This issue seems to have been resolved.
It seems that hacks like me, are no longer going to get away without setting up an actual testing server anymore. Never used one from CS3-->CS6 despite the nag screens.
Per Ray's advice, I set up a testing server using one of my unused/email-only domains. Once the first sync was complete, it lit up and now the learning begins.
there is a niggling issue with field focus on the WASB forms. You have to click back and forth a couple of times between fields to get them to accept keyboard input. Hopefully, this will get fixed soon.