EscapistsReintroduced/docs/base-replacement.md

# Base replacement is the primary deliverable

The project replaces the abandoned Escapists base with a maintainable, independently authored mission. Porting the user's companion mods is secondary. A passing companion feature test does not establish that the base replacement is complete.

The installed original package (1.6.30, metadata targeting Reforger 1.8.0.10) was inventoried read-only: 299 script paths, plus resource category counts, are recorded in `original-resource-inventory.json`. This identifies responsibilities that the old base supplied. No original implementation, compositions or UI resources were imported. Names in that inventory are reference data, not successor dependencies. The first release targets Everon and up to 12 players, using vanilla and the subsequently authorized RHS/WCS/BMP dependencies; complete original feature parity is deferred.

The [complete responsibility inventory](original-feature-coverage.md) assigns every original script entry to an unfinished replacement area. This is a filename-based coverage map, not proof of behavior equivalence.

## Base responsibilities and current gaps

| Responsibility | Successor implementation | Still required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mission setup and progression | Core phase rules, server settings/commands, saved starting time/progression, replicated startup failure status, definition validation and asynchronous site preparation | Player-facing setup, failure reporting, manual setup and failure-presentation validation |
| Prison and player start | New vanilla composition, physical gate and supplies, native spawning | Manual escape and 12-player equipment/space validation; additional surveyed layouts |
| Scavenging and discovery | Core owns two independent radio-clue caches, a medical stash, outpost stock, targeted documents and named discovery markers | Manual route access, inventory usability, medical treatment and gameplay balance |
| Location population | Seven configured sites, six guard squads, finite stock/props, proximity discovery events and preparation rollback | Additional compositions, destruction presentation, manual access and multiplayer cleanup validation |
| Radio objective | Separate radio service authorizes registered connected players, tracks continuous conscious occupancy and emits events; Core publishes native task progress | Native task and radio-progress UI validation, unconscious/revive and simultaneous-player validation |
| Extraction and results | Separate extraction service, twelve physical occupants, partial UUID results, result-widget refresh, early loss and capacity validation | Manual boarding/piloting, actual remote reconnect and result delivery, casualty loading and empty-server flight verification |
| Player lifecycle | Identity roster, native reconnect reservation, one life, bounded reserved spawn slots, final native assignment checks, local unconsciousness/recovery, spectator camera, defeat/restart | Dedicated server and real multi-client reconnect/streaming tests |
| Ground transport | Authored optional finite UAZ, surveyed parking, native fuel/seats/engine and loss checks | Manual road access/driving, simultaneous use and network ownership |
| Factions and assets | Injected faction/asset catalog drives prisoner, guard group, extraction and friendly/enemy lookup | Additional catalog combinations and remote validation; provenance review and release packaging |
| Enemy strategic response | The integrated AI module supplies the sole HQ coordinator through `ERR_CommandService`, with delivered report memory and bounded predictions | Broader physical support, multiplayer and performance qualification; no competing original response system |

## Immediate implementation order

1. Completed development check: Core-only alternate-cache escape/restart, seven-site finite inventory, physical cover/discovery and full-companion primary-route/radio regressions. Full gameplay acceptance remains pending.
2. Expand and manually validate the authored locations, scavenging route and objective presentation so a person can play without test teleports or hidden knowledge.
3. Validate player lifecycle and restart on a dedicated server; resolve native errors before declaring a clean build.
4. Integrate existing HQ, Intel, Chat and Map behavior against those base interfaces, followed by equivalent-workload performance measurements.

Playable and diagnostic scenario: `{C1E20667DCE324ED}Missions/ERR_Everon.conf` (Automatic terrain). The duplicate Base diagnostic header was retired on 2026-10-04; both launch routes now use this single combined-addon entry with its authored Everon world, integrated HQ and declared external dependencies. The runner retains `core` and `chat` fixture selectors; they no longer select separate addon projects. Historical Core-only evidence remains bound to its earlier source snapshot.

From a frozen source copy, run the base diagnostic without visible windows or sound. Supply the actual installed external-addon directory and a fresh profile; the runner serializes access to the private prefix:

```sh
python3 tools/headless_workbench.py \
  --compat /tmp/erri-headless-compat \
  --profile /tmp/erri-base-diagnostic-UNIQUE \
  --project core --smoke victory --rounds 2 --timeout 600 \
  --external-addons "/path/to/installed/ArmaReforger/addons"
```

This diagnostic moves actors and the helicopter programmatically. It proves integration paths, not manual playability, multiplayer correctness or FPS improvement.

The focused [manual gameplay gap audit](base-gameplay-gaps.md) records inherited starting equipment, real treatment/casualty-loading work and the all-incapacitated outcome policy. These require implementation decisions and native gameplay validation before first release.