feat(hiring): Phase B -- source/interview/offer/onboard pipeline

docs/game-design/RESEARCHER_QUIRKS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+# Researcher Quirks
+
+*The hidden-but-true rider layer on researchers. Replaces the retired placeholder
+"trait / perk" system.*
+
+Status: implemented on `feat/hiring-phase-b-pipeline` (PR #664). Data:
+`godot/data/researchers/quirks.json`. Loader: `godot/scripts/core/quirk_catalogue.gd`.
+Model: `godot/scripts/core/researcher.gd` (`quirk`, `quirk_known`, `quirk_effect()`).
+
+## What a quirk is
+
+A **quirk** is a rare, thematically-grounded lab archetype riding on a researcher: a
+philosophical stance, a working style, a political tic. Each carries a **small, legible
+mechanical effect** and is **hidden but TRUE** -- it is real from the moment the researcher
+is created; play only *reveals* it. The sim never lies (BUILD_BRIEF_HIRING_PIPELINE.md:
+"Hidden info is TRUE-but-incomplete -- interviewing reveals, it does not fabricate"). A
+leaker leaks from day one; you just do not yet know *who* or *why*.
+
+Quirks sit alongside, but are distinct from, the five **appetites**
+(compute / prestige / mentees / money / mission_purity, ADR-0011 sec.8). An appetite is a
+0..1 negotiation hunger revealed by *interviewing*; a quirk is a discrete rider revealed by
+an *exposure* (an incident, or simply time on the team) -- **never** by the interview ladder
+(A2). A fully-interviewed hire can still be hiding a quirk.
+
+Register is held to Papers-Please deadpan: **"bother," not HR gravity** (WORLD_AND_LORE.md).
+Quirks are archetype-flavours, never portraits of real people (the event-horizon guardrail).
+
+## The catalogue (14 quirks)
+
+Valence key: `+` positive, `-` negative, `+/-` double-edged (the best ones cut both ways).
+
+| # | id | name | v | one-line flavour | hidden effect (legible once revealed) | appetite | reveal |
+|---|----|------|---|------------------|----------------------------------------|----------|--------|
+| 1 | `secret_successionist` | Secret Successionist | - | Believes the machines should inherit the earth -- and is quietly at peace with it. | ships fast (+12% own productivity) but quietly discounts safety (+0.04 doom) | mission_purity | incident (an old commit's half-joke manifesto) |
+| 2 | `doom_absolutist` | Doom Absolutist | +/- | P(doom) is 0.99 and they will cc the whole company to say so. | their diligence lowers doom (-0.06) but the moralizing drags the room (-3% team) | mission_purity | tenure (~8 turns) |
+| 3 | `e_acc_sympathizer` | e/acc Sympathizer | - | Wants to feel the AGI. "Also helps safety, really." | burns compute, ships (+15% own) but pushes danger (+0.05 doom) | compute | incident (unsanctioned scaling run) |
+| 4 | `open_science_zealot` | Open-Science Zealot | +/- | Information wants to be free; the NDA was a suggestion. | spreads knowledge (+2% team) but leaks on principle (3%/turn) | prestige | leak (a preprint legal never saw) |
+| 5 | `secrecy_maximalist` | Secrecy Maximalist | +/- | Compartmentalizes everything, including from you. | heads-down focus (+5% own) but silos the team (-4% team) | mission_purity | tenure (~6 turns) |
+| 6 | `empire_builder` | Empire Builder | +/- | Every problem is solved by hiring three more reports. | grows the team (+4% team) but drives everyone hard (+0.3 burnout/turn) | prestige | tenure (~7 turns) |
+| 7 | `runs_hot` | Runs Hot | +/- | Ships twice the work and burns at twice the rate. | +20% own productivity, +2.0 burnout/turn | -- | tenure (~6 turns) |
+| 8 | `lab_parent` | Lab Parent | + | The one who actually onboards the juniors nobody else will. | +6% productivity to the whole team | mentees | tenure (~5 turns) |
+| 9 | `loose_lips` | Loose Lips | - | A delightful conversationalist with a poor sense of what was confidential. | 5%/turn chance to leak research | prestige | leak (a detail in a rival deck) |
+| 10 | `sponge` | Sponge | + | Absorbs a whole subfield over a long weekend. | 2.5x skill-growth rate | mentees | tenure (~10 turns) |
+| 11 | `cat_whisperer` | Cat Whisperer | + | The office cat is calmest at their desk -- a small mercy against the doom. | +3% team, -0.5 burnout/turn (cancels the base) | -- | tenure (~4 turns) |
+| 12 | `glory_hound` | Glory Hound | - | First author or no author; co-authors are load-bearing furniture. | +10% own but demoralizes co-authors (-4% team) | prestige | incident (authorship dispute) |
+| 13 | `quiet_quitter` | Quiet Quitter | - | Present, paid, and quietly checked out. | -15% own productivity, -1 loyalty/turn (flight risk) | money | tenure (~6 turns) |
+| 14 | `true_believer` | True Believer | + | Would do this for free, and nearly does; recruiters bounce off. | -0.04 doom, +1 loyalty/turn (poach-resistant) | mission_purity | tenure (~8 turns) |
+
+Deliberate spread: 4 positive, 5 negative, 5 double-edged. The two secrecy poles
+(`open_science_zealot` vs `secrecy_maximalist`) and the three mission-purity registers
