Player-run learnings → sim improvement backlog

Living notes from exported telemetry (player_active_run.json, player_run_log.json).
Each section: what the player did, sim gap, suggested fix.

The Plague Doctor (bleed) — full clear 2026-07-10 16:49

Status: Cleared. 3111 score, ~12.5 min. 94/94 HP end, 12-card lean deck, 332 capital, 10 totems.

Source: player_run_log.json entry 2026-07-10 16:49, Outcome: cleared, 9 combats.

Sim baseline: run_sim.json — Plague Doctor 0% full_clear (heuristic + ideal, 80 trials).

HP carry vs sim

Sim never reaches MidTier boss on Plague Doctor; player cleared CEO at 0 gross damage, then survived −25 gross on Data Harvester and finished boss at net +18 (heals).

Route (this run)

Not Shredder/HR or Maintenance Drone/Surgical Unit — map RNG differs from other logged runs.

Final deck (12 cards)

Trimmed by end: all Injection and base Insurance removed (CEO R5 was last Injection play). Lean payoff deck, not inject spam.

Totems (10)

Ambulance Chaser, Bottomless Pot, Class Action Ledger, Deductible, Coffee Machine, Gradient Checkpoint, HMO Directory, Adversarial Patch, Generic Patent, Peak Load Reserve.

Sim likely under-models totem density (heal, block, bleed synergy) vs this run.

Combat gross damage (all 9 fights)

Validated deck / reward staples

Combat lines worth encoding

Family — Son (gross −2)
Generic Rx → Quarantine → Legal Loophole → (enemy blocks) → Insurance + Generic Rx → Legal Loophole kill.
Defer Injection until stacks or lethal math needs it.

Family — Nurse (gross −10)
R1 fortress: Quarantine + Generic Rx + Insurance Claim (22 block vs 15 incoming).
R2: Home Remedy → bleed → Injection. R3: double Legal Loophole.

Family — Mom boss (gross −1)
R1: Quarantine → Predictive Pricing+ → Legal Loophole → Generic Rx.
R2: Home Remedy (heal chip) → Legal Loophole kill.

MidTier — Claims Adjuster / Wall (gross −3)
R1: bleed setup + Insurance Claim but take 13 through 23 incoming (acceptable chip).
R2: Legal Loophole → Home Remedy → Injection — heal-then-continue.
R3: triple inject finish.

MidTier — Lobbyist (gross 0)
R1 burst: Predictive Pricing+ → Generic Rx → Malpractice Suit.
R2: Quarantine only (light telegraph).
R3: Backroom Deal + Premium Bleed (self-dmg enabler — enemy HP low).
R4: Home Remedy → Legal Loophole → Insurance Claim 24 block.
R5: Malpractice Suit lethal.

MidTier boss — Regional CEO (gross 0)
R1: Legal Loophole → Generic Rx ×2 (bleed setup; take 8 vs 12).
R2: Home Remedy → Predictive Pricing+ → Malpractice Suit (heal+dmg swing).
R3: Premium Bleed → Insurance Claim → Backroom Deal → Legal Loophole.
R4: Generic Rx → Quarantine → Insurance Claim (fortress on 4 incoming).
R5: Generic Rx → Predictive Pricing+ → Injection (last inject) → Home Remedy.
Pattern: IC on every threatened round after bleed stacked; Malpractice as tempo heal+dmg.

MegaCorp — Data Harvester (gross −25, run's worst fight)
R1 inc=20: Generic Rx → Quarantine (8 block) → Legal Loophole — accept 12 chip for bleed progress.
R2: Predictive Pricing+ → Generic Rx → Legal Loophole.
R3 inc=12: Malpractice Suit → Insurance Claim — stall but drop to 43 HP.
R4 inc=0: Home Remedy → Malpractice Suit — recovery turn (43→67).
R5: Injection kill.
Sim gap: no "recovery round" after failed fortress; no Malpractice+IC pairing under heavy bleed mirror.

MegaCorp — Orbital Coordinator (gross −8)
R1 inc=0: Premium Bleed → Quarantine → Backroom → Home Remedy+ → Generic Rx (full opener).
R2–R3: Home Remedy + Generic Rx through chip.
R4: Predictive Pricing+ finish.
Home Remedy+ is the MegaCorp power spike — reward/combat must value automation upgrade.

MegaCorp boss — Core Mind (gross −14 → net +18 with victory heal)
R1 inc=0: Predictive Pricing+ → Home Remedy → Home Remedy+ → Insurance Claim — 76→94 before enemy acts.
R2: Quarantine → Malpractice (chip to 81).
R3–R4: bleed setup + double Legal Loophole.
R5 inc=0: Insurance Claim (34 block) → Backroom Deal → Malpractice Suit → Home Remedy kill — same fortress→payoff→heal kill as Lobbyist.
Boss lesson: when incoming is 0, stack heals before damage; when threatened, IC at max stacks then controlled Backroom.

Enemy telemetry (sim parity)

• Wall R1: 23 incoming = Incomplete Form ×2 + Standard Consultation; predict_intent_cards aligns with EnemyOpeningHand.
• Lobbyist / CEO: intents shift each round; per-round EnemyIntents + EnemyOpeningHand essential.
• Data Harvester: heavy bleed mirror (Premium Bleed, Mandatory Fun, Blood Draw) — sim must model MegaCorp bleed DPS + chip acceptance.
• Core Mind: multi-round 0-incoming windows enable heal stacking — sim may always assume damage.

Implementation backlog (Plague Doctor)

Status: Implemented 2026-07-10 — ablation in plague_doctor_learned_ablation.json. Heuristic combat now routes bleed through plague_pick_for_sim (mirrors Hustler hustler_pick_for_sim wiring in combat_sim.py).

1. ~~ideal_combat.plague_pick_for_sim: Insurance Claim block prefer with 4 + 2×opp_bleed; chip acceptance; recovery turns; Malpractice→IC stall; 0-incoming heal stack; controlled Backroom.~~
2. ~~ideal_card_selection: PLAGUE_CARD_BONUS/penalty, mature-deck Injection deprioritize, sustain synergy.~~
3. ~~starter_archetypes: block_per_enemy_bleed reward key + play-order bonus; Injection removal bias.~~
4. ~~Totem density: ideal_run_policy target 10 late-run; bleed totem bonuses (Coffee Machine, Peak Load, etc.).~~
5. ~~Benchmark: benchmark_plague_doctor_learned_policy.py.~~

Ablation snapshot (80 trials): ideal_run Family F2 win 29% → 51%; heuristic Family F1 HP median 14.5 → 28. Full clear still 0% — next pass: heuristic bleed combat + reward shop tuning.

Helper script

scripts/summarize_run_combats.py — quick HP/gross/round-line dump for a player_run_log.json timestamp.

The Hustler (aggro/glasscannon) — cleared run 2026-07-10

See commit 892d5ea / hustler_learned_ablation.json. Summary:

• Sustain staples: Clinical Trial, Quantum Firewall, Stock Buyback, Carbon Credits.
• Block-first Backroom→Burnout pipeline; Shredder fortress turns.
• Family→MidTier HP carry improved 15 → 48 median boss entry in ablation.

Cross-archetype