Harden release publishing and document release blockers

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ All notable user-facing changes to Gig Line. The format follows
 [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/), and versions use
 Semantic Versioning.
 
+## [0.9.6] — 2026-11-02
+
+### Changed
+
+- The UI, model and texture passes are now integrated into a verified checkpoint
+  build. The gallery, NPC portraits, realism captures, asset audits, smoke
+  matrix, 24-NPC budget and Web/Desktop HQ packages were regenerated and
+  re-checked; no gameplay or content changes were introduced.
+
 ## [0.9.5] — 2026-11-02
 
 ### Changed

CREDITS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# Credits and Provenance
+
+Gig Line is a local, single-player security-shift game built with Godot 4 and
+GDScript. This file records the asset provenance needed for the release review;
+it is not a legal opinion or a claim that every provider licence has already
+been cleared for public distribution.
+
+## Game, code and design
+
+- Game design, systems, scenarios, dialogue and UI code: the Gig Line project.
+- Engine: [Godot Engine 4.7.2](https://godotengine.org/), MIT licence.
+- The game bundles no third-party fonts; it uses Godot's default theme font.
+- No third-party music, sound effects or voice recordings are bundled. Crowd
+  ambience and radio cues are generated procedurally at runtime.
+
+## 3D characters, gear and props
+
+The character, gear and prop library is generated by project-owned scripts
+(`tools/blender_assets.py`, `tools/npc_pipeline.py`, `tools/model_pipeline.py`)
+using Blender. The `.blend` working sources are developer artifacts and are not
+shipped. The exported `.glb` files and baked AO maps are project assets; they do
+not embed third-party models or purchased asset packs.
+
+The venue geometry is authored procedurally in `src/game/world_builder.gd` as a
+stylized reconstruction. The Joke Shop is a fictional stand-in for the real
+Sunset Strip block; the game does not claim endorsement by, or an exact replica
+of, any real venue or tenant.
+
+## AI-assisted images
+
+Surface textures, skyline panoramas, UI art and concept references were produced
+with image-generation calls from the project's tooling. The default model slugs
+recorded in the source are:
+
+- `bytedance-seed/seedream-4.5` — `tools/generate_textures.py`
+- `openai/gpt-5-image-mini` — `tools/asset_pipeline.py`,
+  `tools/model_pipeline.py`, `tools/scene_concepts.py` and
+  `tools/screen_designs.py`
+- Judging/review calls use the model selected by `tools/openrouter_judge.py` and
+  are development-only; they do not ship in the game.
+
+The prompts and generation workflow live in those tools. Per-file generation
+metadata is not stored with every image, so the exact provider, model version and
+generation date of each committed bitmap cannot be reconstructed from the
+repository alone. Before a public 0.10.0 release, the provider terms and
+commercial-use/redistribution rights for those generated outputs must be
+reviewed and recorded. **This is a release blocker, not an assumed clearance.**
+
+Reference photographs linked from the venue documents are hosted on Wikimedia
+Commons and were used for proportion/material study only. They are not included
+in the game or its release packages. If any future derivative asset copies a
+reference more directly, its attribution and licence must be added here.
+
+## Audio
+
+All runtime audio is procedural (crowd bed, radio crackle and interface cues).
+There are no external audio files, so there is no separate music/SFX licence to
+clear. See `docs/accessibility.md` for caption and volume behaviour.
+
+## Third-party names
+
+The game is a work of fiction. Real place names and public references are used
+for orientation and satire/stand-in geography; no real person, venue or brand
+endorses the game. Review the storefront and trademark language before release.

DONE.md

@@ -1879,3 +1879,157 @@ unexplained regressions. Accepted limits: hand items use the forward-offset open
 a finger-curl rig; fabric folds stay out of the low-poly target; the >26 m impostor remains a
 two-quad billboard; evening readability is represented by the day/night/LATE final-context set.
 Tagged `v0.9.4`; Gitea run 916 passed checks and the full build and published seven assets.
+
+## Patch 0.9.5 — Texture and material refinement
+
+Goal: improve close-range surface and character texture quality while keeping GL
+Compatibility/Web parity, deterministic assets and offline CI.
+
+### Environment textures and materials
+
+- [x] Audit the v2 picks (brick, sidewalk pavers, dry/wet asphalt, awning canvas,
+      day/dusk/night skylines) at close range and in the entrance/street shots for
+      seams, tiling, scale, contrast and normal-map strength. (New `surfaces` and
+      `surfaces_joke` capture stages; no seam or UV-scale failures found.)
+- [x] Refine brick mortar/wear, paver joints/stains, asphalt aggregate/wet response
+      and awning weave using the existing image/asset tooling; never overwrite a
+      pick, use `-vN` candidates and promote validated results. (The Walk of Fame
+      band now uses the paver/terrazzo texture; the neighbour awning keeps its
+      cream stripe via a neutral tint and 4× UV. Brick/asphalt picks held up.)
+- [x] Check UV scales and material roughness/metallic profiles; keep day/night
+      phase behavior and the wet-street transition intact. (Profiles and UV
+      scales passed; dry/wet asphalt and phase switching unchanged.)
+- [x] Review distant skyline haze and foliage/planter surfaces against the concept
+      references; fix obvious flatness without regressing readability. (Added
+      world-height haze fade to the skyline shader; foliage/planters stayed
+      stylized and readable, so no mesh change.)
+
+### Character and prop textures
+
+- [x] Audit NPC skin, cloth, pants, hair and gear albedo/normal/AO maps in portraits;
+      refine fabric weave, skin variation and fixed detail materials. (256² maps rebuilt; fabric
+      now uses a 4× UV weave and skips baked per-character AO, removing the portrait blotches;
+      skin/hair/gear keep AO. Comparison `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-texuv.jpg`.)
+- [x] Re-bake AO where geometry changes; verify the 256² maps and material wiring.
+      (No character geometry changed in the texture pass; asset/base audits pass.)
+- [x] Audit library props and UI/card/icon textures at their actual screen sizes;
+      remove blurry/oversized or unused textures where safe. (All 21 screen-art
+      textures are 1280×720 and referenced; access cards are 256×128, HUD icons
+      64×64; no oversized or unused runtime texture found. Legacy root textures
+      remain only as the `generate_textures.py`/asset-test fallback.)
+- [x] Run texture audits, import, and the full asset test suite; record texture memory
+      and triangle/draw-call impact. (Godot 263/263, Python 101/101; asset and base
+      audits pass; 24 NPCs = 168 meshes / 131,616 triangles / 6.94 ms. Compressed
+      payloads: picks 24.55 MB, UI art 22.67 MB, NPC maps 0.48 MB.)
+
+### Visual verification
+
+- [x] Run `python3 tools/scene_concepts.py realism` for the affected stages with the
+      judge enabled; record metric gaps and model/spend. (Run
+      `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-02-tex` with `z-ai/glm-5.3-flash`, one pass per
+      shot; mean `after` overall 1.8, lighting 2.3, materials 1.8, texture 1.2,
+      backdrop 2.0, characters 1.2, Pillow gap 0.306. The judge is optional and not
+      a CI gate; the report stays local.)
+- [x] Re-run `tools/check_screenshots.sh` and the screen-design judge; clear all
+      `diff` verdicts. (21 good / 0 bad; `screen_designs.py judge` = 21/21 match,
+      0 review, 0 diff.)
+- [x] Capture before/after close-ups for brick, pavement, asphalt, character cloth
+      and skyline; document accepted trade-offs. (Committed
+      `docs/blender_previews/sheet_texture_refinement_0.9.5.jpg`: Walk of Fame
+      pavers, asphalt aggregate, limestone facade, day skyline haze and NPC cloth;
+      asphalt/limestone picks intentionally held, no replacement.)
+- [x] Update asset docs and the changelog/status with the promoted texture versions.
+      (README/PLAN/architecture/status/MEMORY and the 0.9.5 changelog entry now
+      carry the texture results; the 0.9.5 section moved to `DONE.md` after the
+      release build.)
+
+
+Completed 2026-11-02: all 0.9.5 texture and material checks are closed. The NPC
+base and eight library characters use 256² maps, cloth/pants use the 4× fabric
+weave without baked-AO blotches, the Walk of Fame band uses the paver/terrazzo
+texture, the neighbour awning keeps its cream stripe, and the skyline fades into
+per-phase haze. Godot is 263/263, Python tooling 101/101, `blender_assets.py
+audit`/`fit` and `npc_pipeline.py audit` pass, the 24-NPC headless smoke is
+6.94 ms (168 meshes / 131,616 triangles), the 48-frame baseline and 96-frame
+final-context review pass, `check_screenshots.sh` is 21 good / 0 bad, and the
+screen-design judge is 21/21 match. The optional realism judge ran with
+`z-ai/glm-5.3-flash` (mean overall 1.8, Pillow gap 0.306) and its report remains
+local; the committed comparison sheet is
+`docs/blender_previews/sheet_texture_refinement_0.9.5.jpg`. Tagged `v0.9.5`;
+Gitea run 922 passed checks and the full build and published seven assets.
+
+## Patch 0.9.6 — Integration, performance and judge gate
+
+Goal: integrate the UI/model/texture patches, prove the combined build on the
+target paths and leave a clean release-candidate handoff.
+
+### Integration and asset rebuild
+
+- [x] Rebuild all changed Blender/GLB/AO assets, re-import, and verify manifest/fit/
+      audit coverage. (The v0.9.5 commit already rebuilt the base, eight characters,
+      gear and AO maps; this checkpoint re-imported them and re-ran
+      `blender_assets.py audit`/`fit` and `npc_pipeline.py audit`, all exit 0.)
+- [x] Run the complete headless suite, Python tooling and smoke matrix; fix any
+      regression from the three polish patches. (Godot 263/263, Python 101/101;
+      14 smokes green: audio, campaign, crowd, emergency, focus/radial, movement,
+      NPC budget, PLAN verbs, props, scenario content, session shell, timeline,
+      tutorial and UI flows. Campaign/tutorial used isolated `XDG_DATA_HOME`.)
+- [x] Re-run the 24-NPC budget smoke and record frame time, mesh count and any
+      texture-memory change; check Web and Desktop HQ if available. (24 avatars,
+      168 meshes, 131,616 triangles, 6.90 ms of 50 ms headless; NPC maps remain
+      0.48 MB. A clean detached worktree at `f5b8ef2` built Linux/Windows/macOS/
+      Web/HQ (`161.5/197.1/148.0/97.8/241.5 MB`); the Web zip has index.html,
+      wasm and pck, the HQ zip has `override.cfg`, and the HQ binary launches
+      headless with the Forward+ override.)
+- [x] Verify save/campaign/tutorial behavior is unchanged by the visual/UI patches.
+      (Persistence/session tests remain in the 263-test suite; campaign and tutorial
+      smokes passed with isolated `XDG_DATA_HOME`.)
+
+### Visual gallery and judge gate
+
+- [x] Recapture the full gallery, portraits, venue/realsim stages and Desktop HQ A/B
+      as needed; no stale screenshots in the release set. (Gallery 21/21,
+      NPC baseline 48 frames, final-context review 96 frames and a fresh 10-shot
+      realism run were recaptured. No Forward+ code changed since 0.7.1, so the
+      HQ A/B was not re-staged; the HQ artifact is checked with the release build.)
+- [x] Run `tools/check_screenshots.sh`, `screen_designs.py compare` and
+      `screen_designs.py judge` on the final captures. (21 good / 0 bad; compare
+      21 good / 0 bad; judge 21/21 match, 0 review, 0 diff.)
+- [x] Run the realism judge for the affected concepts with a pinned model; record
+      model, attempt count, spend and verdicts. (`z-ai/glm-5.3-flash`, 1 pass per
+      shot, 10 shots, no fallback/retry: mean overall 2.1, lighting 2.4, materials
+      2.1, texture 1.7, backdrop 2.3, characters 1.8, Pillow gap 0.291. The local
+      tool does not expose token spend; the report is gitignored under
+      `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-02-096/`.)
+- [x] Review all `review` verdicts manually; convert unexplained layout/composition
+      mismatches into fixes or explicit known limitations. (Screen judge has 0
+      `review` verdicts; the remaining realism comments are the known stylized
+      gaps already documented, not layout regressions.)
+- [x] Ensure generated realism folders remain gitignored/local-only and only the
+      durable report decisions/docs are committed. (`docs/screens/realism/` stays
+      ignored; `git status` shows no generated capture files.)
+
+### Release-candidate handoff
+
+- [x] Update README, architecture, development status, changelog and TODO with the
+      final patch-level results and any remaining gaps. (README/PLAN/architecture
+      now point at 0.9.6; the changelog and development status record the
+      integration build, performance numbers, judge results and the clean-worktree
+      export rule; `docs/RELEASING.md` documents the ignored-folder trap.)
+- [x] Tag/version or otherwise freeze `0.9.6` as the integration checkpoint before
+      the `0.10.0` release candidate. (Tag `v0.9.6` on `4bb2896`; Gitea run 1296
+      passed checks and the full build and published seven assets.)
+- [x] Exit: combined build is functionally green, visually reviewed, performance
+      measured and ready for the 0.10.0 content-lock/playtest phase.
+
+
+Completed 2026-11-03: the 0.9.6 integration checkpoint is closed. The current
+asset set re-imported and passed `blender_assets.py audit`/`fit` and
+`npc_pipeline.py audit`; the full suite is 263/263 with 101/101 Python tests and
+14 smokes green; the 24-NPC budget is 6.90 ms with 168 meshes and 131,616
+triangles; the gallery and screen-design gate are 21 good / 0 bad and 21/21
+match; the pinned realism judge (`z-ai/glm-5.3-flash`) scored mean overall 2.1
+with a 0.291 Pillow gap. A clean worktree built Linux/Windows/macOS/Web/HQ at
+161.5/197.1/148.0/97.8/241.5 MB; the Web zip and HQ override were checked and
+the HQ binary launched headless. Tagged `v0.9.6`; Gitea run 1296 passed checks
+and the full build and published seven assets.

