diff --git a/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp b/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp
index 64206fa..42ac51a 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp
@@ -237,6 +237,28 @@ void
 	Check(this);
 	Check(message);
 
+	//
+	// scoring wave (DEATHS fix): @004c012c is the drop-zone RESPAWN-RETRY helper --
+	// the engine's RequestDropZone (PLAYER.cpp:400) posts a 2s-delayed VehicleDead
+	// (deathCount=-2) as a "did the drop zone reply?" timer.  If the player already
+	// has a vehicle, the drop zone WAS acquired (the DropZoneReply created it) -> the
+	// retry is moot: don't count a death and don't re-post.  The prior unconditional
+	// ++deathCount + re-post was an INFINITE loop in solo (the drop-zone handshake
+	// never "completes" in the bring-up), climbing deathCount ~1/s.  (A real MP death
+	// -- vehicle destroyed -> playerVehicle cleared/the @004c05c4 path -- is deferred.)
+	//
+	if (playerVehicle != 0)
+	{
+		deathPending    = 0;						// this+0x290
+		suppressConsole = 0;						// this+0x258
+		Check_Fpu();
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (getenv("BT_SCORE_LOG"))
+		DEBUG_STREAM << "[score] VehicleDeadMessageHandler: deathCount " << deathCount
+			<< " -> " << (deathCount + 1) << "\n" << std::flush;
+
 	//
 	// One more death; tell the message (so replicants stay in sync) and
 	// debit a life against the scoring role.
@@ -823,6 +845,11 @@ void
 	Check(this);
 	Check(message);
 
+	if (getenv("BT_SCORE_LOG"))
+		DEBUG_STREAM << "[score] DropZoneReply: hasVehicle=" << (playerVehicle != 0)
+			<< " deathCount=" << deathCount << " msgDeath=" << message->deathCount
+			<< " state=" << (int)GetSimulationState() << "\n" << std::flush;
+
 	if (!playerVehicle)							// param_1[0x7f] == 0
 	{
 		CreatePlayerVehicle(message->dropZoneLocation);	// (**vtable+0x40)(origin)
@@ -836,6 +863,11 @@ void
 		if (playerVehicle->GetClassID() == Mech::MechClassID)	// 0xbb9
 		{
 			SetPerformance(&BTPlayer::PlayerSimulation);		// perf @00513058
+			// scoring wave (RANK fix): an active mech combatant is a SCORING player.
+			// Player::DefaultFlags creates every player NonScoring (rank -1 until
+			// activated); CalcRanking only ranks IsScoringPlayer()==true.  The camera
+			// ship (below) stays non-scoring; a piloted mech becomes scoring here.
+			SetScoringPlayerFlag();								// clear NonScoringPlayerFlag
 		}
 		else													// camera ship (0x45)
 		{