Update Strategic Direction
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# Strategic Direction
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# Strategic Direction
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**McRogueFace v0.2.5** | February 2026
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**McRogueFace v0.2.5** | February 2026
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**Related Pages:**
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**Related Pages:**
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- [[Issue-Roadmap]] - Detailed issue tracking by system and priority
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- [[Issue-Roadmap]] - Detailed issue tracking by system and priority
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- [[Performance-and-Profiling]] - Profiling infrastructure
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- [[Performance-and-Profiling]] - Profiling infrastructure
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- [[Animation-System]] - Animation architecture
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- [[Animation-System]] - Animation architecture
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- [[Development-Workflow]] - Day-to-day development process
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- [[Development-Workflow]] - Day-to-day development process
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- [[Home]] - Documentation hub
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- [[Home]] - Documentation hub
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---
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---
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## Current State Assessment
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## Current State Assessment
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McRogueFace is a C++/Python 2D game engine for roguelikes. It wraps SFML, libtcod, and OpenGL behind a Python scripting layer, delivering C++ performance with Python ergonomics. The engine has been in development since late 2022 and is now **game-ready for 2D roguelikes**.
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McRogueFace is a C++/Python 2D game engine for roguelikes. It wraps SFML, libtcod, and OpenGL behind a Python scripting layer, delivering C++ performance with Python ergonomics. The engine has been in development since late 2022 and is now **game-ready for 2D roguelikes**.
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### What Has Been Built
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### What Has Been Built
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**Core Engine (Production-Ready):**
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**Core Engine (Production-Ready):**
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- UI hierarchy: Frame, Caption, Sprite, Grid, Entity, Arc, Circle, Line with parent-child composition
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- UI hierarchy: Frame, Caption, Sprite, Grid, Entity, Arc, Circle, Line with parent-child composition
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- Animation system with 24+ easing functions, property locking, callbacks, safe recursive callbacks
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- Animation system with 24+ easing functions, property locking, callbacks, safe recursive callbacks
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- Scene management with keyboard handlers, transitions, cleanup
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- Scene management with keyboard handlers, transitions, cleanup
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- Input handling: Key, MouseButton, InputState enums; click/hover/move callbacks on all drawables; grid cell callbacks
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- Input handling: Key, MouseButton, InputState enums; click/hover/move callbacks on all drawables; grid cell callbacks
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- Multi-layer grid system with TileLayer/ColorLayer, chunk-based rendering, z-ordering, rotation, camera control
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- Multi-layer grid system with TileLayer/ColorLayer, chunk-based rendering, z-ordering, rotation, camera control
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- Grid-based entity system with collections, pathfinding, FOV
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- Grid-based entity system with collections, pathfinding, FOV
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- Procedural generation: DiscreteMap, HeightMap, NoiseSource, BSP with adjacency graphs
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- Procedural generation: DiscreteMap, HeightMap, NoiseSource, BSP with adjacency graphs
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- Tiled import (TileSetFile, TileMapFile, WangSet with resolve/apply pipeline)
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- Tiled import (TileSetFile, TileMapFile, WangSet with resolve/apply pipeline)
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- LDtk import (LdtkProject, AutoRuleSet with pattern-matching resolution)
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- LDtk import (LdtkProject, AutoRuleSet with pattern-matching resolution)
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- Timer objects with stopwatch semantics (pause, resume, restart, one-shot)
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- Timer objects with stopwatch semantics (pause, resume, restart, one-shot)
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- Audio: sound buffers, playback, volume control
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- Audio: sound buffers, playback, volume control
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- Documentation: MCRF_* macro system, auto-generated HTML/Markdown/man pages, Python type stubs
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- Documentation: MCRF_* macro system, auto-generated HTML/Markdown/man pages, Python type stubs
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**Platform Support:**
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**Platform Support:**
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- Linux native builds
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- Linux native builds
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- Windows cross-compilation (MinGW-w64)
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- Windows cross-compilation (MinGW-w64)
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- WebAssembly/Emscripten with SDL2+OpenGL ES 2 backend
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- WebAssembly/Emscripten with SDL2+OpenGL ES 2 backend
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- Headless mode for CI/automated testing
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- Headless mode for CI/automated testing
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**Testing and Tooling:**
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**Testing and Tooling:**
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- 100+ unit tests across unit, integration, regression, and benchmark suites
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- 100+ unit tests across unit, integration, regression, and benchmark suites
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- Interactive demo system with per-feature screens
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- Interactive demo system with per-feature screens
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- Automation API (screenshots, simulated input)
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- Automation API (screenshots, simulated input)
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- Profiling infrastructure (F3 overlay, ScopedTimer, metrics)
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- Profiling infrastructure (F3 overlay, ScopedTimer, metrics)
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**Experimental 3D Pipeline:**
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**Experimental 3D Pipeline:**
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- Viewport3D with OpenGL scene graph embedded in 2D UI
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- Viewport3D with OpenGL scene graph embedded in 2D UI
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- Camera3D, Entity3D, MeshLayer, Model3D (glTF), Billboard, Shader3D, VoxelGrid
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- Camera3D, Entity3D, MeshLayer, Model3D (glTF), Billboard, Shader3D, VoxelGrid
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- Greedy meshing, frustum culling, serialization
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- Greedy meshing, frustum culling, serialization
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- These modules work and are tested but have known gaps (Entity3D.animate() is a stub, some collection methods missing). They represent proof-of-concept scouting for the McVoxelFace era.
