!bash "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config --keys review_mode,automation,workflow,docs.density,story_granularity,system_overrides

Resolved above — use as-is; --review overrides review_mode. No block → defaults in .claude/docs/config-resolution.md.

Create Epics

An epic is a named, bounded body of work that maps to one architectural module. It defines what needs to be built and who owns it architecturally. It does not prescribe implementation steps — that is the job of stories.

Run this skill once per layer as you approach that layer in development. Do not create Feature layer epics until Core is nearly complete — the design will have changed.

Output: production/epics/[epic-slug]/EPIC.md + production/epics/index.md

Next step after each epic: /create-stories [epic-slug]

When to run: After /create-control-manifest and /architecture-review pass (at full). At standard, critical ADRs + a control manifest suffice. At minimal, this skill is optional and not part of the path — /create-stories synthesizes the epic from design/game-brief.md itself (Option A). If run anyway, it decomposes directly from the brief with no GDD/ADR/manifest prerequisite.

At minimal, this skill is optional — /create-stories synthesizes the epic (Option A). At that tier /create-stories reads design/game-brief.md directly, writes a lightweight implicit production/epics/<slug>/EPIC.md, and generates stories from the MVP list — so the path is /brainstorm → /create-stories → /dev-story, with no separate /create-epics or /sprint-plan step. At standard/full an epic IS required: /create-stories reads production/epics/[slug]/EPIC.md, and skipping this skill there leaves /dev-story with no story to implement — a dead end, not a shortcut.

1. Parse Arguments

See .claude/docs/director-gates.md for the full check pattern. Individual gate definitions live in .claude/docs/director-gates/[gate-id].md — the spawned agent reads its own gate file; do not read it in the parent session.

Every AskUserQuestion call follows .claude/docs/automation-modes.md (collaborative asks always · guided major-only · autonomous logs and proceeds; automation_always_ask categories always prompt).

workflow (per .claude/docs/workflow-modes.md):

create-epics runs project-wide: it uses the project-level tier for its prerequisite expectations and consults workflow_overrides.system_overrides.<system> per-system when reading each in-scope GDD. See "Workflow tier adjustment" in Step 2.

story_granularity — it sizes the epic's story breakdown: expect 3–5 child stories per epic at coarse, 5–10 at balanced (default), 10–20 at fine.

docs.density — it controls the depth of each epic's written scope and rationale, not the story count (that is story_granularity). modes.rigor sets it alongside workflow; set docs.density explicitly to vary epic prose alone: terse = scope as bullets, one-line rationale; balanced = a scope paragraph with light rationale (default); thorough = full scope prose with governing-ADR rationale and risk discussion. The EPIC.md tables (GDD requirements, governing ADRs) are structural and stay whole at every density.

Modes:

• /create-epics all — process all systems in layer order
• /create-epics layer: foundation — Foundation layer only
• /create-epics layer: core — Core layer only
• /create-epics layer: feature — Feature layer only
• /create-epics layer: presentation — Presentation layer only
• /create-epics [system-name] — one specific system
• No argument — ask: "Which layer or system would you like to create epics for?"

2. Load Inputs

Step 2a — Summary scan (fast, fail-open)

Establish the denominator first. Glob design/gdd/*.md, excluding the non-system docs (game-concept.md, systems-index.md, game-pillars.md, gameplay-tags.md, entity-registry.md, fixture-swap-ledger.md, and any gdd-cross-review-*.md — the same set gdd-structure-check.sh skips). Call the count N. If N is 0, there are no system GDDs — report "No system GDDs found in design/gdd/ — run /design-system first" and stop.

Scan for Summary sections:

Grep pattern="^## Summary" glob="design/gdd/*.md" output_mode="content" -A 5

Interpret the M matches against N. These are three different outcomes, and a zero-match scan is never the same as "nothing in scope":

Never treat an absent ## Summary as an absent system. The scan narrows the read set when it succeeds; it never shrinks the in-scope set. In all mode every system is in scope regardless of Summary, so the scan is a convenience only — never a filter.

