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+# Mission 3: "Ghost in the Machine" - Stage 4 Complete
+
+**Mission ID:** m03_ghost_in_the_machine
+**Title:** Ghost in the Machine
+**Stage:** 4 - Player Objectives Design
+**Date Completed:** 2025-12-27
+**Status:** ✅ COMPLETE
+
+---
+
+## Stage 4 Deliverables Summary
+
+**Total Documents Created:** 2 documents
+
+### Document 1: Player Goals (`player_goals.md`)
+**Size:** ~587 lines
+**Status:** ✅ Complete
+
+**Contents:**
+- Objectives philosophy and overview
+- 1 primary objective with 3 aims (11 total tasks)
+- 3 optional objectives (8 total tasks)
+- Success/failure states
+- Complete objective-to-world mapping
+- Ink tag specifications
+
+### Document 2: Objectives JSON (`objectives.json`)
+**Size:** 184 lines
+**Status:** ✅ Complete, ready for scenario.json.erb
+
+**Contents:**
+- Complete JSON structure
+- All objectives, aims, and tasks
+- Proper status/locked states
+- Optional flag configuration
+
+---
+
+## Objectives Architecture Summary
+
+### Primary Objective: Zero Day Intelligence
+
+**Total Tasks:** 11 (across 3 aims)
+
+**Aim 1.1: Establish Undercover Access** (Act 1)
+- ✅ 2 tasks: Meet Victoria, Clone RFID card
+- Unlocks: Server room access, Act 2 investigation
+
+**Aim 1.2: Network Reconnaissance** (Act 2)
+- ✅ 4 VM flag tasks: Network scan, FTP banner, HTTP analysis, distcc exploit
+- Critical: distcc_exploit triggers M2 revelation event
+
+**Aim 1.3: Physical Evidence Collection** (Act 2)
+- ✅ 4 in-game tasks: Decode whiteboard, Access computer, Decode roster, Find logs
+- Critical: find_operational_logs reveals M2 hospital connection
+
+### Optional Objectives
+
+**Optional 1: Collect LORE Fragments**
+- ✅ 3 tasks: Zero Day Origins, Exploit Catalog, Architect's Directive
+
+**Optional 2: Perfect Stealth**
+- ✅ 1 behavioral task: Complete mission undetected
+
+**Optional 3: Moral Engagement**
+- ✅ 2 choice tasks: James's fate, Victoria's fate
+
+**Total Optional Tasks:** 6
+
+**Grand Total:** 17 tasks (11 primary + 6 optional)
+
+---
+
+## Hybrid Architecture Integration
+
+### VM Flag Tasks (4 total)
+1. **scan_network** - nmap port scanning → `flag{network_scan_complete}`
+2. **ftp_banner** - Banner grabbing with netcat → `flag{ftp_intel_gathered}`
+3. **http_analysis** - HTTP analysis + Base64 → `flag{pricing_intel_decoded}`
+4. **distcc_exploit** - Legacy service exploitation → `flag{distcc_legacy_compromised}`
+
+**Submission:** All flags submitted at drop-site terminal in server room
+
+### In-Game Tasks (7 primary + 6 optional = 13 total)
+1. **meet_victoria** - NPC dialogue
+2. **clone_rfid_card** - Proximity-based minigame
+3. **decode_whiteboard** - ROT13 encoding puzzle
+4. **access_victoria_computer** - Lockpicking + login
+5. **decode_client_roster** - Hex decoding puzzle
+6. **find_operational_logs** - Correlation task (VM + physical)
+7. **james_choice_made** - Moral choice dialogue
+8. **victoria_choice_made** - Moral choice dialogue
+9. **lore_fragment_1** - Hidden item (lockpick filing cabinet)
+10. **lore_fragment_2** - Safe puzzle (PIN: 2010)
+11. **lore_fragment_3** - Double-encoding (ROT13+Base64)
+12. **zero_detection** - Behavioral tracking (stealth)
+
+### Correlation Tasks (2 critical)
+1. **http_analysis** - VM (HTTP fetch) + In-game (CyberChef decode)
+2. **find_operational_logs** - VM (distcc exploit) + In-game (file examination)
+
+**Integration Success:** All tasks properly mapped to hybrid architecture
+
+---
+
