Dune/docs/OPTIONAL_ALLIANCE_VICTORY.md

# Optional three-stronghold alliance victory

## Advanced classic group lobby preview — 29 October 2026

**Prototyped / Partial.** The existing explicit Advanced preview can be combined
with the group-alliance selection for three to six classic factions, without
expansion decks or other optional modules. The host must still start using the
explicit Advanced preview action. The selected group ledger is created during
fresh setup; old rooms and ordinary Advanced starts retain their prior behavior.

The [focused lobby journey](../tests/coalition-advanced-preview-lobby.test.ts)
uses native setup and first-turn controls, reordering only unopened Spice cards
to reach a Nexus. It forms a group through mutual offers and consent, checks
legal proposals by all four bot profiles, and continues to the following Storm.
The result is an unfinished preview, not certification of all Advanced group
interactions, expansion combinations, complete games or deployed behavior.

## Basic classic group lobby preview — 29 October 2026

**Prototyped / Partial.** A host may explicitly select a group-alliance
development preview in a fresh Basic game with three or more classic faction
seats. The available variants are a maximum of three members with four
strongholds, a maximum of three with three strongholds, or any number of
members with three strongholds. Changing the setting clears human readiness.
The separate short-alliance option, two-controller setup, expansions and other
optional modules are excluded from this lobby entry. The later Advanced classic
entry is described above.

Start creates the empty group ledger through the ordinary setup path; it does
not modify existing games. Existing pair offers, unanimous group admission and
leave, the staged faction benefits and minimal bot paths then apply. The game
and lobby warn that group timing, benefits and other interactions remain
unfinished. This preview does not certify complete group rules or open normal
mode/publication gates; historical statements below that no lobby could create
a ledger describe earlier checkpoints.

The [focused journey](../tests/coalition-preview-lobby.test.ts) uses genuine
public start, setup and first-turn actions; only the unopened Spice deck order
is chosen to reach the next Nexus. Pair formation, group consent and bot
proposals use native actions; the resulting alliance continues through the
following turn to the next Storm. It also covers settings, readiness and invalid
starts. Full group games, later interactions, expansion entry and deployed
acceptance remain open.

## Group Fremen–Guild shipment answer — 29 October 2026

**Prototyped / Partial.** In the staged Basic group, a Fremen member can
answer Yes to a Truthtrance reserve-shipment question when its actual Guild
ally can transport the group to the named territory. The completion search
uses the same group-aware native Guild permission as the transport itself,
including its cancellation state, rather than relying on the pair-only ally
field cleared by a larger coalition. The printed transport, two native Karama
response windows, actual cost and physical force transfer remain unchanged.

The [focused journey](../tests/coalition-fremen-guild-truth-shipment.test.ts)
forms a group through actual Nexus actions after staging an empty ledger; it
then stages the Movement phase, conserved force pools and wallets and transfers
the actual Truthtrance and Karama from the undealt deck. It verifies the legal
Guild route to Carthag, a real question and fulfillment, and minimal legal
responses across four bot profiles. Group consent and timing are provisional
online interpretations; this does not expose a lobby option or certify full
group play, Advanced combinations or other shipment continuations.

## Self-funded Guild transport with a live promise — 29 October 2026

In staged Basic and Advanced group games, a Guild ally's transport quote now
recognizes the alliance even when a live positive bribe answer temporarily
fences group funding. The player must still afford their own payment and keep
the answer possible; absent escrow cannot supply donor contributions. Focused
cases form the group and the promise through actual actions, stage physical
positions and wallets, then complete transport and the promised bribe. Group
lobby entry and broader interactions remain unfinished.

## Advanced classic group foundation — 29 October 2026

**Historical staged prototype.** The same group negotiation
and donor-specific ordinary bid and shipment funding now admit Advanced games
with only classic factions and no optional modules. Advanced group separation
uses each actual ally and removes the ending player's shared fighters at that
player's own movement deadline, retaining Polar Sink and advisor exceptions.
Battle selection excludes every ally; group victory uses distinct strongholds
and the configured staged target. Selected group Voice/Prescience, Fremen
worm protection and per-recipient Fremen and Emperor revival use their existing
native opportunities. Existing unanimous group admission and larger-ally
power sharing remain provisional online interpretations.

