Update test checklist for tick-based combat and status effect systems

Add test cases for: tick engine lifecycle, tick-based combat resolution,
NPC AI auto-engage, defend command, queued flee/use, status effects
(poison, regen, expiration), passive HP regen, combat RNG variance,
and movement lockout during combat. Update smoke test with tick-timing test.

Made-with: Cursor

TESTING.md

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Run through these checks before every commit to ensure consistent feature covera
 - [ ] Server starts: `RUST_LOG=info ./target/debug/mudserver`
 - [ ] World loads all rooms, NPCs, objects, races, classes (check log output)
 - [ ] Database opens (or creates) successfully
+- [ ] Tick engine starts and logs tick rate
 
 ## Character Creation
 - [ ] New player SSH → gets chargen flow (race + class selection)
@@ -20,12 +21,14 @@ Run through these checks before every commit to ensure consistent feature covera
 ## Player Persistence
 - [ ] Reconnecting player skips chargen, sees "Welcome back!"
 - [ ] Room, stats, inventory, equipment all restored from DB
+- [ ] Status effects do NOT persist across sessions (cleared on login)
 - [ ] Verify with: `sqlite3 mudserver.db "SELECT * FROM players;"`
 
 ## Movement & Navigation
 - [ ] `go north`, `n`, `south`, `s`, etc. all work
 - [ ] Invalid direction shows error
 - [ ] Room view shows: NPCs (colored by attitude), objects, exits, other players
+- [ ] Cannot move while in combat (combat lockout)
 
 ## NPC Interaction
 - [ ] `examine <npc>` shows description, stats, attitude label
@@ -33,23 +36,61 @@ Run through these checks before every commit to ensure consistent feature covera
 - [ ] `talk <hostile>` shows snarl message
 - [ ] Dead NPCs don't appear in room view
 
-## Combat
-- [ ] `attack <aggressive/hostile npc>` initiates combat
+## Combat - Tick-Based
+- [ ] `attack <aggressive/hostile npc>` enters combat state
 - [ ] Can't attack friendly/neutral NPCs
-- [ ] Combat rounds show damage dealt and received
+- [ ] Combat rounds resolve automatically on server ticks (not on command)
+- [ ] Player receives tick-by-tick combat output (damage dealt, damage taken)
+- [ ] Default combat action is "attack" if no other action queued
+- [ ] `defend` / `def` sets defensive stance (reduced incoming damage next tick)
 - [ ] NPC death: awards XP, shifts attitude -10, shifts faction -5
-- [ ] Player death: respawns at spawn room with full HP
+- [ ] Player death: respawns at spawn room with full HP, combat cleared
 - [ ] NPCs respawn after configured time
-- [ ] Combat lockout: can only attack/flee/look/quit during combat
-- [ ] `flee` exits combat
+- [ ] Combat lockout: can only attack/defend/flee/look/use/quit during combat
+- [ ] `flee` queues escape attempt — may fail based on stats
+- [ ] `use <item>` in combat queues item use for next tick
+- [ ] Multiple ticks of combat resolve correctly without player input
+- [ ] Combat ends when NPC dies (player exits combat state)
+- [ ] Combat ends when player flees successfully
+
+## Combat - NPC AI
+- [ ] Hostile NPCs auto-engage players who enter their room
+- [ ] Aggressive NPCs do NOT auto-engage (only attackable, not initiating)
+- [ ] NPC attacks resolve on tick alongside player attacks
+- [ ] NPCs in combat continue attacking even if player sends no commands
+
+## Combat - RNG
+- [ ] Damage varies between hits (not identical each time)
+- [ ] Multiple rapid attacks produce different damage values
 
 ## Items
 - [ ] `take <item>` picks up takeable objects
 - [ ] `drop <item>` places item in room
 - [ ] `equip <weapon/armor>` works, old gear returns to inventory
-- [ ] `use <consumable>` heals and removes item
+- [ ] `use <consumable>` heals and removes item (immediate out of combat)
+- [ ] `use <consumable>` in combat queues for next tick
 - [ ] `inventory` shows equipped + bag items
 
+## Status Effects
+- [ ] Poison deals damage each tick, shows message to player
+- [ ] Regeneration heals each tick, shows message to player
+- [ ] Status effects expire after their duration (in ticks)
+- [ ] `stats` command shows active status effects and remaining duration
+- [ ] Multiple status effects can be active simultaneously
+- [ ] Status effects cleared on player death/respawn
+
+## Passive Regeneration
+- [ ] Players out of combat slowly regenerate HP over ticks
+- [ ] Regeneration does not occur while in combat
+- [ ] HP does not exceed max_hp
+
+## Tick Engine
+- [ ] Tick runs at configured interval (~2 seconds)
+- [ ] Tick processes: NPC AI → combat rounds → status effects → respawns → regen
+- [ ] Tick output is delivered to players promptly
+- [ ] Server remains responsive to immediate commands between ticks
+- [ ] Multiple players in separate combats are processed independently per tick
+
 ## Attitude System
 - [ ] Per-player NPC attitudes stored in DB
 - [ ] `examine` shows attitude label per-player
@@ -150,6 +191,24 @@ ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -p 2222 newplaye
 quit
 EOF
 
+# Test 6: Tick-based combat (connect and wait for ticks)
+./target/debug/mudtool settings set registration_open true
+./target/debug/mudtool players delete smoketest
+ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -p 2222 smoketest@localhost <<'EOF'
+1
+1
+go south
+go south
+attack thief
+EOF
+# Wait for several combat ticks to resolve
+sleep 8
+ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -p 2222 smoketest@localhost <<'EOF'
+stats
+quit
+EOF
+# Verify XP changed (combat happened via ticks)
+
 # Cleanup
 ./target/debug/mudtool settings set registration_open true
 ./target/debug/mudtool players delete smoketest