Activate approved normal Mentat and document Emperor gift ruling

docs/BUREAUCRAT_PAYMENTS.md

@@ -37,8 +37,18 @@ The connected paths are ordinary paid auctions, Guild shipment income, direct
 Richese auction proceeds and actual bribe transfers in the base or CHOAM-only
 skill profile. Basic Tleilaxu with Leader Skills and base opponents additionally
 supports a single payer's actual paid revival price to Tleilaxu. Other expansion
-payment sources and direct gifts remain outside this batch; omission is not a
-printed prohibition.
+payment sources remain outside this batch. Emperor gifts are excluded because
+the user ruled on 11 October that gifts are not payments.
+
+
+### User ruling — 11 October 2026
+
+**Gifts are not payments.** Emperor-to-ally gifts do not qualify for
+Bureaucrat, consume its once-per-phase use or create a qualifying-threshold
+prompt. Gift amounts remain private to giver and recipient. Ordinary paid
+auctions, shipments, revival and bribes keep their existing eligible paths.
+This explicit user classification resolves the earlier gift question; it
+does not change any gift transfer cost or disclose more information.
 
 ### 21 September gift classification review
 
@@ -52,10 +62,9 @@ amounts are projected only to Emperor and recipient. Even a threshold-only
 Bureaucrat prompt would reveal that the gift qualifies; the existing exact-amount
 payment projection must not be applied blindly.
 
-The user has been asked whether to retain this boundary or apply Bureaucrat
-with only the qualifying threshold public. No answer is assumed. Gifts remain
-outside the connected Bureaucrat payment paths while independent ordinary
-[bribe controls](BRIBE_CONTROLS.md) proceed.
+The earlier question is now resolved by the 11 October ruling above.
+Gift classification stays separate from the connected ordinary
+[bribe controls](BRIBE_CONTROLS.md).
 
 For native income, the prototype resolves the existing Karama income window
 first, then offers Bureaucrat before crediting the eligible recipient and

docs/CURRENT_STATUS.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Current development status
 
-Updated 8 October 2026. **The full twelve-faction goal is unfinished. Basic
+Updated 11 October 2026. **The full twelve-faction goal is unfinished. Basic
 is playable and the six classic factions have a user-authorized Advanced preview.
 Expansion starts and full rules/publication acceptance remain gated.**
 
@@ -29,6 +29,25 @@ optional skill bands, combinations and public expansion starts remain open.
 Rules implementation continues; comprehensive assurance and administration
 remain deferred until all rules are implemented.
 
+**Approved skill decisions — 11 October.** Normal Mentat now uses the approved
+uniform private card-show step throughout the existing supported Leader Skills
+envelope; the separate flag and CLI option are removed. Newly opened battles
+carry the question version. Already opened unversioned battles do not reopen.
+The exact-match and sole-card target steps stay private; empty-hand skip and
+Moritani's separate uniform-Continue decision remain unresolved. Emperor gifts
+are explicitly not Bureaucrat payments: no threshold signal or skill consumption,
+and exact gift amounts remain private to sender and ally. Other payments retain
+their existing behavior.
+
+TypeScript/lint pass; the affected 20-file union passes 217 cases, and the two
+changed recovery/module fixture consumers pass 11 cases. Nine isolated engine
+scenarios cover Basic/Advanced matching/fallback shows, all four legal bots,
+and a private 7-spice gift followed by a qualifying 5-spice bribe. Real 390px
+controls show the compulsory private card step and owner-only receipt without
+changing the target hand. CLI help uses normal activation and rejects the removed
+option. No deployed or complete-mode acceptance is claimed. See
+[Mentat](MENTAT_QUESTION.md) and [Bureaucrat](BUREAUCRAT_PAYMENTS.md).
+
 **Owned HMS Sandmaster piles — 9 October.** Storm relocation and Advanced
 Ixian special Karama now select one bonus debit pile per entered territory,
 or decline that bonus while retaining native collection. Existing preparation
@@ -338,10 +357,10 @@ implemented:
   points into, so Sandmaster collects there before the native collection
   (`game/sandmaster-movement.ts`, `game/engine.ts`).
 