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- These modules work and are tested but have known gaps (Entity3D.animate() is a stub, some collection methods missing). They represent proof-of-concept scouting for the McVoxelFace era.
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### Proving Grounds
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### Proving Grounds
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- **Crypt of Sokoban** (7DRL 2025) was the alpha proving ground -- the first complete game built on McRogueFace.
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- **Crypt of Sokoban** (7DRL 2025) was the alpha proving ground -- the first complete game built on McRogueFace.
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- **7DRL 2026** is the current milestone. Engine preparation is complete; widget primitives are prototyped and tested.
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- **7DRL 2026** is the current milestone. Engine preparation is complete; widget primitives are prototyped and tested.
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- **r/roguelikedev tutorial series** (#167) is the community-facing demonstration target.
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- **r/roguelikedev tutorial series** (#167) is the community-facing demonstration target.
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---
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---
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## Engine Eras
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## Engine Eras
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The original plan called for three separate engines. In practice, they have converged into one engine with **eras** of focused development. The shared foundation -- Python bindings, UI hierarchy, animation system, scene management, input handling, audio -- is the same regardless of whether the game uses tile grids, vector graphics, or voxel terrain.
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The original plan called for three separate engines. In practice, they have converged into one engine with **eras** of focused development. The shared foundation -- Python bindings, UI hierarchy, animation system, scene management, input handling, audio -- is the same regardless of whether the game uses tile grids, vector graphics, or voxel terrain.
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| Era | Focus | Status |
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| Era | Focus | Status |
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|-----|-------|--------|
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|-----|-------|--------|
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| **McRogueFace** (current) | 2D tiles, roguelike systems, procgen | Active -- 7DRL 2026 imminent |
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| **McRogueFace** (current) | 2D tiles, roguelike systems, procgen | Active -- 7DRL 2026 imminent |
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| **McVectorFace** (future) | Sparse grids, vector graphics, physics | Planned |
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| **McVectorFace** (future) | Sparse grids, vector graphics, physics | Planned |
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| **McVoxelFace** (future) | Voxel terrain, 3D gameplay | Proof-of-concept scouting done |
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| **McVoxelFace** (future) | Voxel terrain, 3D gameplay | Proof-of-concept scouting done |
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Each era adds capabilities to the same engine. Nothing is thrown away. A Grid is still useful for inventory screens in a 3D game. Sparse grid layers plus a polygon class would cover vector graphics. There is no reason to fork.
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Each era adds capabilities to the same engine. Nothing is thrown away. A Grid is still useful for inventory screens in a 3D game. Sparse grid layers plus a polygon class would cover vector graphics. There is no reason to fork.
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---
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## Development Philosophy
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## Development Philosophy
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These principles guide all development decisions:
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These principles guide all development decisions:
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1. **Build the engine, prove it with games.** Game jams and the tutorial series are the proof. An engine nobody makes games with is just a library.
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1. **Build the engine, prove it with games.** Game jams and the tutorial series are the proof. An engine nobody makes games with is just a library.
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2. **Foundation first, then features.** But "foundation" includes making the engine pleasant to use, not just performant.
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2. **Foundation first, then features.** But "foundation" includes making the engine pleasant to use, not just performant.
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3. **One engine, not three.** Capabilities accumulate across eras; nothing is thrown away.
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3. **One engine, not three.** Capabilities accumulate across eras; nothing is thrown away.
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4. **Python ergonomics matter.** If it is annoying to use from Python, it is a bug. The API should feel natural to Python developers, not like a thin C++ wrapper.
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4. **Python ergonomics matter.** If it is annoying to use from Python, it is a bug. The API should feel natural to Python developers, not like a thin C++ wrapper.
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5. **Maintain momentum.** Build tools quickly before losing interest. The 72-hour deep-dive pattern is a feature, not a bug -- channel it into focused sprints.
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5. **Maintain momentum.** Build tools quickly before losing interest. The 72-hour deep-dive pattern is a feature, not a bug -- channel it into focused sprints.
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6. **McRogueFace should be usable by others.** Not just a personal tool. The roguelike community is the first audience.