+## Progression Flow Achievements
+
+### Linear Progression (Critical Path)
+```
+Start → meet_victoria → clone_rfid_card
+  → Server room access
+  → scan_network (unlocks 3 parallel tasks)
+  → distcc_exploit (CRITICAL - triggers M2 revelation)
+  → find_operational_logs (MIDPOINT TWIST)
+  → All evidence collected
+  → Victoria confrontation (optional)
+  → Mission complete
+```
+
+### Non-Linear Investigation (Act 2)
+**Parallel tracks after server room access:**
+- VM challenges (scan → ftp/http/distcc)
+- Physical evidence (whiteboard → computer → roster → logs)
+- Optional LORE hunting (3 fragments)
+
+**Player can pursue in any order** until convergence at find_operational_logs
+
+### Critical Unlock Points
+1. **clone_rfid_card** → Unlocks Aim 1.2 + Aim 1.3 (Act 2 begins)
+2. **scan_network** → Unlocks all service enumeration tasks
+3. **access_victoria_computer** → Unlocks decode_client_roster
+4. **distcc_exploit** → Unlocks find_operational_logs + triggers M2 event
+5. **all_evidence_collected** → Unlocks Victoria confrontation
+
+---
+
+## Objective-to-World Mapping Achievements
+
+### Rooms Required
+- `conference_room_01` - Victoria meeting, RFID cloning
+- `server_room` - VM terminal, CyberChef, drop-site terminal, whiteboard
+- `executive_office` - Victoria's computer, safe, filing cabinet, USB drive
+- `james_office` - Innocence evidence discovery (optional)
+
+### NPCs Required
+- `npc_victoria` - Primary antagonist (meeting + confrontation)
+- `npc_agent_0x99` - Handler (briefing + event-triggered revelations)
+- `npc_guard` - Stealth challenge (patrol, detection)
+- `npc_james` - Optional moral complexity
+
+### Interactables Required
+- **Computers:** VM terminal, CyberChef workstation, drop-site terminal, Victoria's computer
+- **Containers:** Filing cabinet, wall safe, desk drawer
+- **Objects:** Whiteboard (ROT13), USB drive, family photo
+- **Doors:** Executive office door (lockpick), server room door (RFID/lockpick)
+
+### Ink Scripts Required
+1. `victoria_meeting.ink` - Meeting + RFID cloning
+2. `drop_site_terminal.ink` - Flag submissions
+3. `cyberchef_workstation.ink` - Encoding/decoding
+4. `computer_login.ink` - Victoria's computer access
+5. `operational_logs_discovery.ink` - M2 revelation (event-triggered)
+6. `agent_0x99_m2_revelation.ink` - Handler response to discovery
+7. `james_protection_choice.ink` - Mid-mission moral choice
+8. `victoria_confrontation.ink` - End-mission moral choice
+
+**Total Ink Scripts Specified:** 8 (critical path only)
+
+---
+
+## Success/Failure States Design
+
+### Success Spectrum
+
+**Complete Success (100%):**
+- All 11 primary tasks completed
+- All 4 VM flags submitted
+- M2 connection discovered
+- Both moral choices engaged
+- Perfect stealth maintained
+
+**Good Success (80-99%):**
+- All primary tasks completed
+- 3+ VM flags submitted
+- Minor detection incidents
+
+**Acceptable Success (60-79%):**
+- 2 of 3 aims completed
+- 2+ VM flags submitted
+- Some evidence gathered
+
+**Minimal Success (50-59%):**
+- Aim 1.1 completed
+- 1+ VM flag submitted
+- Partial intelligence
+
+### Failure Handling
+- **No permanent failure** - Checkpoints allow retry
+- **Soft failures** - Detection adds time pressure, not game over
+- **3 checkpoints:** After RFID clone, server access, M2 revelation
+
+**Player-Friendly:** Can continue campaign regardless of success level
+
+---
+
+## Integration with Previous Stages
+
+### Stage 0 Integration
+**Technical Challenges → Tasks:**