+(`true_believer` / `doom_absolutist` / `secret_successionist`) map the doomer-vs-accelerationist
+axis onto real hiring dilemmas.
+
+## Effect channels
+
+A quirk's effect is a small fixed set of keys the sim reads through
+`Researcher.quirk_effect(key, default)`. No stat soup -- each quirk touches one or two:
+
+| channel | default | where it hooks | sign meaning |
+|---------|---------|----------------|--------------|
+| `self_productivity_mult` | 1.0 | `get_effective_productivity()` | >1 faster, <1 slower |
+| `burnout_per_turn_add` | 0.0 | `process_turn()` (on top of base 0.5) | + burns, - relieves |
+| `doom_mod_add` | 0.0 | `get_doom_modifier()` | + raises doom, - lowers |
+| `leak_chance` | 0.0 | `turn_manager` roster loop | per-turn leak probability |
+| `team_productivity_add` | 0.0 | `turn_manager` team bonus | + lifts team, - drags it |
+| `skill_growth_mult` | 1.0 | `process_turn()` skill roll | >1 grows faster |
+| `loyalty_per_turn_add` | 0 | `process_turn()` loyalty drift | + retains, - flight-risk |
+
+These are the **exact hook points the retired traits used**, so wiring quirks in was a swap,
+not new sim surface. The effect is live even while the quirk is hidden -- the player observes
+the *output* (a leak, a productivity dip) before learning the *cause*.
+
+## Reveal mechanics
+
+Quirks flip `quirk_known` (never fabricated -- the value pre-exists) via:
+
+1. **Tenure fallback (deterministic, always present).** Every quirk carries
+   `reveal.after_turns`; once `turns_employed` reaches it, `process_turn()` surfaces the
+   quirk (`maybe_reveal_quirk_by_tenure()`). This guarantees no rider stays invisible
+   forever, and is fully seed-reproducible (ADR-0006).
+2. **Leak incident.** When a leak-risk quirk (`leak_chance > 0`) actually fires a leak,
+   `turn_manager` calls `expose_quirk()` that turn -- the incident names the culprit.
+3. **Exposure events.** `reveal.via = "incident"` quirks are tagged for the existing
+   ADR-0003 exposure-event genre (`expose_quirk()`); the tenure fallback still guarantees
+   eventual reveal until a bespoke event exists.
+
+Interviewing (the reveal ladder) deliberately does **not** surface quirks (A2 contract,
+`test_quirk_hidden_even_when_fully_interviewed`).
+
+## Starters (the "starter pokemon")
+
+The four turn-0 founders each get a **guaranteed hidden rider** (`game_state.gd
+_assign_guaranteed_rider`): a coin-flip between a strong appetite and a **catalogue quirk**
+(`QuirkCatalogue.pick_id`). Riders start hidden; the depth is latent for late-game drama.
+
+## Determinism (ADR-0006)
+
+- Assignment draws only from the seeded RNG. `QuirkCatalogue.pick_id()` indexes a **sorted**
+  id list, so the pick is independent of JSON/Dictionary iteration order.
+- In `generate_random`, the quirk draw reuses the same two hidden-RNG draws (chance +
+  index) the old pool used, so the RNG stream is byte-identical downstream -- only the
+  resulting id changes.
+- `quirk` / `quirk_known` serialize in `to_dict`/`from_dict` and round-trip through JSON.
+- Replay verification (`test_replay_verification`) is run-vs-replay, and both tiers pass.
+
+## Legacy traits: retired vs kept-reframed
+
+The old `POSITIVE_TRAITS` / `NEGATIVE_TRAITS` dicts, the `traits` array, `add_trait` /
+`has_trait` / `get_trait_description`, and the dead `_assign_random_traits` assigner are
+**removed**. Their effect hooks were repointed at the quirk channels above. Pip: "happy to
+move away from the perk thinking ... very placeholdery and shallowly designed."
+
+**Kept by reframing into a quirk** (the ones worth keeping):
+
+| legacy trait | -> quirk | why kept |
+|--------------|----------|----------|
+| `workaholic` (+prod, +burnout) | `runs_hot` | the cleanest double-edged; classic |
+| `team_player` (+team prod) | `lab_parent` | team-wide lift, now with a mentees tie-in |
+| `leak_prone` (leaks) | `loose_lips` | anchors the secrecy/leaks theme |
+| `fast_learner` (skill growth) | `sponge` | keeps the growth-over-time hook |
+| `safety_conscious` (-doom) | folded into `true_believer` | doom-diligence, now with loyalty |
+
+**Retired outright** (shallow / redundant / tied to other systems):
+`prima_donna` (salary-threshold micro-penalty), `burnout_prone` (subsumed by `runs_hot` /
+per-quirk burnout), `pessimist` (flat morale hit, no depth), `media_savvy` (paper-quality /
+reputation bonus -- a press-facing quirk can re-add it later via a dedicated channel),
+`road_warrior` (jet-lag-specific; the jet-lag system stands on its own).
+
+## Follow-ups (not in this pass)
+
+- Bespoke exposure *events* per `incident` quirk (currently tenure-fallback only).
+- The placeholder staff-perks panels (`staff_perks_panel.gd`, `staff_perks_compact.gd`)
+  are decoupled from the removed `traits` field and now show empty slots; a future pass can
+  rebuild them on the quirk layer (or delete them).
+- A press/reputation channel to re-home the retired `media_savvy` effect.