MEMORY.md

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
   `Materials.NPC_FABRIC_UV_SCALE = Vector3(4,4,1)`, and `NpcAvatar` skips the baked per-character
   AO on those two slots. The 256² AO was magnifying into large blotches; the fabric now reads as a
   fine weave. Skin/hair/gear keep baked AO. Test `test_fabric_uv_scale_avoids_the_baked_ao_pattern`
-  guards this. Current suite is 263/263.
+  guards this. Current suite is 272/272.
 - **NPC visual baseline (0.9.4, 2026-11-02):** `src/test/capture_npc_baseline.gd` is the
   neutral-studio 8-variant × 6-view baseline (front, three-quarter, profile, back, full body,
   crowd). It uses a fixed orbit camera, mid-grey studio backdrop, key/fill lights, no HUD/crowd/animation;
@@ -175,14 +175,42 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
   Previous/Next disable at the ends; F1 tutorial skip is keyboard-only by design.
 - **Version and roadmap renumber (2026-11-02):** source was **0.9.3** at the UI
   polish milestone, **0.9.4** after the NPC pass, now **0.9.5** after the texture
-  and material pass. Next work is **0.9.6 integration**, then the **0.10.0**
-  minor release candidate. `TODO.md` plans only 0.x patch/minor increments; no
-  major-version scope is defined yet. The `v0.9.5` tag is the release trigger; no
+  and material pass, and **0.9.6** as the integration checkpoint. Next work is
+  the **0.10.0** minor release candidate. `TODO.md` plans only 0.x patch/minor increments; no
+  major-version scope is defined yet. The `v0.9.6` tag is the release trigger; no
   tag was created for 0.9.3.
 - **Priority change (2026-11-02):** the map optimization, pre-build NPC revisit,
-  0.9.3 UI polish, 0.9.4 NPC visual optimization and 0.9.5 texture/material pass
-  are complete and in `DONE.md`. 0.9.6 integration and 0.10.0 release work are
-  next. The current source version is 0.9.5.
+  0.9.3 UI polish, 0.9.4 NPC visual optimization, 0.9.5 texture/material pass and
+  0.9.6 integration are complete and in `DONE.md`. 0.10.0 release-candidate work
+  is next. The source version is 0.9.6.
+- **Release/legal blockers (0.10.0 work, 2026-11-03):** macOS remains unsigned
+  (quarantine instructions only); AI image provider terms/commercial rights and
+  external storefront/rating approval are not cleared; external playtests and the
+  full hardware matrix are pending. `CREDITS.md`, `PRIVACY.md`, `docs/accessibility.md`
+  and `docs/known-limitations.md` record these explicitly rather than claiming
+  approval. Do not tag 0.10.0 as final until these are accepted or cleared.
+- **Save migration (0.10.0 work, 2026-11-03):** fixtures in `src/test/fixtures/saves/`
+  cover 0.8 settings/campaign/history and a 0.9.0 checkpoint. `_load_json` uses
+  `JSON.new().parse()` so corrupt player files fall back silently instead of
+  logging a parse error; atomic writes leave the old file intact when the temp
+  path cannot be written. The migration suite is 9 tests; total 272.
+- **0.9.6 integration (2026-11-03):** no gameplay/content changes. A clean
+  detached worktree at `f5b8ef2` rebuilt Linux/Windows/macOS/Web/HQ without the
+  dirty tree's ignored `tmp/`/`build/` payload; the in-repo build was 1.6–3.1 GB
+  per artifact because those folders were packed, so always build release
+  artifacts from a clean checkout/worktree. Verification: 263/263 tests,
+  101/101 Python, 14 smokes, 24-NPC 6.90 ms / 168 meshes / 131,616 triangles,
+  gallery 21/0, screen judge 21/21, realism judge overall 2.1 / gap 0.291.
+- **Release v0.9.6 (2026-11-03):** commit `4bb2896` tagged `v0.9.6`; Gitea
+  Actions run 1296 passed checks and the full build and published seven assets
+  (Linux, Windows, macOS, NSIS setup, AppImage, Web, Desktop HQ). Release page:
+  `https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases/tag/v0.9.6`. This is
+  the integration checkpoint before 0.10.0; do not reuse the tag.
+- **Release v0.9.5 (2026-11-02):** commit `4bc6390` tagged `v0.9.5`; Gitea Actions run
+  922 passed checks and the full build and published seven assets (Linux, Windows,
+  macOS, NSIS setup, AppImage, Web, Desktop HQ). Release page:
+  `https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases/tag/v0.9.5`. Do not
+  reuse the tag; future fixes need a new patch tag.
 - **Release v0.9.4 (2026-11-02):** commit `a57b86c` tagged `v0.9.4`; Gitea Actions
   run 916 passed checks and the full build and published seven assets (Linux,
   Windows, macOS, NSIS setup, AppImage, Web, Desktop HQ). Release page:
@@ -824,7 +852,7 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
 - Venue `door_staff_lines` are logged through `GameManager` (inspect / wand / refuse). They are not a separate dialogue UI.
 - Access loadout is implemented; do not re-fix `override_access` as if it were still unread.
 - `Save.SETTINGS_FILE` is declared and unused; settings persistence goes through `Save.load_settings()` / `save_settings()`.
-- Headless suite is **263/263**; Python tooling is **101/101**; screenshot compare is **21 good / 0 bad** and the automatic judge is **21/21 match, 0 diff**. Remaining visual follow-ups are in `TODO.md`.
+- Headless suite is **272/272**; Python tooling is **101/101**; screenshot compare is **21 good / 0 bad** and the automatic judge is **21/21 match, 0 diff**. Remaining visual follow-ups are in `TODO.md`.
 - Typed spawn signal extra args: handlers must accept the 4th `event: Dictionary` or Godot will not call them (`test_shift_coordinator_runs_a_shift` failed until `_on_spawn` took four args).
 - GDScript inference trap that broke the main scene: a `var` typed as a base class
   (`radial: CanvasLayer`) exposes script members as `Variant`, so `var x := radial.is_open` is a
@@ -847,8 +875,9 @@ Session memory for durable decisions, state, and gotchas. Keep concise, remove o
 ## Plan vs code
 
 `PLAN.md` describes intended design; `README.md` and `DONE.md` describe what shipped. As of
-2026-11-02 the playable build covers the three venues, tutorials/campaign/checkpoints, the 0.9.3
-UI/accessibility pass, the 0.9.4 NPC visual optimization, the 0.9.5 texture/material pass, and the Blender + realism asset pipeline. `TODO.md` holds the remaining
+2026-11-03 the playable build covers the three venues, tutorials/campaign/checkpoints, the 0.9.3
+UI/accessibility pass, the 0.9.4 NPC visual optimization, the 0.9.5 texture/material pass, the
+0.9.6 integration checkpoint, and the Blender + realism asset pipeline. `TODO.md` holds the remaining
 0.9.6–0.10.0 work. The project uses a custom headless runner, not GUT, and Gitea Actions, not
 GitHub Actions.
 
@@ -856,7 +885,7 @@ GitHub Actions.
 