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6. **McRogueFace should be usable by others.** Not just a personal tool. The roguelike community is the first audience.
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---
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## Immediate Focus
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## Immediate Focus
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### 7DRL 2026 (February 2026)
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### 7DRL 2026 (February 2026)
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The engine is prepared. All 2D systems are production-ready. The jam is the proving ground -- it will expose any remaining rough edges in the workflow of building a complete game on McRogueFace.
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The engine is prepared. All 2D systems are production-ready. The jam is the proving ground -- it will expose any remaining rough edges in the workflow of building a complete game on McRogueFace.
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### Post-Jam (March-April 2026)
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### Post-Jam (March-April 2026)
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Lessons from 7DRL will drive the next wave of work:
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Lessons from 7DRL will drive the next wave of work:
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- Polish and publish the engine based on real-world jam experience
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- Polish and publish the engine based on real-world jam experience
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- Fix any pain points discovered during actual game development
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- Fix any pain points discovered during actual game development
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- Progress on the r/roguelikedev tutorial series (#167)
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- Progress on the r/roguelikedev tutorial series (#167)
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- Address any critical bugs surfaced during the jam
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- Address any critical bugs surfaced during the jam
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### Ongoing
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### Ongoing
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The engine ships continuously. There is no single "v1.0 release date." Each version should be usable. Breaking changes are avoided where possible, and when necessary, they are documented.
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The engine ships continuously. There is no single "v1.0 release date." Each version should be usable. Breaking changes are avoided where possible, and when necessary, they are documented.
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---
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## What Remains
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## What Remains
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32 open issues remain, grouped by area. See [[Issue-Roadmap]] for detailed per-issue tracking.
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32 open issues remain, grouped by area. See [[Issue-Roadmap]] for detailed per-issue tracking.
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**3D Pipeline Gaps (4 issues):** Entity3D needs animate() support (#242), viewport parent tracking (#244), collection method parity (#243), and screen_to_world() improvements (#245). These are tier-2 foundation work -- important for the McVoxelFace era but not blocking 2D development.
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**3D Pipeline Gaps (4 issues):** Entity3D needs animate() support (#242), viewport parent tracking (#244), collection method parity (#243), and screen_to_world() improvements (#245). These are tier-2 foundation work -- important for the McVoxelFace era but not blocking 2D development.
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**Multi-Tile Entities (5 issues):** Oversized sprites (#236), composite sprites (#237), texture display bounds (#235), entity origin offsets (#234), and the umbrella enhancement (#233). All tier-3 future work for richer entity rendering.
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**Multi-Tile Entities (5 issues):** Oversized sprites (#236), composite sprites (#237), texture display bounds (#235), entity origin offsets (#234), and the umbrella enhancement (#233). All tier-3 future work for richer entity rendering.
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**WASM/Emscripten Debugging (3 issues):** Debug infrastructure (#238), automated browser testing (#239), and developer troubleshooting docs (#240). Tier-3 tooling to improve the WebAssembly development experience.
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**WASM/Emscripten Debugging (3 issues):** Debug infrastructure (#238), automated browser testing (#239), and developer troubleshooting docs (#240). Tier-3 tooling to improve the WebAssembly development experience.
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**Grid Enhancements (3 issues):** Sparse grid layers (#152), UIGrid.cpp refactoring (#149), and infinite world grid stitching (#67). Foundation and future work for larger and more flexible worlds.
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**Grid Enhancements (3 issues):** Sparse grid layers (#152), UIGrid.cpp refactoring (#149), and infinite world grid stitching (#67). Foundation and future work for larger and more flexible worlds.
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**LLM Agent Testbed (3 issues):** The grounded multi-agent testbed (#154), turn-based LLM orchestration (#156), and agent simulation environment (#55). Research applications that demonstrate the engine's value beyond traditional game development.
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**LLM Agent Testbed (3 issues):** The grounded multi-agent testbed (#154), turn-based LLM orchestration (#156), and agent simulation environment (#55). Research applications that demonstrate the engine's value beyond traditional game development.
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**Platform and Distribution (7 issues):** Packaging without embedded interpreter (#70), Jupyter notebook interface (#54), multiple windows (#62), accessibility modes (#45), alternative input methods (#53), RenderTexture failure handling (#227), and subinterpreter support (#220).
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**Platform and Distribution (7 issues):** Packaging without embedded interpreter (#70), Jupyter notebook interface (#54), multiple windows (#62), accessibility modes (#45), alternative input methods (#53), RenderTexture failure handling (#227), and subinterpreter support (#220).
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**Other (7 issues):** Particle system (#107), Color/Vector animation targets (#218), grid point animation (#124), memory pool for entities (#117), TexturePool RenderTexture reuse (#145), tutorial demo game (#167), and subinterpreter tests (#46).
