From ba5c1c5d2576d562d4f44808eed403b48be3b634 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: legop3 <minecratfd8@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:58:32 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] dont stop assignments for help rovers, just allow people to
 leave them.

---
 .../services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.js   |  5 +++
 .../roverManager/roverLifecycle.test.js       | 41 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 46 insertions(+)

diff --git a/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.js b/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.js
index 31cbe056..59fe9608 100644
--- a/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.js
+++ b/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.js
@@ -184,6 +184,11 @@ function createRoverLifecycle(deps) {
     const currentRecord = rovers.get(currentId);
     if (!currentRecord) return { ok: true, currentId };
     if (hasOtherDrivers(currentRecord, socket.id)) return { ok: true, currentId };
+    // HELP means the normal dock-before-leaving requirement has failed to
+    // resolve the rover's situation and a person may need to take a different
+    // rover instead. This exception changes departure only; request eligibility
+    // and automatic assignment ranking remain owned by their existing paths.
+    if (currentRecord.needsHelp) return { ok: true, currentId };
     if (isDockedAndCharging(currentRecord)) return { ok: true, currentId };
     return { ok: false, currentId, message: 'Dock and charge your current rover before switching.' };
   }
diff --git a/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.test.js b/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.test.js
index a4fa379a..c7564378 100644
--- a/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.test.js
+++ b/server/src/services/roverManager/roverLifecycle.test.js
@@ -57,3 +57,44 @@ test('removing a rover clears driver sets, reverse membership, rooms, and turns'
     { socketId, roverId, action: 'remove' },
   ]);
 });
+
+test('the last driver may leave an undocked HELP rover but not an ordinary undocked rover', () => {
+  const roverId = 'rover-help';
+  const socketId = 'driver-help';
+  const socket = { id: socketId };
+  const record = {
+    id: roverId,
+    drivers: new Set([socketId]),
+    needsHelp: false,
+    // A present but explicitly non-charging frame exercises the real policy
+    // boundary instead of accidentally passing through missing rover state.
+    lastSensor: {
+      decoded: {
+        chargingSources: { homeBase: false },
+        chargingState: { code: 0 },
+      },
+    },
+  };
+  const lifecycle = createRoverLifecycle({
+    io: { sockets: { sockets: new Map() } },
+    rovers: new Map([[roverId, record]]),
+    socketToRovers: new Map([[socketId, new Set([roverId])]]),
+    managerEvents: new EventEmitter(),
+    turnService: {},
+    isAdmin: () => false,
+    sendAlert: () => {},
+    ALERT_COLOR: '#000000',
+    getMode: () => 'public',
+    getControlDenialReason: () => null,
+  });
+
+  const ordinaryResult = lifecycle.canLeaveCurrentRover(socket);
+  assert.equal(ordinaryResult.ok, false);
+  assert.equal(ordinaryResult.message, 'Dock and charge your current rover before switching.');
+
+  // Mutating only the server-owned HELP flag proves that no docking, driver,
+  // role, or assignment condition is being weakened as part of the exception.
+  record.needsHelp = true;
+  const helpResult = lifecycle.canLeaveCurrentRover(socket);
+  assert.deepEqual(helpResult, { ok: true, currentId: roverId });
+});