---
description: NO PIXELATION - Vector-Style Smooth Lines Enforcement
---

# 🚫 NO PIXELATION RULE - Style 32 Smooth Lines

**CRITICAL:** Style 32 is **NOT** pixel art! It uses smooth, vector-style lines with ZERO pixelation.

---

## ✅ GOLD STANDARD REFERENCE

**MANDATORY REFERENCE:** `/references/main_characters/ana/master_reference_nobg.png`

**Why Ana is the GOLD STANDARD:**
- ✅ **SMOOTH, CLEAN LINES** - No stair-stepping, no chunky pixels
- ✅ **5px THICK OUTLINES** - Consistent, sharp, vector-quality
- ✅ **HIGH-RES RENDERING** - Fluid, polished, film-quality
- ✅ **FLAT CEL SHADING** - Clean color fills, no pixelation
- ✅ **SHARP EDGES** - Like vector art, not retro pixel sprites

**THIS is Style 32. Everything else must match Ana's visual quality.**

---

## 🚫 WHAT IS FORBIDDEN (Pixel Art)

### **Pixel Art Characteristics (NEVER USE):**
- ❌ **Stair-stepping edges** (jagged diagonal lines)
- ❌ **Chunky, blocky appearance** (visible pixel grid)
- ❌ **Low resolution** (< 64px for characters)
- ❌ **Dithering patterns** (checkerboard shading)
- ❌ **Limited color palette** (8-bit/16-bit restrictions)
- ❌ **Retro game aesthetic** (NES, SNES, Game Boy style)

**Example of WRONG style:**
```
🔴 Pixelated character with visible 8x8 pixel blocks
🔴 Diagonal lines look like stairs (█▄▀)
🔴 Low resolution, chunky sprites
```

---

## ✅ REQUIRED STYLE (Vector-Smooth, High-Res)

### **Style 32 Smooth Characteristics:**

#### **1. SMOOTH, ANTI-ALIASED CURVES**
- Outline curves are fluid (like vector art)
- No jagged edges or stair-stepping
- Diagonal lines are smooth gradients
- Round shapes are perfectly circular

#### **2. HIGH-RESOLUTION RENDERING**
- Characters: Minimum 64x64px (prefer 128x128px or higher)
- NPCs: 64x64px to 160x160px
- Buildings: 128x128px to 256x256px
- Render at high resolution, downscale if needed (preserves smooth edges)

#### **3. THICK 5px OUTLINES (SMOOTH)**
- 5px black outlines `#000000`
- Outlines are vector-smooth (not pixel-chunky)
- Consistent thickness around entire shape
- Corners are rounded, not blocky

#### **4. FLAT CEL SHADING (CLEAN)**
- Solid color fills (no dithering)
- Sharp shadow boundaries (but smooth edges)
- No pixel noise or grain texture
- Colors are vibrant and solid

#### **5. FILM-QUALITY POLISH**
- Looks like animation cel (Cult of the Lamb, Don't Starve)
- NOT like retro game sprite (Mario, Zelda classic)
- Professional, modern indie game quality
- Fluid, dynamic, alive

---

## 🔍 VISUAL COMPARISON

### **✅ CORRECT (Ana Reference):**
```
Smooth outlines ───────────────► Vector-quality curves
Thick 5px edges ───────────────► Consistent, clean
High resolution ───────────────► 128px+, sharp details
Flat shading ──────────────────► Solid colors, no grain
Film quality ──────────────────► Professional, polished
```

### **❌ WRONG (Pixel Art):**
```
Jagged edges ──────────────────► Stair-stepping (█▄▀)
Thin/blocky outlines ──────────► Inconsistent thickness
Low resolution ────────────────► < 32px, chunky
Dithered shading ──────────────► Checkerboard patterns
Retro aesthetic ───────────────► Old-school 8-bit look
```

---

## 🛠️ GENERATION ENFORCEMENT

### **MANDATORY PROMPT ADDITIONS:**

**ALWAYS include these phrases:**
```
"SMOOTH vector-style lines (NOT pixel art),
anti-aliased curves, high-resolution rendering,
thick 5px black outlines with clean edges,
matches Ana reference quality from /references/main_characters/ana/,
film-quality polish, NO pixelation, NO stair-stepping,
Cult of the Lamb aesthetic (smooth, not retro)."
```

### **FORBIDDEN PHRASES (Never Use):**
```
❌ "pixel art"
❌ "8-bit style"
❌ "retro game sprite"
❌ "low resolution"
❌ "chunky pixels"
❌ "Game Boy style"
❌ "NES aesthetic"
```

---

## 🔄 AUTO-REROLL TRIGGERS

**IMMEDIATE REROLL if generated image has:**

1. **Jagged diagonal lines** (stair-stepping visible)
   - Reroll with: "SMOOTH anti-aliased diagonals, NO stair-stepping"

2. **Blocky, chunky appearance** (pixel grid visible)
   - Reroll with: "High-resolution vector-smooth, NO chunky pixels"

3. **Thin or inconsistent outlines** (< 4px or varying thickness)
   - Reroll with: "Consistent 5px thick black outlines, smooth edges"

4. **Low resolution** (character < 64px or looks pixelated when zoomed)
   - Reroll with: "High-resolution 128px+, film-quality rendering"