-The remaining recorded questions (Bureaucrat/Emperor gifts, Recruits late
-accounting, ordinary Guild cancellation, base special Karama, Nexus
-composition, Orgiz, Testing Station, Jacurutu, occupied Homeworlds and the
-Homeworld restoration questions) stay pending.
+The earlier remaining questions were Recruits accounting, ordinary Guild
+cancellation, base special Karama, Nexus composition, Discovery benefits
+and Homeworld interpretation/restoration. The Bureaucrat/gift question was
+later resolved on 11 October: gifts are not payments.
 
 **Preserved captures resumed under the rulings.** All 123 preserved
 `failed-*.json` captures were resumed in place (same position, seed and

docs/IMPLEMENTATION_STATUS.md

@@ -1,5 +1,40 @@
 # Dune implementation status
 
+## 11 October 2026 — approved normal Mentat and Emperor gift classification
+
+The user approved normal Mentat's uniform private card-show step in the existing
+Leader Skills development envelope. `mentatQuestionModeSupported` now follows
+the ordinary supported profile; new battles receive the existing question version
+without a separate global flag. The flag, profile exclusions, CLI option and
+fixture opt-in are removed. Previously opened unversioned battles remain
+unversioned. Matching and sole-card hands still require the private target show;
+the empty-hand skip and Moritani's independent uniform-Continue question are not
+resolved by this approval. Public faction/mode gates remain closed.
+
+The user also ruled Emperor gifts are not payments for Bureaucrat. The existing
+gift implementation already excludes them; no production gift behavior changed.
+The regression verifies a 7-spice gift remains private to Emperor/ally, does not
+offer or consume Bureaucrat, and a later 5-spice bribe still offers the skill.
+Other qualifying payment behavior is unchanged.
+
+Evidence:
+
+- `npm run check:quick` passes. The affected 20-file test union passes 217/217;
+  `leader-skills-recovery.test.ts` plus
+  `moritani-skills-modules-runtime.test.ts` pass 11/11.
+- Nine throwaway engine scenarios pass: Basic/Advanced matching and fallback,
+  all four legal AI participants, and gift/bribe continuation.
+- Real production controls at 390px show the normal question, compulsory exact
+  match show and private owner history; the observer sees no receipt and the
+  target's two-card hand is unchanged.
+- Actual CLI help advertises normal activation. `--mentat-question` rejects
+  as an unknown option with exit 1 before accessing any game store.
+
+Temporary smoke scripts/services were removed. Existing games and stores were
+not targeted. This is changed-path proof, not deployed or complete-mode acceptance.
+Source and decisions: [Mentat](MENTAT_QUESTION.md),
+[Bureaucrat](BUREAUCRAT_PAYMENTS.md), [rulings](RULE_DECISIONS.md).
+
 ## 9 October 2026 — owned native HMS Sandmaster pile allocation
 
 Both native Storm relocation and Advanced special Karama carry optional

docs/LEADER_SKILLS_RUNTIME.md

@@ -193,14 +193,13 @@ and two preserved six-seat CLI/human-phone rooms pass; local HTTP remains
 49/55 with six upstream503 failures. Full-module/deployed acceptance stays open; see the
 [existing Banker normal-band contract](SPICE_BANKER_RUNTIME.md#normal-income-local-contract--2-october-2026).
 
-**2 October native Mentat checkpoint:** explicit fresh
-`--profile leader-skills --mentat-question` connects the existing private
-normal-band question to supported Basic Ixian/Tleilaxu/CHOAM/Moritani starts.
-Canonical exact/default weapon roles, target-owned fallback, posture and native
-battle continuation use the existing controls and legal policies. Ordinary
-activation still awaits the uniform-response UX decision; empty hands and
-Advanced native/combined-module skills remain guarded. See
-[native preview scope](MENTAT_QUESTION.md#native-skill-integration--2-october-2026).
+**2 October native Mentat checkpoint:** the formerly separate opt-in connected
+private normal-band questions to Basic Ixian/Tleilaxu/CHOAM/Moritani starts.
+The 11 October user approval now activates the same uniform flow normally
+through supported skill entries. Exact/default weapon roles, target-owned
+fallback, posture and native continuation remain. Empty-hand interpretation
+and complete/public mode acceptance stay open. See
+[normal activation](MENTAT_QUESTION.md#normal-activation-and-approved-ux--11-october-2026).
 
