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Combat Screen — Asset Manifest & AI Generation Guide

Directory Structure

assets/
├── cards/
│   ├── frames/
│   │   ├── aethari-anomaly.png
│   │   ├── aethari-attack.png
│   │   ├── aethari-power.png
│   │   ├── aethari-skill.png
│   │   ├── annalis-anomaly.png
│   │   ├── annalis-attack.png
│   │   ├── annalis-power.png
│   │   ├── annalis-skill.png
│   │   ├── salvari-anomaly.png
│   │   ├── salvari-attack.png
│   │   ├── salvari-power.png
│   │   ├── salvari-skill.png
│   │   ├── syntacta-anomaly.png
│   │   ├── syntacta-attack.png
│   │   ├── syntacta-power.png
│   │   ├── syntacta-skill.png
│   │   ├── valerii-anomaly.png
│   │   ├── valerii-attack.png
│   │   ├── valerii-power.png
│   │   └── valerii-skill.png
│   └── icons/
│       ├── block-shield.png
│       ├── energy-orb.png
│       ├── intent-attack.png
│       ├── intent-buff.png
│       ├── intent-debuff.png
│       ├── intent-defend.png
│       ├── intent-special.png
│       ├── type-anomaly.png
│       ├── type-attack.png
│       ├── type-power.png
│       └── type-skill.png
├── factions/
│   └── crests/
│       ├── aethari-crest.png
│       ├── annalis-crest.png
│       ├── salvari-crest.png
│       ├── syntacta-crest.png
│       └── valerii-crest.png
├── heroes/
│   └── portraits/
│       ├── class-anchor.png
│       ├── class-catalyst.png
│       ├── class-conduit.png
│       ├── class-drifter.png
│       └── class-machinist.png
└── ui/
    ├── components/
    │   ├── enemy-frame-machine-sanctuary.png
    │   ├── enemy-frame-submerged-archive.png
    │   ├── enemy-frame-sunblasted-ruin.png
    │   ├── info-panel-machine-sanctuary.png
    │   ├── info-panel-submerged-archive.png
    │   └── info-panel-sunblasted-ruin.png
    └── backgrounds/
        ├── combat-bg-machine-sanctuary.png
        ├── combat-bg-submerged-archive.png
        └── combat-bg-sunblasted-ruin.png

Asset Specifications

Category Size Format Count
Card frames 390 × 540 px (3× of 130 × 180) PNG with alpha 20
Card type icons 64 × 64 px PNG with alpha 4
Intent icons 48 × 48 px PNG with alpha 5
Energy orb 96 × 96 px PNG with alpha 1
Block shield 48 × 48 px PNG with alpha 1
Faction crests 256 × 256 px PNG with alpha 5
Enemy frames 840 × 600 px (3× of 280 base width) PNG with alpha 3
Info panels 600 × 120 px PNG with alpha 3
Combat backgrounds 1920 × 1080 px PNG/JPG 3
Class portraits 512 × 768 px PNG with alpha 5
Total 50

Faction Identity — Color Palettes

Faction Primary Accent Border Gradient (dark → light) Visual Identity
Valerii #4A6A8A (iron blue) #8AB4D4 (steel gleam) #1A2A3A → #4A6A8A → #8AB4D4 Roman legion, iron rivets, stasis frost
Syntacta #2A5A9A (cold logic blue) #6AB4FF (arc discharge) #0A1A3A → #2A5A9A → #6AB4FF Circuit traces, void-tech geometry, calibration grids
Aethari #8A6A2A (deep gold) #D4AA4A (gilded opulence) #2A1A0A → #8A6A2A → #D4AA4A Baroque filigree, alchemical symbols, molten gold
Annalis #6A7A8A (archive grey) #C4D4E4 (ghost white) #1A2030 → #6A7A8A → #C4D4E4 Ink stains, torn parchment edges, spectral shimmer
Salvari #6A4A2A (rust brown) #8AAA6A (patina green) #2A1A0A → #6A4A2A → #8AAA6A Welded scrap, bolt rivets, repurposed metal plates

Biome Identity — Color Palettes

Biome Primary Accent Border Gradient (dark → light) Visual Identity
submerged-archive #102B3B (deep ocean) #41AAC2 (bioluminescent teal) #07111A → #102B3B → #41AAC2 Corroded brass, barnacle crust, drowned light
sunblasted-ruin #673A22 (baked clay) #F1C77A (desert gold) #140E0A → #673A22 → #F1C77A Sun-bleached stone, sandblasted edges, heat shimmer
machine-sanctuary #19363D (teal dark) #8FF3E3 (circuit glow) #0A1014 → #19363D → #8FF3E3 Geometric lattice, stabilized circuits, cool containment

AI Generation Prompts

Card Frames — Per Faction

All card frame prompts share this base instruction:

Digital card frame overlay for a dark gothic, cathedral sci-fi card game. Transparent center (the card art goes here). The frame is a decorative border around the edge of a 390×540 pixel card. Painted in a semi-realistic digital art style. Dark background tones. No text. PNG with transparent center. Top-down, flat composition.