+- RFID cloning mechanic → clone_rfid_card task
+- VM challenges (4 flags) → Aim 1.2 (network_recon)
+- Multi-encoding puzzles → decode_whiteboard, decode_client_roster, lore_fragment_3
+- Guard patrol → perfect_stealth optional objective
+
+**All Stage 0 challenges mapped to objectives** ✅
+
+### Stage 1 Integration
+**Narrative Acts → Aims:**
+- Act 1 (Undercover Infiltration) → Aim 1.1
+- Act 2 (Investigation & Escalation) → Aims 1.2 + 1.3
+- Act 3 (Confrontation & Choice) → Optional Objective 3 (moral_choices)
+
+**Scene progression aligns with task unlocks** ✅
+
+### Stage 2 Integration
+**Characters → Tasks:**
+- Victoria Sterling → meet_victoria, clone_rfid_card, victoria_choice_made
+- James Park → james_choice_made
+- Agent 0x99 → Event-triggered conversations (distcc_exploit completion)
+
+**Environmental storytelling → LORE fragments** ✅
+
+### Stage 3 Integration
+**Moral Choices → Optional Objective 3:**
+- James Park protection → james_choice_made task
+- Victoria's fate → victoria_choice_made task
+
+**Choice variables tracked through optional objective system** ✅
+
+---
+
+## Quality Checklist Verification
+
+### Clarity ✅
+- [x] Each objective has clear, player-facing description
+- [x] Players know WHAT to do (not just WHERE to go)
+- [x] Success criteria are unambiguous
+- [x] From Act 2 onwards, objectives are displayed in UI (Aim 1.2 + 1.3 unlock after Aim 1.1)
+
+### Hybrid Architecture ✅
+- [x] VM flag submission tasks clearly identified (4 tasks)
+- [x] In-game tasks clearly identified (7 primary + 6 optional)
+- [x] Correlation tasks clearly identified (http_analysis, find_operational_logs)
+- [x] Dead drop terminal locations specified (server room)
+- [x] Objectives don't require VM modifications
+
+### Structure ✅
+- [x] Uses objectives → aims → tasks hierarchy correctly
+- [x] IDs are unique and descriptive (no duplicates)
+- [x] Unlock conditions specified for locked tasks/aims
+- [x] Completion triggers documented (Ink tags, automatic, etc.)
+
+### Integration ✅
+- [x] Every task maps to a room or NPC
+- [x] Every task has completion method (Ink script, automatic detection)
+- [x] Ink tag usage follows `#complete_task:task_id` format
+- [x] Tasks align with Stage 1 narrative structure (Acts 1-3)
+- [x] Tasks align with Stage 0 technical challenges
+
+### Progression ✅
+- [x] Clear progression path from start to end
+- [x] No circular dependencies
+- [x] Multiple valid paths where appropriate (Act 2 non-linear)
+- [x] Optional objectives don't block main progression
+
+### Educational Objectives ✅
+- [x] Each primary objective teaches specific cybersecurity concept
+  - Aim 1.2: Network reconnaissance (nmap, banner grabbing, service exploitation)
+  - Aim 1.3: Intelligence correlation (physical + digital evidence synthesis)
+- [x] VM challenges validate technical skills
+- [x] In-game challenges teach complementary skills (encoding, lockpicking, stealth)
+- [x] Objectives build on each other logically
+
+### Player Experience ✅
+- [x] Objectives create sense of progress (3 aims, 11 tasks)
+- [x] Mix of short-term and long-term goals
+- [x] Optional objectives provide value (LORE, challenge, moral depth)
+- [x] Failure states are fair and recoverable (checkpoints)
+
+**All Quality Criteria Met:** 28/28 ✅
+
+---
+
+## Next Steps: Stage 5
+
+**Proceed to:** Stage 5 - Room Layout Design
+
+**Stage 5 Tasks:**
+1. Design physical space for all rooms (conference_room, server_room, executive_office, etc.)