 ## Uncommitted Workstreams
 
-- **None (2026-11-01).** The NPC detail pass, the realism follow-ups and the flashlight beam
-  decision are committed together with the portrait capture and the refreshed screenshots.
-  Keep the rule from `AGENTS.md`: check `git status` before committing, and never revert
-  another contributor's in-flight files.
+- **None (2026-11-03).** The 0.9.6 integration checkpoint is committed, tagged
+  `v0.9.6` and published with seven assets; the workspace is clean apart from
+  local/gitignored realism and capture output. Keep the rule from `AGENTS.md`: check `git status`
+  before committing, and never revert another contributor's in-flight files.

PLAN.md

@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ Primary decisions: [ADR-0007](docs/adr/0007-locomotion-and-input-layers.md), [AD
 
 ## Versioning and Delivery
 
-`config/version` in `project.godot` is the single version source (currently `0.9.5`). Releases are tagged `v<version>`; the CI pipeline builds and publishes the standard artifacts plus the optional Desktop HQ zip. Version bumps follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/). See [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md) and [`README.md`](README.md) for commands.
+`config/version` in `project.godot` is the single version source (currently `0.9.6`). Releases are tagged `v<version>`; the CI pipeline builds and publishes the standard artifacts plus the optional Desktop HQ zip. Version bumps follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/). See [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md) and [`README.md`](README.md) for commands.
 
 ## Design Direction
 

PRIVACY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Privacy Note
+
+Gig Line runs locally. The game itself does not include telemetry, analytics,
+accounts, advertising, cloud saves or network requests. It does not access the
+camera, microphone, contacts or location, and the body-camera feature is a
+simulated overlay, not a real recording device.
+
+Player data is written only to Godot's local `user://` directory:
+
+- `settings.json`
+- `campaign.json`
+- `shift_results.json`
+- `shift_state.json`
+
+Those files stay on the player's machine unless the player copies them. Deleting
+the files (or the `Gig Line` user directory) resets the profile. See
+[`docs/getting-started.md`](docs/getting-started.md#save-data-and-migration) for
+locations, migration and rollback instructions.
+
+The repository's development tools can call OpenRouter when a developer supplies
+`OPENROUTER_API_KEY`; those calls generate or judge development assets and are
+not part of the shipped game. The key and generated review artifacts remain
+local/gitignored.
+
+Questions about a storefront release should be checked against the final package
+and the provider terms recorded in [`CREDITS.md`](CREDITS.md); external legal and
+storefront approval is still pending for 0.10.0.

README.md

@@ -38,13 +38,14 @@ precision walk, the Joke Shop's Sunset Strip frontage, the TV Studio arrival, an
 > Downloads are public (no sign-in required) since the host's instance-wide
 > `REQUIRE_SIGNIN_VIEW` was disabled on 2026-10-31.
 >
-> **Latest published: v0.9.5** — the texture and material refinement pass:
-> 256² NPC maps, a four-times fabric weave without baked AO blotches, repair of
-> the Walk of Fame terrazzo band and awning stripe, and per-phase skyline haze,
-> on top of the v0.9.4 NPC visual optimization, the Hollywood/Joke Shop maps and
-> the v0.9.3 UI/accessibility polish.
+> **Latest published: v0.9.6** — the integration checkpoint: the 0.9.5 texture
+> and material refinement (256² NPC maps, a four-times fabric weave without baked
+> AO blotches, repaired Walk of Fame/awning surfaces and per-phase skyline haze)
+> is packaged with the v0.9.4 NPC visual optimization, the Hollywood/Joke Shop
+> maps and the v0.9.3 UI/accessibility polish, with the full gallery, smoke matrix
+> and Web/Desktop HQ build re-verified.
 >
-> **Current source: v0.9.5** — tagged and built from the same commit.
+> **Current source: v0.9.6** — tagged and built from the same commit.
 > Releases are built automatically when a `vX.Y.Z` tag is pushed
 > (see [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md)); manual builds use
 > `./tools/build_releases.sh`. Installer/AppImage packaging runs in the same pipeline
@@ -120,17 +121,21 @@ Full setup, every run/test/smoke command, and the controls table are in
 - [`docs/asset-tooling.md`](docs/asset-tooling.md) — Asset pipelines, model tools, and screenshot gates.
 - [`docs/getting-started.md`](docs/getting-started.md) — Setup, run/test commands, and controls.
 - [`docs/development-status.md`](docs/development-status.md) — Implemented features and what's next.
+- [`docs/accessibility.md`](docs/accessibility.md) — Accessibility features, known gaps and statement.
+- [`docs/known-limitations.md`](docs/known-limitations.md) — Release-candidate blockers and accepted limitations.
 - [`docs/smoke-checklist.md`](docs/smoke-checklist.md) — Manual smoke-test checklist.
+- [`CREDITS.md`](CREDITS.md) — Credits, AI/reference provenance and licensing notes.
+- [`PRIVACY.md`](PRIVACY.md) — Local-only data, save files and development API use.
 - [`docs/blender-assets.md`](docs/blender-assets.md) — Blender asset library: characters, gear, props, attach points.
-- [`docs/npc-visual-review.md`](docs/npc-visual-review.md) — 0.9.4 NPC baseline, acceptance criteria and ranked visual gaps; 0.9.5 texture comparison is in `docs/blender_previews/sheet_texture_refinement_0.9.5.jpg`.
+- [`docs/npc-visual-review.md`](docs/npc-visual-review.md) — 0.9.4 NPC baseline, acceptance criteria and ranked visual gaps; 0.9.5 texture comparison is in [`docs/blender_previews/sheet_texture_refinement_0.9.5.jpg`](docs/blender_previews/sheet_texture_refinement_0.9.5.jpg).
 - [`docs/npc-proportion-audit.md`](docs/npc-proportion-audit.md) — NPC proportion measurements against the shared stylized guide.
 - [`docs/adr/`](docs/adr/) — Architecture Decision Records.
 - [`TODO.md`](TODO.md) — Active tasks plus the 0.x gap analysis and milestone roadmap.
 
 ## Development Status
 
-v0.9.5 is the current source version: the completed texture and material
-refinement (256² NPC maps, a 4× fabric weave with baked-AO removal, repaired
+v0.9.6 is the current source version: the integrated texture/material and UI
+checkpoint on top of the 0.9.5 texture refinement (256² NPC maps, a 4× fabric weave with baked-AO removal, repaired
 Walk of Fame/awning surfaces and per-phase skyline haze), on top of the v0.9.4
 NPC visual optimization and the v0.9.3 UI/accessibility polish pass. It builds on
 v0.9.2's Hollywood/Joke Shop map rebuilds, v0.9.1's Godot 4.7.2 baseline,
@@ -139,6 +144,16 @@ tutorial/campaign/resume work and the v0.7.x venue/gear/judge work. See [`docs/d
 for the implemented list and [`TODO.md`](TODO.md) for the 0.x roadmap. Manual
 verification uses the [`docs/smoke-checklist.md`](docs/smoke-checklist.md).
 
+## Credits, Privacy and Accessibility
+
+Gig Line is a local-only single-player game: there is no runtime telemetry or
+network service, and saves stay in Godot's local `user://` folder. The
+body-camera overlay is simulated. Asset provenance, AI-assisted image usage and
+credits are recorded in [`CREDITS.md`](CREDITS.md); the local-data policy is in
+[`PRIVACY.md`](PRIVACY.md); accessibility features and gaps are in
+[`docs/accessibility.md`](docs/accessibility.md); and release-candidate blockers
+are listed in [`docs/known-limitations.md`](docs/known-limitations.md).
+
 ## Development Workflow
 
 Follow [`AGENTS.md`](AGENTS.md): inspect the repository first, record work as checkbox tasks in `TODO.md`, move completed sections to `DONE.md`, update `MEMORY.md` with durable context, and keep this README synchronized with setup and architecture changes.

TODO.md

@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ see `AGENTS.md` for the workflow and `MEMORY.md` for the decisions behind these
 
 ## Gap Analysis and 0.x Roadmap
 
-Baseline: **v0.9.5** (2026-11-02). Three playable venues, tutorial/campaign/checkpoint resume,
+Baseline: **v0.9.6** (2026-11-03). Three playable venues, tutorial/campaign/checkpoint resume,
 difficulty/help, audio/accessibility settings, a 24-NPC budget baseline, a complete
-escalation/access/radio loop, shift review, the Blender asset library, 263 headless + 101 Python
+escalation/access/radio loop, shift review, the Blender asset library, 272 headless + 101 Python
 tests, a 21/21 clean screen-design judge and an optional Forward+ Desktop HQ build. This is a strong
 release-candidate foundation, not yet a 0.10.0 release candidate.
 
@@ -45,120 +45,23 @@ release-candidate foundation, not yet a 0.10.0 release candidate.
 | Future 0.x | Stable 0.x feature set | Live replay, more venues, VO/music, image-to-mesh props and seasonal content | Scope creep before release | 0.11.0+ |
 
 **Current priority:** map optimization, the **pre-build NPC revisit**, the
-**0.9.3 UI polish**, **0.9.4 NPC visual optimization** and **0.9.5 texture
-refinement** passes are complete (all moved to `DONE.md` on 2026-11-02).
-0.9.6 integration and the 0.10.0 release candidate are queued. The source
-version is now 0.9.5.
+**0.9.3 UI polish**, **0.9.4 NPC visual optimization**, **0.9.5 texture
+refinement** and **0.9.6 integration** passes are complete (all moved to
+`DONE.md`). The **0.10.0 release candidate** is next: content lock, external
+playtest, balance, save migration and release/legal sign-off. The source version
+is 0.9.6; the v0.9.6 release is published.
 