Valerii (Iron / Roman / Stasis)

Attack — Card frame, Valerii faction. Heavy iron frame with Roman legion rivets and beveled steel plate edges. Subtle frost crystals along the inner border. Red accent glow along the top edge for Attack type. Iron blue (#4A6A8A) and steel gleam (#8AB4D4) palette. Dark matte metal with cold stasis frost texture.

Skill — Card frame, Valerii faction. Heavy iron frame with Roman legion rivets and beveled steel plate edges. Subtle frost crystals along the inner border. Blue accent glow along the top edge for Skill type. Iron blue (#4A6A8A) and steel gleam (#8AB4D4) palette. Dark matte metal with cold stasis frost texture.

Power — Card frame, Valerii faction. Heavy iron frame with Roman legion rivets and beveled steel plate edges. Dense frost crystals radiating from corners. Gold accent glow along the top edge for Power type. Iron blue (#4A6A8A) and steel gleam (#8AB4D4) palette. Dark matte metal with cold stasis frost texture.

Anomaly — Card frame, Valerii faction. Cracked iron frame with Roman legion rivets, edges fracturing with stasis energy. Purple anomaly glow bleeding through cracks. Iron blue (#4A6A8A) and steel gleam (#8AB4D4) palette. Dark matte metal warped by temporal distortion.

Syntacta (Logic / Void-tech / Calibration)

Attack — Card frame, Syntacta faction. Sleek void-tech frame with thin circuit trace lines and geometric precision edges. Faint data-stream particles along the border. Red accent glow along the top edge for Attack type. Cold logic blue (#2A5A9A) and arc discharge (#6AB4FF) palette. Clean dark panels with calibration grid texture.

Skill — Card frame, Syntacta faction. Sleek void-tech frame with thin circuit trace lines and geometric precision edges. Faint data-stream particles along the border. Blue accent glow along the top edge for Skill type. Cold logic blue (#2A5A9A) and arc discharge (#6AB4FF) palette. Clean dark panels with calibration grid texture.

Power — Card frame, Syntacta faction. Sleek void-tech frame with glowing circuit nodes at corners, calibration markers along edges. Gold accent glow along the top edge for Power type. Cold logic blue (#2A5A9A) and arc discharge (#6AB4FF) palette. Clean dark panels with active circuit pulse texture.

Anomaly — Card frame, Syntacta faction. Glitching void-tech frame with corrupted circuit traces, static noise along edges. Purple anomaly glow bleeding through data corruption. Cold logic blue (#2A5A9A) and arc discharge (#6AB4FF) palette. Dark panels with scan-line distortion and logic errors.

Aethari (Alchemy / Gold / Opulence)

Attack — Card frame, Aethari faction. Ornate baroque gold frame with alchemical symbols embossed along the edges. Filigree scrollwork in the corners. Red accent glow along the top edge for Attack type. Deep gold (#8A6A2A) and gilded opulence (#D4AA4A) palette. Rich dark wood backing with molten gold inlay.

Skill — Card frame, Aethari faction. Ornate baroque gold frame with alchemical symbols embossed along the edges. Filigree scrollwork in the corners. Blue accent glow along the top edge for Skill type. Deep gold (#8A6A2A) and gilded opulence (#D4AA4A) palette. Rich dark wood backing with molten gold inlay.

Power — Card frame, Aethari faction. Heavily gilded baroque frame with large alchemical crests at corners, dripping molten gold accents. Gold accent glow along the top edge for Power type. Deep gold (#8A6A2A) and gilded opulence (#D4AA4A) palette. Rich dark wood backing with radiant gold channeling.

Anomaly — Card frame, Aethari faction. Corroded gold frame with alchemical symbols dissolving, transmutation residue eating the edges. Purple anomaly glow bleeding through tarnished gold. Deep gold (#8A6A2A) and gilded opulence (#D4AA4A) palette. Dark backing with unstable alchemical reactions.