 
 ## Standalone E3 Nexus and original components — 5 October 2026
@@ -735,10 +734,10 @@ CHOAM keeps its original support payer/income distinction and unmodified
 Smuggler collection before ordinary Collection. Existing Planetologist,
 Sandmaster, Mentat, Bureaucrat and Banker helpers share this admitted native
 profile rather than independently accepting a different roster.
-Explicit `--mentat-question` remains a private timing preview; ordinary
-activation and empty-hand rulings are not resolved. The separate `banker-income`
-profile also admits this native Advanced subset; normal front-shield income
-remains unavailable until actual Mentat and keeps its provisional earned custody.
+The 11 October user-approved normal Mentat question now shares this admitted
+skill envelope; the obsolete timing opt-in is removed. Empty-hand
+interpretation remains separate. The `banker-income` profile retains its
+existing deferred front-shield custody and actual-Mentat spendability.
 
 Bounded Development Verified: affected122/122, types/lint/build, ten actual
 controlled native programs (five Ixian rescue/policy cases, one CHOAM collection,

docs/MENTAT_QUESTION.md

@@ -1,18 +1,31 @@
 # Mentat before Battle Plans
 
-13 September 2026. This developer preview adds the normal Mentat question to
-the existing lower-band strength bonus. It requires an explicit private preview
-opt-in while the user decides whether to accept the uniform card-show step.
-Ordinary Leader Skills starts do not activate it. Leader Skills and public mode
-acceptance remain partial. [Common skill rules](LEADER_SKILLS_RULES.md) govern assignment,
-capture, death and the right to conceal a skilled leader.
+**Normal activation approved 11 October 2026.** The user approved the existing
+uniform private card-show step, including exact matches and sole eligible cards.
+New supported Leader Skills battles now offer the normal Mentat question
+without a separate preview flag. Public module/mode acceptance remains partial.
+[Common skill rules](LEADER_SKILLS_RULES.md) govern assignment, capture, death and the right to conceal a skilled leader.
+
+## Normal activation and approved UX — 11 October 2026
+
+Normal questions use the existing admitted Leader Skills envelope. Naming
+and the compulsory target-owned private show step still precede posture
+and faction powers. This approved extra interaction prevents public stages
+from disclosing held-versus-absent information. It moves no physical card.
+
+The global preview flag and CLI option are removed. Per-battle version,
+event, signed receipt and private observation history remain authoritative.
+Already-opened unversioned battles retain their original continuation;
+existing versioned questions continue without the obsolete global flag.
+Empty-hand skipping remains the earlier explicit unfinished interpretation.
+
 
 **4 October composition:** the explicit preview also admits the bounded
 Advanced native Ixian and/or CHOAM plus classic profile with distinct required
 family decks. Actual private naming/disclosure returns to native posture and
 keeps the shown card held; unrelated players receive no learned card.
 See the [current native contract](LEADER_SKILLS_RUNTIME.md#advanced-native-ixian-and-choam-composition--4-october-2026).
-Ordinary activation, empty hands and other pending rulings remain unchanged.
+The 11 October normal-activation cutover above supersedes the old opt-in; other boundaries remain unchanged.
 The bounded [Advanced Tleilaxu composition](TLEILAXU_LEADER_SKILLS.md#advanced-native-composition--4-october-2026)
 now uses the same explicit preview; original foreign revival does not assign a
 new Mentat or any other skill.
@@ -28,9 +41,8 @@ fourteen skills. Existing classic/CHOAM Basic/Advanced preview coverage remains;
 this does not admit Advanced Ixian/Tleilaxu/Moritani skills or extra modules.
 
 For a fresh ready local lobby, use the existing exact-version/private-backup
-entry with `--profile leader-skills --mentat-question`. Without the explicit
-option, ordinary skill starts still do not activate the question. The option
-cannot be applied through a player action or to a started game.
+entry with `--profile leader-skills`. The normal question is part of supported
+skill behavior; no separate question option or player action enables it.
 