+2. Place NPCs based on objectives mapping
+3. Position interactables for task completion
+4. Design guard patrol waypoints
+5. Create room connections and navigation flow
+
+**Critical Handoff to Stage 5:**
+- **Rooms Required:** conference_room_01, server_room, executive_office, james_office
+- **Interactables Required:** 12 specified (computers, containers, objects, doors)
+- **NPC Positions:** Victoria (conference), Guard (patrol), James (office)
+- **Spatial Requirements:** RFID cloning requires 2 GU proximity to Victoria
+
+**Critical Handoff to Stage 7 (Ink Scripting):**
+- **Ink Scripts Required:** 8 specified
+- **Ink Tags Required:** `#complete_task:` for all 17 tasks, `#unlock_aim:` for 2 aims, `#unlock_task:` for 6 tasks
+- **Event Mappings Required:** 2 critical (distcc_exploit → M2 revelation, distcc_exploit → operational_logs spawn)
+
+---
+
+## Git Commit Summary
+
+**Commits for Stage 4:**
+1. e97b9d9 - Part 1: Primary objectives (305 lines)
+2. 779ba6d - Part 2: Optional objectives (112 lines added)
+3. 073df1c - Part 3: World mapping (173 lines added)
+4. c9dfd6b - objectives.json (184 lines)
+5. [Next] - STAGE_4_COMPLETE.md (this file)
+
+**Total Lines Added:** ~587 (player_goals.md) + 184 (objectives.json) + this summary = ~900+ lines
+
+---
+
+## Stage 4 Completion Metrics
+
+### Documentation
+- **Player Goals Document:** 587 lines, 3 major sections
+- **Objectives JSON:** 184 lines, ready for implementation
+- **Completion Summary:** This document
+
+### Objectives Designed
+- **Primary Objective:** 1 (with 3 aims, 11 tasks)
+- **Optional Objectives:** 3 (with 3 aims, 6 tasks)
+- **Total Objectives:** 4
+- **Total Aims:** 6
+- **Total Tasks:** 17
+
+### Mappings Created
+- **Task-to-Room Mappings:** 17
+- **Task-to-Interactable Mappings:** 17
+- **Task-to-Ink-Script Mappings:** 8 unique scripts
+- **Event Mappings:** 2 critical
+
+### Integration Points
+- **Stage 0 (Technical):** ✅ All challenges mapped
+- **Stage 1 (Narrative):** ✅ Acts aligned with aims
+- **Stage 2 (Characters):** ✅ NPCs integrated
+- **Stage 3 (Moral Choices):** ✅ Choices as optional objective
+- **Stage 5 (Room Layout):** Ready to receive handoff
+- **Stage 7 (Ink Scripting):** Ready to receive handoff
+
+---
+
+**Stage 4 Status:** ✅ **COMPLETE**
+
+**Mission 3 Progress:**
+- ✅ Stage 0: Scenario Initialization (4 documents, ~2,900 lines)
+- ✅ Stage 1: Narrative Structure (1 document, 1,546 lines)
+- ✅ Stage 2: Storytelling Elements (2 documents, ~2,000 lines)
+- ✅ Stage 3: Moral Choices (1 document, ~630 lines)
+- ✅ Stage 4: Player Objectives (2 documents, ~770 lines)
+- 🔄 Stage 5: Room Layout Design (Next)
+- ⏳ Stages 6-9: Implementation phases
+
+**Total Mission 3 Planning Documentation:** ~8,600 lines across 11 documents
+
+---
+
+**Mission 3 "Ghost in the Machine" - Where every objective moves the story forward, and intelligence gathering reveals the truth.**