When this skill is invoked:
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Parse the arguments:
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version: the release version to generate notes for (e.g.,1.2.0) - •
--style: output style —brief(bullet points),detailed(with context),full(with developer commentary). Default:detailed.
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Gather change data from multiple sources:
- •Read the internal changelog at
production/releases/[version]/changelog.mdif it exists - •Run
git logbetween the previous release tag and current tag/HEAD - •Read sprint retrospectives in
production/sprints/for context - •Read any balance change documents in
design/balance/ - •Read bug fix records from QA if available
- •Read the internal changelog at
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Categorize all changes into player-facing categories:
- •New Content: new features, maps, characters, items, modes
- •Gameplay Changes: balance adjustments, mechanic changes, progression changes
- •Quality of Life: UI improvements, convenience features, accessibility
- •Bug Fixes: grouped by system (combat, UI, networking, etc.)
- •Performance: optimization improvements players might notice
- •Known Issues: transparency about unresolved problems
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Translate developer language to player language:
- •"Refactored damage calculation pipeline" → "Improved hit detection accuracy"
- •"Fixed null reference in inventory manager" → "Fixed a crash when opening inventory"
- •"Reduced GC allocations in combat loop" → "Improved combat performance"
- •Remove purely internal changes that don't affect players
- •Preserve specific numbers for balance changes (damage: 50 → 45)
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Generate the patch notes using the appropriate style:
Brief Style
markdown
# Patch [Version] — [Title] **New** - [Feature 1] - [Feature 2] **Changes** - [Balance/mechanic change with before → after values] **Fixes** - [Bug fix 1] - [Bug fix 2] **Known Issues** - [Issue 1]
Detailed Style
markdown
# Patch [Version] — [Title] *[Date]* ## Highlights [1-2 sentence summary of the most exciting changes] ## New Content ### [Feature Name] [2-3 sentences describing the feature and why players should be excited] ## Gameplay Changes ### Balance | Change | Before | After | Reason | | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | | [Item/ability] | [old value] | [new value] | [brief rationale] | ### Mechanics - **[Change]**: [explanation of what changed and why] ## Quality of Life - [Improvement with context] ## Bug Fixes ### Combat - Fixed [description of what players experienced] ### UI - Fixed [description] ### Networking - Fixed [description] ## Performance - [Improvement players will notice] ## Known Issues - [Issue and workaround if available]
Full Style
Includes everything from Detailed, plus:
markdown
## Developer Commentary ### [Topic] > [Developer insight into a major change — why it was made, what was considered, > what the team learned. Written in first-person team voice.]
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Review the output for:
- •No internal jargon (replace technical terms with player-friendly language)
- •No references to internal systems, tickets, or sprint numbers
- •Balance changes include before/after values
- •Bug fixes describe the player experience, not the technical cause
- •Tone matches the game's voice (adjust formality based on game style)
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Save the patch notes to
production/releases/[version]/patch-notes.md, creating the directory if needed. - •
Output to the user: the complete patch notes, the file path, a count of changes by category, and any internal changes that were excluded (for review).