acdream/docs/research/2026-08-24-campaign-ca-test-script.md

# Campaign CA — connected gate script (CA5, user-driven)

**Purpose:** live verification of the whole advancement chain against ACE
after CA1–CA4 (`1fc64984`, `65430d4c`, `57818959`, `08b77e20`). Everything
below should be visible **without a relog** — that is the entire point of
the campaign.

**Character:** use a SCRATCH character (owner decision 2026-08-24 — XP and
skill credits will be spent, and the respec checks are destructive).
A fresh character is ideal: low attribute costs mean many cheap raises.

**Launch:** the normal connected launch (`ACDREAM_RETAIL_UI=1`, live ACE at
`127.0.0.1:9000`). No diagnostic env vars needed. Useful ACE console
helpers: `@ci <wcid>` to spawn gems, `@grantxp`, `@grantskillcredits`
(see `claude-memory/../memory/reference_ace_commands.md`).

Open the Character panel (F9 / toolbar) before starting; keep the vitals
bar visible throughout.

---

## 1. Attribute raise → derived skills + run speed (the original #431)

Prep: bank some XP (`@grantxp` if the scratch character is too poor).
Note current run speed by running a straight line; note the Run skill's
displayed value and one other Quickness-fed skill (e.g. Melee Defense).

1. Raise **Quickness** by 1.
   - PASS: the attribute value updates when the server record lands (a
     round trip, not a relog); **Run and every Quickness-fed skill row
     update in the same moment**; XP remaining drops by the server's
     accounting.
2. Raise Quickness repeatedly until the formula contribution crosses a
   point (attribute current +2 → skill formula +1 for /2-divisor skills).
   - PASS: skill rows tick up as the attribute crosses each threshold.
3. **Run before and after.** With `runrate_add_hooks` active on ACE the
   server also re-broadcasts your movement speed mid-run.
   - PASS: run speed visibly increases after the raise — at latest on the
     next movement start. FAIL if speed only changes after relog.
4. While the raise is in flight (click and watch closely): the raise
   buttons ghost momentarily and un-ghost when the record lands.
   - PASS: brief ghost; no double-send on rapid double-click (the second
     click does nothing).

## 2. Endurance/Self raises → vitals maxima (the single-record quirk)

Note max health / max stamina / max mana from the vitals bar.

1. Raise **Endurance** by 1–2 points.
   - PASS: **max health AND max stamina both move** on the bar and the
     panel (ACE only pushes a Health record; the client-side fan-out must
     cover Stamina — research doc §4.1).
2. Raise **Self**.
   - PASS: max mana moves.
3. Sanity: current values don't jump wrongly (regen keeps ticking
   normally; watch ~10 s).

## 3. Direct vital raise + the retail raise-10 client bug (AP-73 CHECK)

1. Raise **Max Health** directly by 1.
   - PASS: bar max + panel update on the record; XP debits.
2. **The deliberate failure case** — this resolves the narrowed AP-73 row.
   Arrange XP so you can afford exactly ONE vital raise but not ten
   (spend down; the cost curve is steep so this is easy). The retail
   client bug ACE documents: the raise-10 button is enabled anyway.
   Click **raise ×10**.
   - EXPECTED from ACE: chat line "Your attempt to raise ... has failed."
     and NO stat change.
   - **RECORD: do the raise buttons stay ghosted afterward?**
     - If they un-ghost on their own → note what un-ghosted them (a regen
       tick counts as a quality change — that is retail-plausible and
       AP-73 can then RETIRE with that mechanism recorded).
     - If they stay ghosted until you close/reopen the panel → AP-73's
       symptom confirmed; report it and we decide the fix against the
       retail oracle (cdb on the live retail client if needed).

## 4. Skill raise

1. Select a TRAINED skill, raise ×1 and ×10.
   - PASS: ranks/value update on the record; XP debits; the
     "Your base <skill> skill is now N!" advancement line appears in the
     SpewBox with the advancement color.
2. Confirm an attribute-less skill (e.g. **Salvaging**, if trained) shows
   value = ranks-only progression and raises normally.

## 5. Train a new skill

Prep: ensure ≥ the DAT cost in skill credits (`@grantskillcredits`).

1. Select an UNTRAINED skill, click Train.
   - PASS: the skill flips to Trained on the record; credits drop by the
     DAT cost; chat: "<skill> trained. You now have N credits available."
2. NEGATIVE (silent-failure probe): nothing client-side should allow a
   wrong cost, so simply confirm no double-send on rapid clicks and that
   the button ghosts while awaiting.

## 6. Specialize / lower (SkillAlterationDevice)

Prep: `@ci` a **Gem of Enlightenment** (specialize) and a
**Gem of Forgetfulness** (lower) — wcids per ACE's db (ask the console
with `@acecommands` if unsure).

1. Use the Enlightenment gem on a TRAINED skill.
   - PASS: retail confirmation dialog appears; on accept, the skill flips
     to Specialized, credits drop, and the "You have succeeded
     specializing..." notice lands in chat (the 0x028B
     WeenieErrorWithString route).
   - Also confirm DECLINING the dialog changes nothing.
2. Use the Forgetfulness gem: Specialized → Trained, then Trained →
   Untrained.
   - PASS: each step updates the panel on the record and refunds credits
     per ACE's accounting; an untrained skill row returns to the
     untrained section with formula-only value.

## 7. Respec-adjacent (as far as ACE supports)

If ACE's Enlightenment/attribute-reset paths are reachable on this server
(level requirements may block a scratch character — skip if so), exercise
one and confirm the client tracks every pushed record without a relog.
Otherwise mark N/A — the message shapes are identical to §6's, so §6
passing covers the client-side mechanism.

## 8. Regression sweep (5 minutes)

- Vitae/buff display still correct after raises (buff an attribute; panel
  shows effective + base pair; skill values include the buff through the
  formula).
- Logout/login: everything you raised persists and PlayerDescription
  agrees with what the live records showed (any mismatch = a parser bug —
  report exact numbers).
- Ordinary play smoke: run, jump, cast, fight one mob — nothing about
  movement feel changed outside the raises.

---

## Report back

Per section: PASS/FAIL plus anything odd. The three answers that matter
most:
1. §1.3 — did run speed change live?
2. §2.1 — did max STAMINA move on an Endurance raise?
3. §3.2 — the AP-73 ghost question (un-ghosted by what / stayed stuck?).