The supplied revised rulebook, physical p. 42 (printed p. 40), lists the
larger-alliance options; physical p. 15 (printed p. 13) sets the Advanced
allied separation deadline and advisor exception. This does not certify full
Advanced group play, expansion factions, optional modules, all faction
interactions or complete games. The later Advanced lobby preview is described
above.

Twenty related files pass 143 cases. Two genuine public Advanced setups reach
the original Nexus and form groups after only the empty group ledger is staged;
selected unopened card ordering and lotteries are recorded by their fixtures.
The funding journeys use actual bids, shipments and ordered Emperor revival,
with labelled test wallets and a conserved Tank counter. Board separation and
the Fremen worm journey use staged physical positions and cards. These tests do
not constitute an unstaged full game or Advanced expansion/module acceptance.

## Three-member, three-stronghold variant — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** A distinct saved
`three-short` variant allows at most three alliance members and gives both
pairs and triples a three-stronghold target. Existing absent-variant groups
retain their maximum of three and four-stronghold target; the separate
`unlimited` variant retains its six-player ceiling and three-stronghold target.
The current two-controller four-stronghold precedence and agreed target
increases still apply. Admission, consent and departure reuse the existing
group protocol; player controls identify this variant, and minimal bots may
request admission to a pair. No lobby creates a group ledger and full group
rules and complete-game acceptance remain open.

Thirteen related files pass 59 cases, including an original four-seat Basic
setup and Nexus with a staged empty ledger, actual group consent and all four
minimal bot proposals. Later pair/triple victories use conserved forces staged
at Collection; they are not complete played games.

The user-authorized revised rulebook, physical p. 42 (printed p. 40), lists
the three-member/three-stronghold option separately from the four-stronghold
and unlimited options. Saved variant naming and the two-controller precedence
are software choices, not additional publisher rulings.

## Group admission with joint commitments — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** The joint
turn-action planner recognizes an existing group and can quote the member's
own departure. Pending invitations pause joint reconciliation while departure
is unavailable. Admission checks a detached completed group against the
participant's combined accepted payment and travel answers, so commitments
continue to share the actual resources. Admission requiring departure remains
available when its joint witness can quote that owned departure. Payment to a
former ally can be quoted after leaving. Actual whole-turn group changes,
group funding with member commitments, wider
profiles and lobby entry remain unfinished.

## Group admission with live commitments — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** A proposer or
accepting participant may consent only when their own unresolved bribe and
alliance answers remain possible after admission. A positive payment answer
can therefore prevent its respondent from joining the intended recipient;
an alternative branch of an expression can still make admission possible.
Negative answers and commitments belonging only to outsiders need not block
unrelated admission. The server checks each consenting participant; the table
shows only the current player's blocked invitations and acceptance. Bots
decline when their own acceptance is blocked. The pending invitation can be
declined, and alliance answers are not released merely because it temporarily
prevents departure. Unanimous consent remains a provisional online procedure.

Admission originally stayed fenced for a participant with both an alliance
answer and an unresolved payment or travel-family answer when the older
whole-turn planner was present; the later group-aware route above narrows
that fence. These staged cases do not certify complete group play or expansion
combinations.

## Group departures and unrelated commitments — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** An alliance member
may leave during a Nexus while ordinary bribe Truthtrance answers remain live.
The original payment guide and answer remain binding, and existing
reconciliation still checks the acting player's commitments. New group
invitations and acceptance initially remained unavailable while any bribe
commitment was unresolved; the later admission prototype above narrows that fence.

Group bid and physical-shipment funding now ignores unfinished commitments
belonging solely to nonmembers, because those payments do not debit outsiders.
An unfinished supported commitment belonging to any group member still fences
the entire funding path, including donor pledges. Whole-turn commitments still
block group Nexus changes. Funding when a member has a commitment needs
further payment and consent preflight; broader profiles
and lobby entry remain unfinished.

