BT412/context/open-questions.md

id, title, status, source_sections, related_topics

id	title	status	source_sections	related_topics
open-questions	Open Questions — deferred systems, unknowns, get-from-Nick	living	CLAUDE.md §9; docs/HARD_PROBLEMS.md; per-subsystem deferral notes	source-completeness subsystems multiplayer combat-damage locomotion

Open Questions

Known unknowns + deliberately-deferred systems. For each: what's known, what's missing, what would resolve it, status. Deferred ≠ broken — most are marked-and-guarded stand-ins with the authentic path scoped.

From Nick (external — gating for some paths)

• [GATING] The BT game SOURCE CODE — the missing implementation .cpp (mech, subsystems, mapper, HUD, app; see source-completeness). Without it, Route A (recompile original) is impossible; we reconstruct from the binary instead. Likely on a backup/dev drive. Status: OPEN.
• Confirmation the PodPC image is the complete content master. (Low priority — the runtime BTL4.RES already has 8 maps + the full mech anim set.) Status: OPEN.
• Pod specifics for Phase 8: the 7-monitor driver setup, the RIO cockpit I/O protocol, current Win10+wrapper pod config. Status: OPEN.

Deferred subsystems / feeds (authentic path scoped, marked in code)

• ✅ 0xBD3 SubsystemMessageManager — UNTANGLED + LIVE (task #7, 2026-07-11) [T1/T2]. Both halves landed: (1) the factory case builds the REAL messmgr (ctor @0049bca4, 0x130, static reconstruction messmgr.cpp) cached at mech+0x434 — the binary-wide census found exactly ONE reader (@0x4b984b in MechWeapon::SendDamageMessage @004b9728, which was ALSO mislabeled, as "DrawWeaponPip"); every mapper consumer re-pointed to roster slot 0 (MappingMapper(); SetMappingSubsystem @0049fe40 touches only slot 0); non-viewpoint mechs carry a slot-0 demand LATCH ([T3] accommodation for the port's wider drive/gait reachability). (2) The authentic CONSOLIDATED damage delivery is live: the beam path submits TakeDamage into AddDamageMessage → per-frame ConsolidateAndSendDamage (@0049b784) builds ONE Entity::TakeDamageStreamMessage (id 0x13, wire-verified 0x34+4+N×12) dispatched at the victim, whose T0 handler (ENTITY.cpp:817) re-splits it; replicant victims reroute cross-pod. Explosion bundling (weapon+0x3E4 per record, unique-queued, Explosion::Make at the impact) implemented; TWO latent chain-purge bugs fixed (records re-applied every tick). RESIDUE ([T3], next task): the weapon-side submission with per-weapon damageData + inflictingSubsystemID awaits the DAMAGE-ECONOMY reconciliation (authored 0.25-scale amounts vs the bring-up kShotDamage=12); the 0.1s explosion stagger + the terrain-hit derivation check are noted in messmgr.cpp. ⚠ The earlier "0xBD3 gates the valve/Myomers" claim remains WRONG (those read the owning BTPlayer at mech+0x190 — see the next entry); the old wiring notes are superseded by this landing.

• ✅ 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).

• ✅ 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) → pick ray → per-frame lock (boresight ON the mech = locked; off = none) → aimed zone damage + designator hotbox; BT_FIRE_ARC is opt-in-only now. Firing needs a target but NOT a manual lock/pinpoint — the target is AUTO-acquired (task #40, binary-verified: FireWeapon doubly-gated on mech+0x388, but 0x388 has 11 reads / 0 direct stores across CODE → set indirectly). Residue: (a) the binary's own per-frame reticle→mech copy + the AUTO-TARGET SELECTOR are still in an un-exported gap (a message/selector; our port auto-targets the single living enemy — for MP, reconstruct the real multi-target selection: nearest/most-aligned/cycle); (b) the eyepoint now rides the parent DCS (task #55 authentic eye), so torso pose reaches the view; on a TWIST-CAPABLE mech (selectable via BT_FORCE_MODEL) the crosshair should deflect with the torso twist (BTTwistToReticleX is wired for it) AND the torso should visibly lead the legs — verify the reticle deflection on a twist mech (the BLH is fixed-torso, boresight always centred); (c) pre-burial, the pick still tests the sinking wreck's collision box at its parked position (pre-existing wreck-targeting behavior).