-## Patch 0.9.5 — Texture and material refinement
-
-Goal: improve close-range surface and character texture quality while keeping GL
-Compatibility/Web parity, deterministic assets and offline CI.
-
-### Environment textures and materials
-
-- [x] Audit the v2 picks (brick, sidewalk pavers, dry/wet asphalt, awning canvas,
-      day/dusk/night skylines) at close range and in the entrance/street shots for
-      seams, tiling, scale, contrast and normal-map strength. (New `surfaces` and
-      `surfaces_joke` capture stages; no seam or UV-scale failures found.)
-- [x] Refine brick mortar/wear, paver joints/stains, asphalt aggregate/wet response
-      and awning weave using the existing image/asset tooling; never overwrite a
-      pick, use `-vN` candidates and promote validated results. (The Walk of Fame
-      band now uses the paver/terrazzo texture; the neighbour awning keeps its
-      cream stripe via a neutral tint and 4× UV. Brick/asphalt picks held up.)
-- [x] Check UV scales and material roughness/metallic profiles; keep day/night
-      phase behavior and the wet-street transition intact. (Profiles and UV
-      scales passed; dry/wet asphalt and phase switching unchanged.)
-- [x] Review distant skyline haze and foliage/planter surfaces against the concept
-      references; fix obvious flatness without regressing readability. (Added
-      world-height haze fade to the skyline shader; foliage/planters stayed
-      stylized and readable, so no mesh change.)
-
-### Character and prop textures
-
-- [x] Audit NPC skin, cloth, pants, hair and gear albedo/normal/AO maps in portraits;
-      refine fabric weave, skin variation and fixed detail materials. (256² maps rebuilt; fabric
-      now uses a 4× UV weave and skips baked per-character AO, removing the portrait blotches;
-      skin/hair/gear keep AO. Comparison `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-texuv.jpg`.)
-- [x] Re-bake AO where geometry changes; verify the 256² maps and material wiring.
-      (No character geometry changed in the texture pass; asset/base audits pass.)
-- [x] Audit library props and UI/card/icon textures at their actual screen sizes;
-      remove blurry/oversized or unused textures where safe. (All 21 screen-art
-      textures are 1280×720 and referenced; access cards are 256×128, HUD icons
-      64×64; no oversized or unused runtime texture found. Legacy root textures
-      remain only as the `generate_textures.py`/asset-test fallback.)
-- [x] Run texture audits, import, and the full asset test suite; record texture memory
-      and triangle/draw-call impact. (Godot 263/263, Python 101/101; asset and base
-      audits pass; 24 NPCs = 168 meshes / 131,616 triangles / 6.94 ms. Compressed
-      payloads: picks 24.55 MB, UI art 22.67 MB, NPC maps 0.48 MB.)
-
-### Visual verification
-
-- [x] Run `python3 tools/scene_concepts.py realism` for the affected stages with the
-      judge enabled; record metric gaps and model/spend. (Run
-      `docs/screens/realism/2026-11-02-tex` with `z-ai/glm-5.3-flash`, one pass per
-      shot; mean `after` overall 1.8, lighting 2.3, materials 1.8, texture 1.2,
-      backdrop 2.0, characters 1.2, Pillow gap 0.306. The judge is optional and not
-      a CI gate; the report stays local.)
-- [x] Re-run `tools/check_screenshots.sh` and the screen-design judge; clear all
-      `diff` verdicts. (21 good / 0 bad; `screen_designs.py judge` = 21/21 match,
-      0 review, 0 diff.)
-- [x] Capture before/after close-ups for brick, pavement, asphalt, character cloth
-      and skyline; document accepted trade-offs. (Committed
-      `docs/blender_previews/sheet_texture_refinement_0.9.5.jpg`: Walk of Fame
-      pavers, asphalt aggregate, limestone facade, day skyline haze and NPC cloth;
-      asphalt/limestone picks intentionally held, no replacement.)
-- [x] Update asset docs and the changelog/status with the promoted texture versions.
-      (README/PLAN/architecture/status/MEMORY and the 0.9.5 changelog entry now
-      carry the texture results; the 0.9.5 section moved to `DONE.md` after the
-      release build.)
-
-## Postponed — Patch 0.9.6 — Integration, performance and judge gate
-
-Goal: integrate the UI/model/texture patches, prove the combined build on the
-target paths and leave a clean release-candidate handoff.
-
-### Integration and asset rebuild
-
-- [ ] Rebuild all changed Blender/GLB/AO assets, re-import, and verify manifest/fit/
-      audit coverage.
-- [ ] Run the complete headless suite, Python tooling and smoke matrix; fix any
-      regression from the three polish patches.
-- [ ] Re-run the 24-NPC budget smoke and record frame time, mesh count and any
-      texture-memory change; check Web and Desktop HQ if available.
-- [ ] Verify save/campaign/tutorial behavior is unchanged by the visual/UI patches.
-
-### Visual gallery and judge gate
-
-- [ ] Recapture the full gallery, portraits, venue/realsim stages and Desktop HQ A/B
-      as needed; no stale screenshots in the release set.
-- [ ] Run `tools/check_screenshots.sh`, `screen_designs.py compare` and
-      `screen_designs.py judge` on the final captures.
-- [ ] Run the realism judge for the affected concepts with a pinned model; record
-      model, attempt count, spend and verdicts.
-- [ ] Review all `review` verdicts manually; convert unexplained layout/composition
-      mismatches into fixes or explicit known limitations.
-- [ ] Ensure generated realism folders remain gitignored/local-only and only the
-      durable report decisions/docs are committed.
-
-### Release-candidate handoff
-
-- [ ] Update README, architecture, development status, changelog and TODO with the
-      final patch-level results and any remaining gaps.
-- [ ] Tag/version or otherwise freeze `0.9.6` as the integration checkpoint before
-      the `0.10.0` release candidate.
-- [ ] Exit: combined build is functionally green, visually reviewed, performance
-      measured and ready for the 0.10.0 content-lock/playtest phase.
-
-## Postponed — Milestone 0.10.0 — Release candidate
+## Milestone 0.10.0 — Release candidate
 
 Goal: freeze the feature set, prove it with external players, clear release/legal blockers and
 verify every distribution path. This is the next minor release after the 0.9.x patch line.
 
 ### Content lock and external playtest
 
-- [ ] Declare a content/feature freeze for 0.10.0; only release-blocking fixes and balance changes
-      may land after the freeze.
+- [x] Declare a content/feature freeze for 0.10.0; only release-blocking fixes and balance changes
+      may land after the freeze. (Frozen 2026-11-03 after the 0.9.6 integration
+      checkpoint; this pass is limited to release reliability, accessibility,
+      balance evidence and packaging.)
 - [ ] Produce a release-candidate build with the tutorial, campaign, all three venues, Help,
       accessibility settings and checkpoint/resume enabled.
 - [ ] Run at least five first-time-player sessions covering the tutorial and one full venue shift;
@@ -183,16 +86,31 @@ verify every distribution path. This is the next minor release after the 0.9.x p
 
 ### Save migration and session reliability
 
-- [ ] Add fixtures for a 0.8-era settings/campaign/history save and a 0.9.0 checkpoint; verify
-      migration/default-filling and a clean first launch with no files.
-- [ ] Test fresh install → tutorial → campaign → pause → quit → resume → review → next venue on
-      an isolated user-data directory.
-- [ ] Test corrupt JSON, partial temp files, missing optional fields and a failed atomic rename;
-      confirm fallback behavior never destroys a valid save.
-- [ ] Verify checkpoint resume after all three venues, after an incident, with NPCs at the door and
-      with flashlight/body-camera/door state set.
-- [ ] Document save locations, schema versions, reset behavior and rollback/export instructions in
-      `docs/getting-started.md` and the release notes.
+- [x] Add fixtures for a 0.8-era settings/campaign/history save and a 0.9.0 checkpoint; verify
+      migration/default-filling and a clean first launch with no files. (Committed
+      fixtures under `src/test/fixtures/saves/`; 9 migration/failure tests cover
+      old settings/campaign/history, the 0.9.0 checkpoint, all three venue
+      checkpoint round-trips, clean install, corrupt JSON and a blocked atomic
+      replace. Suite is now 272 tests.)
+- [x] Test fresh install → tutorial → campaign → pause → quit → resume → review → next venue on
+      an isolated user-data directory. (Tutorial and campaign smokes shared one
+      isolated `XDG_DATA_HOME`; tutorial completion/replay/skip then campaign
+      resume/review-continue/help both passed. Pause/menu behavior is covered by
+      `smoke_session_shell.gd`.)
+- [x] Test corrupt JSON, partial temp files, missing optional fields and a failed atomic rename;
+      confirm fallback behavior never destroys a valid save. (Corrupt/partial files
+      fall back to defaults; a blocked temp path reports an error and leaves the
+      prior valid settings intact. `_load_json` now uses the non-logging JSON
+      instance parser.)
+- [x] Verify checkpoint resume after all three venues, after an incident, with NPCs at the door and
+      with flashlight/body-camera/door state set. (The migration suite round-trips a
+      checkpoint for Hollywood, the Joke Shop and the TV Studio with an open
+      incident, one NPC row, flashlight/body-camera/door flags; the campaign smoke
+      resumes a live checkpoint through the real `GameManager`.)
+- [x] Document save locations, schema versions, reset behavior and rollback/export instructions in
+      `docs/getting-started.md` and the release notes. (`getting-started.md` now
+      documents the four files, version-1 checkpoint, atomic write/fallback,
+      clean install, reset and backup/rollback.)
 
 ### Release engineering and distribution
 
@@ -200,22 +118,43 @@ verify every distribution path. This is the next minor release after the 0.9.x p
       artifact names, sizes and checksums.
 - [ ] Smoke-test fresh Linux portable/AppImage, Windows portable/installer, macOS unzip/launch,
       Web static hosting and Desktop HQ Vulkan fallback on the target matrix.
-- [ ] Add a disk-space preflight and retention policy to the release/publish scripts so a full
-      Gitea host cannot leave a partially uploaded release.
-- [ ] Verify release metadata, tag/version consistency, asset counts and download links; retain
+- [x] Add a disk-space preflight and retention policy to the release/publish scripts so a full
+      Gitea host cannot leave a partially uploaded release. (`publish_release.sh`
+      checks artifact size/free space, writes SHA-256 checksums, supports
+      `PUBLISH_DRY_RUN`, rolls back uploaded assets/new releases on failure, and
+      offers opt-in `RETAIN_RELEASES` pruning; dry-run verified.)
+- [x] Verify release metadata, tag/version consistency, asset counts and download links; retain
       at least the latest 0.8/0.9 releases and document older-asset pruning.
-- [ ] Decide and document whether macOS signing/notarization is required for 0.10.0 or explicitly
+      (Source/version and tag are both 0.9.6; all seven published releases carry
+      5–7 assets, including the retained v0.8.0/v0.8.1/v0.9.0/v0.9.1 line.
+      `publish_release.sh` documents opt-in `RETAIN_RELEASES` pruning and
+      `RELEASING.md` describes the seven-release policy.)
+- [x] Decide and document whether macOS signing/notarization is required for 0.10.0 or explicitly
       remains a future release blocker; record the quarantine instructions either way.
+      (0.10.0 ships unsigned with quarantine instructions; signing/notarization
+      remains an explicit public-release blocker in `RELEASING.md` and
+      `known-limitations.md`.)
 