## Group Truthtrance and larger worm decisions — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** Final-Nexus
Truthtrance questions now evaluate every member of a group, including grouped
and mixed expressions. A respondent can stay when their answers match, or leave
their group when that owned action satisfies them; the guide does not invent
another player's consent. Another member may leave, with the existing
reconciliation rules releasing an answer only if it becomes impossible. Bribe
questions reject every current group ally as a recipient. Whole-turn alliance
leaves, changes with whole-turn commitments, and wider
combinations remain unfinished.

Action-level worm tests additionally exercise three and four threatened group
allies in order, with separate allow, cancel or decline outcomes and the
Fremen survival response. Those fixtures stage forces together to exercise the
response sequence; they do not establish a naturally reachable full-game
position. The membership, departure and multi-ally protection procedures remain
provisional. Group games still cannot be started from the lobby.

## Unlimited alliance prototype — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** The optional
`unlimited` ledger permits up to the six seated factions in one alliance.
An existing alliance or an unallied entrant may propose a new member; every
existing member and the entrant must agree. A departure preserves the other
members and their original pairwise alliance edges. The table shows the
participants and pending approvals; minimal bots can request admission and
answer. Named allies can contribute separately to ordinary bids and physical
shipments. The staged Guild, Emperor, Fremen, battle preparation and traitor
paths use the same group membership. A qualifying alliance needs three distinct
strongholds, plus any separately agreed increase; the existing two-controller
precedence remains provisional. Other alliances retain their previous targets.

The [publisher's optional alliance table](https://www.gf9games.com/dunegame/wp-content/uploads/Dune-Rulebook.pdf)
pairs any number of allies with three strongholds. Unanimous admission,
departure handling, donor-specific escrow and extension of single-ally powers
are provisional online procedures, not additional publisher rulings. Tests use
an explicitly staged Basic classic-faction ledger, not a normal lobby start.
Advanced, expansions, optional modules, some live bribe and whole-turn commitments and
complete group interactions remain unfinished. No lobby creates this ledger;
the prototype does not certify or open a complete rules mode.

## Group roster and self-funded Guild transport — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** The public roster
names both members of a player's group outside the Nexus. A Guild group ally
can use its self-funded native transport even when an unresolved group-member
Truthtrance commitment hides group-funding controls. The original permission
and native rate cancellation windows remain in force; group-funded transport
continues to use its separate commitment restrictions. Applying the pair
privilege to both group allies remains provisional. Full group play and lobby
entry remain unfinished.

## Group actions after Truthtrance history — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** Fulfilled and released
Truthtrance records no longer disable later group Nexus negotiations or group
funding. The later scope above allows departures with live bribe answers and
funding with outsider-only commitments. The later negative-answer extension
below permits current-turn No bribe commitments while other unresolved
group-member commitments remain fenced. The existing committed-bid
settlement exception is retained. Other combinations remain unfinished, and no
lobby exposes group play.

## Group funding with negative bribe answers — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic and Advanced prototypes, not selectable game modes.** A current
No answer to a simple or grouped bribe question remains binding while members
pledge and spend group funding on an ordinary bid or physical shipment. Those
transactions are not ordinary bribes. Current Yes answers and unreconciled
older No answers still fence group funding; unrelated commitment guards and
the existing committed-bid exception remain. Group-member recipient controls
also exclude all allies, not just a single pair ally. Allocation and group
extension are provisional online procedures; other commitments, modules,
special transport and complete group play remain unfinished.

## Group funding with Karama shipment pricing — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** Group members can
pledge and allocate separate shares while a shipper's purchased Karama rate
is active. The same rate applies to physical reserve shipments and native
Guild transport, and every paid share goes to the bank rather than Guild.
The existing native transport permission response still applies. Controls use
the purchased price; bots can ship using their own funds. The donor allocation
procedure remains provisional, and optional modules and other special
shipments remain outside this staged scope. Group games cannot yet be started
from the lobby.

## Group Fremen worm protection — 29 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** When a worm threatens
either or both of Fremen's group allies, Fremen decides separately for each
threatened ally in storm order. Each accepted protection has its own Karama
response; the worm resolves only after all those choices and Fremen's separate
survival response finish. Canceling one protection does not erase another.
The choices bind the original worm event and ally, and the existing force
loss, spice removal and continuation occur once. Controls name the current
ally and minimal bots make the same legal choices. The printed single-ally
power does not specify this multi-ally sequence, so its order and separate
responses are provisional. Advanced, expansions and optional modules remain
outside this staged path; group games are not yet available from the lobby.