5. **Dithering or grain texture** (checkerboard shading)
   - Reroll with: "Flat cel shading, solid colors, NO dithering"

**Maximum 3 rerolls. If still pixelated after 3 attempts, report to user.**

---

## 📋 PRE-GENERATION CHECKLIST

**BEFORE generating ANY asset:**

- [ ] Viewed Ana reference (`master_reference_nobg.png`)
- [ ] Understood smooth line quality required
- [ ] Prompt includes "SMOOTH vector-style lines (NOT pixel art)"
- [ ] Prompt includes "matches Ana reference quality"
- [ ] Prompt includes "NO pixelation, NO stair-stepping"
- [ ] Prompt specifies high resolution (64px+ minimum)
- [ ] Prompt specifies 5px thick smooth outlines
- [ ] Avoided ALL pixel art keywords

---

## 📋 POST-GENERATION VERIFICATION

**AFTER generating asset:**

1. **Zoom In Test:**
   - Zoom to 200-400%
   - Check for jagged edges or stair-stepping
   - If visible → REJECT, reroll

2. **Outline Smoothness:**
   - Inspect outline curves
   - Must be fluid, not blocky
   - If blocky → REJECT, reroll

3. **Compare to Ana:**
   - Side-by-side with Ana reference
   - Match line quality?
   - Match outline thickness?
   - Match overall polish?
   - If NO → REJECT, reroll

4. **Resolution Check:**
   - Character sprites: 64px minimum (prefer 128px+)
   - Quality should survive zoom
   - If too low-res → REJECT, reroll

---

## 🎨 SPECIFIC ASSET TYPES

### **Characters & NPCs:**
- **Resolution:** 128x128px to 160x160px (high-res)
- **Style:** Match Ana exactly (smooth, polished)
- **Reference:** Ana's skin texture, outline quality, shading style

### **Buildings:**
- **Resolution:** 160x256px to 256x256px
- **Style:** Smooth outlines, clean architecture
- **NOT:** Minecraft-style blocky buildings

### **Crops & Plants:**
- **Resolution:** 64x64px minimum
- **Style:** Smooth leaves, organic curves
- **NOT:** Square pixel leaves

### **UI Elements:**
- **Resolution:** Vector-based or high-res PNG
- **Style:** Sharp, modern, smooth
- **NOT:** Retro pixelated UI

### **VFX & Particles:**
- **Resolution:** 64x64px to 128x128px
- **Style:** Smooth glows, fluid effects
- **NOT:** Chunky pixel sparkles

---

## 🚨 EMERGENCY PIXELATION FIX

**If asset was already generated with pixelation:**

1. **Identify Issue:**
   - "This asset is pixelated (pixel art style)"
   - "Required: Smooth vector-style like Ana reference"

2. **Regenerate Immediately:**
   - Use corrected prompt with ALL smooth-line keywords
   - Reference Ana directly in prompt
   - Emphasize "NOT pixel art" explicitly

3. **Compare Before/After:**
   - Old (pixelated) vs New (smooth)
   - Verify improvement
   - Only accept if matches Ana quality

4. **Replace File:**
   - Delete pixelated version
   - Save smooth version with same filename
   - Update manifest

---

## 📊 QUALITY STANDARDS

### **MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE:**
- Resolution: 64x64px for small assets
- Outline: 5px thick, smooth edges
- Shading: Flat cel, no dithering
- Style: Matches Ana's polish level

### **PREFERRED:**
- Resolution: 128x128px or higher
- Outline: Perfect vector-smooth curves
- Shading: Professional cel animation quality
- Style: Indistinguishable from Ana reference

### **UNACCEPTABLE:**
- ANY visible pixelation or stair-stepping
- Chunky, blocky appearance
- Retro game aesthetic
- Low-resolution sprites (< 32px)
- Dithered or grainy textures

---

## 🎯 STYLE 32 = SMOOTH, NOT PIXELS

**Remember:**
- **Style 32** refers to the "32" in "Cult of the Lamb" inspiration (modern smooth indie)
- **NOT** referring to "32-bit" (which could imply pixel art)
- **ALWAYS** smooth, vector-quality, film-polished
- **NEVER** chunky, pixelated, retro

---

## 📚 REFERENCE LIBRARY UPDATE

**Ana is now PRIMARY reference for line quality:**
- Kai, Gronk, all NPCs must match Ana's smoothness
- Buildings, crops, all assets use Ana's line quality
- NO exceptions

**Secondary references (must also be smooth):**
- Cult of the Lamb (game) - smooth indie style
- Don't Starve (game) - vector-style characters
- Hollow Knight (game) - clean, sharp lines

**NOT references (these are pixel art):**
- Stardew Valley - pixel art style
- Terraria - pixel art style
- Celeste - pixel art style

---

**ACTIVATION:** ALWAYS active (mandatory for ALL asset generation)
**PRIORITY:** MAXIMUM - overrides everything
**VERIFICATION:** Compare to Ana reference EVERY time

---

**🎯 SUMMARY:**

1. Ana = Gold Standard (smooth, vector-quality)
2. NO pixel art, EVER
3. Smooth lines, high-res, film-quality
4. Auto-reroll if pixelated
5. Compare to Ana every time

**EVERYTHING must look like Ana. No exceptions.**