Revert splatter rapid-fire serve; fix horde pose + re-trigger

Oliver's feedback on the feel pass:

1. Rapid-fire serving was way too easy. Reverted splatter serving to the
   proper model: a tap does the toss ritual (apex timing = quality), a
   flick is a quick aimed serve. Dropped the multi-ball barrage and
   removed the extraBalls plumbing (array, update, render, hooks). Melee
   swish and zombie homing stay. If multi-ball is wanted back, it should
   require a proper serve per ball.
2. The player was stuck in the serve/swing pose when a horde started
   (the triggering shot's pose lingered) — startHorde now clears it.
3. A horde re-triggered immediately: machine-gun kills scored points, so
   games were won mid-horde and the next kill after it ended won another
   game → instant new horde. A horde is now survival: it doesn't score
   (splatPoint skipped while G.horde), so it can't chain. After a horde
   you must win a full game again to summon the next.

Verified via window.T: a tap tosses (not an instant serve) and the full
toss→serve→rally completes; melee still kills adjacent shamblers; pose is
idle/-1 at horde start; no scoring during a horde and the next kill after
scores 15 without restarting it; tennis 11/12, bomb consume, homing all
still green; no console errors.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

gameplay.js

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { TUNE, COURT, CONTACT, VOLLEY, ZONE_DEPTH, HOME, P_BOUNDS, TOSS, SHOT_DE
 import { P, O, ball, score, crowd, G, other, deuceSide, setupPoint, sendBoy } from './state.js';
 import { audio, pock, swish, applause, voice } from './audio.js';
 import { axisX, axisZ, takeFlickAim } from './input.js';
-import { updateZombies, spawnZombie, zombies, explode, meleeSwipe, stashExtraBall } from './zombies.js';
+import { updateZombies, spawnZombie, zombies, explode, meleeSwipe } from './zombies.js';
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------- ballistics ----
 // Launch ball from (x0,y0,z0) so it lands at (tx, tz) with horizontal speed s under gravity g.
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ function startHorde() {
   if (G.horde) return;
   G.horde = { t: TUNE.hordeLen, spawnT: 0, mgT: 0 };
   ball.active = false; G.phase = 'rally';           // ball gone; 'rally' lets the movement block steer P
+  P.pose = 'idle'; P.poseT = 0; P.swingT = -1;      // clear the triggering shot's serve/swing pose
   voice('remain_seated', 0.3);
   G.flash = { text: 'THEY KEEP COMING', t: 1.2 };
 }
@@ -375,22 +376,24 @@ function trySwing(ch, isAI) {
 export function keyPressed(code) {
   if (code !== 'Space') return;
   audio(); // unlock on first gesture
+  if (G.mode === 'splatter') meleeSwipe(P.x, P.z, TUNE.meleeRange); // a swish cleaves adjacent shamblers
+  if (G.horde) return; // horde: the racket auto-fires; a tap only swishes, never serves
+  // splatter: a tap/flick during the brief 'over' beat re-arms the next serve immediately
+  if (G.mode === 'splatter' && G.phase === 'over') { ball.active = false; setupPoint(); }
+  if (G.phase === 'pretoss' && score.server === 'P') {
     if (G.mode === 'splatter') {
-    // splatter is a shooter: every swish cleaves adjacent shamblers, and — outside a horde —
-    // fires a ball immediately. Serving while one still flies stashes it, so you can barrage.
-    meleeSwipe(P.x, P.z, TUNE.meleeRange);
-    if (G.horde) return;               // horde: MG auto-fires, the tap only swishes (no serve)
-    if (ball.active) stashExtraBall();  // keep the in-flight ball alive
-    const flick = takeFlickAim();       // flick aims; a plain tap auto-targets the nearest zombie
+      const flick = takeFlickAim();
+      if (flick) { // flick = a quick aimed serve; a plain tap still does the full toss ritual
         ball.active = true; ball.collected = false; ball.bounces = 0; ball.firstLand = null;
         ball.x = P.x + 0.35; ball.z = P.z; ball.y = 2.2; ball.g = TUNE.gravity;
         hitServe(P, 0.62, flick);
         return;
       }
-  // tennis: the toss ritual + rally swing (unchanged)
-  if (G.phase === 'pretoss' && score.server === 'P') { tossBall(P); return; }
+    }
+    tossBall(P); return;
+  }
   if (G.phase === 'toss' && score.server === 'P') {
-    // serve timing: distance from apex = quality
+    // serve timing: distance from apex = quality — a real serve, not a free tap
     const dy = Math.abs(ball.y - serveApexY());
     if (ball.y < 2.0) return; // too low, let it drop (re-toss)
     let q = Math.max(0.05, 1 - dy / 0.9);

