KB: EXPERIENCE LEVELS decoded -- the 0x25c block is the simulation-mode flags

The egg's per-pilot 'experience' (novice/standard/veteran/expert) is the
pod's simulation-fidelity tier -- stored at BTMission+0xe4 and seeded into
the BTPlayer ctor's flag block @4c0bc8 [T1].  The old 'per-role display
toggles / returnFromDeath' reading was WRONG: the source is
mission->experienceLevel, and the neighboring pair copies
mission->advancedDamageOn (the egg's technician splash/collision switch),
not role floats.  Known consumers: 0x260 = the HEAT-MODEL master switch
(FUN_004ad7d4), 0x25c = the novice sim-lockout (jams/searchlight/powersub),
0x274 = the raw level (FUN_004ac9c8 ==0 novice predicate).

NEW established topic context/experience-levels.md (data path, binary flag
rows per level, manual cross-refs, corrections log) + router row; sweeps in
decomp-reference/gauges-hud/open-questions/pod-hardware/subsystems.
btplayer.cpp/.hpp re-annotated with the corrected semantics; the guarded
role-based seeding stays as a marked [T3] stand-in (slot drift vs the
binary switch documented inline) until the wiring task points it at
BTMission::ExperienceLevel().

(Research by the parallel context session; committed from the glass line.)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

