# Base mission configuration

Field-site population is configurable under **Forces → Configure sites**.
`fieldCampCount` accepts 1–16 (default 12); `fieldHospitalCount` accepts 1–8
(default 6). Both apply next round. Existing settings files missing these keys
receive the defaults. Commands: `/esc mission camps set N` and
`/esc mission hospitals set N`. Defaults request 26 mission sites; maximum counts
request 32, while retaining the required objective and radio-clue sites. Actual
placement can omit unsuitable optional sites. Sites remain hidden until discovery
or intel, except the existing initial clue markers.
Above eight camps and hospitals combined, sites share the original field-force
budget of 32 fixed guards and 16 mobile soldiers. Increasing the number of sites
adds locations and supplies without increasing that soldier budget.

On added terrains, the initial airport survey processes up to eight 2 km tiles
per generation update, yielding after 4 ms of query work (a native query already
in progress finishes first). This avoids a separate 250 ms wait after every
cheap tile. All airport candidates are still surveyed; ground, navigation and
helicopter-clearance checks remain required. The main log records the survey
duration once, followed by spawn-ready and background-completion timings.
These timings exclude the engine's initial terrain loading and any startup
switch from the configured scenario to the selected terrain.

The independent Core scenario loads `Configs/ERR/VanillaFactions.conf` through `ERR_GameMode.m_FactionDefinition` and `Configs/ERR/EveronSites.conf` through the scenario component. Both are successor resources. Changing a configuration requires restarting the scenario; the live round is not repopulated.

## Starting weapons and ammunition

The admin menu **Mission** page has **Starting pistols** (0–12, default 5)
and **Starting spare magazines** (0–48, default 8). These are totals in the
shared prison/crash supply backpack, not per-player allowances. Magazines are
the existing PM 8-round type; the count excludes ammunition loaded in weapons.
The map remains in the backpack, including when both counts are zero.

Press **Apply** to save each value for the next round. Existing backpacks are
not refilled. Older configurations receive the original defaults automatically.
The values are `mission.startWeaponCount` and `mission.startMagazineCount` in
`$profile:Escapists.json`. Chat equivalents are `/esc mission startweapons set N`
and `/esc mission startammo set N` (also `show` and `help`).

## Roadblocks

Under **Forces → Checkpoints**, configure two independent next-round quotas:

| Setting | Range | Default | Chat command |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Small checkpoints (`mission.roadblockCount`) | 0–30 | 4 | `/esc mission roadblocks set N` |
| Large checkpoints (`mission.largeRoadblockCount`) | 0–30 | 4 | `/esc mission largeroadblocks set N` |
| Main-road minimum width (`mission.mainRoadWidthMetres`) | 5–12 m | 6 m | `/esc mission mainroadwidth set N` |

Both counts can be disabled separately with zero; set both to zero to disable all checkpoints. The existing `roadblockCount` value now controls only small roads. Old configurations retain that value and receive the new defaults. Changes save in `Escapists.json` and apply next round; existing units and cover stay in place. `show` and `help` also work for each chat command.

Roads at or above the width cutoff get large checkpoints; roads below it get compact posts. This is a width classification from the terrain's road network, not a guaranteed asphalt/dirt or forest distinction. An exhausted or disabled quota cannot consume the other type's allowance. Both types share the existing minimum spacing, so they cannot overlap each other.

Small checkpoints retain four guards, four sandbag walls, two approach barriers and two signs (about 17.8 m long). Large checkpoints have eight guards, eight sandbag walls, four approach barriers and two signs (about 42.8 m long), with four protected guard bays on each shoulder. Large candidates require at least 60 m of road and a straight clear approach. Both preserve a straight vehicle passage at least four metres wide.

Soldiers come from the selected enemy faction, use normal equipment and physical radio reporting, and register with VirtualHQ at their actual four- or eight-soldier strength. They do not reveal player locations simply by spawning. Guards are not replaced after death. Every post is constructed one actor, prop or waypoint per callback; a failed or interrupted build rolls back without consuming either quota. At maximum settings the two types can create up to 360 guards and 660 replicated props; their default combined count is eight posts and 48 guards. The Status page reports placed/requested counts separately.