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**Other (7 issues):** Particle system (#107), Color/Vector animation targets (#218), grid point animation (#124), memory pool for entities (#117), TexturePool RenderTexture reuse (#145), tutorial demo game (#167), and subinterpreter tests (#46).
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Most of these are tier-2 or tier-3 -- important but not urgent. The engine is functional for its current era. Issues will be addressed based on what games need, not on a predetermined schedule.
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Most of these are tier-2 or tier-3 -- important but not urgent. The engine is functional for its current era. Issues will be addressed based on what games need, not on a predetermined schedule.
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## Decision Framework
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## Decision Framework
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When considering new work, ask these questions in order:
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When considering new work, ask these questions in order:
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### 1. Does it serve the current era?
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### 1. Does it serve the current era?
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McRogueFace is in the 2D roguelike era. Work that improves 2D tile-based game development gets priority. 3D pipeline improvements are welcome when momentum is there, but they should not block 2D progress.
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McRogueFace is in the 2D roguelike era. Work that improves 2D tile-based game development gets priority. 3D pipeline improvements are welcome when momentum is there, but they should not block 2D progress.
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### 2. Did a real game expose this need?
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### 2. Did a real game expose this need?
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Problems discovered while building actual games (7DRL, tutorial series) take priority over theoretical improvements. If nobody has hit the limitation in practice, it can wait.
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Problems discovered while building actual games (7DRL, tutorial series) take priority over theoretical improvements. If nobody has hit the limitation in practice, it can wait.
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### 3. Does it make the engine more usable by others?
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### 3. Does it make the engine more usable by others?
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Documentation, ergonomic API improvements, packaging, and tutorial work multiply the engine's value. A feature that only the author would use is lower priority than one the community needs.
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Documentation, ergonomic API improvements, packaging, and tutorial work multiply the engine's value. A feature that only the author would use is lower priority than one the community needs.
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### 4. Is it foundation or feature?
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### 4. Is it foundation or feature?
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Foundation work (performance, API consistency, bug fixes, documentation) compounds over time. Features are valuable but should build on a solid foundation. When in doubt, fix the foundation.
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Foundation work (performance, API consistency, bug fixes, documentation) compounds over time. Features are valuable but should build on a solid foundation. When in doubt, fix the foundation.
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### 5. Can it wait?
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### 5. Can it wait?
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If the answer is yes and there is foundation work to do, it should wait. Scope discipline is what separates shipping engines from perpetual projects.
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If the answer is yes and there is foundation work to do, it should wait. Scope discipline is what separates shipping engines from perpetual projects.
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**Rule of thumb:** If a real game needs it now, do it now. If it is foundation work for the current era, prioritize it. Everything else goes on the backlog.
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**Rule of thumb:** If a real game needs it now, do it now. If it is foundation work for the current era, prioritize it. Everything else goes on the backlog.
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---
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## Long-Term Trajectory
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## Long-Term Trajectory
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The engine's trajectory follows the games that drive it:
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The engine's trajectory follows the games that drive it:
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- **Now:** 2D roguelikes (7DRL 2026, tutorial series, community adoption)
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- **Now:** 2D roguelikes (7DRL 2026, tutorial series, community adoption)
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- **Next:** More ambitious 2D projects that stress-test grid stitching, multi-tile entities, and larger worlds
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- **Next:** More ambitious 2D projects that stress-test grid stitching, multi-tile entities, and larger worlds
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- **Eventually:** McVectorFace era (sparse grids, vector graphics, physics) and McVoxelFace era (voxel terrain, 3D gameplay) -- same engine, new capabilities, bigger games
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- **Eventually:** McVectorFace era (sparse grids, vector graphics, physics) and McVoxelFace era (voxel terrain, 3D gameplay) -- same engine, new capabilities, bigger games
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The 3D proof-of-concept scouting is already done. When the time comes for the McVoxelFace era, the foundation (Viewport3D, VoxelGrid, shaders, Model3D) already exists and just needs to be completed.
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The 3D proof-of-concept scouting is already done. When the time comes for the McVoxelFace era, the foundation (Viewport3D, VoxelGrid, shaders, Model3D) already exists and just needs to be completed.
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---
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---
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**Navigation:**
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**Navigation:**
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- [[Home]] - Documentation hub
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- [[Home]] - Documentation hub
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- [[Issue-Roadmap]] - Detailed issue tracking
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- [[Issue-Roadmap]] - Detailed issue tracking
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- [[Development-Workflow]] - Day-to-day process
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- [[Development-Workflow]] - Day-to-day process
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- [[Performance-and-Profiling]] - Profiling infrastructure
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- [[Performance-and-Profiling]] - Profiling infrastructure
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*Last updated: 2026-02-07*
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*Last updated: 2026-02-07*
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