small behavior fixes

IdleSpectator/InterestCollector.cs

@@ -108,4 +108,20 @@ public static class InterestCollector
             Pending.Clear();
         }
     }
+
+    public static bool HasPendingAtLeast(InterestTier minTier)
+    {
+        lock (Gate)
+        {
+            for (int i = 0; i < Pending.Count; i++)
+            {
+                if (Pending[i] != null && Pending[i].Tier >= minTier)
+                {
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
 }

IdleSpectator/InterestDirector.cs

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ public static class InterestDirector
 {
     public const float MinDwellSeconds = 10f;
     public const float CuriosityDwellSeconds = 6f;
+    public const float CuriosityRotateSeconds = 10f;
     public const float SwitchCooldownSeconds = 5f;
     public const float HighTierInterruptAfterSeconds = 3f;
     public const float QuietWorldAmbientAfterSeconds = 8f;
@@ -97,6 +98,13 @@ public static class InterestDirector
             }
         }
 
+        // Queued discovery tips beat ambient, but never stall ambient under Action/Story.
+        if (InterestCollector.HasPendingAtLeast(InterestTier.Curiosity)
+            && (_current == null || _current.Tier <= InterestTier.Curiosity))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
         bool quiet = now - _lastInterestingAt >= QuietWorldAmbientAfterSeconds;
         bool dwellDone = _current == null || onCurrent >= DwellFor(_current);
         bool ambientDue = now - _lastAmbientAt >= AmbientRotateSeconds;
@@ -110,6 +118,24 @@ public static class InterestDirector
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// True when a drained New species tip would be allowed to take the camera.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool WouldAcceptCuriosity()
+    {
+        if (_current == null)
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        float onCurrent = Time.unscaledTime - _currentStartedAt;
+        float sinceSwitch = Time.unscaledTime - _lastSwitchAt;
+        return CanSwitchTo(
+            new InterestEvent { Tier = InterestTier.Curiosity },
+            onCurrent,
+            sinceSwitch);
+    }
+
     private static bool PlayerTookManualControl()
     {
         // Rising-edge style checks only - avoid sticky flags like already_used_power
@@ -165,7 +191,8 @@ public static class InterestDirector
             return true;
         }
 
-        // Curiosity is a footnote: never interrupt Action/Story/Epic, and rarely replace another curiosity.
+        // Curiosity is a footnote: never interrupt Action/Story/Epic.
+        // Curiosity→curiosity uses a shorter rotate so discovery drains can surface.
         if (candidate.Tier == InterestTier.Curiosity)
         {
             if (_current.Tier >= InterestTier.Action)
@@ -173,7 +200,7 @@ public static class InterestDirector
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if (_current.Tier == InterestTier.Curiosity && onCurrent < AmbientRotateSeconds)
+            if (_current.Tier == InterestTier.Curiosity && onCurrent < CuriosityRotateSeconds)
             {
                 return false;
             }

IdleSpectator/SpeciesDiscovery.cs

@@ -11,11 +11,14 @@ namespace IdleSpectator;
 public static class SpeciesDiscovery
 {
     private const float DrainIntervalSeconds = 12f;
+    private const float NotReadyBackoffSeconds = 5f;
     private const int MaxBuffered = 24;
     private const int MaxDrainPerSession = 8;
+    private const int MaxNotReadyAttempts = 8;
 
-    private static readonly Queue<PendingSpecies> Pending = new Queue<PendingSpecies>();
+    private static readonly List<PendingSpecies> Pending = new List<PendingSpecies>();
     private static readonly HashSet<string> SeenAssets = new HashSet<string>();
+    private static readonly HashSet<string> PresentedAssets = new HashSet<string>();
     private static float _lastDrainAt = -999f;
     private static int _drainedThisSession;
 
@@ -24,6 +27,7 @@ public static class SpeciesDiscovery
         public string AssetId;
         public Vector3 Position;
         public Subspecies Subspecies;
+        public int NotReadyAttempts;
     }
 
     public static void OnSpectatorEnabled()
@@ -50,20 +54,53 @@ public static class SpeciesDiscovery
             return;
         }
 
+        // Already shown via live path before buffer ran - nothing to queue.
+        if (PresentedAssets.Contains(asset.id))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (Pending.Count >= MaxBuffered)
         {
-            Pending.Dequeue();
+            Pending.RemoveAt(0);
         }
 