Step 2b — Full document load (in-scope systems only)

Using the Step 2a grep results, identify which systems are in scope. Read full documents only for in-scope systems — do not read GDDs or ADRs for out-of-scope systems or layers.

Read for in-scope systems:

• design/gdd/systems-index.md — authoritative system list, layers, priority
• In-scope GDDs only (Approved or Designed status, filtered by Step 2a results)
• docs/architecture/architecture.md — module ownership and API boundaries
• Accepted ADRs whose domains cover in-scope systems only — skip ADRs for unrelated domains entirely. For each in-scope ADR, load only the "GDD Requirements Addressed", "Decision", and "Engine Compatibility" sections — never an unbounded full read:

  Grep pattern="^## (GDD Requirements Addressed|Decision|Engine Compatibility)" path="docs/architecture/[adr-file].md" output_mode="content" -n
  

  then Read(offset, limit) bounded to each match through the next ## heading (or to end of file for the last match). This matters most on a large ADR — measured at 47k tokens this way vs. 103k for an unbounded read of the same size file.
• docs/architecture/control-manifest.md — manifest version date from header
• docs/architecture/tr-registry.yaml — for tracing requirements to ADR coverage
• docs/engine-reference/[engine]/VERSION.md — engine name, version, risk levels

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

Workflow tier adjustment (resolved in Step 1; per-system via system_overrides). The inputs above are the full baseline:

• full — every in-scope GDD must be Approved with all 8 sections; TR registry + control manifest are required inputs; untraced requirements (Step 4) are flagged before proceeding.
• standard — GDDs need the 5 required sections (+ conditional Formulas) approved; only critical (Foundation-layer) ADRs are expected; the control manifest is read if present, not required. A system pinned higher via system_overrides must still meet its higher bar.
• minimal — decompose against design/game-brief.md + acceptance criteria. Do not require GDDs, ADRs, the TR registry, or the manifest; skip the untraced-requirement gate. If run, the epic is still produced — but note /create-stories also synthesizes one from the brief when this skill is skipped (the default minimal path).

3. Processing Order

Process in dependency-safe layer order:

1. Foundation (no dependencies)
2. Core (depends on Foundation)
3. Feature (depends on Core)
4. Presentation (depends on Feature + Core)

Within each layer, use the order from systems-index.md.

At minimal there is no systems-index.md — /map-systems is not required at that tier, so nothing has produced one. Derive the layer split and ordering from design/game-brief.md instead: its Build order field names what must exist first. Do not stop, and do not send the user to /map-systems to satisfy an ordering hint — the tier deliberately skips it.

4. Define Each Epic

For each system, map it to an architectural module from architecture.md.

Check ADR coverage against the TR registry per the resolved tier (Step 1):

• full — trace every TR-ID; warn on each untraced requirement (below).

• standard — only critical (Foundation-layer) ADRs are expected; trace those. Treat untraced non-critical requirements as informational (list them, do not block or emit the Blocked-story warning).

• minimal — skip this check entirely (no TR registry / ADR expected).

• Traced requirements: TR-IDs that have an Accepted ADR covering them

• Untraced requirements: TR-IDs with no ADR — warn before proceeding (full only)

Present to user before writing anything:

## Epic: [System Name]

**Layer**: [Foundation / Core / Feature / Presentation]
**GDD**: design/gdd/[filename].md
**Architecture Module**: [module name from architecture.md]
**Governing ADRs**: [ADR-NNNN, ADR-MMMM]
**Engine Risk**: [LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH — highest risk among governing ADRs]
**GDD Requirements Covered by ADRs**: [N / total]
**Untraced Requirements**: [list TR-IDs with no ADR, or "None"]

If there are untraced requirements:

"⚠️ [N] requirements in [system] have no ADR. The epic can be created, but stories for these requirements will be marked Blocked until ADRs exist. Run /architecture-decision first, or proceed with placeholders."

