gijs_pong/.planning/phases/02-core-gameplay/02-VALIDATION.md

phase, slug, status, nyquist_compliant, wave_0_complete, created

phase	slug	status	nyquist_compliant	wave_0_complete	created
2	core-gameplay	draft	false	false	2026-03-10

Phase 2 — Validation Strategy

Per-phase validation contract for feedback sampling during execution.

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Test Infrastructure

Property	Value
Framework	Manual testing + browser DevTools (no test runner in Phase 2)
Config file	None — vanilla JavaScript, no test config needed
Quick run command	open index.html — play 1 full round; verify score and no crashes
Full suite command	Play 10 rounds (Easy, Medium, Hard, 2-Player); verify memory stable
Estimated runtime	~15 minutes (manual playtesting)

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Sampling Rate

• After every task commit: Run open index.html — play 1 full game round (until winner); verify score tracking and no crashes
• After every plan wave: Play 5 rounds (1 Easy, 1 Medium, 1 Hard, 2x 2-Player); verify all modes work; no memory growth observed
• Before /gsd:verify-work: Full suite (all checklist items below) must pass
• Max feedback latency: ~5 minutes per task

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Per-Task Verification Map

Task ID	Plan	Wave	Requirement	Test Type	Automated Command	File Exists	Status
2-01-01	01	1	CORE-08	manual	Open index.html; press Up/Down arrows	✅ existing	⬜ pending
2-01-02	01	1	AI-01	manual	Open index.html; observe AI tracks ball	✅ existing	⬜ pending
2-01-03	01	1	AI-02	manual	Play Easy difficulty 3 rounds	✅ existing	⬜ pending
2-01-04	01	1	AI-03	manual	Play Medium difficulty 3 rounds	✅ existing	⬜ pending
2-01-05	01	1	AI-04	manual	Play Hard difficulty 3 rounds	✅ existing	⬜ pending
2-02-01	02	1	CORE-05	manual	Play until score; verify correct player scored	✅ existing	⬜ pending
2-02-02	02	1	CORE-06	manual	Play to 7 points; verify winner message appears	✅ existing	⬜ pending

Status: ⬜ pending · ✅ green · ❌ red · ⚠️ flaky

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Wave 0 Requirements

Existing infrastructure covers all phase requirements. No automated test framework is used in Phase 2 (vanilla JS, single HTML file). All verification is manual play-testing using the checklist below.

If test framework is added in Phase 3 or later, retroactive unit tests can be added for core logic: AI prediction, score detection, state transitions.

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Manual-Only Verifications

Behavior	Requirement	Why Manual	Test Instructions
Player 2 Up/Down arrow keys move paddle	CORE-08	Browser input — no test runner	Open index.html; press Up/Down; verify smooth movement
AI tracks and intercepts ball	AI-01	Real-time physics simulation	Play Solo vs AI; observe AI paddle moves toward ball
Easy AI is beatable	AI-02	Human judgment required	Play Easy 5 rounds; average player should win
Medium AI provides fair challenge	AI-03	Human judgment required	Play Medium 5 rounds; ~50% win rate for experienced player
Hard AI requires skill	AI-04	Human judgment required	Play Hard 5 rounds; hard but possible to win
Ball passes paddle → opponent scores	CORE-05	UI + state verification	Play until ball exits; verify score increments correctly
Reach 7 points → match ends	CORE-06	Game state verification	Play to conclusion; verify winner message
No memory leaks after 10 rounds	(implicit)	DevTools heap snapshot required	Chrome DevTools Memory: heap before vs after 10 rounds; <10MB growth

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Phase 2 Full Validation Checklist

Before marking Phase 2 complete:

• Player 2 Input

  • Up arrow moves paddle2 up smoothly (no lag)
  • Down arrow moves paddle2 down smoothly
  • Up+Down pressed simultaneously → paddle stops (correct multi-key handling)
  • Release key → paddle stops immediately (no drift)

• AI Interception

  • Easy AI misses about 20-30% of serves (beatable)
  • Medium AI misses about 50% of serves (fair challenge)
  • Hard AI misses about 70-80% of serves (skilled)
  • AI still intercepts after wall bounces (prediction logic works)

• Scoring System

  • Ball passes left edge → score2 increments
  • Ball passes right edge → score1 increments
  • Scores display on-canvas (readable position)
  • Scores reset on restart

• Match End

  • Player 1 reaches 7 points → "Player 1 Wins!" appears
  • AI/Player 2 reaches 7 points → "AI Wins!" or "Player 2 Wins!" appears
  • Winner message cleared on restart
  • R key restarts game successfully

• Game Modes

  • Mode selection: press 1 → Solo vs AI; press 2 → 2-Player
  • Difficulty selection: press 1/2/3 → Easy/Medium/Hard
  • 2-Player mode: both paddles controllable (W/S and Up/Down)
  • AI mode: only Player 1 controllable; paddle2 is AI

• Memory & Stability

  • Play 10 game rounds (variety of modes/difficulties)
  • Chrome DevTools Memory: heap snapshot before → 10 rounds → heap snapshot after
  • Memory growth <10MB (stable, not creeping)
  • No console errors or warnings during gameplay

• Ball Re-serve Timing

  • After score, ~1 second pause before ball re-serves
  • During pause, ball is stationary
  • After pause, ball serves automatically (no player input needed)

• Edge Cases

  • Rapidly scoring multiple points → scores tracked correctly
  • Switching modes mid-game → clean restart (scores reset)

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Validation Sign-Off

• All tasks have manual verify steps documented
• Sampling continuity: no 3 consecutive tasks without manual verify
• Wave 0 has no MISSING references (manual testing only — no framework needed)
• No watch-mode flags
• Feedback latency <15 minutes (manual playtesting)
• nyquist_compliant: true set in frontmatter

Approval: pending