{
  "code": "SIM-03",
  "slug": "deterministic-scenario-comparison",
  "title": "Deterministic Scenario Comparison",
  "category": "Simulation and Testing",
  "status": "Current",
  "version": "2.0.4-wip",
  "summary": "Compares two decision branches from the same mission, starting state, evidence packet, authority, role allocation, and visible seed.",
  "keywords": [
    "branch comparison",
    "deterministic",
    "seed",
    "event log",
    "difference report"
  ],
  "mission_phases": [
    "Task",
    "Plan",
    "Access",
    "Collect",
    "Validate",
    "Deliver",
    "Extract",
    "Debrief"
  ],
  "canonical": "https://iarpg.com/standard/deterministic-scenario-comparison",
  "json": "https://iarpg.com/records/deterministic-scenario-comparison.json",
  "requirements": [
    {
      "level": "MUST",
      "text": "Use the same normalized starting package and deterministic seed for both compared branches."
    },
    {
      "level": "MUST",
      "text": "Explain every divergent state transition, meter change, evidence outcome, extraction state, and debrief conclusion."
    },
    {
      "level": "SHOULD",
      "text": "Produce a normalized JSON comparison artifact and accessible nonvisual difference table."
    },
    {
      "level": "MAY",
      "text": "Allow a designer to replay either branch inside the simulator."
    }
  ],
  "research": [
    {
      "label": "Agent-based validation",
      "href": "/docs/report/monetary-architecture-genesis-allowance-and-economic-stabilization#simulation-validation-plan",
      "note": "Controlled scenario tests reveal unstable decision and economic behavior."
    },
    {
      "label": "Verification loops",
      "href": "/docs/report/hallucinated-ai-quest-design-in-vr-mmorpgs#sanity-check-mechanics-and-skill-based-detection",
      "note": "Branch comparisons show the impact of corroboration versus unverified acceptance."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "deterministic-mission-state-machines",
    "simulation-conformance",
    "mission-event-logging",
    "contradiction-handling"
  ],
  "release": "IARPG-OPS-2",
  "revised_utc": "2026-07-20T12:04:07Z",
  "purpose": "Compares two decision branches from the same mission, starting state, evidence packet, authority, role allocation, and visible seed.",
  "rationale": "The operations design system requires portable, inspectable, recoverable records so mission decisions and consequences can be reviewed across tools and release boundaries.",
  "game_interaction": [
    "Review structured record",
    "Load related local tool",
    "Inspect standards and report links",
    "Export normalized JSON",
    "Record UTC result"
  ],
  "inputs": [
    "Mission or package identifier",
    "Applicable authority and roles",
    "Evidence and state records",
    "Release and conformance metadata"
  ],
  "outputs": [
    "Human-readable publication view",
    "Machine-readable JSON",
    "Reason-coded validation findings",
    "Deep links to related standards and reports"
  ],
  "state_transitions": [
    "Input loaded → validated → edited or compared → exported or preserved"
  ],
  "evidence_and_provenance": [
    "Record UTC timestamps, source identifiers, component versions, and reason codes.",
    "Preserve evidence class boundaries and unknown extension data."
  ],
  "ui_requirements": [
    "Provide compact metadata and clear status.",
    "Provide local import and export without server transmission.",
    "Provide structured fallback for visual representations."
  ],
  "accessibility_requirements": [
    "Support keyboard operation and visible focus.",
    "Provide live validation status and print-readable output."
  ],
  "telemetry_events": [
    "Local tool may expose an exportable event record; no user content is transmitted by this publication."
  ],
  "abuse_and_exploit_cases": [
    "Silent field loss",
    "Non-deterministic replay",
    "False conformance claim",
    "Unreviewable transformation"
  ],
  "failure_behavior": "Reject invalid structure with explicit findings, preserve the original input, and never discard unknown fields silently.",
  "recovery_behavior": "Allow the user to repair input, restore a local draft, export preserved unmapped data, or restart from a published fixture.",
  "example_implementation": "The /compare interface demonstrates this record using PHP, vanilla JavaScript, local JSON, and browser APIs.",
  "roles": [
    "Operative",
    "Handler",
    "Intelligence Analyst",
    "Technical Operator",
    "Counterintelligence Officer",
    "Liaison Officer",
    "Logistics Specialist",
    "Source Handler"
  ],
  "authority_types": [
    "Civil administration",
    "Military command",
    "Commercial intelligence service",
    "International verification body",
    "Scientific or infrastructure consortium",
    "Independent investigative network"
  ],
  "collection_disciplines": [
    "Human-source",
    "Technical",
    "Open-source",
    "Liaison",
    "Observation"
  ],
  "interaction_types": [
    "Review",
    "Validate",
    "Compare",
    "Export",
    "Handoff"
  ],
  "evidence_requirement": "Component IDs and provenance",
  "conformance_level": "Level D — Simulatable",
  "implementation_maturity": "WIP implemented",
  "related_examples": [
    "port-access-anomaly-investigation",
    "cross-border-ceasefire-verification"
  ],
  "revision_history": [
    {
      "version": "2.0.2-wip",
      "date_utc": "2026-07-19T16:42:07Z",
      "change": "Initial publication for the IARPG-OPS-2 operation-package lifecycle."
    },
    {
      "version": "2.0.3-wip",
      "date_utc": "2026-07-19T18:45:50Z",
      "note": "Reviewed for integrity-aware package verification, merge, multi-role replay, custody comparison, batch review, backup, publication preview, and release-promotion workflows."
    },
    {
      "version": "2.0.4-wip",
      "date_utc": "2026-07-20T12:04:07Z",
      "note": "Reviewed for canonicalization, round-trip portability, recovery, provenance, compatibility, accessibility, hosting evidence, and stable-promotion gates."
    }
  ]
}