skyrim-ship-gate

Skyrim ship gate

Required gates

Version gate: active version, changelog, and ownership are correct.
Diff gate: no unrelated or deployed files were modified.
Plugin gate: run forge plugin-info and skyrim-plugin-authoring/scripts/audit_plugin_headers.py for every plugin. Header success is structural only.
Papyrus gate: changed scripts compile and packaged PEX files match the current build.
Runtime-config gate: structural and semantic audits pass; installed framework versions are recorded.
Native gate: every supported DLL target builds and its dependencies are inspected.
Asset gate: referenced paths exist and generated outputs are identified.
FOMOD gate: XML parses and referenced sources exist.
Archive gate: run scripts/validate_release_tree.py; inspect the final root manually.
Disclosure gate: list in-game or GUI tests that were not performed.

Target-aware plugin gate

Accept HEDR 1.70 or 1.71 when it matches the declared runtime/backport target. Reject an unexplained mismatch, not either value in isolation. Apply the legacy 0x800-0xFFF or extended light-ID policy accordingly.

Completion report

INPUTS: required_files=present|missing | attachments=present|missing
MEMORY CHECK: entries=... applied=...
AUTHORITY: installed=... parent=... active=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL
VERSION GATE: prior=... active=... copied_files=... changelog=YES|NO RESULT=PASS|FAIL
EXACT BUILD/COMPILE: command=... dependencies=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL|UNBUILT|N/A
FRAMEWORK VALIDATION: evidence=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL|N/A
SEMANTIC TEST: symptom/player-visible result=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL|UNTESTED
SHIP GATE: command=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL|N/A
FINAL ARCHIVE: path=... sha256=... version_strings=PASS|FAIL|N/A
RUNTIME STATUS: user-confirmed-runtime | runtime-evidenced | tool-validated | assistant-claimed | contradicted
SSEEDIT/CK: not launched
UNRESOLVED: none | exact remaining risks

Evidence-derived release gates

Add these mandatory lines to the verdict:

AUTHORITY: installed=... parent=... active=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL
EXACT BUILD: command=... dependencies=... RESULT=PASS|FAIL|UNBUILT|N/A
SEMANTIC TEST: user symptom/player-visible behavior RESULT=PASS|FAIL|UNTESTED
FINAL ARCHIVE: path=... sha256=... version_strings=PASS|FAIL

A parser pass, compile pass, or loader discovery cannot substitute for semantic/runtime evidence. Exclude developer-only artifacts unless the release explicitly includes a separate symbols package.

V4 plugin master gate

For every generated or changed plugin:

audit HEDR, ESL flag, record form versions, local-ID mode, master indices, and HEDR count;
fail extended local IDs below 0x800 unless HEDR is 1.71 and Skyrim.esm is first master;
when master files are available, pass --master-root and validate 1.71 dependency compatibility plus transitive master ordering;
do not call a plugin runtime-valid from header checks alone.

V4 framework gate

Run the framework linter for every _KID.ini, _DISTR.ini, _SWAP.ini, or SkyPatcher tree. Run the CDF JSON linter for Container Distribution Framework rules. Confirm suffixes, supported keys, field-specific grammar, category placement, exact resolved forms, and runtime logs.

Mandatory regression fixtures include:

SPID Weapon = rejected and Item = accepted;
SPID 65/ rejected while -C/-D and 18! remain accepted;
eight SPID sections rejected;
comma TraitFilters rejected;
BOS whitespace inside transform arguments rejected;
CDF wildcard-like add strings rejected;
manager bookkeeping markers rejected from release trees.

Runtime-log reconciliation gate

For every shipped runtime framework, record:

files_discovered
rows_or_rules_read
rows_or_rules_accepted
rows_or_rules_rejected
unresolved_forms
optional_rules_skipped
features_disabled
conflicts_reported

A release fails when an intended feature family has zero accepted rows, every target is unresolved, or its required feature descriptor is disabled.

Manager-bookkeeping gate

Public and deployable archives must not contain:

__folder_managed_by_vortex
__folder_managed_by_vortex.json
meta.ini
*.meta

Fix the source package and redeploy. Do not treat deletion from live Data as a release fix.

Validator integrity gate

Before changing a shipping config because a linter failed:

compare the finding against the exact installed parser and runtime log;
treat publication as evidence, not authority;
do not modify runtime-accepted data solely to make a validator green;
require a production-path fixture that invokes the same CLI/auditor used by the ship gate;
fail the skill pack when a documented mandatory check is absent from the actual production tool.

Mandatory V4.3 fixtures include:

BOS auditor detects rotR(147.9, 355.9, 82.7);
SPID accepts ExclusiveGroup, DeathItem, and linked key families;
SPID/KID trailing semicolon comments do not corrupt fields;
KID accepts its special ExclusiveGroup key;
ordinary KID blank types and record signatures remain rejected under KID 4.0.6.