context/open-questions.md

@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ register.  ⚠ The audit also flags the damage-economy item as SELF-CONTRADICTOR
   btl4vid.cpp `MakeMechRenderables` reticle-build/inside pass (== arcade part_014.c:5173, Dynamic,
   bound per Searchlight `lightState` via a new `LightStatePtr()` accessor); (3) a toggle input (the
   authentic cockpit button-5→`ToggleLamp` dispatch is a controls-family reconstruction; a dev key
-  stands in). Also flags a deferred **`Mech::ControlsAllowLights()`** (searchlight.hpp:158 stub).
+  stands in). Also flags a deferred **`Mech::ControlsAllowLights()`** (searchlight.hpp:158 stub;
+  2026-07-18: identified as the `player+0x25c` not-novice experience flag — [[experience-levels]]).
   See [[rendering]] fog section. Verified inert live: BT_FOG_LOG shows zero `SetFogStyle(2/3)`.
 - **Factory capability-roster loops 2-4 are STILL DEAD (task #57 discovery).** mech.cpp's
   post-roster loops add to `heatableSubsystems`(0x51155c)/`weaponRoster`(0x511830)/
@@ -187,20 +188,24 @@ register.  ⚠ The audit also flags the damage-economy item as SELF-CONTRADICTOR
 - **✅ `mech+0x190` IDENTIFIED (2026-07): it is the owning `BTPlayer`** (`Mech::GetPlayerLink()`,
   `MECH_OWNING_PLAYER`; ENTITY.h:430). Set by `FUN_0049f624` (the mech↔player bind: `mech+0x190 = player`
   AND `player->playerVehicle(+0x1fc) = mech`), which resolves the player from the mission player registry
-  (`app+0x2c+0x54`, `FUN_0041fd18`) by the pilot key. The valve/Myomers "gates" read the owning player's
-  fields at `player+0x260` and `player+0x274` (the reconstruction maps this block as `showDamageReceived@0x25c
-  / showKills@0x260 / showDamageInflicted@0x264 / roleClassIndex@0x274` in btplayer.hpp — from the SCORING
-  work, so the names may NOT match the gate semantics; the true meaning + the WRITER of `player+0x260/0x274`
-  are not yet pinned — part_013.c:4553-4660 is the TorsoSimulation, a different object, not the setter). So
-  there is NO new subsystem to build. **The wiring (small):** point `MechSubsystem::IsDamaged()` (`FUN_004ac9c8`, valve
-  guard) at `GetPlayerLink()->`(0x274) and `Myomers::OwnerAdvancedDamage()` (`FUN_004ad7d4`) at
-  `GetPlayerLink()->`(0x260) — via NAMED members (databinding trap: our BTPlayer layout ≠ binary; do NOT
-  raw-read `player+0x260`). ⚠ Resolve first: (a) a naming conflict — `FUN_004ad7d4` is labeled BOTH
-  `HeatModelActive` (heat.hpp) AND `OwnerAdvancedDamage` (myomers.cpp); re-verify which body is which; (b)
-  the true semantic of `player+0x260/0x274` vs the scoring-derived `showKills`/`roleClassIndex` names. NOTE:
-  these are MODE flags — in the basic test mission the inert Myomers / dormant valve is likely AUTHENTIC
-  (advanced damage off); wiring makes them RESPOND when a mission enables the mode, not necessarily change
-  the basic-mission behavior. The MessageBoard feed is separate (StatusMessagePool, below).
+  (`app+0x2c+0x54`, `FUN_0041fd18`) by the pilot key.
+  **✅ FLAG SEMANTICS PINNED (2026-07-18) [T1]: the `player+0x25c..0x274` block = the EXPERIENCE
+  LEVEL (egg `experience` novice/standard/veteran/expert), written by the BTPlayer ctor @4c0bc8
+  from `btMission(+0x1f8)->experienceLevel(+0xe4)` — full mapping, consumers, and the 4.0-manual
+  behavior in [[experience-levels]] (+ [[decomp-reference]] §3 flag table).** Resolved en route: the
+  old "resolve first" items — `FUN_004ad7d4` (labeled both `HeatModelActive` and `OwnerAdvancedDamage`)
+  is ONE body reading `player+0x260` = the heat-model master switch (veteran+expert); `FUN_004ac9c8`
+  reads `player+0x274` = the novice lockout; the btplayer.hpp `showKills`/`roleClassIndex` scoring
+  names indeed do NOT match the gate semantics (comments corrected in place, member names kept).
+  **The wiring (small, still open):** ONE accessor family on BTPlayer named members seeded from
+  `BTMission::ExperienceLevel()`/`AdvancedDamageOn()` (databinding trap: do NOT raw-read
+  `player+0x260`), then point the five stub sites at it (`HeatModelActive` permissive-1 in
+  emitter/heat/mislanch/projweap vs `OwnerAdvancedDamage` False in myomers — currently the SAME gate
+  answered both ways; `LiveFireEnabled`/`ControlsAllowLights`/powersub short-event = the +0x25c
+  flag under three names; ctor seeding from role->returnFromDeath is a bring-up stand-in that runs
+  every mission as VETERAN). NOTE: these are MODE flags — an egg with `experience=standard` should
+  authentically have inert movement-heat/jams; wiring makes the tier selectable, not the basic
+  mission different. The MessageBoard feed is separate (StatusMessagePool, below).
 - **✅ Authentic target acquisition RECONSTRUCTED (tasks #36/#39, 2026-07-08)** — the `Reticle`
   pick-ray chain is LIVE (see [[combat-damage]] Targeting for the full port map): the crosshair =
   **torso boresight** (NO free-aim mouse — the pod stick twisted the torso; you steer to aim) →
@@ -352,17 +357,19 @@ register.  ⚠ The audit also flags the damage-economy item as SELF-CONTRADICTOR
     tables must be function-local statics INSIDE the accessor (cross-TU static-init
     order emptied the table -- see [[reconstruction-gotchas]] #9 last bullet); (b)
     **FUN_004ac9c8 is NOT IsDamaged** -- raw body: `owner(+0xD0) -> mech+0x190 player
-    -> roleClassIndex(+0x274) == 0` = the ROOKIE-role lockout for advanced cockpit
-    systems (port bridge BTPlayerRoleLocksAdvanced, btplayer.cpp; NULL player =
-    unlocked [T3]; bring-up role defaults to 2 = unlocked).  AUDIT TAIL: the other
+    -> +0x274 == 0` = the NOVICE-experience lockout for advanced cockpit systems
+    (2026-07-18 correction: +0x274 = the egg experience level, NOT a role class --
+    see [[experience-levels]]; port bridge BTPlayerRoleLocksAdvanced, btplayer.cpp;
+    NULL player = unlocked [T3]; bring-up seeding defaults to 2 ≈ veteran = unlocked).
+    AUDIT TAIL: the other
     powersub.cpp sites annotated FUN_004ac9c8 (the coolant-draw gate ~:427,
     ForceShortRecovery ~:444, the Generator/PowerWatcher site ~:1085) still call the
     heat-family IsDamaged (simulationState != 0) stand-in -- each needs its raw fn
     re-checked and swapped to the role bridge where the binary calls 4ac9c8.
 - **Myomers authentic coupling** — the structural un-stub is INERT (mover feed + heat-gen no-op).
-  Real coupling needs the advanced-damage gate (`OwnerAdvancedDamage`/`FUN_004ad7d4` → the owning
-  **BTPlayer** `mech+0x190`+0x260, NOT 0xBD3 — see the mech+0x190 item above) + `MoverAttach` routing
-  into the LIVE JointedMover (must be reconciled with the gait cutover first).
+  Real coupling needs the heat-model gate (`OwnerAdvancedDamage`/`FUN_004ad7d4` → the owning
+  **BTPlayer** `mech+0x190`+0x260 = veteran/expert experience, NOT 0xBD3 — see [[experience-levels]])
+  + `MoverAttach` routing into the LIVE JointedMover (must be reconciled with the gait cutover first).
 - **SeekVoltageGraph** — 4 Seek* attrs unpublished (a cluster-child, not config-called; non-blocking).
 
 - **✅ DAMAGE ECONOMY — AUTHENTIC (task #8, 2026-07-11) [T1/T2].**  The whole economy closes: