docs: connection-gate findings + roadmap (strategy pivot)

Stop fighting anadius's offline verdict. Document the clean-room findings (the gate is an upstream in-process Ebisu connection-state check, not socket traffic) and a milestone roadmap with two first-class outcomes: full playable AI FUT (A) and a clean-room spec deliverable (B). Name M3 (first ProtoSSL plaintext on the real Blaze connection) as the smallest end-to-end proof. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-06-29 18:00:27 -07:00
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+# OpenFUT Bridge roadmap — from here to "Squad Battles loads"
+
+Two **first-class** outcomes (not one goal + a consolation prize):
+
+- **A. Full playable AI FUT** — the emulator build (M1–M7). Realistically a
+  multi-month, expert-level reverse-engineering effort.
+- **B. Clean-room spec deliverable** — a documented map of the auth / Blaze /
+  ProtoSSL / Fire2 surface (transport, gates, framing, decision points). Produced
+  incrementally as the findings from M1–M5; **finishable and valuable on its
+  own**, and the foundation any future emulator needs.
+
+Every milestone's "done" is a **client-observable** result. Unconfirmed
+dependencies are flagged.
+
+## Done so far
+
+- In-process `version.dll` hook (injects, forwards all 17 real exports).
+- Transport confirmed: DirtySDK/ProtoSSL. `_ProtoSSLSendPacket` @
+  `FIFA23.exe+0xEFA530` hooked (plaintext-capture ready).
+- `connect` / DNS / LSX (`send`/`recv` + `WSASend`/`WSARecv`) capture; mutexed log.
+- Gate identified: **upstream Ebisu connection-state, in-process** (see
+  `connection-gate-findings.md`).
+- RE toolkit: `protossl-scan` (scan / xref / disasm / module+offset).
+
+## M1 — Locate the connection-state decision point  · Outcome B core
+- Read-only hook `ProtoSSLConnect`; find the Ebisu connection-state getter the
+  FUT-entry path polls.
+- **Done:** we can name the exact function/return that gates "attempt online."
+- Unknown: coupling to anadius's detour. **Effort:** ~days.
+
+## M2 — Flip the gate (force "connected")  · pure gate-flip proof
+- Out-hook the getter / patch the polled state so the game attempts the real
+  connection.
+- **Done (observable):** the game emits a DNS lookup / `connect` for the Blaze
+  redirector (`gosredirector.*`).
+- Unknown: a secondary auth-token gate may also block. `TODO/CONFIRM`.
+  **Effort:** ~days.
+
+## M3 — First real ProtoSSL plaintext on the Blaze connection  · SMALLEST END-TO-END PROOF (see "Smallest milestone")
+- Our redirect catches the Blaze connect; the ProtoSSL hook logs the first
+  plaintext it emits (the TLS **ClientHello** to the redirector).
+- **Done:** `hook.log` shows the ClientHello from the *real* Blaze connection.
+- Note: this is a TLS handshake frame, **not yet** a Blaze/Fire2 app-data frame.
+  **Effort:** small once M2 lands.
+
+## M4 — Answer the redirector + decode first Fire2 frame  · Outcome B: first decode
+- Inject a response via the ProtoSSL recv side so the client advances; decode
+  the first Blaze/Fire2 request frame from real captured bytes.
+- **Done:** the client advances past the redirector (sends the next gate's frame).
+- Unknown (**BIG**): **Fire2 framing UNCONFIRMED**; **ProtoSSL recv-injection /
+  TLS-bypass convention UNCONFIRMED**; **Blaze component/command IDs UNCONFIRMED**.
+  **Effort:** high.
+
+## M5 — Blaze preauth / login / postauth (online session)  · Outcome B: full auth surface
+- Answer UTIL preauth, AUTHENTICATION login (reusing anadius's persona surface),
+  UTIL postauth.
+- **Done:** client reports online / reaches the FUT entry check.
+- Depends on M4 framing. **Effort:** high.
+
+## M6 — FUT entry + hub load (route to OpenFUT Core)  · Outcome A
+- Answer the FUT eligibility check; serve the FUT hub (club/squad) from OpenFUT
+  Core via the bridge.
+- **Done:** the FUT hub UI loads (club/squad screen).
+- Depends on Core's FUT REST surface. **Effort:** high.
+
+## M7 — Squad Battles (AI FUT)  · Outcome A goal
+- Wire Squad Battles match setup / rewards against Core.
+- **Done:** a Squad Battles match starts and rewards apply.
+- **Effort:** medium-high after M6.
+
+## Outcome mapping
+- **B (spec)** completes as M1–M5 are documented — valuable even if A stalls.
+- **A (playable AI FUT)** requires M1–M7.
+
+## Smallest provable milestone (step 4)
+
+Refined from the proposed candidate. The single smallest result that validates
+the whole architecture end-to-end:
+
+> **M3 — the client emits its first ProtoSSL plaintext onto the _real_ Blaze
+> connection (the ClientHello to the redirector), captured by our hook.**
+
+It proves both halves at once: (1) we got the game past its connection-state
+check — it went online **for real**; and (2) our redirect + ProtoSSL hook
+capture real plaintext from that connection.
+
+It deliberately stops short of the candidate's "first **Blaze** frame" (a Fire2
+app-data message), which requires answering the TLS handshake (M4) and depends
+on the unconfirmed Fire2 / recv-injection work. ClientHello capture needs none
+of that — making it the smallest, safest proof. The first Fire2 frame is the
+immediate follow-on (M4).