# HARDCORE 64 / DGen working brief

Checked 2026-09-22. Owner: Jack. Working brand, open to revision.

## Authoritative project separation — clarified by Jack, 2026-09-22

| Project | Server | Participation | Named people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcore 64 | NoPixel 4.0 | Up to 64 simultaneously active hardcore characters within the user-specified 240-character server model | No confirmed hardcore roster supplied |
| DGen / Wall of Degenerates | NoPixel 5.0 / V | Opted-in channel observation, interpreted crime records, and scene credit | Harry, Reed, Luka_Aus — DGen onboard, organizer-reported |

The original build conflated these. This clarification supersedes that framing. Never import the three DGen names into a Hardcore 64 roster by assumption.

## User-confirmed direction

- Everything is based on voluntary player agreements. These are RP participation contracts; this document makes no claim about legal enforceability.
- The Hardcore 64 conduct draft is now v0.3.1 with ten rules. Rule ten is “Play what your character knows”: no using streams, DGen interpretations, or public pledge information as in-character knowledge. The code emphasizes credible stakes, reciprocal scenes, acceptance of fair losses, responsibility for junior members, and keeping RP opportunities open to newcomers. It should let established characters risk what they built and enable voluntary turnover without prescribing deaths or promising a server wipe.
- The public pledge must not be exploitable through out-of-character targeting, proxy participants, or staged handoffs; these need clear agreed scope. At the same time, an unwanted ending or a sudden ambush is not automatically invalid. Evaluate conduct and context, not fame, newness, affiliation, or mechanical skill.
- No audience verdicts, harassment, or pressure campaigns. Proposed eligibility review before a contested permanent outcome needs agreed decision authority, deadlines, and deadlock handling. No complaint should automatically erase a fair loss. This is draft design, not a final adopted procedure.
- Explicit consent applies to participating streamers. Character stakes, public pledge visibility, stream observation, and publication/scoring have separate scopes. Existing reported names do not prove verified acceptance. Incidental people in a stream are not automatically enrolled or ranked.
- Interest expressed in private conversations is not a confirmed Hardcore roster entry. Do not publish unrevealed in-character plans, personal background, or anecdotal allegations about other players from workshop discussions.
- Discord identifies the player. Project, server era, character, and accepted agreement version define participation. Logging in is not accepting a contract.
- Hardcore 64 means a concurrent active-character cap, not a separate 64-slot server, not 64 lifetime participants, and not 64 deaths. At the supplied capacities, 64/240 is about 26.7%; this is a maximum participation share, not a death probability or a guaranteed distribution among cars.
- Hardcore characters can create consequential stories for PD, EMS, witnesses, and other players. The accepted contract must define qualifying encounters and outcomes; PD participation and death obligations are not implied.
- NoPixel 5.0 players could adopt the hardcore rubric with a separate local agreement. Reusing a rubric does not transfer consent, roster membership, or the 4.0 cap.
- DGen observes channels that have opted in, while those players are online. An IRC bot is being built independently.
- DGen publishes AI interpretations rather than original streams or screenshots; crime types and organic scene contribution matter alongside counts such as escapes.
- Harry, Reed, and Luka_Aus are onboard for DGen, as reported by Jack. Do not invent their IDs, channel ownership, character bindings, or results. Harry and Reed remain ambiguous identity labels.
- The evaluator-versus-two-more-crim invitation question belongs to DGen. Roles are not assigned.
- Different 5.0 crime types need a versioned taxonomy. No complete current mechanic catalog has been verified; broad demo activity categories are not that catalog.
- The owner expects about five collaborating agents. Coordinate files and event contracts before changing shared boundaries.

## Current website

Routes: Hardcore 64 is hosted at `np4hardcore.jdot.dev`; DGen at `np5.wallofdegens.jdot.dev`. Each project has its own `/player` panel. `/dgen` remains the 5.0 observer and Wall of Degenerates; `/context` is the host-specific public explanation with current participation status, credits, and links to this shared dated research brief.

Working: navigation, draft rule accordion, project-scoped player panel with honest provider setup states, example scene filters/details, 5.0 Wall of Degenerates, proposed rubric, accessible dialogs, custom responsive styling with reduced-motion support, a 64/240 capacity graphic, and WebMCP observer tools.

Provider activation completed October 4, 2026: real production Discord/Twitch identity and each host's signed-in return were verified. Durable applicant and saved d20 endpoints are enabled; the runtime gate can pause enrollment. Stream capture, DGen ingest/storage, evaluator accounts, production scoring, active-slot enforcement, signed player agreements, encounter permarolls, and outbound Discord/IRC posting remain unconnected. Browser drafts are not imported as account records or contract acceptances. Example scenes are fictional and never included in real player totals. No observation starts from this website.

The implementation uses a dedicated Clerk production application with OIDC/PKCE and verified Discord/Twitch providers. Consent returns to the initiating project panel. Keep provider secrets in server-managed secrets, never browser code or public documents.

## Collaboration lanes (proposed)

| Lane | Owns | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Website | app pages, components, styling | No invented live data or auth success |
| Identity | Discord login, channel links, consent records | Server-verified IDs; consent can be revoked |
| Observer bot | stream lifecycle, capture, event emission | IRC chat is only one input, not gameplay vision |
| Interpretation | event context and rubric versions | Observations remain claims; no direct confirmed credit |
| Review / integration | deduplication, verified outcomes, appeals, QA | Choose review roles with the owner; retain audit history |

This table is a work split, not an instruction to launch five agents.

