Perhaps the emoji-* commands (C-x 8 e [eilrs]) should simply error
out when (list-fonts (font-spec :script 'emoji)) is nil?
FWIW, I do like being able to insert some emojis even if I don't have
access to all of them (and actually I'd even be happy to insert them
without being able to see them, assuming I can see their name instead
:-)
Yes, but you can still do that with C-x 8 RET, right? The C-x 8 e
commands use transient menus, and (as you described in the bug report)
don't quite work when a suitable emoji font is not available.
In theory, another option would be to display, in these transient
menus, emoji names instead of emoji characters when no emoji font is
available, but there is not enough room for list of names such as
"SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES AND HAND COVERING MOUTH" (which fit
better in *Completions*).
We have the "emoji" input method, which can help here, I think.