---
id: battle-arena-poc/001
title: Minimal 2-player hot-seat POC of the ley-line-pull mechanic
epic: battle-arena-poc
state: backlog
priority: 1
blocked_by: []
estimate: L
created: 2026-08-05
updated: 2026-08-05
claimed_by: null
claimed_at: null
delivers: []
review_artifact: null
---

## What to do

Build a throwaway, non-networked (single-machine, hot-seat) prototype of the core battle-arena loop from `thought-specs/battle-areans-and-element-types.md` **and** the loadout mechanism in `overview.md`: a shared mini-map with generator points (a volcano emitting Fire, a waterfall emitting Water), both players entering with a small fixed loadout, gathering ingredients via movement (from generators, ground, and kills) rather than dragging them into a pot, and casting directly once a loadout spell's requirements are satisfied. Whoever picks this up should treat the following as a starting default to build against, not a settled decision: 4 spells per loadout, ingredients consumed on cast, and the existing Arena bag doubling as a small opening buffer so the match doesn't open on totally empty hands. Change any of these on sight if they don't hold up.

**This POC must actively test for dead time** — the overview's named risk — not just validate that the core loop is fun. Watch specifically for stretches where a player has no castable spell and nothing productive to do about it.

## Definition of done

A playable local prototype demonstrating: shared generators, movement-driven ingredient gathering, loadout-gated casting (not a crafting UI), and the minion-vs-spawn-point timing decision. A short write-up covering (a) what worked and what didn't for the core tempo tradeoff, and (b) specifically whether dead time occurred, when, and what mitigated or worsened it.

## Where the work lands

`land-of-lor` repo, likely under `pocs/` alongside the existing `object-gallery` and `poc-3d-app` POCs.

## Docs to read first

`overview.md` in full (the loadout mechanism section specifically); `land-of-lor/docs/thought-specs/battle-areans-and-element-types.md` (the founding ley-lines vision); `land-of-lor/docs/thought-specs/conduit-and-changing-landscape.md` (arena resets, Arena bag); `land-of-lor/docs/WORLD_ZONES.md`.