Placement uses the loaded terrain's road network and Soldiers navmesh after
terrain/site preparation. The initial search yields after 12 seconds; unfinished
placement continues in small background steps while players are connected,
including while the prison is locked and after escape. Posts stay at least 600 m apart, 700 m from the prison and any
controlled player body, 150 m from mission sites and outside settlement centres.
Elevated bridge segments, narrow roads, steep or obstructed shoulders are rejected.
All prop footprints preserve a straight vehicle passage at least four metres wide. The requested
count is a maximum: a bounded search skips unsuitable posts and logs placed versus
requested totals instead of preventing mission startup. The admin Status page
also shows these totals. This is an interim checkpoint system, independent of the
existing HQ-directed road interceptions.

The [1 November native checkpoint test](evidence/large-checkpoints-2026-11-01/native-checks.log) placed one small and one large post on Everon: 12 living guards, 22 replicated props, correct HQ strength, model footprints outside the centre passage, and separate completed quotas. The [menu/settings fixture](evidence/large-checkpoints-2026-11-01/menu/native-checks.log) saved and reloaded distinct counts and width, and measured the new controls’ native text bounds. It instantiates the generated layout directly; it does not claim human input, remote RPC delivery or screenshot acceptance. Both completed with unchanged inputs and cleanup; strict runners retain 13 existing resource/world errors and no script errors. Earlier failed iterations are recorded alongside the evidence. Full-load performance and multiplayer acceptance remain unmeasured.

Fresh settings now initialize both drone keys, including the valid 300-second cooldown; the missing cooldown previously prevented a fresh settings document from passing save/readback validation.

## Šárka special-forces hunters

Under **Forces → Šárka hunters**, set **Anger points per Šárka** from 1 to 30.
The default is 3. Each wave requests the current anger divided by this value,
rounded down: a value of 5 gives no car below 5 anger, one at 5–9, and two at
10–14. Zero disables new waves; already deployed cars and crews remain.
Each car carries four special-forces soldiers, including a medic. Changes apply
to the next wave; the existing interval and placement rules remain unchanged.

The saved key is `mission.sarkaAngerPerCar` in `$profile:Escapists.json`.
The command is `/esc mission sarkapoints set N` (also `show` and `help`).
Older `sarkaCarsPerAnger` settings migrate to the new default of 3 when enabled;
an old zero remains disabled. An explicit new key takes precedence. The old
`sarkacars` command is retired to avoid silently reversing its meaning.

## Mission restarts

The admin menu **Mission** page includes two independent settings:

- **Restart after last disconnect**: Enabled or Disabled, default Enabled.
- **Restart while empty (hours)**: 0 disables the idle timer; 1–168 sets the
  number of real hours continuously empty. Default 5. Press **Apply** to save.

Both apply immediately and persist in `$profile:Escapists.json` as
`mission.restartOnEmpty` and `mission.emptyRestartHours`. Older configurations
receive the enabled/five-hour defaults. The idle interval starts with a new
mission or the last disconnect and resets whenever players connect. Connected
spectators and players loading in also prevent an empty-server restart.
Changing the interval uses the time already spent empty. Normal victory/defeat
and no-survivor endings still apply when these options are disabled.

Chat equivalents are `/esc mission restartempty set on|off` and
`/esc mission emptyhours set N`; both also support `show` and `help`.

## One server configuration

All mission preferences now live in **`$profile:Escapists.json`** on the server.
It is created automatically on the first start of this build. The admin menu
reads and saves this same file; changing a setting preserves the other sections.
Edit the file while the mission is stopped, then restart to load manual changes.

| Section | Contents | Imported from on first start |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `mission` | Gameplay, HQ, time, weather, view distance, helicopter timer | `rereintroduced.json` |
| `mods` | Content and faction-pack switches | `EscapistsContent.json` |
| `factions` | Player, enemy and independent role choices | `EscapistsFactions.json` |
| `terrain` | Selected next-start scenario | `EscapistsTerrain.json` |
| `items` | Item rules and named presets, including dormant rules for absent mods | `EscapistsItems.json` |
| `voice` | Original welcome clip (`welcomeUrl`), speech bridge URL/token (`briefingUrl`, `briefingToken`), optional `ttsEnabled`, `bundledSpeech` (default true), `recordingsEnabled` (default true; TTS menu prerecorded speech On / Off) | `EscapistsWelcomeVoice.json` |

The admin mission menu's **TTS** page can test and save the speech bridge settings
without a restart. Only a successful test enables the new settings; an empty or
disabled setup leaves the original welcome behavior unchanged. Google credentials
stay on the speech host. See [speech setup](welcome-voice-test.md).