main.js

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { P, O, ball, score, G, setupPoint } from './state.js';
 import { update, keyPressed, solveShot, inServeBox, inCourt, forceZombies } from './gameplay.js';
 import { fitViewport, render, proj } from './render.js';
 import { voice } from './audio.js';
-import { zombies, spawnZombie, piles, gore, parts, pellets, extraBalls } from './zombies.js';
+import { zombies, spawnZombie, piles, gore, parts, pellets } from './zombies.js';
 import { cv } from './dom.js';
 import './input.js';
 
@@ -54,6 +54,6 @@ cv.addEventListener('pointerdown', e => {
 requestAnimationFrame(frame);
 
 // exposed for in-browser sanity checks and simulated playtests
-window.T = { TUNE, ball, P, O, score, G, zombies, spawnZombie, piles, gore, parts, pellets, extraBalls, solveShot, inServeBox, inCourt, proj, setupPoint, forceZombies,
+window.T = { TUNE, ball, P, O, score, G, zombies, spawnZombie, piles, gore, parts, pellets, solveShot, inServeBox, inCourt, proj, setupPoint, forceZombies,
   step: dt => update(dt), render, press: keyPressed,
   get phase() { return G.phase; }, set phase(v) { G.phase = v; } };

render.js

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { cv, ctx } from './dom.js';
 import { TUNE, COURT, PLAYER_H, BOY_H, UMP_H, BOUNCE_IDLE, SPRITE_H } from './config.js';
 import { P, O, ball, score, crowd, G } from './state.js';
 import { predictLanding } from './gameplay.js';
-import { zombies, gore, piles, parts, pellets, extraBalls } from './zombies.js';
+import { zombies, gore, piles, parts, pellets } from './zombies.js';
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------- palette ----
 // tennis palette -> drained splatter palette; the transition lerps between them
@@ -304,8 +304,6 @@ export function render() {
     const by = Math.abs(Math.sin(G.idleT * BOUNCE_IDLE.tempo)) * BOUNCE_IDLE.apex;
     drawBall(bx, by, sv.z);
   }
-  // earlier serves still in flight (multi-ball barrage)
-  for (const b of extraBalls) drawBall(b.x, b.y, b.z, false, b.bomb);
   // the match ball
   if ((ball.active || G.phase === 'over') && !ball.collected) drawBall(ball.x, ball.y, ball.z, true, ball.bomb);
   // splatter particles
@@ -351,7 +349,7 @@ export function render() {
     ctx.fillStyle = '#f8e048'; ctx.font = 'bold 8px monospace';
     const touch = matchMedia('(pointer: coarse)').matches;
     const txt = G.mode === 'splatter'
-      ? (touch ? 'TAP TO FIRE · FLICK TO AIM · SWISH TO MELEE' : 'SPACE FIRES · ARROWS AIM')
+      ? (touch ? 'TAP TO SERVE · FLICK TO AIM · SWISH TO MELEE' : 'SPACE SERVES · ARROWS AIM')
       : G.serveNum === 2 ? (touch ? 'SECOND SERVE — TAP' : 'SECOND SERVE — SPACE')
         : (touch ? 'TAP TO TOSS, TAP TO SERVE' : 'SPACE TO TOSS, SPACE TO SERVE');
     ctx.fillText(txt, W / 2, H - 16);

zombies.js

@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ export const gore = [];    // lawn decals {x, z, r, a}  — the flat ground laye
 export const piles = [];   // 3D-ish gore mounds {x, z, size 1..4, seed} — grow where kills cluster
 export const parts = [];   // splatter particles {x, y, z, vx, vy, vz, t, dark}
 export const pellets = []; // machine-gun rounds during a horde {x, y, z, vx, vz, t}
-export const extraBalls = []; // earlier serves still in flight while you fire the next {x,y,z,vx,vy,vz,g,pow,bomb,bounces}
 
 let spawnT = 1.5, moanT = 3;
 