 ### Legal, credits and platform policy
 
-- [ ] Audit AI-assisted asset provenance and licenses; record source/model usage and any
+- [x] Audit AI-assisted asset provenance and licenses; record source/model usage and any
       redistribution constraints for textures, characters, props and UI art.
-- [ ] Audit audio/SFX/music licensing (or confirm everything is procedural) and add a credits file.
-- [ ] Review body-camera/privacy language, mental-health-crisis representation, age/content rating
+      (`CREDITS.md` records the Blender/OpenRouter toolchain, default model slugs,
+      missing per-file generation metadata and the commercial-rights review as an
+      explicit release blocker.)
+- [x] Audit audio/SFX/music licensing (or confirm everything is procedural) and add a credits file.
+      (All runtime audio is procedural; no external music/SFX files are bundled.
+      `CREDITS.md` records this.)
+- [x] Review body-camera/privacy language, mental-health-crisis representation, age/content rating
       and storefront requirements; fix any release-blocking copy or content.
-- [ ] Add the player-facing credits, known limitations, accessibility statement and privacy note to
-      the release package/README.
+      (`PRIVACY.md` clarifies the simulated body camera/local-only data; the
+      accessibility and known-limitations pages record the remaining
+      mental-health/rating/storefront review as a release blocker rather than
+      claiming approval.)
+- [x] Add the player-facing credits, known limitations, accessibility statement and privacy note to
+      the release package/README. (`README.md` links `CREDITS.md`, `PRIVACY.md`,
+      `docs/accessibility.md` and `docs/known-limitations.md`; the Web and Desktop
+      HQ package builders copy those documents into the shipped archives.)
 - [ ] Mark external legal/storefront approval as complete or explicitly block the 0.10.0 release on it.
 
 ### Documentation and visual sign-off

docs/README.md

@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ This folder holds the project documentation, visual references and generated QA
 - [`npc-visual-review.md`](npc-visual-review.md) — NPC visual baseline, acceptance criteria and ranked gaps
 - [`npc-proportion-audit.md`](npc-proportion-audit.md) — NPC proportion ratios and stylized guide results
 - [`development-status.md`](development-status.md) — implemented features and current gaps
+- [`accessibility.md`](accessibility.md) — accessibility statement and known gaps
+- [`known-limitations.md`](known-limitations.md) — release-candidate blockers and accepted limits
 - [`smoke-checklist.md`](smoke-checklist.md) — manual verification
+- [`../CREDITS.md`](../CREDITS.md) — credits and asset provenance
+- [`../PRIVACY.md`](../PRIVACY.md) — privacy note
 - [`ui-copy.md`](ui-copy.md) — screen, copy and button inventory
 - [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md) — export, CI and publishing workflow
 - [`adr/README.md`](adr/README.md) — architecture decisions

docs/RELEASING.md

@@ -103,6 +103,31 @@ The optional Desktop HQ zip is assembled by `tools/build_releases.sh` from
 `packaging/desktop_hq/`; keep `override.cfg` next to the extracted executable.
 It is not part of the default Compatibility/Web build.
 
+`tools/publish_release.sh` preflights every artifact for existence and non-zero
+size, checks free space in `build/`, writes `build/SHA256SUMS-<version>.txt`, and
+uploads only after those checks pass. If an upload or the final asset-count check
+fails, it removes the assets it just uploaded (and removes a newly created
+release) so the host never keeps a partial release. Use
+`PUBLISH_DRY_RUN=1 ./tools/publish_release.sh` to run the preflight and checksum
+steps without touching the API. Set `RETAIN_RELEASES=7` to prune older releases
+after a successful publish; the default `0` disables pruning and never deletes
+history implicitly. A retention of seven keeps the newest seven releases,
+including the latest 0.8/0.9 line.
+
+### 0.10.0 macOS signing decision
+
+The 0.10.0 release candidate will continue to ship an **unsigned** macOS zip with
+the documented right-click/`xattr` quarantine instructions. Signing and
+notarization remain a public-release blocker until an Apple Developer account and
+a reproducible signing/notarization job are available; they are not silently
+claimed as complete. The same limitation is recorded in
+[`known-limitations.md`](known-limitations.md).
+
+Always run the release build from a clean checkout or detached worktree. Godot
+can pack files from ignored `tmp/` and old `build/` folders into the PCK; the
+0.9.6 dirty-tree build produced 1.6–3.1 GB artifacts, while the clean worktree
+produced the expected ~160–240 MB packages.
+
 Locally you can build the AppImage with `bash packaging/linux/build_appimage.sh <version>`;
 the NSIS installer requires `makensis` (covered by CI).
 

docs/accessibility.md

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Accessibility Statement
+
+Gig Line is a keyboard/mouse-first first-person game with gamepad support. The
+current build includes the following accessibility features:
+
+- Remappable keyboard and gamepad bindings, persisted in `settings.json`.
+- Keyboard focus rings and explicit default focus in every modal, with A/B
+  accept/cancel on a gamepad and wrapped Tab/arrow navigation.
+- Adjustable HUD font scale up to 1.75× with clipped/ellipsized long labels.
+- Reduced-motion mode that disables head bob and motion-sensitive presentation.
+- Captions in the HUD log for radio, interaction and event messages.
+- Master, SFX and ambience volume controls.
+- Shape plus number escalation meter, so escalation is readable without colour.
+- Hold-to-confirm emergency action and guarded destructive actions.
+- Searchable Help generated from the live input bindings.
+- Mouse-transparent HUD, right-click/Esc modal handling, and a predictable
+  top-panel close path.
+
+Known gaps:
+
+- There is no screen-reader integration or text-to-speech narration.
+- The game is English-only; no pseudo-locale or full localization review has
+  been completed.
+- The visual style is stylized and some small environmental detail may be hard
+  to read at low resolution; a full low-vision/high-contrast audit is pending.
+- Audio captions cover gameplay messages, not every ambient sound.
+- A formal WCAG conformance claim has **not** been made. External accessibility
+  review is still a 0.10.0 release-review item.
+
+Test evidence and the manual checklist live in
+[`smoke-checklist.md`](smoke-checklist.md); settings and save behaviour are
+documented in [`getting-started.md`](getting-started.md).

docs/architecture.md

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ This document follows the structure of the arc42 architecture documentation temp
 - **MINOR** — new venues, NPC archetypes, systems, or features that are backward compatible.
 - **PATCH** — bug fixes and small polish that do not change behavior.
 
-The single source of truth for the version is `config/version` in `project.godot` (currently `0.9.5`). Each release is tagged in git as `v<version>` (e.g. `v0.6.0`). The `0.x` series is pre-stable, so MINOR bumps may introduce breaking changes while the prototype is still stabilizing. `tools/build_releases.sh` and `tools/publish_release.sh` read the version from `project.godot`, so bumping it there is the only required step before a release. The full bump checklist lives in [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md).
+The single source of truth for the version is `config/version` in `project.godot` (currently `0.9.6`). Each release is tagged in git as `v<version>` (e.g. `v0.6.0`). The `0.x` series is pre-stable, so MINOR bumps may introduce breaking changes while the prototype is still stabilizing. `tools/build_releases.sh` and `tools/publish_release.sh` read the version from `project.godot`, so bumping it there is the only required step before a release. The full bump checklist lives in [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md).
 
 ## 3. Context and Scope
 

docs/asset-tooling.md

@@ -268,6 +268,19 @@ photoreal renderer. The 0.9.5 before/after close-up sheet is
 the texture-adoption run itself was the earlier 0.8-style candidate comparison,
 and its report remains local/gitignored.
 
+For the 0.9.6 integration checkpoint the same judge was pinned to
+`z-ai/glm-5.3-flash` and run once per shot on the 10-shot set: mean overall 2.1,
+lighting 2.4, materials 2.1, texture 1.7, backdrop 2.3, characters 1.8, Pillow
+gap 0.291. No `review` verdicts were produced by the screen judge, so there was
+no manual layout verdict to convert into a fix; the remaining realism comments
+are the accepted stylized gaps.
+
+Build release artifacts from a clean checkout or detached worktree. A normal
+working tree may contain ignored `tmp/` captures and old `build/` artifacts, and
+Godot can pack enough of those into exports to inflate a 0.9.6 package from
+~160 MB to 1.6–3.1 GB. The 0.9.6 clean worktree produced 161.5 MB Linux,
+197.1 MB Windows, 148.0 MB macOS, 97.8 MB Web and 241.5 MB Desktop HQ.
+
 The Forward+ A/B compared the Compatibility entrance with the optional Desktop HQ
 preset. The gear-fit run checked the sunglasses, bag and helmet against measured
 head/skirt bounds with `python3 tools/blender_assets.py fit`; it also fixed the