 The same canonical question and target-owned answer controls handle exact Ix
 weapon names, including **Weirding Way**, with its default weapon role.
@@ -43,8 +55,8 @@ Five new behavioral regressions cover all four native families and all four
 legal policies. A separate runtime driver exercises eight native exact/fallback
 battles through Collection plus four policy inquiries: twelve cases pass.
 The earlier Ixian regression failed at the missing question before admission.
-The uniform-response UX and empty-hand questions below remain pending; no
-public module gate or old-game retrofit is enabled.
+The uniform-response UX was approved on 11 October; the empty-hand question
+remains pending. No public module gate or old-battle reopening is enabled.
 
 Final local390px **8HTTTZMA v9** names Weirding Way, shows it privately,
 inspects the learned physical card and conceals the native Mentat. Genuine
@@ -112,10 +124,10 @@ answers would reveal held/absent information through different public stages.
 Target controls alone receive the eligible physical cards; public decision shape,
 logs and number of response steps stay the same across equal-size hands.
 
-That uniform step is an exception to the user's preference to omit forced
-confirmations. The user has been asked to approve it or leave the ability disabled
-pending another design. No answer has been applied. Private QA can exercise the
-reviewable preview; normal activation and any claim of approved UX remain pending.
+The uniform step is an exception to the user's usual forced-confirmation
+preference. **Approved 11 October 2026:** use this private card-show step in
+normal supported Leader Skills battles. Moritani's separate uniform-step
+question is not answered by this approval.
 
 ## Preview evidence and remaining acceptance
 

docs/MORITANI_ASSASSINATE_LEADERS.md

@@ -76,10 +76,11 @@ Every publicly qualifying loss gets the same private reveal-or-continue opportun
 regardless of the hidden eligible card. Only Moritani sees its candidate identities
 and blocked reason; rivals see the same decision and no private options. This
 requires Continue even for an ineligible hand, conflicting with the user's usual
-automatic-action preference. A uniform-private-step UX question is pending, shared
-with Mentat. Until resolved, activation requires an explicit development preview;
-no ordinary action or room API enables it. A publicly spent faction or prior
-normal traitor call can be skipped without consulting hidden eligibility.
+automatic-action preference. Moritani's uniform-private-step approval remains
+separate: the 11 October Mentat approval applies only to that card-show flow.
+This ability still requires its explicit development preview; no ordinary
+action or room API enables it.
+A publicly spent faction or prior normal traitor call can be skipped without consulting hidden eligibility.
 
 All four AI profiles use the same owner-only quote. They choose a legal card or
 decline and do not inspect rival hidden state. The public history shows only

docs/RULE_DECISIONS.md

@@ -1,6 +1,20 @@
 # Rule decision index
 
-Updated 8 October 2026. This is the authoritative navigation index for existing decisions, not a replacement rulebook or a new ruling. Detailed linked contracts retain their source citations and exact supported boundaries. Runtime follow-ups supersede historical absence claims; passing tests establish software behavior, not publisher authority.
+Updated 11 October 2026. This is the authoritative navigation index for existing decisions, not a replacement rulebook or a new ruling. Detailed linked contracts retain their source citations and exact supported boundaries. Runtime follow-ups supersede historical absence claims; passing tests establish software behavior, not publisher authority.
+
+## User decisions — 11 October 2026
+
+- **Normal Mentat:** approve the existing uniform private card-show step,
+  including exact matches and sole eligible cards. Activate it normally in
+  supported Leader Skills development games; remove the separate question
+  opt-in. Older opened unversioned battles retain their original sequence.
+  [Approved flow](MENTAT_QUESTION.md#normal-activation-and-approved-ux--11-october-2026).
+- **Bureaucrat / Emperor gifts:** gifts are not payments. They create no
+  Bureaucrat opportunity or qualifying-threshold disclosure; exact amounts
+  remain private to giver/recipient. Other payment paths are unchanged.
+  [Gift ruling](BUREAUCRAT_PAYMENTS.md#user-ruling--11-october-2026).
+
+These decisions do not open public module/faction or complete-mode gates.
 