Annalis (Archives / Ghost / Temporal Echo)

Attack — Card frame, Annalis faction. Thin spectral frame made of layered parchment edges and ghostly ink borders. Faint archival text watermarks visible in the frame. Red accent glow along the top edge for Attack type. Archive grey (#6A7A8A) and ghost white (#C4D4E4) palette. Dark slate backing with spectral shimmer and ink splatter.

Skill — Card frame, Annalis faction. Thin spectral frame made of layered parchment edges and ghostly ink borders. Faint archival text watermarks visible in the frame. Blue accent glow along the top edge for Skill type. Archive grey (#6A7A8A) and ghost white (#C4D4E4) palette. Dark slate backing with spectral shimmer and ink splatter.

Power — Card frame, Annalis faction. Dense spectral frame with stacked parchment layers, glowing archival seals at corners. Gold accent glow along the top edge for Power type. Archive grey (#6A7A8A) and ghost white (#C4D4E4) palette. Dark slate backing with intense temporal echo ripples.

Anomaly — Card frame, Annalis faction. Torn parchment frame with ghostly fragments floating free, spectral ink bleeding into void. Purple anomaly glow bleeding through torn archive pages. Archive grey (#6A7A8A) and ghost white (#C4D4E4) palette. Dark slate backing fragmenting into temporal distortion.

Salvari (Scavenger / Scrap / Repair)

Attack — Card frame, Salvari faction. Rough welded scrap metal frame with visible bolt rivets and repurposed plate edges. Oxidation patina and scratch marks. Red accent glow along the top edge for Attack type. Rust brown (#6A4A2A) and patina green (#8AAA6A) palette. Dark corrugated metal backing with weld spark residue.

Skill — Card frame, Salvari faction. Rough welded scrap metal frame with visible bolt rivets and repurposed plate edges. Oxidation patina and scratch marks. Blue accent glow along the top edge for Skill type. Rust brown (#6A4A2A) and patina green (#8AAA6A) palette. Dark corrugated metal backing with weld spark residue.

Power — Card frame, Salvari faction. Heavy reinforced scrap frame with layered salvaged plates, oversized bolts at corners. Gold accent glow along the top edge for Power type. Rust brown (#6A4A2A) and patina green (#8AAA6A) palette. Dark corrugated metal backing with active repair drone sparks.

Anomaly — Card frame, Salvari faction. Disintegrating scrap frame with plates falling away, exposed wiring and sparking circuits. Purple anomaly glow bleeding through structural failures. Rust brown (#6A4A2A) and patina green (#8AAA6A) palette. Dark corrugated metal backing with catastrophic scrap failure.

Enemy Frames — Per Biome

Base: Digital enemy card border for a dark sci-fi card game. Rectangular frame, 840×600 pixels. Semi-transparent center. Painted in a semi-realistic digital art style. PNG with alpha.

Submerged Archive — Enemy frame, submerged archive biome. Corroded brass border encrusted with deep-sea barnacles and mineral deposits. Cold bioluminescent teal (#41AAC2) glow along the inner edge. Deep ocean blue (#102B3B) background panels. Drowned vault aesthetic — pressure damage, water staining, faint bloom from within.

Sunblasted Ruin — Enemy frame, sunblasted ruin biome. Sun-bleached stone border with sandblasted edges and heat-cracked masonry. Desert gold (#F1C77A) glow along the inner edge. Baked clay (#673A22) background panels. Arid ruin aesthetic — wind erosion, dust accumulation, heat shimmer distortion along edges.

Machine Sanctuary — Enemy frame, machine sanctuary biome. Geometric containment lattice border with precise angular segments and stabilized circuit nodes. Circuit glow (#8FF3E3) along the inner edge. Teal dark (#19363D) background panels. Controlled machine aesthetic — measured segments, clean joints, faint power-on pulse.

Combat Backgrounds — Per Biome

Base: Wide cinematic combat arena background, 1920×1080, dark sci-fi tone, painterly digital art. No characters or UI elements. Depth-of-field blur on distant elements.

Submerged Archive — Combat arena set inside a drowned logic-vault. Deep underwater blue-green lighting. Collapsed shelving and shattered memory crystal shards scatter the floor. Cold bioluminescent bloom from cracks in the vault walls. Water caustics play across stone surfaces. Color palette: deep ocean (#07111A to #102B3B), teal highlights (#41AAC2). Dark, oppressive, beautiful.