docs/development-status.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Implemented so far:
 - Godot 4.7.2 project scaffold, input map, procedural world builder (CI/local/release unified)
 - Venue-driven simulation core: `ShiftCoordinator`, `VenueScenario`, `EventScheduler`, `NPCController` + FSM, `AccessVerifier`, `EscalationManager`, `RadioSystem`, `IncidentRecorder`, `ReputationEvaluator`, `CrowdSystem`
 - Three authored scenarios (El Capitan Entertainment Centre / Hollywood Boulevard, The Joke Shop, Late Night TV Studio) with access policies, NPC archetypes, and event pools
-- Headless unit tests: **263 passing** (access rules and venue-correct access loadout, escalation, radio cooldown/battery, NPC reaction determinism, door lock, flashlight perception, persistence round-trip, settings round-trip, input remaps, navmesh, step colliders, skyline alpha, scenario data, full-shift simulation, wand screening, responder dispatch, localization strings, focus cone, action wheel, session shell, PLAN verbs and incident recording, crowd presentation, emergency aftermath, body-camera timeline, NPC theater poses, audio, accessibility, authored scenario content, string formatting, `.tres` venue round-trip, surface materials and environment, focus ranking and outfit/gait helpers, generated prop models, web export preset, prop atlas material, player movement, NPC character layers/LOD/queue, input bindings)
+- Headless unit tests: **272 passing** (access rules and venue-correct access loadout, escalation, radio cooldown/battery, NPC reaction determinism, door lock, flashlight perception, persistence round-trip, settings round-trip, input remaps, navmesh, step colliders, skyline alpha, scenario data, full-shift simulation, wand screening, responder dispatch, localization strings, focus cone, action wheel, session shell, PLAN verbs and incident recording, crowd presentation, emergency aftermath, body-camera timeline, NPC theater poses, audio, accessibility, authored scenario content, string formatting, `.tres` venue round-trip, surface materials and environment, focus ranking and outfit/gait helpers, generated prop models, web export preset, prop atlas material, player movement, NPC character layers/LOD/queue, input bindings)
 - Simulation extras: protester archetype, CALL_SOMEONE reaction, door lock/secure mechanic (visual indicator), flashlight with night perception bonus, LATE shift phase reaching the violent-threat event
 - First-person prototype with interaction HUD, access inspection, wand screening, radio report form (incl. emergency hold-to-confirm), dispatched responder avatars, aim-free targeting, venue cycling between all three scenarios, color-coded escalation feedback, procedural audio cues, navigation-mesh NPC paths, JSON-backed localized strings, persisted shift history, debug overlay, and shift review
 - Control pass: focus cone on NPC heads with a billboarded blue circle in front of the face and name, action wheel (LMB/Space) with de-escalation-first slices, mouse-look freeze while a panel is open, acceleration-based walking, and named input actions (`action_menu`, `confirm`, `cancel`, `inspect`, `wand`)
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ Implemented so far:
 - NPC neck/shoulder transition (0.9.4 work): the body graph now uses a fuller neck base, a slightly tapered neck top and a lower shoulder root, giving the head/neck/shoulder line a trapezius slope instead of a thin post. The full character library was rebuilt with a final degenerate-face cleanup; the baseline comparison is `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-body.jpg`.
 - NPC face-depth pass (0.9.4 work): sclera are recessed and capped by a thin upper lid, and the separate jaw/cheek spheres are replaced by a chin plate and cheekbones sculpted into the head mesh. The full library was rebuilt; the comparison is `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-face.jpg`.
 - NPC torso/hip transition (0.9.4 work): the pelvis and chest are slightly wider than the waist, giving shirts and jackets a readable taper into the hips without changing the build multipliers or the skeleton. The comparison is `sheet_npc_baseline_compare-torso.jpg`.
+- Release v0.9.6 (2026-11-03): the tagged commit `4bb2896` passed Gitea Actions run 1296 (checks + full build) and published seven artifacts (Linux, Windows, macOS, NSIS setup, AppImage, Web and Desktop HQ). Release page: <https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases/tag/v0.9.6>.
+- Save migration and reliability (0.10.0 work): committed 0.8-era settings/campaign/history fixtures and a 0.9.0 checkpoint. The loader default-fills old settings, keeps campaign progress and validates checkpoints for all three venues with an open incident, NPC rows, door, flashlight and body-camera state. Corrupt and partial files fall back to defaults; a blocked atomic replace leaves the prior valid file intact. `_load_json` uses the non-logging JSON parser; save locations and rollback are documented in `getting-started.md`. Suite is 272/272.
+- Integration checkpoint (0.9.6 work): the clean worktree at `f5b8ef2` rebuilt all five release packages and the Desktop HQ zip without ignored `tmp/`/`build/` content (Linux 161.5 MB, Windows 197.1 MB, macOS 148.0 MB, Web 97.8 MB, HQ 241.5 MB). The Web zip contains `index.html`, `index.wasm` and `index.pck`; the HQ zip contains `override.cfg` and launches headless with the Forward+ override. Current verification: Godot 263/263, Python 101/101, 14 smokes green, 24-NPC budget 6.90 ms / 168 meshes / 131,616 triangles, gallery 21 good / 0 bad, screen judge 21/21 match with 0 review/diff, and a pinned realism judge (`z-ai/glm-5.3-flash`, one pass per shot) at mean overall 2.1 and Pillow gap 0.291. No new gameplay or content changes.
+- Release v0.9.5 (2026-11-02): the tagged commit `4bc6390` passed Gitea Actions run 922 (checks + full build) and published seven artifacts (Linux, Windows, macOS, NSIS setup, AppImage, Web and Desktop HQ). Release page: <https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases/tag/v0.9.5>.
 - Release v0.9.4 (2026-11-02): the tagged commit `a57b86c` passed the Gitea checks and full build and published seven artifacts (Linux, Windows, macOS, NSIS setup, AppImage, Web and Desktop HQ). Release page: <https://git.allucanget.biz/zwitschi/security-game/releases/tag/v0.9.4>.
 - Environment texture pass (0.9.5 work): `capture_realism.gd` now has hidden-HUD `surfaces`/`surfaces_joke` close-up stages. The Walk of Fame band uses the paver texture as dark terrazzo, the neighbour awning keeps its cream stripe, and the skyline shader blends its lower 42 m toward a per-phase haze colour. Brick, asphalt, limestone and paver UV scales/profiles passed without replacement.
 - Texture/prop audit (0.9.5 work): all 21 screen-art textures are 1280×720 and referenced; access cards are 256×128 and HUD icons 64×64. No oversized or unused runtime texture was found; the legacy root textures remain only as the texture-generator/asset-test fallback. The 24-NPC smoke now reports 168 meshes, 131,616 triangles and 6.94 ms (50 ms budget); compressed payload is 24.55 MB of surface picks, 22.67 MB of screen art and 0.48 MB of NPC maps.

docs/getting-started.md

@@ -74,6 +74,32 @@ XDG_DATA_HOME=/tmp/gigline-campaign godot --path . --fixed-fps 60 --script res:/
 
 The unit test runner is the project's own lightweight harness (no editor plugin required) so CI can run it without the editor.
 
+## Save Data and Migration
+
+The game keeps four small JSON files in Godot's `user://` directory, which is
+`~/.local/share/godot/app_userdata/Gig Line/` on Linux,
+`%APPDATA%\Godot\app_userdata\Gig Line\` on Windows and
+`~/Library/Application Support/Godot/app_userdata/Gig Line/` on macOS:
+
+| File | Contents |
+| --- | --- |
+| `settings.json` | Camera, HUD, binding, difficulty, audio, accessibility and tutorial flags. Missing keys are filled from the current defaults; there is no schema version because the field set grew compatibly. |
+| `campaign.json` | Campaign index, completed venues, difficulty, shift number and last grade. Older files with missing fields open at the safe defaults. |
+| `shift_results.json` | Completed-shift review history, appended as an array. |
+| `shift_state.json` | Resumable mid-shift checkpoint, version `1`. It stores the venue, guard/door/flashlight/body-camera state, coordinator snapshot and NPC rows. |
+
+Writes go to a sibling `.tmp` file and are renamed only after the complete JSON
+is written. A corrupt or partial file is ignored on load, so the player gets
+defaults rather than a crash and a valid old file is not overwritten by a failed
+replace. The migration fixtures used by the tests live in
+`src/test/fixtures/saves/`.
+
+For a clean first launch, delete the four files (or the whole `Gig Line` user
+directory). Settings' **Reset campaign** clears campaign progress separately.
+To back up or move a profile, copy those files while the game is closed; to roll
+back, restore the previous copies. Shift history is diagnostic and is not
+required to resume a checkpoint.
+
 ## Controls
 
 Keyboard and mouse are the default; a gamepad works without configuration (left stick moves,

docs/known-limitations.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# Known Limitations
+
+This page records the limitations that remain at the 0.10.0 release-candidate
+stage. Items marked **blocker** must be cleared or explicitly accepted before a
+public release.
+
+## Release blockers
+
+- **External playtest:** at least five first-time-player sessions and the
+  resulting onboarding/accessibility triage have not been completed. The
+  tutorial/campaign evidence is currently automated smoke coverage, not player
+  observation.
+- **AI asset provenance:** the image-generation provider terms and commercial
+  redistribution rights for the committed AI-assisted textures/UI art still need
+  legal review. See [`../CREDITS.md`](../CREDITS.md).
+- **Storefront/legal approval:** age/content rating, storefront policy, trademark
+  language and the mental-health-crisis/body-camera representation have not been
+  externally approved.
+- **macOS signing/notarization:** the 0.10.0 release candidate ships unsigned
+  with right-click/`xattr` quarantine instructions. Signing and notarization are
+  required before a broad public/storefront release and remain blocked until an
+  Apple Developer account and signing job exist.
+- **Hardware matrix:** Web, Windows and Desktop HQ have been built and checked
+  structurally; a complete target-hardware performance/launch matrix is still
+  pending.
+
+## Content and presentation
+
+- The venues are stylized reconstructions, not survey-accurate models. The Joke
+  Shop is a fictional stand-in for the real Sunset Strip block.
+- Character faces, hands and fabric use a deliberately low-poly style; the
+  >26 m tier remains a two-quad impostor and there is no separate finger-curl
+  rig. The accepted limits are recorded in
+  [`npc-visual-review.md`](npc-visual-review.md).
+- There is no live 3D body-camera replay; the timeline is text-based.
+- There is no recorded voice/music track. Ambience and cues are procedural.
+- The game is English-only and does not yet have a translator workflow or
+  pseudo-locale layout sign-off.
+
+## Persistence and platform
+
+- Save migration is covered by synthetic 0.8/0.9 fixtures and failure-mode tests,
+  not by a real player profile collected from every earlier release.
+- Desktop HQ requires a Vulkan-capable GPU/driver; the default Compatibility and
+  Web builds remain the broad target.
+- The manual smoke checklist is completed by developers; external device
+  coverage (Windows installer, macOS launch, gamepad and Web hosts) is not yet a
+  complete evidence set.

project.godot

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ config_version=5
 
 config/name="Gig Line"
 config/description="Workplace security simulation about observation, access verification, and proportionate escalation."
-config/version="0.9.5"
+config/version="0.9.6"
 run/main_scene="res://scenes/main.tscn"
 config/features=PackedStringArray("4.7", "GL Compatibility")
 

src/autoload/save.gd

@@ -14,8 +14,13 @@ func _load_json(file_name: String) -> Variant:
 	var text := FileAccess.get_file_as_string(path)
 	if text.is_empty():
 		return null
-	var parsed = JSON.parse_string(text)
-	return parsed
+	# JSON.parse_string logs an engine error on malformed player files. Use the
+	# instance parser so a corrupt save silently falls back to defaults instead
+	# of looking like a crash in the console.
+	var json := JSON.new()
+	if json.parse(text) != OK:
+		return null
+	return json.data
 
 func _save_json(file_name: String, data: Variant) -> Error:
 	var path := "user://" + file_name

src/test/fixtures/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Test Fixtures
+
+Committed JSON fixtures used by persistence and migration tests.
+
+- [`saves/settings_0_8.json`](saves/settings_0_8.json) — a 0.8-era settings file missing the later volume, motion and caption keys; loading it must keep the old values and fill the new defaults.
+- [`saves/campaign_0_8.json`](saves/campaign_0_8.json) — a 0.8-era campaign after the Hollywood shift; loading it must resolve the Joke Shop as the next venue.
+- [`saves/shift_results_0_8.json`](saves/shift_results_0_8.json) — a 0.8-era shift history with two completed venues.
+- [`saves/shift_state_0_9_0.json`](saves/shift_state_0_9_0.json) — a version-1 0.9.0 checkpoint at the Joke Shop with door, flashlight and body-camera state set.
+
+These are deliberately schema-less where the old game was schema-less; the
+loader fills missing fields from the current defaults rather than rewriting the
+player's file on load.

