Scenario Selection Guide

Guide Maps

graph LR
  default["Default scenario"] --> semantics["Core ownership and walkthrough"]
  retirement["Retirement scenario"] --> lifecycle["Full lifecycle cleanup"]
  rate["Rate-of-change scenario"] --> policy["Alternate evaluation seam"]

flowchart LR
  question["What do you want to learn or review?"] --> scenario["Choose the matching local scenario"]
  scenario --> route["Run the matching command or bundle route"]
  route --> proof["Open the matching guide or test surface"]

Use this guide when the capstone now offers several local scenarios and you want the smallest honest one for the question in front of you.

Scenario matrix

Scenario	Best question	Best route	Best companion proof
default scenario	how the capstone's main ownership story works end to end	make demo, make inspect, SCENARIO_GUIDE.md	lifecycle, application, and runtime tests
retirement scenario	what retirement changes in authoritative and derived state	make inspect-retirement, RETIREMENT_SCENARIO_GUIDE.md	lifecycle and runtime tests
rate-of-change scenario	whether the policy seam is real instead of decorative	make inspect-rate-of-change, RATE_OF_CHANGE_SCENARIO_GUIDE.md	evaluation tests
structured snapshot	how to diff or script the default scenario state	make inspect-json, snapshot.json	CLI tests and bundle review

Best entry by learner need

• start with the default scenario if the capstone is still new
• jump to the retirement scenario if the lifecycle story still feels incomplete
• jump to the rate-of-change scenario if evaluation variability still feels hand-wavy
• use the structured snapshot if the story is already clear and you need machine-readable review

Best companion guides

• read TARGET_GUIDE.md when you want the command choice restated at the target level
• read BUNDLE_GUIDE.md when the scenario should be reviewed through saved directories
• read COURSE_STAGE_MAP.md when you want the scenario choice tied back to the wider course