 ## Content-first Basic prototypes — 8 October 2026
 
@@ -421,7 +435,7 @@ dedicated retrieved worked FAQs. [Contract and remaining limits](HOMEWORLD_OCCUP
 | Native E1/E2 Leader Skills / Tech Tokens | Fresh supported Ixian/Tleilaxu/CHOAM/Richese3..6 Basic/Advanced keeps original native deck/roster limits, all14 skills, cache and printed Tech setup. Original typed payments/rescue/card cleanup precede mandatory winner token reward; Tleilaxu A.1–3 expressly preserves that reward before Face Dance. Actual Charity affects Production, not Axlotl; native CHOAM initial income is not poverty Charity. Separate Banker/Mentat bounds and unrelated guards remain. E3/other overlays, public starts and save conversion are excluded. This composes sourced rules, not a new interpretation. | [Scope, supplied physical21/38 and evidence](LEADER_SKILLS_RUNTIME.md#native-e1e2-tech-tokens-composition--4-october-2026) |
 | Advanced Leader Skills / Stronghold Cards | Fresh classic or supported E1/E2 native2..6 Advanced preserves all14 skills, six unused cards, original decks/cache/wallets and actual end-Mentat claims; optional Tech requires3..6. Arrakeen bank subsidy is separate from actual payer debit/Banker threshold and original CHOAM income. Physical defense/normal discipline, holder tie and Tabr/Tuek income compose original skill outcomes. Suk/native cleanup and mandatory Tech precede Face Dance, retaining original rewards and one killed-skill return. Copied-Diplomat/active skill-Stone and unrelated guards remain. Basic Strongholds, E3/other overlays, public starts and save conversion are excluded. | [Authorized physical21/38, existing effects and evidence](LEADER_SKILLS_RUNTIME.md#advanced-stronghold-composition--4-october-2026) |
 | Standalone E3 Skills / Tech / Stronghold Cards | Original Ecaz OR Moritani ecaz33/all14 rosters preserve Tech Basic/Advanced3..6 and Stronghold Advanced2..6, optionally both. Native Ecaz five-disc/temporary Duke/Advanced-Hark exclusion and Moritani skill-first assassination/normal-call forfeiture remain. Real claimed effects, original support/rescue, printed Duke6 or unused-disc bounty and one Mentat replacement compose native rewards without new ownership or income rules. E3 pairs, mixed families, allied Occupy skills, other overlays, public starts and save conversion remain excluded. | [Source contracts and bounded evidence](LEADER_SKILLS_RUNTIME.md#standalone-e3-module-composition--4-october-2026) |
-| Native Mentat preview | Explicit fresh `leader-skills --mentat-question` reuses the existing private uniform question for already-supported Basic Ixian/Tleilaxu/CHOAM/Moritani profiles. Exact/default card roles, held fallback and skill-before-faction timing are unchanged. Ordinary/public activation, empty-hand handling, Advanced native skills and other modules stay gated; this is integration, not a new answer to the pending UX question. | [Native integration and existing authority](MENTAT_QUESTION.md#native-skill-integration--2-october-2026) |
+| Normal Mentat | The 11 October user-approved uniform private show step runs before posture/faction powers in new supported Leader Skills battles, without an extra opt-in. Matching and fallback preserve the same target-owned stage and held cards. Already-opened unversioned battles do not reopen; versioned receipts remain authoritative. Empty-hand interpretation and full/public acceptance remain separate. | [Approved normal flow](MENTAT_QUESTION.md#normal-activation-and-approved-ux--11-october-2026) |
 | Normal Spice Banker local preview | Fresh classic/base33 Basic/Advanced or supported Basic native skill profiles, all14 skills alone. One additional deferred bank spice per physical card/turn/phase for another payer's one actual bank payment ≥4; no payer pooling or advance spending. Tleilaxu self-revival pays Bank; other-player revival pays Tleilaxu unless canceled. The separate free-revival award never contributes to payer debit. Actual initialized Mentat collects once; original earned-faction retention and separate-payer threshold remain provisional local policies, not answers to pending custody/split questions. No public start, retrofit or other overlays. | [Normal-band contract](SPICE_BANKER_RUNTIME.md#normal-income-local-contract--2-october-2026), [native integration](SPICE_BANKER_RUNTIME.md#basic-native-banker-integration--2-october-2026), [skill authority](LEADER_SKILLS_RULES.md) |
 | Advanced Stronghold faction integration | Fresh `stronghold-factions` admits selected E1/E2 native families and standalone Ecaz OR Moritani with classic2..6-seat Advanced, canonical selected decks and six Stronghold Cards; optional unused Tech Tokens requires3..6, without Leader Skills. Standalone E3 uses ecaz33; Moritani excludes Harkonnen. Ecaz co-control holds the card at Ecaz, but only the selected actual holder-plan receives its effect; fixed Ecaz strength is free, and Arrakeen funds only actual variable support. Losing Moritani retains printed Tuek income before original assassination, printed bounty and one actual Mentat replacement; winner cleanup finishes once and normal Traitor reveal forfeits assassination for the game. Existing E1/E2 No-Field/Stone/FaceDance and retained winner rewards remain. E3 pairs/mixed families, mixed No-Field/full-plan, Stone/Poison Tooth and other overlays stay guarded. This composes existing contracts, not a new ruling. Save/privacy/custody assurance follows all rules. | [E1/E2 scope](STRONGHOLD_CARDS.md#expanded-e1e2-faction-rules), [standalone E3 scope and evidence](STRONGHOLD_CARDS.md#standalone-e3-stronghold-composition--4-october-2026), [native Tech composition](EXPANSION_FACTIONS_PROTOTYPE.md#native-tech-composition--4-october-2026) |
 | Native Tech without Leader Skills | Fresh3..6 Basic/Advanced selected E1/E2 native families or standalone Ecaz OR Moritani plus classics preserve original unused three Tech Tokens through `factions`; Advanced Strongholds use the existing native entry. Physical setup, printed/first-Storm owners, phase-end income and single-player complete-set victory are unchanged. Actual Ecaz selected lead receives the original opposing token, never a joint allied holding; Basic odd Occupy remains guarded. Moritani original forfeiture/assassination and winner Tech before Face Dance reuse existing handlers. No new ruling, wallet grant, public start or save conversion. | [Original composition/source and evidence](EXPANSION_FACTIONS_PROTOTYPE.md#native-tech-composition--4-october-2026), [Stronghold contract](STRONGHOLD_CARDS.md#native-tech-composition-without-skills--4-october-2026) |
@@ -470,7 +484,6 @@ These are unresolved in the cited records. Do not infer an answer from elapsed t
 