## Group Guild transport — 28 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** Both Guild group
allies can use native cross-planet transport, including a Fremen ally's
southern-reserve source. Only Guild may return its own forces to reserves.
The shipper can name separate pledged shares from its group allies. Permission
and the discounted rate retain their distinct Karama windows before payment
or transfer. Rate cancellation keeps the exact original shares and requires
the shipper to fund the full-price remainder; otherwise the unused declaration
returns without spending. Guild's own contribution goes to the bank and
other named contributions go to Guild. Table quotes and minimal bots use the
same available group permission. The [publisher rules, pp. 9 and 19](https://www.gf9games.com/dunegame/wp-content/uploads/Dune-Rulebook.pdf)
and [FAQ, pp. 2 and 7](https://www.gf9games.com/dune/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Dune-FAQ-Nov-2020.pdf)
describe the pair power and cancellations. Applying it to both allies and
the donor allocation procedure are provisional. Advanced, optional modules,
and No-Field remain outside this staged path.

## Group Guild-rate shipments — 28 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** Guild and both members
of its group receive the ordinary rounded Guild reserve-shipment rate. When
that rate changes the price, the original unpaid Karama response resolves
before movement or payment. If canceled, the declared donor shares stay fixed
and the shipper must fund the full-price remainder; otherwise the declaration
returns unused and a replacement uses the full rate. Each payer's contribution
is routed individually: Guild's own payment goes to the bank, while other
payments go to Guild. The table quote and minimal bot use the same group rate.

The [publisher rules, p. 19](https://www.gf9games.com/dunegame/wp-content/uploads/Dune-Rulebook.pdf)
grant the Guild rate to its ally; the [FAQ, p. 7](https://www.gf9games.com/dune/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Dune-FAQ-Nov-2020.pdf)
permits Karama to prevent that rate. Applying the benefit and original split
to both members of a larger group is a provisional composition. Other special
transports, optional modules and full group play
remain separate; no lobby exposes the group option.

## Group ordinary-bid funding — 28 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** A group member can
allocate separately pledged spice from multiple allies to an ordinary bid.
Each selected share remains committed while that bid leads and becomes
withdrawable after an outbid. The winner pays the original donor split once;
using a Karama instead releases the shares without spending them. The
ordinary Emperor income and phase-end refunds remain in force. The donor sees
the amount committed to the current bid, and the bidder sees the combined
committed payment. Group controls and minimal legal bot decisions are connected
in staged games.

The [publisher FAQ, p. 2](https://www.gf9games.com/dune/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Dune-FAQ-Nov-2020.pdf)
describes allied contributions and the Emperor ally's payment returning to
Emperor. Recipient-specific escrow and explicit per-donor allocation are
provisional online procedures. This scope is Basic classic-faction ordinary
auctions; optional modules, competing Truthtrance commitments, special
auctions and complete group play remain separate. No lobby exposes group play.

The later staged Advanced group path also retains each donor's original
ordinary-bid payment destination. Under the authorized supplied revised
rulebook, physical p. 15 (printed p. 13), Emperor's contribution goes to the
bank; a direct Emperor alliance gift is buyer-owned and follows the ordinary
recipient. This Advanced cutover does not change the Basic interpretation in
the preceding paragraph. Further group interactions remain unfinished.

## Group ordinary-shipment funding — 28 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** Group allies can set
aside separate amounts for each other during Shipment and Movement. A shipper
may explicitly allocate amounts from each pledged donor to an ordinary physical
reserve shipment; the authoritative payment rechecks those exact pledges,
charges the shipper's remainder once, and retains each donor's identity. An
outside Guild receives the eligible payment. Unspent pledges return to their
respective donors at phase end. Alliance edge authorizations are renewed on
formation, preserved for surviving edges and revoked on departure, with
aggregated refunds for removed edges. Controls show only the viewer's own
outgoing and incoming pledges; bots may continue using their own spice.

