Phase 0: Parse Arguments and Context Check

Phase 0:

Parse Arguments and Context Check

What Is This?

"Phase 0: Parse Arguments and Context Check" is the initial skill in the art-bible authoring workflow on the Happycapy Skills platform. It performs all prerequisite checks and context gathering required before any visual identity specification or Art Bible authoring can begin. This automated gate ensures the workflow is only executed in the correct project state, with the proper review context, and with all essential project documents present.

This phase is not about editing or writing the Art Bible itself. Instead, it resolves which review mode to use, validates that the necessary game concept is in place, and, if applicable, assesses the current status of any pre-existing Art Bible document. It is designed to be run immediately after the /brainstorm command has been approved and before any Game Design Document (GDD) or mapping steps.

Why Use It?

Correctly initializing the Art Bible workflow is critical for maintaining project discipline and avoiding wasted effort. The Happycapy Skills platform enforces strict gating between creative brainstorming and formal asset production. By running "Phase 0: Parse Arguments and Context Check," you ensure:

• The Art Bible is only authored when a clear, approved game concept exists.
• The correct review mode is consistently used throughout all subsequent tasks.
• Any existing Art Bible sections are identified, preventing unnecessary overwrites or duplication.
• Contextual information is extracted and presented to guide the next authoring phases.

This phase prevents common errors such as starting asset specification without a guiding concept, using inconsistent review criteria, or losing track of partially completed Art Bible work.

How to Use It

Invoking the Skill

The skill is user-invocable and is typically run as the first step after /brainstorm is completed and approved. It can be invoked with an optional review mode argument:

/art-bible --review full

Or, if no review mode is specified, it will resolve it by checking project files (detailed below).

Allowed Tools

This skill is permitted to use the following tools:

• Read
• Glob
• Grep
• Write
• Edit
• Task
• AskUserQuestion

Argument and Context Resolution Logic

The core logic for parsing arguments and checking context is as follows:

1. Resolve Review Mode
   The review mode determines the level of scrutiny applied in subsequent phases. The skill resolves it in this order:

   • If --review [full|lean|solo] is passed as an argument, use that.
   • Else, read from production/review-mode.txt and use that value.
   • Else, default to lean.

   Code Example:

   python

   import sys
   def resolve_review_mode():
       args = sys.argv
       if '--review' in args:
           idx = args.index('--review')
           return args[idx+1]
       try:
           with open('production/review-mode.txt') as f:
               return f.read().strip()
       except FileNotFoundError:
           return 'lean'

2. Game Concept Validation
   The skill checks for design/gdd/game-concept.md. If it does not exist, it fails with an explicit message:

   "No game concept found. Run /brainstorm first - the art bible is authored after the game concept is approved."

   Code Example:

   python

   import os
   if not os.path.exists('design/gdd/game-concept.md'):
       raise RuntimeError("No game concept found. Run `/brainstorm` first - the art bible is authored after the game concept is approved.")

3. Extracting Context
   The following information is parsed from game-concept.md:

   • Working title
   • Core fantasy and elevator pitch
   • All game pillars
   • Visual Identity Anchor section (if present)
   • Target platform (if noted)

   This may be implemented via regex or simple text parsing.

4. Retrofit Mode Detection

   • The skill uses Glob to check for an existing design/art/art-bible.md.
   • If present, it reads the document and checks each of the 9 Art Bible sections for substantive content (i.e., more than a placeholder like [To be designed]).
   • The result is a section status table, e.g.:
     plaintext

     Section | Status
     --------|--------
     1. Visual Identity Statement | [Complete]
     2. Palette | [To be designed]
     ...

   This allows the workflow to pick up where it left off or to identify which sections need authoring.

When to Use It

Run "Phase 0: Parse Arguments and Context Check" immediately after the /brainstorm phase is approved and before any Art Bible, GDD, or asset mapping steps. This ensures all downstream actions are contextually correct, review mode is consistently applied, and any existing work is properly leveraged.

This phase should be re-run if:

• The game concept changes
• The review mode is updated
• The Art Bible document is externally edited

Important Notes

• This phase is strictly a gating/check phase. It does not author or edit the Art Bible itself.
• If the game concept is missing, the workflow will halt with a clear error.
• Review mode resolution is persistent for the entire run.
• Retrofit detection avoids overwriting existing work and enables incremental Art Bible authoring.
• The skill is only meaningful within the tightly coupled Happycapy/Claude project structure.

By enforcing these checks, "Phase 0: Parse Arguments and Context Check" provides a robust foundation for guided, section-by-section Art Bible creation, ensuring every asset in the project traces back to an approved, well-defined visual identity.