Sunblasted Ruin — Combat arena in a weather-cut stone corridor open to impossible desert sky. Harsh amber-gold sunlight streaming through broken columns. Dust motes and sand particles catching the light. Cracked stone floor with carved reliefs half-buried in sand. Color palette: dark earth (#140E0A to #673A22), desert gold highlights (#F1C77A). Hot, exposed, monumental.

Machine Sanctuary — Combat arena inside a geometric containment lattice chamber. Cool teal-green ambient light from circuit pathways embedded in walls and floor. Stabilized energy conduits line the ceiling. The space feels measured, precise, almost clinical. Color palette: dark teal (#0A1014 to #19363D), circuit glow highlights (#8FF3E3). Calm, controlled, eerie.

Icon Prompts

Card Type Icons (64×64 each, PNG with alpha, clean silhouette style):

  • Attack — Game icon, Attack type. Crossed swords or single blade slash. Sharp angular design. Red (#C0392B) icon on transparent background. Clean vector-painting style, slight metallic sheen.
  • Skill — Game icon, Skill type. Flowing energy wave or open palm channeling. Curved elegant design. Blue (#2E86C1) icon on transparent background. Clean vector-painting style, slight glow.
  • Power — Game icon, Power type. Radiant star or burning crown. Bold symmetrical design. Gold (#D4AC0D) icon on transparent background. Clean vector-painting style, warm radiance.
  • Anomaly — Game icon, Anomaly type. Spiraling vortex or fractured reality tear. Chaotic asymmetric design. Purple (#8E44AD) icon on transparent background. Clean vector-painting style, distortion effect.

Intent Icons (48×48 each, PNG with alpha):

  • Intent: Attack — Enemy intent icon, Attack. Arrow or claw strike, aggressive. Red (#E74C3C). Transparent background.
  • Intent: Defend — Enemy intent icon, Defend. Shield or barrier. Blue (#3498DB). Transparent background.
  • Intent: Buff — Enemy intent icon, Buff. Upward arrow or glowing aura. Green (#2ECC71). Transparent background.
  • Intent: Debuff — Enemy intent icon, Debuff. Downward spiral or curse mark. Purple (#9B59B6). Transparent background.
  • Intent: Special — Enemy intent icon, Special. Star burst or unknown symbol. Orange (#F39C12). Transparent background.

Energy Orb (96×96, PNG with alpha): Glowing energy orb, warm gold (#D6B96F) center fading to dark amber edge. Radial glow, floating particle sparks. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi card game UI element.

Block Shield (48×48, PNG with alpha): Hexagonal shield icon, blue (#3498DB) with metallic edge. Slight holographic sheen. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi card game UI element.

Faction Crests (256×256 each, PNG with alpha)

  • Valerii — Faction crest, Valerii. Roman eagle or iron legion standard rendered in iron blue (#4A6A8A) and steel gleam (#8AB4D4). Stasis frost crystals at the base. Heavy, authoritative, imperial. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi fantasy style.
  • Syntacta — Faction crest, Syntacta. Abstract circuit-board mandala or logic gate sigil in cold blue (#2A5A9A) and arc discharge (#6AB4FF). Data-stream particles orbiting. Precise, logical, cold. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi fantasy style.
  • Aethari — Faction crest, Aethari. Alchemical ouroboros or gilded chalice in deep gold (#8A6A2A) and opulent gold (#D4AA4A). Baroque filigree border. Rich, excessive, luxurious. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi fantasy style.
  • Annalis — Faction crest, Annalis. Open book or quill with spectral echoes in archive grey (#6A7A8A) and ghost white (#C4D4E4). Ink splatter aura, ghostly afterimage. Quiet, haunting, archival. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi fantasy style.
  • Salvari — Faction crest, Salvari. Welded gear or wrench-and-bolt mark in rust brown (#6A4A2A) and patina green (#8AAA6A). Sparks flying from edges. Scrappy, resourceful, improvised. Transparent background. Dark sci-fi fantasy style.

Class Character Portraits (512×768 each, PNG with alpha)

These are the player character portraits used on the combat screen player panel, the quick play setup screen, and the run briefing. They depict the class archetype — not a specific named hero.

Base instruction: Full-body character portrait for a dark gothic cathedral sci-fi card game. Standing pose, facing the viewer at a slight angle. Dark, atmospheric background with subtle environmental glow. Photorealistic digital painting style. PNG with transparent or very dark background suitable for compositing. Vertical composition, 512×768 pixels.

