cat-haven/BUILD_NOTES.md

Cat Haven - Implementation Status

Build Notes

Phase 1: MVP Setup ✅

• Project scaffolding with module structure
• LOVR 2023 (v1.4) compatibility
• Basic rendering pipeline
• Game state management

Phase 2: Core Systems ✅

• Core Module (src/core.lua)

  • Configuration system
  • Personality definitions (5 types)
  • Furniture definitions (5 types)
  • Save/load system with JSON
  • Game loop and state updates

• JSON Module (src/json.lua)

  • Custom encoder/decoder
  • Handles all Lua types
  • Non-string key support
  • Error handling for malformed JSON

• Voxel Module (src/voxel/init.lua)

  • Procedural texture generation
  • Cube mesh rendering
  • AABB collision detection
  • Raycasting for interaction

• Cat Module (src/cat/init.lua)

  • Cat class with state machine
  • AI behavior system
  • Personality compatibility logic
  • Serialization for save/load

• House Module (src/house/init.lua)

  • Grid-based placement system
  • Collision detection
  • Furniture management
  • Upgrade system

• UI Module (src/ui/init.lua)

  • HUD with happiness meter
  • Inventory panel
  • Cat log display
  • Placement preview

• Audio Module (src/audio/init.lua)

  • Procedural purr sound
  • Procedural meow sound
  • Ambient room noise
  • Click sound effects

Phase 3: Polish ✅

• Error handling throughout
• Nil checks on all module access
• Edge case handling (empty lists, zero distance)
• Automatic cat departure logic
• Camera-agnostic raycasting
• Responsive UI scaling

Phase 4: Neverending Loop ✅

• Infinite cat spawning
• Continuous happiness calculation
• Auto-departure for unhappy cats
• Persistent save system

Known Limitations

1. Audio: Procedural sounds are basic waveforms, not realistic animal sounds
2. Rendering: Simple box models, no complex geometry
3. VR: Designed for VR but tested in 2D mode only
4. Performance: O(n²) cat interaction complexity (acceptable for < 8 cats)

Future Enhancements

• Multiple rooms
• Cat breeding system
• Furniture crafting
• Achievements system
• Sound mixing controls
• Cat coloring customization

Technical Decisions

1. Module Loading: Lazy loading to break circular dependencies
2. JSON Format: Custom implementation for LOVR compatibility
3. Audio: Procedural generation to avoid external assets
4. Textures: Runtime generation to avoid external assets
5. Collision: AABB-based for simplicity and performance

Testing Notes

To test in LOVR:

1. Run lovr ./ from project root
2. Press RThumb + S to save
3. Press RThumb + L to load
4. Press ESC to pause
5. Click inventory items to select furniture
6. Watch cats interact with furniture

Files Summary

File	Lines	Purpose
main.lua	45	LOVR callbacks
src/core.lua	453	Game state, config, save/load
src/json.lua	250	JSON encoder/decoder
src/voxel/init.lua	333	Rendering, textures, raycasting
src/cat/init.lua	274	Cat AI, behavior, state machine
src/house/init.lua	215	Grid, placement, collision
src/ui/init.lua	305	HUD, inventory, cat log
src/audio/init.lua	200	Procedural audio generation

Total: 2,075 lines of Lua code