docs(gauge): DEATHS runaway + RANK=-1 fixed (solo scoreboard correct)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

docs/GAUGE_COMPOSITE.md

@@ -565,9 +565,16 @@ a prose-only vtable slot AVs on first call).
   (`*(local+0x284)` then `*(tgt+0x190)`) that AV'd on our layout — caught silently by the SEH GuardedExecute,
   aborting Execute BEFORE the KILLS/DEATHS draw. Replaced with BTPilotIsSelected (accessors).** And the
   10s console flush now only zeros currentScore when a console host exists (solo keeps the running score).
-  **Verified: SCORE climbs +5.83/hit → 164; on the kill the Comm roster shows KILLS=1.** Follow-ups: DEATHS=1
-  is a pre-existing spawn/respawn-handshake artifact (not the producers); RANK=-1 is CalcRanking's non-scoring
-  mark (Plasma serial surface, invisible on dev); MP VehicleDead + tonnage/role registry remain. Env: BT_SCORE_LOG.
+  **Verified: SCORE climbs +5.83/hit → 164; on the kill the Comm roster shows KILLS=1 / DEATHS=0, log
+  killCount=1 deaths=0 score=164 rank=0.** Env: BT_SCORE_LOG.
+  - ✅ **DEATHS + RANK fixed** (commit a9210e0). RANK=-1: `Player::DefaultFlags` creates every player
+    NonScoring (CalcRanking ranks only `IsScoringPlayer()`); call `SetScoringPlayerFlag()` in the DropZoneReply
+    mech branch → RANK=0. DEATHS runaway: `@004c012c` (our VehicleDead MESSAGE_ENTRY) is actually the drop-zone
+    **respawn-retry** helper — the engine's RequestDropZone (PLAYER.cpp:400) posts a 2s-delayed
+    VehicleDead(deathCount=-2) timer, and our handler ++deathCount + **re-posted it unconditionally** → an
+    infinite loop (the drop-zone handshake never completes in bring-up). Fix: if the player already has a
+    vehicle (drop zone acquired), the retry is moot → return without counting/re-posting → DEATHS=0, loop gone.
+    MP real-death DEATHS (destroyed vehicle via @004c05c4) remains deferred.
 - **duckState** writer (button-4 crouch lamp; only ctor-zeroed today).
 
 ### Phase 4 — DEEP/DEFERRED