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Prompt: "Shall I create Epic: [name]?"
• Options:
  • [A] Yes, create it
  • [B] Skip this epic
  • [C] Pause — I need to write ADRs first

4b. Producer Epic Structure Gate

Review mode check — apply before spawning PR-EPIC:

• solo → skip. Note: "PR-EPIC skipped — Solo mode." Proceed to Step 5 (write epic files).
• lean → skip (not a PHASE-GATE). Note: "PR-EPIC skipped — Lean mode." Proceed to Step 5 (write epic files).
• full → spawn as normal.

After all epics for the current layer are defined (Step 4 completed for all in-scope systems), and before writing any files, spawn producer via Agent using gate PR-EPIC (.claude/docs/director-gates/pr-epic.md).

Pass: the full epic structure summary (all epics, their scope summaries, governing ADR counts), the layer being processed, milestone timeline and team capacity.

Present the producer's assessment.

If UNREALISTIC: offer to revise epic boundaries (split overscoped or merge underscoped epics). Revise and re-run the gate before writing.

If CONCERNS, use AskUserQuestion:

• Prompt: "Producer raised concerns about the epic structure. How do you want to proceed?"
• Options:
  • [A] Proceed as planned — I accept the producer's concerns
  • [B] Revise epic boundaries — split or merge as recommended
  • [C] Stop — I want to reconsider the scope

If [A]: proceed to Step 5. If [B]: revise epic definitions from Step 4 and re-run the producer gate. If [C]: stop. Verdict: BLOCKED — user wants to reconsider epic scope.

Do not write epic files until the producer gate resolves.

5. Write Epic Files

After approval, ask: "May I write the epic file to production/epics/[epic-slug]/EPIC.md?"

After user confirms, write:

production/epics/[epic-slug]/EPIC.md

# Epic: [System Name]

> **Layer**: [Foundation / Core / Feature / Presentation]
> **GDD**: design/gdd/[filename].md
> **Architecture Module**: [module name]
> **Status**: Ready
> **Stories**: Not yet created — run `/create-stories [epic-slug]`

## Overview

[1 paragraph describing what this epic implements, derived from the GDD Overview
and the architecture module's stated responsibilities]

## Governing ADRs

| ADR | Decision Summary | Engine Risk |
|-----|-----------------|-------------|
| ADR-NNNN: [title] | [1-line summary] | LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH |

## GDD Requirements

| TR-ID | Requirement | ADR Coverage |
|-------|-------------|--------------|
| TR-[system]-001 | [requirement text from registry] | ADR-NNNN ✅ |
| TR-[system]-002 | [requirement text] | ❌ No ADR |

## Definition of Done

This epic is complete when:
- All stories are implemented, reviewed, and closed via `/story-done`
- All acceptance criteria from `design/gdd/[filename].md` are verified
- All Logic and Integration stories have passing test files in `tests/`
- All Visual/Feel and UI stories have evidence docs with sign-off in `production/qa/evidence/`

## Next Step

Run `/create-stories [epic-slug]` to break this epic into implementable stories.

Update production/epics/index.md

Create or update the master index:

# Epics Index

Last Updated: [date]
Engine: [name + version]

| Epic | Layer | System | GDD | Stories | Status |
|------|-------|--------|-----|---------|--------|
| [name] | Foundation | [system] | [file] | Not yet created | Ready |

6. Gate-Check Reminder

After writing all epics for the requested scope:

• Foundation + Core complete: These are required for the Pre-Production → Production gate. Run /gate-check production to check readiness.
• Reminder: Epics define scope. Stories define implementation steps. Run /create-stories [epic-slug] for each epic before developers can pick up work.

Collaborative Protocol

Applies in collaborative mode (the default). For guided and autonomous modes, see .claude/docs/automation-modes.md — the rules below describe what collaborative mode requires, not universal behavior.

1. One epic at a time — present each epic definition before asking to create it
2. Warn on gaps — flag untraced requirements before proceeding
3. Ask before writing — per-epic approval before writing any file
4. No invention — all content comes from GDDs, ADRs, and architecture docs
5. Never create stories — this skill stops at the epic level

After all requested epics are processed:

• Verdict: COMPLETE — [N] epic(s) written. Run /create-stories [epic-slug] per epic.
• Verdict: BLOCKED — user declined all epics, or no eligible systems found.