diff --git a/context/test-harness.md b/context/test-harness.md
index 01d1762..61f27d8 100644
--- a/context/test-harness.md
+++ b/context/test-harness.md
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ sleep <duration>; kill $relay; bt_kill_ours
 - **Stale exe:** `LNK1104` / a bench ignoring new diagnostics = the previous
   process still holds `btl4.exe`, or the build silently didn't run — check the
   `btl4.vcxproj ->` line printed, then rerun.
+- **Editing source through bash-heredoc python collapses `\` one level** even
+  single-quoted -- a `"\n"` you meant as backslash-n arrives as a real newline,
+  the "fix" silently no-ops (`good == bad`), and the C2001 hunt repeats.  Build
+  backslashes as `bytes([92])`/`chr(92)`, and verify a replace by LENGTH DELTA
+  or a re-read, never by the script printing "fixed".
 - Bench artifacts (`*.EGG` copies, `*_NNN.png`, bench logs) must be deleted
   from `content/` before any dist cut; field logs are never committed.
 
diff --git a/game/glass/btl4fe.cpp b/game/glass/btl4fe.cpp
index 5aeafb5..5723b14 100644
--- a/game/glass/btl4fe.cpp
+++ b/game/glass/btl4fe.cpp
@@ -742,8 +742,18 @@ static void
 	{
 		// JOIN trim: the mech list + the JOIN button; callsign is the edit
 		// control (repositioned in BTFrontEnd_Run).  Everything else is the
-		// operator's call.
-		y = MenuTopY; AddGroup(GroupVehicle, MenuCol2X, &y);
+		// operator's call -- EXCEPT experience, which is PER-PLAYER by the
+		// original design (the sysop set each user's tier; mixed-experience
+		// matches were legal), and each node's master reads its OWN egg's
+		// value, so mixing already works end to end.
+		//
+		// #116: this group was missing here, so joiners silently launched with
+		// the hidden menu default (veteran) no matter what they believed they
+		// selected -- "standard mode still having heat and leaks only occurred
+		// in steam": hosts got their pick, all three affected players were
+		// JOINERS, and the one clean player (Sauron) was the one HOSTING.
+		y = MenuTopY; AddGroup(GroupVehicle,    MenuCol2X, &y);
+		y = MenuTopY; AddGroup(GroupExperience, MenuCol3X, &y);
 		AddButton(GroupLaunch, MenuCol5X, MenuClientH - 190, 220, 52);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -1173,6 +1183,8 @@ int
 	strcpy(self.vehicle, kVehicles[menu.selection[GroupVehicle]].key);
 	strcpy(self.color, kColors[menu.selection[GroupColor]].key);
 	strcpy(self.experience, kExperience[menu.selection[GroupExperience]].key);
+	printf("[fe] pilot experience=%s (%s)\n", self.experience,
+		FeJoinOnly() ? "join" : "host/solo");
 	strcpy(self.badge, kBadges[menu.selection[GroupBadge]].key);
 	strcpy(self.patch, kPatches[menu.selection[GroupPatch]].key);
 	strcpy(self.dropzone, kDropZones[menu.selection[GroupDropZone]].key);