maze32/docs/BALANCE_REPORT.md

MVP gameplay balance

This document locks the compact gameplay configuration evaluated for Milestone 014. Human confirmation of the revised map belongs in docs/PLAYTEST_REPORT.md.

Locked configuration

Parameter	Locked value	Purpose
Maze dimensions	32 x 32 cells	Square map with one eighth of the former area
Initial vision radius	3 cells	Current-view-only exploration
Cross-half connection pairs	2	Four seam crossings between conceptual halves
Extra cycle pairs	8	Proportional route density without removing dead ends
Minimum start-to-exit separation	22 cells	Linear scaling by approximately the square root of eight
Landmark pairs	2	Four spatial-memory cues in symmetric positions
Vision-artifact pairs	1	Two one-use artifacts; preserves the MVP minimum
Compass pairs	1	One compass for each player's own exit
Movement cooldown	150 ms	Server-enforced minimum accepted-move interval
Enhanced-vision duration	10 successful moves	MVP artifact duration
Draw window	200 ms	Authoritative simultaneous-exit boundary
Match timer	None	Matches end only by defined result conditions

The values come from maze32_maze_default_config() and maze32_game_default_config(). They are server-owned defaults; browser clients cannot alter them.

Deterministic generation evidence

test/host/test_maze_generation.c generates and validates seeds 0 through 1,023 with this configuration. For every generated map it proves reachability, central symmetry, positive cycles and dead ends, at least four cross-half connections, paired player-relative route distances, and this balance invariant:

start_to_key_distance >= key_to_exit_distance

The test measures shortest traversable routes, not straight-line distance. It therefore establishes that finding a key is never made easier by a shorter required route than the later exit search. It does not substitute for human search behaviour in a maze with fog of war, landmarks, compasses, and artifacts.

The most recent recorded sweep (2026-09-08) reported:

Metric	Observed range across 1,024 seeds
Cycles	19..19
Dead ends	74..128
Start to key	93..422 cells
Key to exit	84..352 cells
Start to exit	26..242 cells
Generation attempts	1..2

At the 150 ms cooldown, an uninterrupted shortest 93-cell key route takes at least 13.95 seconds of accepted-move time. Actual match duration also includes route discovery, current-view-only navigation, the exit search, detours, interactions, and player decisions. The approximately five-minute target must be confirmed by the representative human-playtest procedure; no hard timer is introduced to force that outcome.

Tuning decision

The topology and object counts were reduced with the map area while retaining the three-cell base view, ten-move artifact effect, 150 ms cooldown, and 200 ms draw window. These interaction values remain unchanged until representative playtesting of the compact map supplies evidence for a further adjustment. If playtesting identifies a material duration or navigation problem, change only the smallest relevant locked value, rerun the 1,024-seed suite, record the new range here, and repeat the affected playtests.