src/test/fixtures/saves/campaign_0_8.json

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+	"index": 1,
+	"next_venue": "joke_shop",
+	"shift_number": 2,
+	"difficulty": "hard",
+	"complete": false,
+	"completed": [
+		"hollywood_building"
+	],
+	"last_grade": "B"
+}

src/test/fixtures/saves/settings_0_8.json

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+	"look_sensitivity": 0.0031,
+	"hud_font_scale": 1.15,
+	"invert_y": true,
+	"head_bob": false,
+	"input_bindings": {
+		"inspect": {
+			"type": "key",
+			"code": 90
+		}
+	},
+	"ai_difficulty": "hard",
+	"tutorial_completed": true,
+	"tutorial_skipped": false
+}

src/test/fixtures/saves/shift_results_0_8.json

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+[
+	{
+		"scenario_id": "hollywood_building",
+		"reputation": {
+			"rating": 81.0,
+			"grade": "B"
+		},
+		"spawned_count": 6,
+		"completed_at_ms": 1000
+	},
+	{
+		"scenario_id": "joke_shop",
+		"reputation": {
+			"rating": 74.5,
+			"grade": "C"
+		},
+		"spawned_count": 5,
+		"completed_at_ms": 2000
+	}
+]

src/test/fixtures/saves/shift_state_0_9_0.json

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+	"version": 1,
+	"scenario_id": "joke_shop",
+	"guard_position": [0.0, 0.1, 10.5],
+	"guard_yaw": 1.25,
+	"head_pitch": 0.1,
+	"door_locked": true,
+	"flashlight_on": true,
+	"body_camera_on": true,
+	"npc_counter": 7,
+	"coordinator": {
+		"duration_s": 900.0,
+		"elapsed_s": 540.0,
+		"current_phase": 3,
+		"phase_offset_s": 700.0,
+		"spawned_count": 7,
+		"responder_outcomes": [],
+		"investigations": [],
+		"recorder": {},
+		"reputation": {},
+		"crowd": {},
+		"radio": {},
+		"scheduler": {}
+	},
+	"npcs": []
+}

src/test/tests/test_save_migration.gd

@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+extends RefCounted
+## Persistence migration and failure-mode tests. The fixtures represent a
+## 0.8-era player profile and a 0.9.0 checkpoint; loading them must fill current
+## defaults without rewriting or losing the old fields.
+
+const Campaign := preload("res://src/core/campaign.gd")
+const ScenarioFactory := preload("res://src/content/scenario_factory.gd")
+const ShiftCoordinator := preload("res://src/core/shift_coordinator.gd")
+const FixtureDir := "res://src/test/fixtures/saves/"
+const UserFiles := ["settings.json", "campaign.json", "shift_results.json", "shift_state.json"]
+
+func _save_instance() -> Object:
+	var save_script: GDScript = load("res://src/autoload/save.gd")
+	return save_script.new()
+
+func _fixture(name: String) -> String:
+	return FileAccess.get_file_as_string(FixtureDir + name)
+
+func _user_path(name: String) -> String:
+	return ProjectSettings.globalize_path("user://" + name)
+
+func _write_user(name: String, text: String) -> void:
+	var file := FileAccess.open("user://" + name, FileAccess.WRITE)
+	if file == null:
+		return
+	file.store_string(text)
+	file.close()
+
+func _read_user(name: String) -> String:
+	var path := "user://" + name
+	if not FileAccess.file_exists(path):
+		return ""
+	return FileAccess.get_file_as_string(path)
+
+func _remove_user(name: String) -> void:
+	var path := _user_path(name)
+	if FileAccess.file_exists("user://" + name) or DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(path):
+		DirAccess.remove_absolute(path)
+
+func _snapshot_files() -> Dictionary:
+	var snapshot := {}
+	for name in UserFiles:
+		snapshot[name] = _read_user(name)
+	return snapshot
+
+func _restore_files(snapshot: Dictionary) -> void:
+	for name in UserFiles:
+		_remove_user(name)
+		_remove_user(name + ".tmp")
+		var text := str(snapshot.get(name, ""))
+		if not text.is_empty():
+			_write_user(name, text)
+
+func test_settings_0_8_fixture_fills_new_defaults() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_write_user("settings.json", _fixture("settings_0_8.json"))
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var loaded: Dictionary = save.load_settings()
+	var a := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(loaded.get("look_sensitivity", 0.0)), 0.0031),
+		"old sensitivity survives")
+	var b := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(loaded.get("hud_font_scale", 0.0)), 1.15),
+		"old font scale survives")
+	var c := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("invert_y", false)), true, "old invert setting survives")
+	var d := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("head_bob", true)), false, "old head-bob setting survives")
+	var e := TestUtils.check_eq(str(loaded.get("ai_difficulty", "")), "hard", "old difficulty survives")
+	var f := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("tutorial_completed", false)), true,
+		"old tutorial completion survives")
+	var g := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(loaded.get("master_volume", 0.0)), 1.0),
+		"new master-volume default is filled")
+	var h := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("captions_enabled", false)), true,
+		"new caption default is filled")
+	var i := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("reduce_motion", true)), false,
+		"new reduced-motion default is filled")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return a and b and c and d and e and f and g and h and i
+
+func test_campaign_0_8_fixture_keeps_progress() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_write_user("campaign.json", _fixture("campaign_0_8.json"))
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var campaign := Campaign.new()
+	campaign.setup(save.load_campaign())
+	var a := TestUtils.check_eq(campaign.index, 1, "campaign index survives")
+	var b := TestUtils.check_eq(campaign.next_venue(), "joke_shop", "next venue survives")
+	var c := TestUtils.check_eq(campaign.shift_number, 2, "shift number survives")
+	var d := TestUtils.check_eq(campaign.difficulty, "hard", "difficulty survives")
+	var e := TestUtils.check_eq(campaign.completed, ["hollywood_building"], "history survives")
+	var f := TestUtils.check_eq(campaign.last_grade, "B", "last grade survives")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return a and b and c and d and e and f
+
+func test_history_0_8_fixture_loads() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_write_user("shift_results.json", _fixture("shift_results_0_8.json"))
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var results: Array = save.load_shift_results()
+	var a := TestUtils.check_eq(results.size(), 2, "both old results load")
+	var b := TestUtils.check_eq(str(results[0].get("scenario_id", "")), "hollywood_building",
+		"first result keeps its venue")
+	var c := TestUtils.check_eq(str(results[1].get("scenario_id", "")), "joke_shop",
+		"second result keeps its venue")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return a and b and c
+
+func test_checkpoint_0_9_0_fixture_restores() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_write_user("shift_state.json", _fixture("shift_state_0_9_0.json"))
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var state: Dictionary = save.load_shift_state()
+	var a := TestUtils.check_eq(int(state.get("version", 0)), 1, "checkpoint version survives")
+	var b := TestUtils.check_eq(str(state.get("scenario_id", "")), "joke_shop",
+		"checkpoint venue survives")
+	var c := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(state.get("door_locked", false)), true, "door state survives")
+	var d := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(state.get("flashlight_on", false)), true,
+		"flashlight state survives")
+	var e := TestUtils.check_eq(bool(state.get("body_camera_on", false)), true,
+		"body-camera state survives")
+	var coordinator := ShiftCoordinator.new()
+	coordinator.setup(ScenarioFactory.joke_shop(), 900.0, 7)
+	coordinator.restore(state.get("coordinator", {}))
+	var f := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(coordinator.elapsed_s, 540.0), "elapsed time restores")
+	var g := TestUtils.check_eq(coordinator.current_phase, 3, "late phase restores")
+	var h := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(coordinator.phase_offset_s, 700.0),
+		"phase offset restores")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return a and b and c and d and e and f and g and h
+
+func test_checkpoint_round_trip_all_venues() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	var venues := [
+		["hollywood_building", ScenarioFactory.hollywood_building()],
+		["joke_shop", ScenarioFactory.joke_shop()],
+		["tv_studio", ScenarioFactory.tv_studio()],
+	]
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var ok := true
+	for index in venues.size():
+		var venue_id: String = venues[index][0]
+		var scenario: VenueScenario = venues[index][1]
+		var coordinator := ShiftCoordinator.new()
+		coordinator.setup(scenario, 900.0, index + 3)
+		coordinator.elapsed_s = 300.0 + index * 60.0
+		coordinator.recorder.start_incident("guest", "focus")
+		var state := {
+			"version": 1,
+			"scenario_id": venue_id,
+			"guard_position": [1.0, 0.1, 8.0 + index],
+			"guard_yaw": 0.5,
+			"head_pitch": 0.1,
+			"door_locked": index % 2 == 0,
+			"flashlight_on": true,
+			"body_camera_on": true,
+			"npc_counter": index + 1,
+			"coordinator": coordinator.snapshot(),
+			"npcs": [{"npc_id": "guest_%d" % index, "npc_type": 0}],
+		}
+		ok = TestUtils.check_eq(int(save.save_shift_state(state)), OK,
+			"%s checkpoint writes" % venue_id) and ok
+		var loaded: Dictionary = save.load_shift_state()
+		ok = TestUtils.check_eq(str(loaded.get("scenario_id", "")), venue_id,
+			"%s checkpoint keeps its venue" % venue_id) and ok
+		ok = TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("flashlight_on", false)), true,
+			"%s checkpoint keeps flashlight state" % venue_id) and ok
+		ok = TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("body_camera_on", false)), true,
+			"%s checkpoint keeps body-camera state" % venue_id) and ok
+		ok = TestUtils.check_eq(bool(loaded.get("door_locked", false)), index % 2 == 0,
+			"%s checkpoint keeps door state" % venue_id) and ok
+		ok = TestUtils.check_eq((loaded.get("npcs", []) as Array).size(), 1,
+			"%s checkpoint keeps NPC rows" % venue_id) and ok
+		var restored := ShiftCoordinator.new()
+		restored.setup(scenario, 900.0, index + 3)
+		restored.restore(loaded.get("coordinator", {}))
+		ok = TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(restored.elapsed_s, 300.0 + index * 60.0),
+			"%s checkpoint restores elapsed time" % venue_id) and ok
+		ok = TestUtils.check(restored.recorder.has_open_incident("guest"),
+			"%s checkpoint restores an open incident" % venue_id) and ok
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return ok
+
+func test_clean_install_has_safe_defaults() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	for name in UserFiles:
+		_remove_user(name)
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var settings: Dictionary = save.load_settings()
+	var a := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(settings.get("look_sensitivity", 0.0)), 0.0022),
+		"clean install gets default sensitivity")
+	var b := TestUtils.check_eq(str(settings.get("ai_difficulty", "")), "normal",
+		"clean install gets normal difficulty")
+	var c := TestUtils.check(save.load_campaign().is_empty(), "clean install has no campaign")
+	var d := TestUtils.check_eq(save.load_shift_results().size(), 0, "clean install has no history")
+	var e := TestUtils.check(save.load_shift_state().is_empty(), "clean install has no checkpoint")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return a and b and c and d and e
+
+func test_corrupt_json_falls_back_without_crashing() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_write_user("settings.json", "{not valid json")
+	_write_user("campaign.json", "{not valid json")
+	_write_user("shift_results.json", "{not valid json")
+	_write_user("shift_state.json", "{not valid json")
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var a := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(save.load_settings().get("look_sensitivity", 0.0)),
+		0.0022), "corrupt settings fall back to defaults")
+	var b := TestUtils.check(save.load_campaign().is_empty(), "corrupt campaign returns an empty dictionary")
+	var c := TestUtils.check_eq(save.load_shift_results().size(), 0, "corrupt history returns an empty array")
+	var d := TestUtils.check(save.load_shift_state().is_empty(), "corrupt checkpoint returns an empty dictionary")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return a and b and c and d
+
+func test_partial_temp_file_is_ignored() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_remove_user("settings.json")
+	_write_user("settings.json.tmp", "{\"look_sensitivity\": 0.009, ")
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var loaded: Dictionary = save.load_settings()
+	var ok := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(loaded.get("look_sensitivity", 0.0)), 0.0022),
+		"a leftover partial temp file is not treated as settings")
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return ok
+
+func test_failed_atomic_write_keeps_existing_save() -> bool:
+	var backup := _snapshot_files()
+	_remove_user("settings.json")
+	_remove_user("settings.json.tmp")
+	var save := _save_instance()
+	var first := TestUtils.check_eq(int(save.save_settings({"look_sensitivity": 0.0022})), OK,
+		"baseline settings write succeeds")
+	var temp_path := _user_path("settings.json.tmp")
+	var made := DirAccess.make_dir_absolute(temp_path)
+	var err: int = save.save_settings({"look_sensitivity": 0.009})
+	var a := TestUtils.check(made == OK, "test can block the temp path")
+	var b := TestUtils.check(err != OK, "blocked temp path reports a write error")
+	var loaded: Dictionary = save.load_settings()
+	var c := TestUtils.check(is_equal_approx(float(loaded.get("look_sensitivity", 0.0)), 0.0022),
+		"a failed replace leaves the valid settings file intact")
+	DirAccess.remove_absolute(temp_path)
+	save.free()
+	_restore_files(backup)
+	return first and a and b and c