 | Boundary | Still unresolved | Existing record |
 | --- | --- | --- |
-| Bureaucrat / Emperor gifts | Whether an allied gift is a qualifying payment and whether its threshold may be revealed. Existing gift amounts are private to payer/recipient; the card and retrieved primary sources do not explicitly settle this combination. The user question is pending; no answer or exact-amount disclosure is assumed. | [Gift classification review](BUREAUCRAT_PAYMENTS.md#21-september-gift-classification-review) |
 | Reinforcements cost | The user question still asks whether to keep the card disabled, always transfer three reserve forces on every outcome, or waive only a sole traitor-call winner's cost; no answer is assumed. The bounded classic and Ecaz/Moritani prototype provisionally charges on all revealed outcomes, chooses normal reserves before elite and counts the transfer as battle losses. Those are product interpretations, not a ruling. Same-plan Harass/Stone Burner remain gated; opposing Harass is supported. Eligibility never depends on concealed matching Traitors. | [Source cost review](ECAZ_TREACHERY_RULES.md#14-september-reinforcements-cost-review) · [Bounded runtime](REINFORCEMENTS_RUNTIME.md) |
 | Harass / Stone Burner | A user question has been sent: keep the combination gated or compare forces remaining after withdrawal. No answer is assumed. The Richese card-family configuration is guarded publicly; hidden Stone Burner custody never controls eligibility. Ambiguous physical allocations and other optional modules remain unfinished. | [Current boundaries](HARASS_WITHDRAW_RUNTIME.md#current-boundaries) |
 | Recruits late accounting and rates | The earlier one/two-further-free question remains unanswered. The content-first prototype now preserves paid spice, deducts recorded actual free usage from the doubled rate and all returns from the total cap: two-free/one-paid Atreides can take two more free. This is visibly provisional, not a numerical user ruling. Unknown ledgers, pending repricing, late rate changes and same-turn replay remain guarded. | [Source alternatives](RECRUITS_RULES.md), [provisional runtime](RECRUITS_RUNTIME.md) |