During an active Escape round, the original surviving player body is reserved
for at least 15 minutes after a disconnect, including a client crash. A longer
native `operating.slotReservationTimeout` is respected, as is its unlimited
setting. Rejoining with the same authenticated account returns control of that
body, keeping its inventory, injuries and vehicle seat. It stays vulnerable while
the player is away. If the reservation is missing, expired or its body has died,
reconnecting grants a fresh soldier through normal admission before extraction
begins. The new soldier uses the normal loadout, without copying old equipment.
A valid reservation whose handoff fails remains reserved instead of granting a
second soldier. New rounds start with fresh admission records; characters are
not saved across server restarts. Reconnect reservation, rejection and
successful handoff are logged without account identifiers.

The root has `"configVersion": 1`. Missing legacy files get defaults. Existing
valid values are imported, using a valid `.bak` if the old primary is damaged.
If neither copy is valid, migration logs the filename and leaves the originals
untouched; repair that file before retrying. Legacy files are retained for
rollback, but are ignored once `Escapists.json` exists. They can be archived after
verifying the migration. Do not edit them expecting the new build to reload them.

`Escapists.json.bak` is the last valid configuration before a successful update;
`.tmp` is only a write staging file. Neither is a separate configuration to
maintain. Writes are read back before and after promotion, and a valid backup
allows recovery from a damaged primary. Unsupported schema versions are kept
read-only. Unknown fields and preferences for absent mods are retained.

A malformed known section also prevents unrelated menu changes from being saved.
This preserves the last valid backup instead of replacing it with damaged data.
Repair invalid sections while the mission is stopped; a valid replacement for the
only damaged section can also be saved through its existing menu. Successful repair
keeps the good backup, and subsequent ordinary saves resume normal backup rotation.
Missing optional sections still use defaults, and unknown fields remain intact.

Server host settings (ports, passwords and the Workshop mod list), cloud
credentials, and authored faction/site assets remain with their respective
systems. The welcome helper serves its cached clip independently; only its
public audio URL belongs in the mission configuration.

## Factions and assets

The catalog explicitly selects the player faction, enemy faction, prisoner character, guard group and extraction helicopter. Current defaults are unarmed US prisoners, Soviet guards and the vanilla unarmed Mi-8 transport. Both factions must exist in the world's faction manager and consider one another hostile. Required prefab resources must resolve. The extraction resource must be a helicopter with a pilot position and at least twelve pilot/passenger seats; invalid extraction setup rolls back prepared sites before players spawn. Guard groups must have the catalog's enemy affiliation; an incompatible group is rejected rather than relabelled.

This provides an injection boundary, not automatic support for arbitrary addons. A different faction also needs matching characters, inventories, world manager configuration and companion support compositions. The current mortar crew remains a vanilla Soviet composition and rejects a different enemy faction.

Supply/guard placement and finite stock are described in [site authoring](site-authoring.md).

## Administration

Open the normal game chat and enter a command. Core provides:

| Command | Access | Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `/esc status` | Server administrator | Current objective or startup failure cause; adds HQ status when Chat is loaded |
| `/esc killais` | Server administrator | Kill AI characters within 1,000 m of your living character; preserve players and vehicles |
| `/esc settings` | Server administrator | Current shared settings and values |
| `/esc mission keepweapon set 0` / `1` | Server administrator | Disable/enable retaining the held firearm while unconscious and equipping it after revival; applies from the next knockout |
| `/esc mission traffic set N` | Server administrator | Set 0–6 civilian traffic cars, default 3; 0 disables new traffic. Also on the Factions menu page. Distant-only cleanup and claimed-car preservation remain active. |
| `/esc mission radio show` | Server administrator | Radio defence duration in seconds |
| `/esc mission radio set N` | Server administrator | Save a whole-number duration from 30 to 1800 seconds |
| `/esc mission time show` | Server administrator | Current clock and saved next-round time/speed |
| `/esc mission time set HH:MM` | Server administrator | Save next-round start time, 00:00–23:59 |
| `/esc mission speed show` | Server administrator | Current clock and saved next-round time/speed |
| `/esc mission speed set N` | Server administrator | Save next-round time progression, 1–24× |
| `/esc spectate next` | Spectating player | Select the next friendly teammate; use round-owned bodies when no eligible survivor remains |
| `/esc spectate previous` | Spectating player | Select the previous friendly teammate or fallback body |

The server derives administrator status from the requesting controller's authenticated player ID. Clients cannot send an administrator flag through the RPC. Requests are limited in length and rate; malformed numbers and out-of-range values leave the previous setting intact. Saved values belong to the server profile, not client profiles. Changing radio duration affects the current defence calculation, so configure it before starting the transmission.