  • Anchor — The Protector — Character portrait, Anchor class. A towering armored sentinel in cathedral-industrial plate armor, stance wide and grounded, one gauntleted fist closed around a gravitational anchor device at their side. Dense magnetic field lines ripple outward from a glowing core embedded in the chest plate. Massive slab shield mag-locked to the off-arm. Pressure-sealed hazard suit with reinforced greaves, ballast canisters on the hips, and drag-chain attachments. Broad shoulders, low center of gravity — reads as a walking industrial bulwark, not a mech. Overhead sodium-vapor lighting in a maintenance corridor. Style: Weta Workshop practical armor meets Blade Runner 2049 brutalism.

  • Drifter — The Unseen Variable — Character portrait, Drifter class. A lean, hooded figure mid-phase between two overlapping positions, trailing translucent afterimage echoes of their recent path. Light refracts around the silhouette as if bending spacetime. Loose, functional clothing with probability-dampening weave patches and a split cloak that half-dissolves into dimensional static. Compact asymmetrical blades holstered at the thigh, timing instruments on the wrist, echo markers glowing faintly along the coat lining. Narrow profile, forward-leaning stance, poised for motion. Flickering emergency strip-light illumination. Style: Denis Villeneuve cinematography meets parkour athlete in zero-G.

  • Conduit — The Energy Manipulator — Character portrait, Conduit class. A figure crackling with barely-contained energy arcs, arms slightly raised with plasma filaments branching from forearm conduit implants into the air. Eyes glow white-blue with overcharge. Industrial jumpsuit scorched and fraying at the seams, with exposed conductive cybernetics running along the forearms and neck. Back-mounted arc coils hum with capacitor rings, reactor gloves trail sparks. Staff-surrogate emitter clipped to the back. The energy footprint is visually larger than the body. Dramatic rim-lighting from the character's own energy discharge against a dark industrial background. Style: Tesla coil photography meets Chernobyl HBO hazmat aesthetic.

  • Machinist — The Tactician — Character portrait, Machinist class. A methodical engineer surrounded by half-assembled autonomous constructs hovering at shoulder height — small sentry drones, relay pylons folding open, repair armatures extending. Tool-harness across the chest, welding visor pushed up onto the forehead, hands mid-gesture as if commanding drone pieces into formation. Fabrication backpack frame with deployable construct capsules visible. Mid-weight build, the visual mass comes from gear and accompanying constructs rather than personal bulk. Warm tungsten work-light from a workshop-bunker environment with faint blueprint projections on the wall behind. Style: NASA JPL clean-room technician meets Iron Man workshop practicality.

  • Catalyst — The Chaos Alchemist — Character portrait, Catalyst class. A wild-eyed alchemist with mismatched gloves — one arm mutated with crystalline growths that shift between amber and teal. Volatile compound vials strapped across the torso in bandolier fashion, some cracked and leaking luminescent fluid. Unstable reality warps the air around the hands like a heat mirage. Flowing sleeves, an alchemical mask pushed up, reagent canisters at the belt, catalyst rod in one hand. The body outline is the least stable of all classes — slight asymmetry in the gear and one shoulder slightly mutated. Split-lighting with warm amber from the left and cold teal from the right. Style: Annihilation (2018) mutation aesthetic meets Mad Max Fury Road improvised gear.

Current Next Steps

  1. ~~Generate the 45 assets~~ — Done. All 50 PNG assets generated and placed.
  2. ~~Place generated files~~ — Done. Files verified in assets/ directory tree.
  3. ~~Wire up image loading~~ — Done. Assets are bound into three screens:
  4. CombatMapView — biome combat background, player portrait, card frames, card type icons, enemy intent icons, energy orb overlay, block/shield icon.
  5. QuickPlaySetupView — faction crest on each faction list item + summary panel, class portrait on each class list item + summary panel (via DisplayNameToAssetPathConverter).
  6. RunBriefingView — faction crest beside faction name, class portrait beside class name.
  7. The faction/biome color theming code remains active in CombatMapViewModel.cs — colors are applied via data binding alongside the new image assets.

Remaining polish

  • Tune image Opacity values on combat card-frame overlays and energy-orb overlays for readability.
  • Add hover/selection highlight effects on list-item crest/portrait images.
  • Generate additional assets if new factions or classes are added to the game-data contract.