Implementation Plan: Player Expectations & Character Creation Section
Overview
How to integrate a new player-facing section into The Western Horizon that bridges the gap between reactive and proactive play expectations.
The Problem Being Solved
Current Gap:
- Session Zero teaches collaborative worldbuilding
- Settlements section assumes players understand proactive role
- No explicit guidance on the mental shift
- Character Creation Form exists but isn’t contextualized within goal-driven framework
Section Structure: “I-A. The Player’s Compass”
- What Makes This Different (10 min read)
- Your Role as a Player (5 min read)
- Creating Your Character (15 min read)
- Between Sessions: The Rhythm of Play (7 min read)
- During Expeditions: What to Expect (8 min read)
- Common Pitfalls (5 min read)
- Quick Reference & Next Steps (3 min read)
Total: ~50 minutes / Skimmable in ~15 minutes
Document Flow
Overview → Session Zero → Player Guide → Settlements
Key Design Decisions
- Tone: Player-facing, second person, conversational but not condescending
- Visual Design: Tables for comparisons, callout boxes, checklists
- Running Example: Marcus Ashford throughout character creation
- Form Integration: Keep form as separate doc, heavily reference it
Success Metrics
Working indicators: Players arrive with goals, post expedition intents unprompted, take proactive actions Failure indicators: Players wait for hooks, empty intent channel, lack of concrete goals
Status
See INTEGRATION_STATUS — all tasks complete.