• Cockpit HUD leftovers (tasks #35-#38 residue, 2026-07-08) — the reticle + 7 weapon pips + ALL the instrument dynamics are LIVE (the Execute @004cdcf0 gap was RECOVERED via capstone disasm, task #37; the authentic Lock producer + the simple-X mode landed in #38 — see gauges-hud for the full instrument map). Remaining: (a) the *_cop canopy shell — SOLVED for all 8 (task #55): authentic eye + the PUNCH stencil-cut kit + double-sided cop geometry + unlit constant frame colour (BT_COP_FRAME) — see cockpit-view Rendering/FINAL; shows by DEFAULT now (BT_HIDE_COCKPIT=1 hides). NOTE the old claim here ("canopy windows are punch texels") was WRONG — the shell has no texture; the openings are geometry. ✅ RESOLVED (2026-07-11): PUNCH = a 3-chunk STENCIL-CUT kit (mask/hull/twin, i860-firmware-decoded) executed as a D24S8 stencil cut; visible canopy = hull-minus-apertures (cockpit-view §FINAL). All 8 mechs render connected dark frames with clear viewports (the intermediate "frameless bhk1/loki/vulture/avatar" reading was wrong); thor matches the pod footage exactly. Eye placement verified exact per-mech incl. Thor's +1.13 offset cockpit (cockpit-view). (b) the 3D marker chain ([0x31c]/[0x320] dpl objects + the PNAME1-8.bgf player-name meshes over the locked target — matters for MP). (c) the compass rotation SIGN is derived-not-verified [T3] (turn left → the stem should swing right; flip the sin sign in Draw if footage disagrees).

• StatusMessagePool (NULL stub, btstubs.cpp:62) — the per-player status-message queue. BTPlayer+0x1dc is never populated → MessageBoard is empty (authentic for bring-up). What resolves it: wire the pool + decode AddStatusMessage @0042e580 + the Player__StatusMessage record ({messageId@+0xc, nameEntity@+0x10}).

• Gyroscope (0xBC4) — RE-ENABLED LIVE (task #56, 2026-07-10). The NaN revert's root causes are fixed byte-exact (ctor field map @004b3778 — springConstant@0x1E8/dampingConstant@0x1F4 were mislabelled, the 0x254-0x2B3 block was missing, clamps/accumulators uninitialised; the integrators' state-minus-target/componentwise-damping-overwrite/X-Z-crossing semantics; the writers' one-node-two-channels form; dispatch from the MECH performance tail, not the gyro Performance). Layout locked (sizeof==0x3D0); runtime clean (joints type 5, finite state, no NaN). Empirical: spring targets are SYMMETRIC → eye equilibrium (0,0,0) → the gyro is a ±0.1-0.15u BOUNCE mechanism, NOT a steady offset (the earlier hypothesis is disproven). FAN-OUT LANDED (2026-07-11): FUN_004b2980 re-disassembled from raw bytes and reconstructed (Gyroscope::ApplyDamageResponse) + wired at the take-damage hub, the crushable crunch and the firing recoil — the hit-BOUNCE is live and verified (damped eye oscillation, no NaN). REMAINING (task #56 tail): (a) the alternate-gait engage jolt + engaged-gait rumble (@4aa158-4aa365 — [T3] gate naming, mutates the #49/#50-stabilized gait machine; byte recipe in the wf_6880e605 synthesis); (b) the mech+0x3F0 overspeed sway model (swayBias fed 0); (c) the per-frame EyepointRotation.pitch = torso pitch writer (FUN_004b66b4) + mapper glance-look states (FUN_004afd10 — yaw/pitch from mech+0x564..0x570); (d) senders filling Damage::damageForce for directional bounce (random-fallback is binary-legal meanwhile). Also: deathAnimationLatched/legResetLatch were never ctor-initialised (0xCDCDCDCD gate bug, fixed in mech.cpp ctor). See cockpit-view.

• MechControlsMapper look/eyepoint commit — reconstructed but its offsets collide with declared members; arbitrate before enabling (no port consumer yet). The fire-trigger-through-mapper is still the gBTWeaponTrigger bring-up.

