an engine reference doc

1. No interpretation — extract rules as stated in ADRs; do not paraphrase

in ways that change meaning

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: bullish0x
• Source: bullish0x/GameStudio
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.