Claude-Code-Game-Studios/.claude/skills/architecture-review/references/5-engine.md

/architecture-review — Phases 5 and 5b: Engine Cross-Check and Design Revision Flags

Part of /architecture-review. SKILL.md names when to read this file; the settings it resolved and the rules under its later headings still apply here.

Phase 5: Engine Compatibility Cross-Check

In this file:

• Version Consistency
• Post-Cutoff API Consistency
• Deprecated API Check
• Missing Engine Compatibility Sections
• Engine Specialist Consultation

Across all ADRs, check for engine consistency:

Version Consistency

• Do all ADRs that mention an engine version agree on the same version?
• If any ADR was written for an older engine version, flag it as potentially stale

Post-Cutoff API Consistency

• Collect all "Post-Cutoff APIs Used" fields from all ADRs
• For each, verify against the relevant module reference doc
• Check that no two ADRs make contradictory assumptions about the same post-cutoff API

Deprecated API Check

• Grep all ADRs for API names listed in deprecated-apis.md
• Flag any ADR referencing a deprecated API

Missing Engine Compatibility Sections

• List all ADRs that are missing the Engine Compatibility section entirely
• These are blind spots — their engine assumptions are unknown

Output format:

### Engine Audit Results
Engine: [name + version]
ADRs with Engine Compatibility section: X / Y total

Deprecated API References:
  - ADR-0002: uses [deprecated API] — deprecated since [version]

Stale Version References:
  - ADR-0001: written for [older version] — current project version is [version]

Post-Cutoff API Conflicts:
  - ADR-0004 and ADR-0007 both use [API] with incompatible assumptions

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Engine Specialist Consultation

After completing the engine audit above, spawn the primary engine specialist via Agent for a domain-expert second opinion:

• Resolve the primary specialist: <engine>-specialist derived from engine.name in project.yaml (Godot→godot-specialist, Unity→unity-specialist, Unreal→unreal-specialist); if engine.name is absent or empty, read the Primary line of the ## Engine Specialists section in .claude/docs/technical-preferences.md
• If no engine is configured (neither source yields an engine), skip this consultation Record Engine validation: NOT ASSESSED — no engine configured (`engine.name` unset in `project.yaml`) in this run's output. A skipped check that says nothing is indistinguishable from a check that passed; the reader cannot tell engine guidance was never sought.
• Spawn subagent_type: [primary specialist] with: all ADRs that contain engine-specific decisions or Post-Cutoff APIs Used fields, the engine reference docs, and the Phase 5 audit findings. Ask them to:
  1. Confirm or challenge each audit finding — specialists may know of engine nuances not captured in the reference docs
  2. Identify engine-specific anti-patterns in the ADRs that the audit may have missed (e.g., using the wrong Godot node type, Unity component coupling, Unreal subsystem misuse)
  3. Flag ADRs that make assumptions about engine behaviour that differ from the actual pinned version

Incorporate additional findings under ### Engine Specialist Findings in the Phase 5 output. These feed into the final verdict — specialist-identified issues carry the same weight as audit-identified issues.

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Phase 5b: Design Revision Flags (Architecture → GDD Feedback)

For each HIGH RISK engine finding from Phase 5, check whether any GDD makes an assumption that the verified engine reality contradicts.

Specific cases to check:

1. Post-cutoff API behaviour differs from training-data assumptions: If an ADR records a verified API behaviour that differs from the default LLM assumption, check all GDDs that reference the related system. Look for design rules written around the old (assumed) behaviour.

2. Known engine limitations in ADRs: If an ADR records a known engine limitation (e.g. "Jolt ignores HingeJoint3D damp", "D3D12 is now the default backend"), check GDDs that design mechanics around the affected feature.

3. Deprecated API conflicts: If Phase 5 flagged a deprecated API used in an ADR, check whether any GDD contains mechanics that assume the deprecated API's behaviour.

For each conflict found, record it in the GDD Revision Flags table:

### GDD Revision Flags (Architecture → Design Feedback)
These GDD assumptions conflict with verified engine behaviour or accepted ADRs.
The GDD should be revised before its system enters implementation.

| GDD | Assumption | Reality (from ADR/engine-reference) | Action |
|-----|-----------|--------------------------------------|--------|
| combat.md | "Use HingeJoint3D damp for weapon recoil" | Jolt ignores damp — ADR-0003 | Revise GDD |

If no revision flags are found, write: "No GDD revision flags — all GDD assumptions are consistent with verified engine behaviour."

Before asking, display the proposed change inline — show the current systems-index row for each flagged GDD and the proposed updated row side by side so the user can see exactly what will change.

Then use AskUserQuestion:

• "I found [N] GDD revision flag(s). May I update the systems index?"
  • [A] Yes — apply all [N] updates to the systems index now
  • [B] Show me the full diff first, then ask again
  • [C] No — leave the systems index unchanged for now

If [A]: apply the updates. Status field must be exactly Needs Revision — no parentheticals (other skills match that exact string and parentheticals break the match). If [B]: display the complete proposed systems-index section, then re-ask with AskUserQuestion.

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