• ✅ Weapon groups — the AUTHENTIC defaults + fire path LIVE (task #5, 2026-07-11) [T1/T2]. The system decoded end-to-end: a fire "channel" = a physical buttonGroup slot in the global LBE4ControlsManager (fire buttons 0x40 Trigger / 0x45 Pinky / 0x46 ThumbLow / 0x47 ThumbHigh); binding = a permanent mode-0x10000 DIRECT mapping button → the weapon's TriggerState attr (id 0x13, = fireImpulse@0x31C; the binary MechWeapon table's ONLY attribute @0x511890); the weapon self-edge-detects (CheckFireEdge @4b9608). The default grouping is NOT messages — it is the per-mech type-6 controls-map resource in BTL4.RES ("Thrustmaster"/"L4" variants; e.g. madcat: Trigger={4 weapons}, ThumbHigh={2}), installed at MakeViewpointEntity by the ENGINE's CreateStreamedMappings (T0, L4CTRL.cpp) — which the port already called; it needed only the TriggerState attribute published (id PINNED to 0x13 — our attr-id chain is 6 short of the binary's; full binary attr-table dump in the task #5 scan) + an input feed. Keyboard now pushes press/release edges into the buttonGroups (SPACE→Trigger, '2'→ThumbLow, '3'/CTRL→ ThumbHigh; BT_AUTOFIRE pulses the Trigger); the gBT*Trigger bypasses + pulse hack are retired. VERIFIED 2-node at the BINDING level (⚠ honest correction, task #8: those kills still flowed through the retired mech4 bring-up block -- the emitter DISCHARGE chain was latched shut by the NaN edge bug below until 2026-07-11; the full weapon-fire chain is now verified solo).

• ✅ THE CONFIG-MODE SESSION — RECONSTRUCTED (task #6, 2026-07-11) [T1 anchors]. The pod's in-cockpit weapon-REGROUPING UI, fully decoded from the binary + T0 engine:

  • The flow: the pilot HOLDS a weapon's configure button (a per-weapon type-6 EventMapping, id 9, on the MFD-quadrant aux panels; e.g. BTL4.RES @0xAA3DC) → MechWeapon handler id 9 "ConfigureMappables" @004b9550 (table @0x511860; the old "Myomers fns" label swept) → mapper(slot 0)->EnterConfiguration @004d1840 (vtbl+0x38): StartMappableButtonsConfigure (T0 CONTROLS.cpp:291 -- latches the active weapon for the gauge, flips the GLOBAL mode NonMapping 0x10000 → Mapping 0x8000, so every normal fire mapping goes dormant), re-arms the held button (+0x8000, id 9), temp-maps the four fire buttons 0x40/0x45/0x46/0x47 → id 10. Tapping a fire button → handler id 10 "ChooseButton" @004b95b8 → RIO AddOrErase(direct) @004d262c: buttonGroup[v-1].AddOrErase (0x10000, &fireImpulse) — a TOGGLE; the permanent 0x10000 instances ARE the commit. Release → ExitConfiguration @004d18dc: StopMappableButtonsConfigure + strip the 0x8000 layer. Only the RIO (pod) mapper implements AddOrErase; L4/Thrustmaster carry RET no-ops @004d195c/@004d1964 (a joystick cockpit cannot regroup).
  • Vtable truth (swept): base @0050F45C +0x38 Enter(Fail @004b0280) / +0x3C Exit(Fail @004b029c) / +0x40 AddOrErase-event(Fail @004b02b8) / +0x44 AddOrErase-direct(Fail @004b02d4) / +0x48,+0x4C Notify pair. There is NO "secondary vtable @0050f498" and NO "CreateTemporaryEventMappings" virtual (RP-name drift). @004afbc4 (the mapper's shared aux/zoom handler) is a pure Fail thunk ("Unhandled button mapping!", line 0x7a), not an AddOrErase router.
  • Port landed: MechWeapon handlers 9/10 + the GetMessageHandlers() accessor chain (MechWeapon → Emitter/ProjectileWeapon → MissileLauncher, + GAUSS/PPC.CPP; dispatch resolves through the CONCRETE class's SharedData — the empty per-class sets silently swallowed the messages); the 6-arg Enter/1-arg Exit reshape; the L4 Enter/Exit full bodies; MechSubsystem +0xE8/+0xEC corrected to controlDestination/controlMessageID (the old hostEntity/subsystemId2 labels were wrong; MechWeapon ctor defaults the destination to &fireImpulse per @004b99a8); dev harness = HOLD 'G' (BT_CONFIG_SLOT selects the weapon; BT_CONFIG_TEST scripts a headless session).
  • ConfigMapGauge finding [T1]: the shipped binary NEVER enables it — no caller of SetColor @004c6ee0 exists (the only child accesses are BecameActive/SetEnable forwards), so color stays 0 and Execute early-outs: the gauge is authentically DORMANT in BTL4OPT. The state loop is now reconstructed anyway (@004c6f1c: 4 {y,button} pairs from DAT_00518eb4 = {13,Pinky}{37,ThumbLow}{61,Trigger}{85,ThumbHigh}, x=0xc; buttonGroup[btn].GetMapState(controlDestination, subsys, controlMessageID, 0x10000) → cm_off/cm_other/cm_only/cm_both), behind the PORT dev enable BT_CONFIGMAP=1.
  • Bonus [T1]: the binary MechWeapon ATTRIBUTE table @0x511890 has ELEVEN entries (0x12 PercentDone .. 0x1C WeaponState) — future gauge-wave feeds; the "TriggerState is the only MechWeapon attribute" claim was wrong (fixed in mechweap.hpp).
  • Tails: weapon+0x110 (write 0/-1 on session open/close; port name vitalSubsystemIndex) has NO confirmed reader yet; @004d1acc (+0x48 L4 Notify override) is unexported — re-export from Ghidra.
  • Task #12 (2026-07-11) [T2]: the PoweredSubsystem POWER-ROUTING handlers landed -- ids 4-8 registered (table @0x50F4EC): SelectGeneratorA-D = FindGeneratorByNumber (@004b0b18 ROSTER walk matching generatorNumber@0x1E0) -> AttachToVoltageSource -> modeAlarm=Connected; ToggleGeneratorMode (@004b0abc) = <2 -> AutoConnect, ==2 -> Detach + ManualConnect. Weapons inherit via the MechWeapon handler chain (the old qualified GetMessageHandlers() calls silently resolved to the engine Receiver ROOT set -- same trap as the task #6 weapon handlers). The AutoConnect hunt's GetSegment() scan corrected to the subsystem ROSTER (the +0x128 gotcha). Desktop: F5-F8 assign the selected weapon (BT_CONFIG_SLOT) to Generator A-D, F9 toggles Manual/Auto; BT_GENSEL_TEST scripts a headless re-tap. Note: Myomers/Sensor still chain the root set (their binary tables unverified) -- extend if aux maps prove they receive these ids. TWO MORE TRAPS found landing this: (a) MESSAGE_ENTRY 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 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).

• 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: _DAT_004bafbc is an x87 float80 = 1e-7 (the port's kDamageScale=1.0 was the mystery) -- it cancels the ctor's ×1e7 energy bookkeeping, so damagePortion = authored DamageAmount × (charge/seekV[rec])² (port: the closed form at fire time; the bring-up charge cycle keeps the degenerate EC=1 electrical model). Authored values (BTL4.RES type-0x11, +0x19C; scanner scratchpad/scan_weapsub.py): madcat AC=25/LRM15 salvo=50/ERLL=6/ERSL=2; bhk1 PPC=12/SRM6=35/ ERML=3.5. Zone model already byte-exact (Δlevel = amount/armorPoints, legs ×0.5; armor dump in the task #8 synthesis) → the pod's 4-8-hit heavy-weapon pacing. The weapon-side SendDamageMessage (@004b9728) is LIVE from Emitter::FireWeapon (damageData filled incl. damageForce = target−muzzle → the gyro's directional hit-bounce feed); the mech4 bring-up damage block + flat kShotDamage are retired to diag hooks. ROOT-CAUSE find: the CheckFireEdge NaN latch -- TriggerState carries ControlsButton INTS (release −65 = a negative NaN); the binary's x87 unordered-compare treated it as "released" but an IEEE-correct float compare latched the detector shut after the first release (why the emitters never discharged in-game until now); fixed with bit-pattern sign compares (@004b9608). Residues [T3]: heat stays on the bring-up scale (authentic = heatCost×1e7 energy units, the missile path already feeds it -- the HEAT-CALIBRATION audit); LODReuseHysteresis corrected 0.82→0.33 (a double); the MP beam-kill live-verify awaits a clear-sightline spawn (mechanism identical to solo; force-dmg cross-pod cycles verified).

• HEAT (task #9, 2026-07-11): authentic 1e7-unit heat LIVE; conduction ROUTING defect remains [T2/T3]. Landed + byte-anchored: emitters emit heatCostToFire x 1e7 x (charge/seekV)^2 (closed form; PPC = 1.1e8 -> +632 K on its 174000-mass sink); the missing projectile/missile heat adds (raw pre-scaled resources); the bank's AMBIENT RADIATOR @4ae73c (the system's only heat exit: relax toward 300 K, conductance x 0.1 x HeatSinkCount [_DAT_004ae974 float80 = 0.1 -- the audit's "1.7375" was a misread]); the link-attach guard corrected (skip = the 0xBBE bank, NOT Condenser -- the inversion had closed the system); three coolant epsilon corrections (0.0025/0.003/1e-4 for the old single 1e-4) + CoolantCapacityScale = 0.05 float80 (both prior readings wrong). Verified: heat flows, exits (~2/3 of a 1e10 spam run drained), weapons overheat under max-rate autofire exactly as the authored-constant simulation predicts (thermal spam is unsustainable BY DESIGN; heatLoad -> effectiveRange 0 = the authentic overheat cutout).

• Task #10 -- the "scrambled routing" RESOLVED (2026-07-11) [T2]. The routing was NEVER scrambled: a [heat-link] attach log proved every subsystem links its authored sink exactly (bhk1: PPC_1->C4, PPC_2->C6, ERM_1/2/3->C1/C6/C4, SRM6s->C2, generators->C1/C2/C3/C5, condensers+reservoir->bank@slot2). The "pools in Condenser1" observation was the DIAGNOSTIC-SAMPLER ALIASING trap (one shared static 1-Hz timer, pendingHeat-gated); the census log is now per-instance. The REAL defect was the fire RATE: emitter.cpp's local FUN_00417ab4 stub returned NULL, so although the PoweredSubsystem ctor attaches the authored generator to voltageSource@0x1D0, the Emitter TU could never see it -- the whole electrical model was inert and the E7 force-charge recharged every emitter in ONE frame (~0.3 s cycle, 1501 fires/90 s, ~1.7e9 heat/s input). Fixed authentically [T1, disasm + byte-verified constants]:

  • Emitter ctor @004bb120: seekVoltage[i] = authored fraction x generator ratedVoltage (authored 10000); EC = energyTotal/(seekV[rec]^2 x 0.5); voltageScale@0x310 = (RechargeRate / -ln(1 - 0.0001 x seekV)) / EC -- the exponential charge reaches seekV[rec] in EXACTLY the authored RechargeRate on a cold generator (PPC 5 s, ERLLaser 4 s, SRM6 3 s, ERMLaser 2 s, LRM15 6 s). The gate reads the OWNER's simulationFlags (the usual ctor-gate gotcha; the old this-flags read never armed).
  • PoweredSubsystem::ChargeTimeScale() (@004b0d50, was a =1.0 stub): voltageScale x (1 + thermalResistivityCoefficient x max(0, srcT - srcT0)) -- a HOT generator charges slower ("voltageScale is never read back" was wrong -- this reads it every tick).
  • TrackSeekVoltage @004ba838: charging I^2R (seekRate^2 x dtScale x dt) lands in the GENERATOR's pendingHeat@0x1c8 (~3.5e8 per full PPC charge -> generators self-heat -> conduct to their condensers -> slow further charging). This closes the heat/firepower feedback economy.
  • FailureHeat consumers found [T1, disasm]: this+0x184 (the weapon's own heatAlarm status level) == 2 gates BOTH families -- @004baa88 (emitter: ResetFiringState + currentLevel=0 until it cools) and @004bbd36 (ballistic: recoil pinned to rechargeRate + alarm state 7). Emitter::GetFaultState() now returns heatAlarm.GetLevel() (was a 0 stub).
  • ProjectileWeaponSimulation @004bbd04 opens with call 0x4b0bd0 (disasm-verified) -- the launchers now run the powered/heat step (their task-#9 firing heat previously accumulated in pendingHeat forever; SRM6s now census at ~950 under sustained fire). Verified live (120 s max-rate autofire): PPC ~470-500 (was 55,000), bank plateaus ~600 and sheds, generators 1100-1400, ERMLaser self-regulates at the 2000 failure threshold (shutdown -> cool -> resume). Remaining tails: the HeatWatcher/AmmoBin cook-off watchedLink; the mech-level heatAlarm@0x450 producer; the cockpit power-routing message handlers (@004b099c..@004b0abc: assign weapon to Generator 1-4 + auto/manual toggle via modeAlarm@0x2CC -- wired to buttons, not yet reachable).

• Task #11 -- the live-play regressions (2026-07-11) [T2]. User-reported after the electrical model landed. THREE distinct causes, all resolved: (1) Phantom fire on the enemy: the mech4 bring-up shot block painted an explosion at the victim on its OWN 0.3s cadence whenever fire was held -- desynced once real recharges landed. RETIRED (the authentic impact visual flows from each real discharge via the messmgr's SubmitExplosion). (2) Weapons bricking one by one ("fire ~1s then cuts out"): the FRAME-PACING TRAP -- see reconstruction-gotchas §12: the Loading->Loaded snap window (+-0.01 around seekV) assumes the pod's locked 60 fps; a dt spike jumps it, the overshoot clamp zeroes rechargeLevel, and the weapon sticks in Loading at level ~10000 forever. Fixed with pod-frame (1/60s) sub-stepping of the binary's own Loading tick (also fixes the I^2R integral overfeeding generator heat on big steps). (3) Slow kills / short fire windows: AUTHENTIC -- beams last the authored DischargeTime, recharges take the authored 2-5s stretched by hot generators (ChargeTimeScale), and max-rate autofire equilibrates generators in the degradation band (1100-1500 K; the FailureHeat breaker never trips in solo max-abuse -- duty-cycle measured). The pilot's authentic counters are the systems under reconstruction: config-mode regrouping (task #6), generator reassignment (ids 4-8), coolant valves.

Locomotion / combat polish (non-gating)

• Authentic per-mech TURN-RATE constant (currently a bring-up constant rate).
• Body-callback gimp handlers (states 16-19, targets 0x70b2/0x7161 undecoded → fall back to stand); airborne callbacks (FUN_004a6344/FUN_004a7970).
• Wall-block-vs-climb tuning. ✅ Collision DAMAGE application — DONE 2026-07-08 [T2]. The two deferred dispatches in Mech::ProcessCollision (mech4.cpp: mech-vs-mech :15324-15358 + icon-crunch :15369-15401) now fire: on a collision with another Mech or a CulturalIcon, an Entity::TakeDamageMessage{zone==−1} is dispatched to the victim (via BTDispatchCollisionDamage, the engine ctor — same as the weapon path), and STEP 6's cylinder table resolves the impact point → a zone on the receiver. Terrain (walls/hills) matches neither branch → blocks without damage (faithful). Reachability is guaranteed (Mover::ProcessCollisionList calls the virtual ProcessCollision → Mech::ProcessCollision); built + stable. The live dispatch wasn't captured headlessly (the solo auto-walker never rammed a tree/mech), but the path is proven reachable and composed of runtime-verified pieces. Note: validated STEP 6's height ref along the way — collisionTemplate->maxY ≈ 7.1 (a real mech height), confirming CylinderReferenceHeight reads a height, not the heat value the mech+0x2ec dual-labeling (heat-gauge sink vs groundRef, mech4.cpp:2697) hinted at.
• ✅ Cylinder hit-location (STEP 6) — DONE + LIVE 2026-07-08 [T2]. Built + runtime-verified: the dmgtable.cpp classes now have real storage + a working ResolveHit→zone, the mech ctor loads the type-0x1d table by the DamageZoneStream name ([cyl] table 'bhk1' layers=7), and Mech::TakeDamageMessageHandler resolves unaimed (zone==−1) hits before base-routing. ⚠ The FIRST "verified" claim was PARTIAL: the table was cached via Wword(0x111) (the ABSORBER — stores nothing) so every unaimed hit silently no-op'd; fixed 2026-07-08 by promoting the cache to the named member Mech::damageLookupTable (reconstruction-gotchas §2). Now verified end-to-end (19 zones resolving, BT_AUTOFIRE harness). Full change list in combat-damage "STEP 6 COMPLETE". Historical investigation notes retained below for provenance. Re-investigated 2026-07 (see combat-damage for the full algorithm): the table (height×angle grid, resource type 0x1d) IS built (recon StandingAnimation @Mech[0x111], but with an EMPTY name → 0 rows, because ResourceFindByName is a no-op template stub). CORRECTION to the earlier note: the LOOKUP is exported [T1] — FUN_0049eb54 (table height→row) + FUN_0049e678 (row angle→cell), NOT unexported. Only the thin Mech::TakeDamageMessageHandler glue (zone==-1 → call the lookup → damageZones[zone]->TakeDamage) is unexported, and it's fully implied by pieces already reconstructed → no disassembly needed. Remaining: 6b real FindByName (name = the mech's type-0x14 DamageZoneStream name @ResourceDescription+0xc); 6c the 3 container ctors + the lookup as a BTCylinderResolveZone bridge (ground the cell zone-dict stream format vs the real .RES bytes); 6d register the handler + verify. Feasible; the only open risk is the cell stream format. The earlier-cited FUN_004a0230/FUN_0049ed0c don't exist.
• Death sequence — CORE DONE 2026-07-08 [T2]; effects+anim deferred. Mech::UpdateDeathState() (mech4.cpp) reconstructs the death STATE machine (collapse movementMode → RP VTV::DeathShutdown subsystem loop → settle to disabled/frozen; wreck stays, no crash) — runtime-verified (BT_DEATH_LOG). Full map + citations in combat-damage "Death SEQUENCE". ✅ (b) MechDeathHandler DONE (mechdmg.cpp) + ✅ the render-side RemakeEntity destroyed-mesh swap DONE 2026-07-08 (btl4vid.cpp RemakeEntityRenderables + BTRemakeMechModel bridge; in-place SetDrawObj swap — the tree dtor does NOT cascade so never rebuild). ✅ (a) RESOLVED — no collapse animation exists in BT 4.11 [T1]: the fall latch (modes 5-8 → table slots 0x1c-0x1f) is a vestige — no loader fills the slots, no fall clip ships, and firing it would bind resource 0 (an AUDIO stream) as keyframes. ✅ The authentic death VISUAL is the WRECK-HULK SWAP (death ModelList blhdead → effect 104 → the victim becomes its <mech>dbr.bgf burning hulk) — RECONSTRUCTED + verified (SwapToWreck, btl4vid.cpp; see combat-damage "Death SEQUENCE" for the full chain + proofs). ✅ The wreck sinks (the 1996 quadratic burial, offsetY = -0.025·t², gone ~17s) with the ldbr debris field; at burial it goes INERT (collisionVolumeCount=0 + target lock dropped — no phantom blocking/hits). Remaining: (c) the whole-mech DeathSplash radius damage; wreck mesh FLAMES (flamesml/flamebig + sweep flicker, 1996 script case 4); the full entity teardown at burial (the authentic death-row removal — needs the mech render tree unhooked from the renderer first; the inert wreck is the safe stand-in until then). Do NOT issue DestroyEntityMessage on death (before the render-tree teardown lands).
• ✅ Critical-subsystem plugs BOUND — damage propagates (task #2, 2026-07-11) [T1/T2]. The "binding write is elsewhere" reading was WRONG: the binding is IN the zone ctor loop (@0049d0e1-0049d10d) — Ghidra dropped the two argument pushes ("type propagation not settling"), making Slot::AddImplementation(roster[streamedIndex]) read as a bare no-arg call (mislabeled Resolve). The stream's third per-entry dword IS the roster index into subsystemArray (mech+0x128). Port: the DZSlot stand-in (always-null Resolve) replaced with the engine SlotOf<T> (binary vtables 0050bb84/0050bb7c ARE its instantiations); bind gated MasterInstance+DynamicFlag (simulationFlags@+0x28); replicant plugs stay unbound (master-authoritative). SendSubsystemDamage rewritten to the recovered @0049c9a8 logic: the unused crit allotment lands in the subsystem's OWN private 0x160 DamageZone (the old SubProxy2 cast to a mech zone was wrong), ≥1.0 → statusAlarm Destroyed + gated PrintState
  • zone valve, vital → graphicAlarm 9 (mech kill); CriticalHit now calls the real ApplyDamageAndMeasure (@4ac07c); the artifact parentArtifactZone.Add back-pointer bind also revived (LOD damage averaging). videoObjectFlag was vitalSubsystem (+0xE4, res+0x48 "VitalSubsystem"). VERIFIED live (BT_CRIT_PROBE=<zone> diag): 66 plugs bound at ctor per mech, zone destroyed → crits damaged/DESTROYED with authentic accumulation. Residue: roster idx 0/1 (mapper installed post-ctor / voltage-bus stub) stay unbound with a logged skip — none of the 8 mechs' streams crit-list them in practice.
• Two dead Wword comparison branches (multiplayer): mech.cpp:1511 + :1613 (replicant leg-state/stability sync in ReadUpdateRecord) — always-false BTVal comparisons (reconstruction-gotchas §2); needs slots 0xf/0x10 promoted to named members when P6 replication work resumes.