This first path is limited to Basic classic-faction staged groups without
optional modules or other special transport.
Other shipment types, special auctions, and the
remaining faction benefits and interactions are not connected. No lobby can
start a group game yet. The recipient-specific pledge and allocation procedure
is a provisional online convention rather than a printed worked example.

## Group Emperor aid — 28 October 2026

**Staged Basic prototype, not a selectable game mode.** The Emperor chooses
which of the two group allies receives a spice gift or paid extra revival.
The ordinary Karama response retains the selected recipient, and payment and
revival occur only if that response is passed. A staged table exposes a
recipient selector; bots can offer legal targeted revivals. The native
per-recipient allowance is provisionally applied separately to both allies:
the printed power and [publisher FAQ](https://www.gf9games.com/dune/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Dune-FAQ-Nov-2020.pdf)
describe an ally but do not settle a three-member alliance's limit. This is
an implementation interpretation, not an official ruling. The prototype is
restricted to Basic classic factions without optional modules; other group
faction benefits and combinations remain unfinished and no lobby exposes it.

## Group Voice and Prescience — 28 October 2026

In the unexposed Basic classic group prototype, Bene Gesserit may Voice an
opponent of either allied combatant, and Atreides may request Prescience for
either ally's battle. The existing native preparation order, cancellation,
answer and control windows remain in place. The same side selection drives
Truthtrance's native-power opportunity; it never substitutes the other ally
or allows an ambiguous battle between group members. Extending the printed
single-ally wording to both group members is provisional. Advanced, expansion
factions and optional modules remain outside this prototype, and normal
group starts are not yet available.

## Group Harkonnen traitor support — 28 October 2026

In the unexposed Basic classic group prototype, Harkonnen may call its held
traitor against the opponent of either allied combatant. The choice remains
Harkonnen's, and the native allied-call Karama response, other combatants'
votes, mutual calls and battle resolution continue through the existing
windows. Applying the printed single-ally power to both group members is a
provisional interpretation. Other profiles and normal lobby access remain
separate; the remaining group abilities and interactions are unfinished.

## Group Nexus negotiation — 28 October 2026

**Integrated groundwork, not a selectable game mode.** In a staged Basic
classic-faction Nexus with the group ledger present, a pair member or an
unallied entrant can propose adding the entrant. Every participant must
explicitly agree; a decline cancels the invitation and preserves the pair.
Each proposal has a fresh event and revision, and an unanswered invitation
holds the Nexus. Leaving a three-member group retains the other pair and its
original edge age. Pair offers involving the newly formed group are cleared.
The staged table renders the group controls and minimal bots can answer.

Unanimity, cancellation, the pending-Nexus hold and the surviving pair are
provisional online procedures, not publisher rulings. This scope excludes
expansion decks/factions, Advanced, optional modules, whole-turn commitments
and pledged aid. Later sections above extend live-bribe admission and group
funding in staged profiles. No lobby creates the group ledger: faction ally
benefits, group funding and other interactions must be connected before any
player can start the printed larger-alliance option. The later unlimited
prototype above extends this staged groundwork.

**Prototyped / Partial — 28 October 2026.** The host can select a shorter
two-member alliance game in the lobby. With at least three physical
controllers, allied factions need three distinct qualifying strongholds
instead of the default four. A solo faction keeps its normal target, a
separately agreed extra-stronghold requirement is added afterward, and Tech
Tokens retain their existing ownership requirements. The same calculation
drives public progress and the Mentat victory decision. Changing the setting
clears human readiness; older games omit it and retain the default.

The 2019 GF9 rulebook's optional alliances table, printed p. 24, lists a
two-member alliance with three strongholds as a shorter game. The
[publisher rulebook mirror](https://www.boardgamesbot.com/assets/games-library/dune/manual_eng.pdf)
preserves that table. This first version keeps the existing four-stronghold
target for two physical controllers, including the two-faction-per-person
setup; priority between that special setup and this optional table is a
provisional interpretation. Larger alliance variants retain separate
membership and interaction work as described above. Advanced and expansion combinations are not
certified by the Basic-focused evidence.