Clock settings apply once at the next round startup; changing them does not jump the current clock. Older valid settings files load the new defaults (14:00, 1×) without being rewritten. See [mission time](mission-time.md).

AI and Intel register their own providers with the Core command service; the full Chat scenario loads both. Existing HQ interval/squad/radius and Intel carrying/reveal aliases remain available, as do `hq show` and `hq log`. They use the same authenticated authorization path.

Additional AI commands:

| Command | Effect |
| --- | --- |
| `/esc hq memory` | Show bounded delivered-report beliefs, confidence, uncertainty and travel estimates |
| `/esc hq aa show` / `/esc hq aa set N` | Enemy MANPADS grant chance, 0–100% or Random; default 7% |
| `/esc hq equipment show` / `/esc hq equipment set N` | Automatic catalog equipment attempt chance, 0–100% or Random; default 25%; [details](enemy-loadouts.md#automatic-equipment-from-installed-mods) |
| `/esc hq mines show` / `/esc hq mines set N` | Enemy AP-mine grant chance, 0–100% or Random; default 60%, up to two carried mines |
| `/esc hq stinger show` / `/esc hq stinger set N` | Legacy alias for anti-air percentage, 0–100 or `set random`; `show` displays Random; no reroll of existing soldiers |
| `/esc hq convoy show` | Show the finite deployment task, retained vehicles, native cargo insertion results and stop reason |
| `/esc hq convoy start` | Deploy the next unused slot in this round’s configured convoy allowance after physical force admission |
| `/esc convoys show` | Show the saved count and active fleet |
| `/esc convoys set 0..20` / `/esc convoys set random` | Save the next round’s convoy count; default 3; also available on the Mission page |

Convoys automatically deploy after prison escape by default, travel between friendly military bases, and use the original infantry dismount/flank/reboard behavior. Each has six vehicles, 25 soldiers and finite random faction-arsenal cargo. Startup and losses consume slots permanently. The existing `automaticConvoyEnabled=0` preference remains respected. See [Supply convoys](supply-convoys.md) for configuration, timing and validation limits.

The command parser and setting mutations have native service tests. Actual remote RPC ownership, chat usability and pre-spawn presentation still need multiplayer/UI acceptance.

## Failed preparation

If the faction/catalog setup or authored site preparation fails, the mode retains the reason, stops its services and refuses progression or spawning. It does not fall back to a partially prepared mission. A local hint describes the failure and `/esc status` gives administrators the cause. Correct the resource/configuration and restart the scenario. There is no automatic retry that recreates stock or forces after failure.

Waiting for normal site preparation does not consume a player's spawn retry budget. Once ready, actual failed spawn requests are bounded. This does not remove the one-life or identity requirements.

Core also provides `/esc mission abandon`: an administrator-only explicit defeat and normal restart for an active round. See [recovery policy](recovery.md).

## Mission menu

**Esc → Co10 Escape Reintroduced** opens one administrator menu. Its top navigation
stays visible on every page:

| Page | Controls |
| --- | --- |
| Mission | Radio defence duration, next-round convoy count and unconscious weapon retention |
| World | Start time, Random day, time speed, date and weather |
| Factions | Escapists, enemy and independent faction choices; Random all |
| Mods | Content pack and individual faction switches |
| HQ | Report interval, support squad limit, response radius, anti-air percentage and AP-mine percentage |
| Intel | Document frequency, exact-reveal chance, summary and reroll |
| Status | Scrollable live mission and service status |
| Journal | Readable HQ activity, technical-detail toggle, pause/resume and jump to latest |

Changing pages preserves drafts and never applies them. Escape returns to Mission;
a second Escape closes the menu (an active text edit consumes Escape first).
Server authorization and capability checks still control every mutation.

Each of the thirteen value fields includes a short explanation of its effect
and when it applies. Equipment percentages affect newly equipped soldiers; time,
weather and convoy settings apply next round. The faction page distinguishes your
faction, the enemy that controls HQ, and the other hostile faction.

