System Requirements Document (SRD) for neon-app

1. Introduction

The neon-app is an interactive application designed to simulate and explore the dynamics of the Syrian civil war in 2020. This app provides users with a Google Maps-style live map, strategic decision-making capabilities, real-time faction/country activity feeds, and time simulation features. Users can immerse themselves in the historical context by playing as both factions and countries simultaneously, reshaping events and outcomes through their actions. This document outlines the system requirements for the development of the neon-app, tailored to the vision of Haha Nah, based in AE.

2. System Overview

The neon-app aims to blend education, strategy simulation, and real-time engagement into a single platform. The app will feature:

• A Google Maps-style zoomable map displaying territorial changes and key events during the Syrian civil war in 2020.
• Real-time live updates showing what other factions (e.g., Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham) and countries are doing at any given moment.
• Strategic gameplay where users can take actions as factions or countries involved in the conflict — without any real battle mechanics.
• A time simulation feature allowing users to fast-forward events and outcomes based on their decisions.
• Alternate history scenarios where players can reshape the course of events.
• A selective re-run system that allows users to trigger regeneration of specific scenarios or SRD sections without restarting the full simulation.

The app will cater to users interested in historical analysis, strategy games, and geopolitical simulations, providing a unique and immersive experience.

3. Functional Requirements

User Stories:

• As a User, I should be able to view a Google Maps-style zoomable map showing territorial control zones, key locations, and faction movements during the Syrian civil war in 2020.

• As a User, I should be able to receive live updates on what other factions and countries are doing in real time, including changes in control zones, alliances, and resource shifts.

• As a User, I should be able to play as both factions (e.g., Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham) and countries simultaneously, making strategic decisions to influence the outcome of the conflict.

• As a User, I should be able to submit my own strategic actions through a compact action input panel displayed in the corner of the screen.

• As a User, I should be able to simulate time using a time slider above the action panel to fast-forward events and observe the outcomes of my decisions.

• As a User, I should be able to interact with alternate history scenarios where my actions reshape the course of events.

• As a User, I should be able to trigger a selective re-run of a specific scenario or simulation segment without restarting the entire session.

• As a User, I should be able to choose whether AI-driven factions and countries act based on historical 2020 data or dynamic unpredictable AI-generated decisions.

• As an Admin, I should be able to manage faction and country data, including adding, editing, or removing entities from the simulation.

• As an Admin, I should be able to monitor live simulation sessions and intervene or reset scenarios when necessary.

• As an Admin, I should be able to trigger a full or selective SRD regeneration from the admin dashboard.

• As a Guest, I should be able to view the live map and faction updates in read-only mode without creating an account.

• As a Guest, I should be able to explore the map, zoom in and out, and read event descriptions without participating in the simulation.

4. User Personas

Persona 1: History Enthusiast

• Description: Interested in learning about historical events and analyzing geopolitical dynamics.
• Goals: Understand the Syrian civil war in 2020 and explore alternate outcomes through simulation.
• Needs: Accurate historical data, engaging visuals, and intuitive controls.

Persona 2: Strategy Gamer

• Description: Enjoys strategy games and simulations with complex decision-making.
• Goals: Take actions as factions or countries to influence the conflict and explore alternate history scenarios.
• Needs: Dynamic gameplay, responsive controls, and immersive features.

Persona 3: Educator / Researcher

• Description: Uses the app as a tool for teaching or researching historical events.
• Goals: Present accurate data and scenarios to students or colleagues.
• Needs: Reliable historical data, clear visuals, and customizable simulation options.

Persona 4: Admin / Simulation Operator

• Description: Manages the backend of the simulation, including faction data, scenario configurations, and live session monitoring.
• Goals: Ensure the simulation runs accurately and smoothly, with the ability to intervene or regenerate scenarios as needed.
• Needs: Admin dashboard, session controls, selective re-run triggers, and data management tools.

Persona 5: Guest / Casual Viewer

• Description: A visitor who wants to explore the map and observe faction activity without committing to a full simulation session.
• Goals: Browse the live map and read event updates passively.
• Needs: Read-only access, no login required, clean and intuitive UI.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

Color Palette:

• Background: #1A1A2E (Deep Midnight Blue) – Represents the seriousness and gravity of the conflict.
• Surface: #16213E (Dark Navy) – Provides a subtle contrast for map and interface elements.
• Text: #E94560 (Crimson Red) – Highlights key information and alerts.
• Accent: #0F3460 (Steel Blue) – Used for interactive elements and buttons.
• Muted Tones: #53354A (Muted Plum) – Adds depth to secondary elements.
• Live Update Highlight: #F5A623 (Amber Orange) – Used specifically for live update notifications and real-time activity indicators.
• Faction Neutral: #2E4057 (Slate Grey-Blue) – Used for uncontrolled or contested territory zones on the map.

The theme is designed to evoke a sense of urgency and realism while maintaining a professional and immersive aesthetic. The palette leans into a dark, intelligence-briefing aesthetic — like viewing classified satellite imagery at night.

6. Signature Design Concept

The War Room: A Living Intelligence Briefing

The homepage of neon-app is designed to feel like you've just walked into a classified military intelligence operations room — dark, tense, and alive with information.

What the user sees on load: The screen fades in from black. A Google Maps-style satellite view of Syria slowly materializes, rendered in desaturated dark tones with a subtle scanline overlay — as if viewed through a military-grade monitor. Faction territory boundaries pulse with a faint neon glow in their respective faction colors (crimson for HTS, steel blue for government forces, amber for foreign-backed groups). The map breathes — territories subtly shimmer and shift as live updates arrive.

The Action Corner (bottom-right): A compact, frosted-glass panel sits in the bottom-right corner. It looks like a field commander's terminal — monospaced font, a blinking cursor, and a subtle green phosphor glow. Users type their strategic actions here. When submitted, the action ripples outward on the map as a shockwave animation — a circular pulse that fades from the user's controlled zone.

The Time Simulation Bar (top of screen): A sleek, horizontal timeline scrubber stretches across the top of the screen. It resembles a film editing timeline with event markers — small glowing dots representing key historical moments. Dragging the scrubber forward causes the map to animate: territory colors bleed and shift like ink in water, faction labels fade in and out, and a date counter ticks forward in the top-left corner in a military timestamp format (2020-03-14 // 06:42 LOCAL).

Live Update Feed (left sidebar): A vertical scrolling feed on the left side displays real-time faction and country actions. Each entry appears with a typewriter animation — text types itself in, line by line, as if being transmitted over a secure channel. Entries are color-coded by faction. Hovering over an entry highlights the corresponding region on the map with a glowing border.

Selective Re-Run Button: A subtle but powerful **"RE-RUN SCENARIO