         Vector3 pos = tile != null ? tile.posV3 : Vector3.zero;
-        Pending.Enqueue(new PendingSpecies
+        Pending.Add(new PendingSpecies
         {
             AssetId = asset.id,
             Position = pos,
-            Subspecies = subspecies
+            Subspecies = subspecies,
+            NotReadyAttempts = 0
         });
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Live newSpecies path already tipped this asset - drop any buffered copy.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static void MarkPresented(string assetId)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(assetId))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        PresentedAssets.Add(assetId);
+        SeenAssets.Add(assetId);
+        for (int i = Pending.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
+        {
+            if (Pending[i].AssetId == assetId)
+            {
+                Pending.RemoveAt(i);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static bool WasPresented(string assetId)
+    {
+        return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(assetId) && PresentedAssets.Contains(assetId);
+    }
+
     public static void Update()
     {
         if (!SpectatorMode.Active || !Config.game_loaded || World.world == null)
@@ -87,23 +124,43 @@ public static class SpeciesDiscovery
             return;
         }
 
-        PendingSpecies next = Pending.Dequeue();
+        // Wait until the director can actually show a curiosity tip.
+        if (!InterestDirector.WouldAcceptCuriosity())
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        int index = FindNextReadyIndex();
+        if (index < 0)
+        {
+            // Front items not spawnable yet - retry later without dequeue flap.
+            _lastDrainAt = now - DrainIntervalSeconds + NotReadyBackoffSeconds;
+            return;
+        }
+
+        PendingSpecies next = Pending[index];
         ActorAsset asset = AssetManager.actor_library?.get(next.AssetId);
         if (asset == null)
         {
+            Pending.RemoveAt(index);
             return;
         }
 
         InterestEvent curiosity = WorldActivityScanner.FromNewSpecies(next.Subspecies, asset, null);
         if (curiosity == null)
         {
-            // Unit may not exist yet - put back once, try later.
-            if (Pending.Count < MaxBuffered)
+            next.NotReadyAttempts++;
+            if (next.NotReadyAttempts >= MaxNotReadyAttempts)
             {
-                Pending.Enqueue(next);
+                Pending.RemoveAt(index);
+                LogService.LogInfo($"[IdleSpectator] Discovery skip (never spawned): {next.AssetId}");
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Pending[index] = next;
             }
 
-            _lastDrainAt = now - DrainIntervalSeconds + 3f;
+            _lastDrainAt = now - DrainIntervalSeconds + NotReadyBackoffSeconds;
             return;
         }
 
@@ -113,9 +170,40 @@ public static class SpeciesDiscovery
             curiosity.Position = next.Position;
         }
 
+        Pending.RemoveAt(index);
+        PresentedAssets.Add(next.AssetId);
         _lastDrainAt = now;
         _drainedThisSession++;
         InterestCollector.EnqueueDirect(curiosity);
         LogService.LogInfo($"[IdleSpectator] Discovery drain: {next.AssetId} ({_drainedThisSession}/{MaxDrainPerSession}, queued={Pending.Count})");
     }
+
+    private static int FindNextReadyIndex()
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < Pending.Count; i++)
+        {
+            PendingSpecies next = Pending[i];
+            if (PresentedAssets.Contains(next.AssetId))
+            {
+                Pending.RemoveAt(i);
+                i--;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            ActorAsset asset = AssetManager.actor_library?.get(next.AssetId);
+            if (asset == null)
+            {
+                Pending.RemoveAt(i);
+                i--;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (WorldActivityScanner.FromNewSpecies(next.Subspecies, asset, null) != null)
+            {
+                return i;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return -1;
+    }
 }

IdleSpectator/SubspeciesPatches.cs

@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ public static class SubspeciesNewSpeciesPatch
             return;
         }
 
+        // Drain already tipped this species (or live tip already fired).
+        if (SpeciesDiscovery.WasPresented(assetId))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
         float now = Time.unscaledTime;
         if (LastLiveEnqueuedAt.TryGetValue(assetId, out float last) && now - last < PerSpeciesCooldownSeconds)
         {
@@ -45,6 +51,7 @@ public static class SubspeciesNewSpeciesPatch
         }
 
         LastLiveEnqueuedAt[assetId] = now;
+        SpeciesDiscovery.MarkPresented(assetId);
         InterestCollector.EnqueueDirect(curiosity);
     }
 }

IdleSpectator/mod.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "IdleSpectator",
   "author": "dazed",
-  "version": "0.3.9",
+  "version": "0.3.10",
   "description": "AFK Idle Spectator (I): follows wars, disasters, battles, creatures, and new species from fresh worlds to empires.",
   "GUID": "com.dazed.idlespectator"
 }