# Manual QA — NEO-34 (skill catalog at startup)

## Prerequisites

- Repo clone with `content/skills` and `content/schemas/skill-def.schema.json` present.

## Checks

- [ ] From `server/NeonSprawl.Server`, run `dotnet run` (no extra `Content` env). Startup logs an **Information** line from category `NeonSprawl.Server.Game.Skills.SkillCatalog` with the **absolute** skills directory path and **3** skills (prototype catalog).
- [ ] `GET /health` returns **200** after startup.
- [ ] Introduce a deliberate catalog error (e.g. temporarily duplicate an `id` in `content/skills/prototype_skills.json`). `dotnet run` **fails** before listening; stderr shows **Skill catalog validation failed** and a path/rule hint. Revert the edit after the check.
- [ ] Optional: set `Content__SkillsDirectory` to a temp directory with invalid JSON and confirm the same fail-fast behavior.