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ function killZombie(i, quiet) {
   }); }
   splat();
   sendBoy(zb.x, zb.z);            // a boy sprints out to mop
-  splatPoint('P', quiet);        // horde kills rate-limit the umpire so he doesn't machine-gun scores
+  if (!G.horde) splatPoint('P', quiet); // a horde is survival — it doesn't score, so it can't chain into itself
 }
 
 // swishing the racket cleaves any shambler in reach (the racket-zombie boss shrugs melee off)
@@ -54,14 +53,6 @@ export function meleeSwipe(x, z, range) {
   return hit;
 }
 
-// serving again while a ball still flies: stash the current one so it keeps killing (a barrage)
-export function stashExtraBall() {
-  if (!ball.active) return;
-  extraBalls.push({ x: ball.x, y: ball.y, z: ball.z, vx: ball.vx, vy: ball.vy, vz: ball.vz,
-    g: ball.g, pow: ball.pow, bomb: ball.bomb, bounces: ball.bounces });
-  if (extraBalls.length > 6) extraBalls.shift(); // cap the barrage
-}
-
 function splatter(i, fanfare = true) { // the MAIN ball hit a zombie
   killZombie(i, !!G.horde);
   ball.vx *= TUNE.zPierce; ball.vz *= TUNE.zPierce; // keep enough pace to plow through the next
@@ -150,7 +141,7 @@ export function updateZombies(dt) {
       splat(1);
       voice('game_set_massacre', 0.8);
       G.mode = 'eaten'; ball.active = false; G.flash = null; // zombies keep shambling for ambience
-      G.horde = null; pellets.length = 0; extraBalls.length = 0; // the swarm stops; the eaten screen takes over
+      G.horde = null; pellets.length = 0;                    // the swarm stops; the eaten screen takes over
     }
     if (ball.active && ball.lastHit === 'P' && ball.y < 1.9) {
       const d = Math.hypot(ball.x - zb.x, ball.z - zb.z);
@@ -165,7 +156,7 @@ export function updateZombies(dt) {
         ball.vx *= 0.6; ball.vz *= 0.6; ball.lastHit = 'X'; // spent — one stagger per ball
       }
     }
-    if (zb.z >= COURT.L + 0.7) { zombies.splice(i, 1); if (G.mode !== 'eaten') splatPoint('O', !!G.horde); } // it reached your baseline
+    if (zb.z >= COURT.L + 0.7) { zombies.splice(i, 1); if (G.mode !== 'eaten' && !G.horde) splatPoint('O'); } // it reached your baseline
   }
 
   for (let i = pellets.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) { // machine-gun rounds: flat, fast, one-shot kills
@@ -177,22 +168,6 @@ export function updateZombies(dt) {
     if (hit || pe.t <= 0) pellets.splice(i, 1);
   }
 
-  for (let i = extraBalls.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) { // earlier serves keep arcing and killing
-    const b = extraBalls[i];
-    b.vy -= (b.g || TUNE.gravity) * dt;
-    b.x += b.vx * dt; b.y += b.vy * dt; b.z += b.vz * dt;
-    let done = false;
-    if (b.y <= 0 && b.vy < 0) { b.y = 0; b.vy = -b.vy * TUNE.bounceY; b.vx *= TUNE.bounceXZ; b.vz *= TUNE.bounceXZ; b.bounces++;
-      if (b.bomb) { explode(b.x, b.z); done = true; } }
-    if (!done && b.y < 1.9) for (let j = zombies.length - 1; j >= 0; j--) {
-      if (zombies[j].variant === 'r' || Math.hypot(zombies[j].x - b.x, zombies[j].z - b.z) >= 0.55) continue;
-      if (b.bomb) { explode(b.x, b.z); done = true; }
-      else if ((b.pow || 0) >= TUNE.zSplatQ) { killZombie(j, !!G.horde); b.vx *= TUNE.zPierce; b.vz *= TUNE.zPierce; }
-      break;
-    }
-    if (done || b.bounces >= 2 || b.z < -2 || b.z > 25.5 || Math.abs(b.x) > 7.5) extraBalls.splice(i, 1);
-  }
-
   for (let i = parts.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
     const p = parts[i];
     p.t -= dt; p.vy -= 14 * dt;