godot/autoload/event_service.gd

@@ -463,6 +463,15 @@ func _transform_event(raw: Dictionary) -> Dictionary:
 		"cooldown_turns": rarity_settings.get("cooldown_turns", 20)
 	}
 
+	# P0 feed-flooding fix (playtest 2026-07-17): the entire arxiv/technical-research-breakthrough
+	# deck (200+ entries) fires as flavour and drowns real, actionable events in the feed. Demote
+	# that stream to its own low-severity "flavour" channel on the FEED tier so it never demands a
+	# decision and can be filtered out of the default feed view. Conservative match: only arxiv_*
+	# ids and the technical_research_breakthrough category (genuine policy/incident events untouched).
+	if _is_flavour_event(raw, category):
+		game_event["delivery_tier"] = "feed"
+		game_event["channel"] = "flavour"
+
 	# Add reactions if present (for UI display)
 	if raw.has("safety_researcher_reaction"):
 		game_event["safety_researcher_reaction"] = raw["safety_researcher_reaction"]
@@ -476,6 +485,15 @@ func _transform_event(raw: Dictionary) -> Dictionary:
 	return game_event
 
 
+func _is_flavour_event(raw: Dictionary, category: String) -> bool:
+	"""True for the low-stakes arxiv/research-breakthrough flavour stream that floods the feed.
+	Kept deliberately narrow so real events (policy, incidents, org founding) are never demoted."""
+	if category.to_lower() == "technical_research_breakthrough":
+		return true
+	var id_str := str(raw.get("id", ""))
+	return id_str.begins_with("arxiv")
+
+
 func _calculate_significance(raw: Dictionary) -> int:
 	"""Calculate significance score from impacts array"""
 	if not raw.has("impacts") or not raw["impacts"] is Array:

godot/data/actions/core.json

@@ -126,6 +126,41 @@
 			"costs": {},
 			"category": "influence",
 			"is_submenu": true
+		},
+		{
+			"id": "advertise",
+			"name": "Advertise a Role",
+			"description": "SOURCE: spend money + Attention to run a hiring campaign. Candidates trickle into the pool over the coming months (also raises your visibility).",
+			"costs": {},
+			"category": "hiring"
+		},
+		{
+			"id": "use_connections",
+			"name": "Work Your Connections",
+			"description": "SOURCE: spend a favor (reputation) + Attention for one fast, pre-vetted lead. Success scales with your standing; the favor is spent whether or not it lands.",
+			"costs": {},
+			"category": "hiring"
+		},
+		{
+			"id": "interview_next",
+			"name": "Interview a Candidate",
+			"description": "INTERVIEW: spend Attention to interview the least-known pool candidate (triage). Reveals more of their card after a few days. Hiring blind is legal but leaves more hidden.",
+			"costs": {},
+			"category": "hiring"
+		},
+		{
+			"id": "hire_best",
+			"name": "Make an Offer",
+			"description": "OFFER: offer at expectation to the strongest available candidate. They decide after a couple of days; if in range they accept, then onboard before becoming productive.",
+			"costs": {},
+			"category": "hiring"
+		},
+		{
+			"id": "onboard_next",
+			"name": "Onboard New Hires",
+			"description": "ONBOARD: spend Attention (+ money) on the checklist (laptop, visa, mentoring). Un-onboarded hires are barely productive; skipping mentoring risks early attrition.",
+			"costs": {},
+			"category": "hiring"
 		}
 	]
 }

godot/data/balance/defaults.json

@@ -32,7 +32,23 @@
 		"desperation_payroll": { "severity_base": 1200.0, "severity_spread": 800.0, "fuse_turns": 55, "interest_rate": 0.008 },
 		"staff_rider": { "principal": 1200.0, "fuse_turns": 88, "interest_rate": 0.001 },
 		"blackmail": { "principal_multiplier": 1.5, "fuse_turns": 22, "interest_rate": 0.02 },
-		"expose": { "rep_per_1000": 2.5, "governance_multiplier": 0.5 }
+		"expose": { "rep_per_1000": 2.5, "governance_multiplier": 0.5 },
+		"promise": {
+			"_description": "fix/promise-currency (Option B): appetite promises cost a FUTURE OBLIGATION IN THEIR OWN DOMAIN, never raw reputation. The old reputation-currency principal vs a starting rep of 50 (death at rep<=0) was an instant-death trap. Magnitudes are small/survivable; interest 0.0 (obligations, not compounding mortality levers). first_authorship->papers, compute_budget->compute, mission/mentorship->governance.",
+			"first_authorship": { "principal": 1.0, "fuse_turns": 10, "interest_rate": 0.0 },
+			"compute_budget": { "principal": 20.0, "fuse_turns": 8, "interest_rate": 0.0 },
+			"mission_charter": { "principal": 6.0, "fuse_turns": 12, "interest_rate": 0.0 },
+			"mentorship": { "principal": 4.0, "fuse_turns": 10, "interest_rate": 0.0 }
+		},
+		"resentment_debt": { "principal": 1500.0, "fuse_turns": 6, "interest_rate": 0.02 }
+	},
+	"hiring": {
+		"_description": "Hiring pipeline (BUILD_BRIEF_HIRING_PIPELINE Phase B): source -> interview -> offer -> onboard. Every stage is Attention-gated and duration-bearing (ADR-0009). advertise = money + slow multi-month trickle; connections = a reputation favor for one fast pre-vetted lead (success scales with standing). offer.* is the hidden self-worth range; onboarding.* gates a new hire's productivity.",
+		"advertise": { "cost_money": 8000.0, "cost_attention": 3, "campaign_months": 3, "per_month_min": 0, "per_month_max": 2, "reputation_gain": 1.0 },
+		"connections": { "cost_reputation": 6.0, "cost_attention": 2, "duration_ticks": 2, "rep_for_certainty": 80.0, "min_success": 0.05, "max_success": 0.95, "prevet_skill_min": 5, "prevet_skill_max": 8 },
+		"interview": { "cost_attention": 2, "duration_ticks": 3, "reveal_step": 1 },
+		"offer": { "cost_attention": 1, "duration_ticks": 2, "base_tolerance": 0.15, "money_appetite_weight": 0.5, "promise_discount": 0.20, "reject_scale": 2.0, "resentment_loyalty_penalty": 15, "read_spread": 0.06, "recruiter_min_skill": 4 },
+		"onboarding": { "foreign_modulo": 4, "laptop_money": 3000.0, "laptop_attention": 1, "visa_money": 5000.0, "visa_attention": 2, "mentoring_money": 0.0, "mentoring_attention": 2, "unproductive_multiplier": 0.4, "skimped_multiplier": 0.85, "attrition_risk": 0.15 }
 	},
 	"doom": {
 		"_description": "Doom momentum + per-source coefficients (doom_system.gd) and player-facing status cutoffs. Momentum is a low-commitment SWITCH (#638 ruling): momentum_enabled 0/1 kills the contribution, momentum_weight scales it; internal accumulators keep ticking while disabled so mid-run toggles behave.",