acdream/docs/research/2026-08-09-campaign-ch-test-script.md

Campaign CH — in-client user test script

One connected session against local ACE, retail GUI (ACDREAM_RETAIL_UI=1). For the color checks, running the retail client side-by-side is ideal but optional — the hex values are byte-verified; what needs eyes is "does it FEEL right".

1. On-screen interface text (CH2 — the SpewBox)

• Jump, and press jump again while airborne → "You can't jump while in the air" appears as transient text near the top of the viewport, NOT in the chat window. Chat gets no line at all.
• Spam it 5+ times fast: the line refreshes in place (no stacking of identical text); distinct refusals stack newest-on-top, max 4 lines.
• Try @version → its output goes to CHAT (green), not the SpewBox.
• Report presentation impressions: position, color, and how long lines linger are placeholders pending measurement (register AP-177/AP-178) — say what looks wrong vs your retail memory.

2. Chat colors (CH1)

Side-by-side vs retail if possible:

• Say something → white. Emote (:waves works now) → grey.
• Tell someone → your "You tell ..." line is DARK yellow (210,210,100); an incoming tell is BRIGHT yellow.
• Magic self-cast lines → light blue. Combat: damage you take → salmon, damage you deal → dark red.
• @version / @loc output → green (retail types command output 0x00).
• Fellowship chat (if you form one) → bright yellow.

3. Side channels (CH3)

• /general hi → round-trips (ACE echoes it back; blue-grey color). Same for /trade, /lfg.
• Roleplay: with "Hear Roleplay Chat" OFF (the ACE default), sending to Roleplay → "You are not listening to the Roleplay channel!" and nothing is sent. Enable it in Settings → Chat → ACE reports entering the channel; sending now works. (@join roleplay / @leave roleplay also flip it, effective immediately.)
• Legacy family single-print: /f hi (in a fellowship) shows ONE line, not two. Same for /v /p /m /cv if you have the allegiance structure.
• /a hi without an allegiance → refusal, not a silent drop.

4. Commands (CH4)

• :waves and ;waves → emote. @f, hi (trailing comma) works.
• @t Two Word Name, hello → comma splits the name (needs an alt with a multi-word name to fully verify).
• @g hi → goes to FELLOWSHIP (not the global General room!). Without a fellowship expect a server-side error — the important thing is it does NOT broadcast globally.
• @allegiance boot Bob → "Please see @help Allegiance for more information..." locally; nothing broadcast, nothing sent.
• @house abandon → TWO confirmation dialogs. Decline (unless you really want to abandon a house). Declining either stage sends nothing.
• @mr → help text only. @clist general → channel list from ACE.
• An unknown verb like @somenonsense → passes through to ACE (server answers, client does not swallow it).

Known-open, do not report as new

• Ctrl+M mute chord (#358) — still broken, separate from this campaign.
• SpewBox lifetime/position/color are registered placeholders (AP-177/AP-178) pending a retail measurement session.
• Allegiance management subcommands print the help refusal instead of executing (#360); @day/@log/@render deferred (#361); four request commands send but responses aren't rendered yet (#362).