## Product decisions still open

Hardcore 64: roll odds, qualifying encounter scope (including PD and capture/handoff/proxy cases), injuries versus permanent death, exceptions, acceptance records, public pledge visibility, dispute resolution and deadlocks, prospective withdrawal versus existing scenes, activation and release of the 64 simultaneous slots, and disconnection behavior. DGen: verified identity/channel links, observation and publication permission/withdrawal, incidental-player redaction, crime catalog, publication delay, evidence retention, reviewers, and credit weights. Never treat proposed decisions as NoPixel policy. The community challenge cannot grant official NoPixel V invites or adjudicate server sanctions.

## Current sources and what they establish

1. **Rockstar Games — Introducing nopixel V, Sep 1, 2026.** Announces the Sep 8 closed beta, invited access through Rockstar Games Launcher, character customization changes, and refreshed city locations. https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/17857581o753k1/introducing-nopixel-v
2. **NoPixel Studios — roster, checked Sep 22.** Official roster page describes access as invitation-only. A fan-made challenge is not an official route to an invitation. https://www.nopixel.net/roster
3. **NoPixel Studios — rulebook, dated Sep 7, 2026.** Prohibits using outside information to direct in-game decisions, emphasizes responsive RP over efficient grinding, and distinguishes V/4.0/Public reporting paths. Treat rules as authoritative over this challenge; check the relevant server’s current instructions. https://www.nopixel.net/rules
4. **NoPixel Studios — development updates, checked Sep 22.** Current site organizes updates around map changes, character immersion, visual design, and world immersion. https://www.nopixel.net/
5. **NoPixel Wiki — invite-card category.** Community index useful for locating cards, not definitive eligibility. Search-indexed content was available; direct Fandom retrieval was blocked. Do not present the cached item count as a current official roster. https://nopixel.fandom.com/wiki/Category%3ANoPixel_V_Invite_Cards
6. **NoPixel Wiki — Gazz Maloo / Marik Chapman.** Indexed entries attribute multiple characters to luka_aus. Useful identity leads, not verification of which character is joining this project. Historical/era pages must not be merged automatically. https://nopixel.fandom.com/wiki/Gazz_Maloo and https://nopixel.fandom.com/wiki/Marik_Chapman
7. **Twitch Developers — IRC Concepts.** IRC supplies chat, not video frames. Twitch recommends EventSub/API for fuller chatbot functionality and notes messages can be duplicated or reordered. Preserve the independently built IRC bot; provide separate capture and stream-state adapters where needed. https://dev.twitch.tv/docs/chat/irc/
8. **Discord developer documentation — OAuth2.** Reference for the eventual identity integration. https://docs.discord.com/developers/topics/oauth2

Coverage is a dated baseline, not a full Wiki mirror or continuous news feed. Some indexed Wiki material is months old. No conclusion about who was denied an invite is made from a missing card or ambiguous name.

## Implications for the build

Keep server era explicit (`4.0` versus `V`), keep player/character/channel identities separate, and keep source provenance with observations. An interpretation-only feed can still contain outside game information; decide publication timing and remove active tactical details before a public launch. The proposed current DGen event contract is v1.1, scoped to `program_id=dgen` and `server_era=V`, and uses completed scenes. Legacy v1 is retained for shape validation only with `migration_required=true`. Read PLAYER-AGREEMENTS.md for the separate RP participation contract model; BOT-CONTRACT.md is an API interface, not a player agreement. Human review remains a proposed design, not a requirement already accepted by the owner.

## Enrollment implementation update — 2026-10-04

The two custom domains are live. The player panel has a server-backed applicant workflow and saved d20 record using Clerk production OIDC and Cloudflare D1. Both live login returns and connected-account refresh were verified October 4; enrollment is enabled behind the runtime gate. Only verified Discord accounts may apply; linked Twitch accounts with matching ID/login in the appropriate HasRoot server list become verified applicants, otherwise applications require review. HasRoot is community evidence, not an official whitelist certificate.

The user chose a recorded d20 with no automatic outcome. One enrollment roll is stored per verified application; retries keep the original result. An application does not accept a character agreement, activate a slot, or authorize observation/publication. Existing browser drafts and reported roster names are not imported as consent. Hardcore's DGen presence is now a small footer link. Stream ingest, scoring, character-stakes acceptance, and active-slot enforcement remain unconnected. See source `docs/ENROLLMENT.md` for the implementation and operational gates.

## Public context and attribution update — 2026-10-04

The public context now leads with the host project's purpose and actual participation state. Historical research and bot interface downloads remain available as secondary documents. Credits distinguish Rockstar's official support for NoPixel V from endorsement of these independent projects. Rockstar is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.; this is not a claim that Take-Two owns NoPixel. Source: https://www.take2games.com/ir/news/adding-multimedia-rockstar-games-releases-trailer-2-grand-theft . Asset/font/software notices are linked from `/context` and retained in `/credits/ATTRIBUTION.md`, `/credits/THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`, and their existing font paths. No additional concept-author credits were requested by the owner.

The owner requested a dedicated Hardcore 64 Discord server through the PH-1/Vesper surface. A signed `/hardcore-pause` endpoint is implemented: a recorded administrative pause stops enrollment and validation, preserves history and public pages, and displays `ADMINISTRATIVE KILLSWITCH ENGAGED`. No stream observation or scoring service is connected. Exact operator IDs supplied by the owner are kept in runtime configuration, separate from public credits. Guild installation, endpoint verification, and operator membership must be checked before claiming live access; display names never authorize the command.