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Cartridge Authoring

Patterns, conventions, and design references for writing a cartridge that the nOSh runtime can host.

  • capability-model.md — see runtime/orchestration.md (the capability model spec is the orchestration spec; the cartridge-author view is folded in).
  • campaign-economy.md — multi-phase campaigns, credits, reputation, phase chain semantics.
  • lisp-paradigm.md — key semantics across all 14 + 1 launch modules; canonical per-module key bindings.
  • verb-partition.md — how a cart’s Tier-2 action verbs split into CORE primitives / COMPOSITE (CONS) / VOCAB-only, by state-mutation footprint; generalizes the ICE BREAKER CONS matrix. (Draft; GWP-404)
  • capability-shapes.md — a capability is grammar or mini-game: both are (load-capability …) targets returning the same result struct; the cart chooses, missions mix. (Draft; gap E)
  • clip-system.md — pre-rendered terminal animation primitive (cutscenes, loaders, faked compute, attract).
  • ui-patterns.md — reusable screen patterns, audio-as-data conventions.
  • music.md — PSG-only ambient music (tracker format, Lisp playback primitives, SFX coexistence). GWP-173a; PCM mixing for the broader music system stays gated on Pico bring-up.
  • screen-design-rules.md — Row 0 / Rows 1–23 / Row 24 layout contract. Cartridges must respect this.
  • commerce-navigation-modules.md — SynthFence, Drift, Pathfinder design notes.
  • operations-modules.md — operations-tier modules.
  • strategy-passive-modules.md — strategy + passive-system modules.

  • software/cartridges/modules/ — concrete per-module gameplay specs.
  • software/cartridges/design-bibles/ — cross-module reference.
  • KEC Lisp — the KEC Lisp language reference.
  • software/api-reference/nosh-api/ — NoshAPI FFI primitives (the surface cartridges call).
  • software/api-reference/grammars/cartridge-format.md.kn86 container format (planned).
  • adr/ADR-0001 — Lisp authoring decision.
  • adr/ADR-0007 — scripted mission FFI.