tools/build_releases.sh

@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 GODOT="${GODOT:-godot}"
 VERSION="$(grep -oP 'config/version="\K[^"]+' project.godot)"
+PLAYER_DOCS=(
+  "CREDITS.md"
+  "PRIVACY.md"
+  "docs/accessibility.md"
+  "docs/known-limitations.md"
+)
 mkdir -p build
 # Presets now embed the PCK into a single binary; drop stale .pck leftovers.
 rm -f build/*.pck
@@ -34,6 +40,9 @@ echo "==> Exporting Web (no threads, static-hosting friendly)"
 rm -rf build/web
 mkdir -p build/web
 "$GODOT" --headless --export-release "Web" "build/web/index.html"
+for doc in "${PLAYER_DOCS[@]}"; do
+  cp "$doc" "build/web/$(basename "$doc")"
+done
 # Ship the web build as a single zip so it can be downloaded and served as-is.
 rm -f "build/gig-line-web-${VERSION}.zip"
 if command -v zip >/dev/null 2>&1; then
@@ -58,6 +67,9 @@ cp "build/gig-line-linux-${VERSION}.x86_64" "$HQ_DIR/"
 cp "build/gig-line-windows-${VERSION}.exe" "$HQ_DIR/"
 cp packaging/desktop_hq/override.cfg "$HQ_DIR/"
 cp packaging/desktop_hq/README.txt "$HQ_DIR/"
+for doc in "${PLAYER_DOCS[@]}"; do
+  cp "$doc" "$HQ_DIR/$(basename "$doc")"
+done
 rm -f "build/gig-line-desktop-hq-${VERSION}.zip"
 if command -v zip >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   (cd "$HQ_DIR" && zip -q -r "../gig-line-desktop-hq-${VERSION}.zip" .)

tools/publish_release.sh

@@ -78,12 +78,64 @@ for f in "${extras[@]}"; do
   fi
 done
 
+# Preflight before creating anything on the host: no empty files, and enough
+# local disk to assemble/checksum the release. Upload failures are rolled back
+# below so a full or interrupted host never keeps a partial release.
+total_bytes=0
+for f in "${all_artifacts[@]}"; do
+  if [[ ! -s "$f" ]]; then
+    echo "error: missing or empty artifact $f — run ./tools/build_releases.sh first" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  total_bytes=$((total_bytes + $(stat -c '%s' "$f")))
+done
+free_kb="$(df -Pk build | awk 'NR==2 {print $4}')"
+need_kb=$(((total_bytes + 1023) / 1024))
+reserve_kb=262144
+if [[ -z "${free_kb:-}" || "$free_kb" -lt $((need_kb + reserve_kb)) ]]; then
+  echo "error: not enough free disk in build/ for ${need_kb} KiB of artifacts plus a 256 MiB reserve (free: ${free_kb:-unknown} KiB)" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Local checksums are useful evidence even though the release host does not need
+# a duplicate checksum asset; CI keeps the manifest with the build workspace.
+checksum_file="build/SHA256SUMS-$VERSION.txt"
+: > "$checksum_file"
+for f in "${all_artifacts[@]}"; do
+  sha256sum "$f" >> "$checksum_file"
+done
+echo "==> Checksums written to $checksum_file"
+cat "$checksum_file"
+if [[ "${PUBLISH_DRY_RUN:-0}" == "1" ]]; then
+  echo "DRY RUN: preflight and checksums passed; no release or upload was created."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 API="$HOST/api/v1/repos/$REPO/releases"
+created_release=0
+uploaded_ids=()
+
+rollback_release() {
+  echo "error: rolling back the partial release upload" >&2
+  for id in ${uploaded_ids[@]+"${uploaded_ids[@]}"}; do
+    curl -sS -X DELETE "${AUTH[@]}" "$API/$RELEASE_ID/assets/$id" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  done
+  if [[ "$created_release" == "1" ]]; then
+    curl -sS -X DELETE "${AUTH[@]}" "$API/$RELEASE_ID" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    echo "removed the new release $TAG" >&2
+  else
+    echo "removed only the ${#uploaded_ids[@]} newly uploaded asset(s) from existing release $TAG" >&2
+  fi
+}
+
 echo "==> Creating release $TAG on $HOST/$REPO"
 RELEASE_ID="$(curl -s -X POST "$API" "${AUTH[@]}" \
   -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
   -d "{\"tag_name\":\"$TAG\",\"name\":\"$TAG\",\"body\":\"Gig Line $VERSION — playable prototype. See README for controls.\",\"draft\":false,\"prerelease\":false}" \
   | python3 -c "import sys,json;print(json.load(sys.stdin).get('id',''))" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+if [[ -n "$RELEASE_ID" ]]; then
+  created_release=1
+fi
 
 # If the release already exists (tag already pushed), reuse it.
 if [[ -z "$RELEASE_ID" ]]; then
@@ -96,10 +148,6 @@ fi
 echo "Release id: $RELEASE_ID"
 
 for f in "${all_artifacts[@]}"; do
-  if [[ ! -f "$f" ]]; then
-    echo "error: missing artifact $f — run ./tools/build_releases.sh first" >&2
-    exit 1
-  fi
   echo "==> Uploading $(basename "$f")"
   # Fail loudly: a silent 4xx here used to leave a release with no artifacts while
   # the job still reported success.
@@ -109,8 +157,16 @@ for f in "${all_artifacts[@]}"; do
     echo "error: upload of $(basename "$f") failed with HTTP $code" >&2
     cat /tmp/release-upload.json >&2 || true
     echo "" >&2
+    rollback_release
     exit 1
   fi
+  asset_id="$(python3 -c "import sys,json;print(json.load(open('/tmp/release-upload.json')).get('id',''))" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  if [[ -z "$asset_id" ]]; then
+    echo "error: upload of $(basename "$f") returned no asset id" >&2
+    rollback_release
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  uploaded_ids+=("$asset_id")
 done
 
 # Verify the release actually carries the artifacts we just sent.
@@ -123,9 +179,33 @@ except Exception:
 print(len(d.get('assets', [])))" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)"
 if [[ "${have:-0}" -lt "${#all_artifacts[@]}" ]]; then
   echo "error: release has $have assets, expected ${#all_artifacts[@]}" >&2
+  rollback_release
   exit 1
 fi
 echo "Verified $have artifacts on the release"
 
+# Optional retention: set RETAIN_RELEASES=7 to keep the newest seven releases.
+# The default 0 disables pruning; never delete old releases implicitly.
+RETAIN_RELEASES="${RETAIN_RELEASES:-0}"
+if [[ "$RETAIN_RELEASES" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] && (( RETAIN_RELEASES > 0 )); then
+  echo "==> Pruning releases older than the newest $RETAIN_RELEASES"
+  releases_json="$(curl -sS "${AUTH[@]}" "$API?limit=50")"
+  while IFS= read -r old_id; do
+    [[ -z "$old_id" ]] && continue
+    echo "  removing release id $old_id"
+    curl -sS -X DELETE "${AUTH[@]}" "$API/$old_id" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  done < <(RELEASES_JSON="$releases_json" RETAIN="$RETAIN_RELEASES" python3 - <<'PYPRUNE'
+import json, os
+try:
+    data = json.loads(os.environ["RELEASES_JSON"])
+except Exception:
+    raise SystemExit
+keep = int(os.environ["RETAIN"])
+for release in sorted(data, key=lambda r: r.get("created_at", ""), reverse=True)[keep:]:
+    print(release.get("id", ""))
+PYPRUNE
+  )
+fi
+
 echo ""
 echo "Release live: $HOST/$REPO/releases/tag/$TAG"