Multiplayer (Phase 7 / P6)

• ✅ Cross-pod COMBAT — DONE (tasks #46/#47: replicant targeting + damage rerouted to the owning master, full cross-pod kill verified). ✅ Replicant GAIT animation — DONE (task #50: replicant derives speedDemand from the replicated velocity, full stand→walk→run lifecycle verified). See multiplayer — the entries here were stale (swept 2026-07-11).
• ✅ Mech-level update records (@0x4a0c2c) — DONE (task #1, 2026-07-11): all 9 types transcribed + 2-node verified; the peer's death SINK/burial, knockdown, heat and state now replicate (the observer's replicant runs its own wreck loop off the replicated simulationState). Full mechanics in multiplayer "Mech-level update records". Residue [T3]: stream the model's UpdatePositionDiffrence/TurnVelocity/TurnDegree deadband constants to the senders (stand-in thresholds meanwhile).
• The WinSock2 stack (L4NET.CPP) is 2-node verified end-to-end (cross-pod kills, beams, replicant gait — tasks #46-#51); remaining = the real pod-LAN config (real IPs, bare-IP pilot entries).

Rendering follow-ups (non-blocking)

• .PFX effect-layer polish (deferred 2026-07-08; the layer itself is LIVE + verified). The reconstructed BT particle layer (L4VIDEO.cpp, see its banner) renders the authentic .PFX content (fire + smoke, premultiplied blend, impact-frame oriented — weapon hits AND damage bands via lastInflictingID, now written by Mech::TakeDamageMessageHandler). Remaining nuances, all cosmetic: (a) atten/attenv distance attenuation not honoured; (b) the per-file texture name (btfx:firesmoke1_scr_tex) — all effects share the radial-masked grit sheet; decoding FIRE.BSL would give the authored sheet; (c) beams draw before particles, so a beam through thick smoke reads too bright (pass-ordering); (d) colorWarp/alphaWarp applied as t^(1/warp) [T4 convention]; (e) emission uses rate×releasePeriod batching [T4 convention vs the exact 1995 emitter].
• Replacement-LOD selection for NON-additive multi-LOD models (needs the board's hot-spot/ reference-point semantics; leads: s_dplobject.lod_ranges[16]/lod_hot_spot, 0x2047/0x2048).
• Day/night MATERIAL path priority (BMF/IMG) — infrastructure done, gated BT_MATPRI (over-applies to shared terrain mats); needs the terrain-material model understood.
• RGBA4444 alpha (TREE.BSL cutout) decoded but not alpha-tested outside punch batches; VTX/TGA paths.

Content build sub-project (low priority)

• Lab/other-build maps (des/burnt/frstrm) are source-only (.map in CONTENT/BT/MAPS/); would need compiling into a RES via the DOS btl4tool.exe. The 8 RES maps cover testing.

Key Relationships

• Feeds from: every subsystem/render topic (their deferral notes collect here).
• Gating master: source-completeness (the missing BT source).