**Keep weapon when unconscious** has explicit Enabled/Disabled buttons on Mission. It defaults to Enabled and applies from each player’s next knockout. With it enabled, the same gun is retained and re-equipped after revival; Disabled restores the normal ground drop. Unconscious and dead spectators use **Left/Right arrows** to change teammates.

When no eligible living teammate remains, arrows cycle through the current
round's surviving corpses, including your own, until the round ends. Corpses are
selected from the authenticated round roster even after their controllers detach;
AI corpses and bodies from other rounds are excluded.

**Enter** switches between orbit and the living teammate's actual camera pose.
Their client supplies position, look direction, roll, vertical field of view and
near clipping distance; the server forwards samples only to their current
authorized spectators. This follows whichever normal player camera the teammate
uses, including their own third-person selection. It does not copy their HUD,
picture-in-picture scope rendering or player-only weapon animation.

Samples are sent at up to 20 Hz only while requested, interpolated relative to the
replicated body, and discarded after a 350 ms gap. Corpses, unavailable streams
and other camera modes such as Game Master use the orbit fallback. Native head
and helmet fading prevents looking through the target's face and is restored on
view changes. This is a synchronized camera view, not a latency-free video feed.

The Journal normally shows sentences with real server-local clock time
(`HH:MM:SS`), event numbers and radio message numbers. Timestamps are captured
when events occur and stay unchanged when history is opened or resumed. It distinguishes local sightings, reports awaiting transmission,
received reports and delivered orders. **Show technical details** also displays
the original records, including elapsed seconds, coordinates, identifiers and diagnostic fields;
switching views preserves history and the live cursor. The server journal file
contains each readable summary followed by its unchanged technical record.
Status labels explicitly identify mortar readiness, identified-body aggression
and the total UAZ deployment allowance.

Validated on 2026-09-23 with the complete repository checks and the isolated native
`prisoner-kit` fixture (359 assertions, no script/runtime failures). Native checks
cover all thirteen description bounds using DPI-correct measurements, eight-page
navigation and the readable/technical journal toggle without cursor/history loss.
The fixture still reports existing installed-content resource/keyword errors;
this is local Workbench validation, not a dedicated-server multiplayer test.

## Optional content

Use **Esc → Co10 Escape Reintroduced → Mods** for server-admin RHS and individual faction switches.
Selections apply after mission restart, while Workshop dependencies remain loaded.
See [content packs and the modder registry](content-packs.md).

## Random settings

The numeric and world settings on **Mission**, **World**, **HQ** and **Intel** have a
**Random** button. It selects the draft; press **Apply** to save it. You can still
enter a fixed value. The start-time row also offers **Random day**.

- Random start time: any whole minute from 00:00 through 23:59.
- Random day: a whole minute strictly between the island's sunrise and sunset,
  calculated after the selected date is applied. If no daylight interval is
  available, preparation fails rather than silently starting at night.
- Random date: any valid date in the world's authored year (1900–2050), including
  leap days where applicable.
- Random weather: clear, overcast or rain, with equal probability.
- Other fields: a uniformly selected integer within the range displayed beside
  the field, including zero where allowed. Random speed uses 1–24×.

The server retains the **Random** choice in its profile and selects a fresh value
for each mission instance. Reads and menu polling reuse that value. Applying the
same Random choice again does not reroll it; changing to a fixed value and then
back to Random does. Live settings retain their existing apply timing; clock,
calendar, weather and speed still apply only on the next round. Saved Random
values for live settings also show the resolved number in the menu.

Text commands accept `random` in place of any of these ten values, for example
`/esc hq squads set random` or `/esc mission weather set random`. Time additionally
accepts `/esc mission time set random day` (or `random-day`). Existing numeric,
clock, date and named-weather values remain supported. Storage uses `-1` for
Random and `-2` exclusively for Random day; these are saved modes, never concrete
values passed to gameplay or the world clock. Existing settings files keep their
fixed choices without migration or an automatic rewrite.

## Generated camps and map discovery

Everon generates a fresh clear-terrain prison, radio camp and four mortar sites
each round. Partial intel shows question marks; exact discoveries use site icons.
The prison is never marked. See
[generated sites and debug commands](generated-sites.md) for placement limits,
authoring fields, failure behavior and validation.

`/esc cheat intel` is an administrator-only command that places six fresh intel folders on clear ground within about 4.3 metres of the current living prisoner. It requires being on foot on terrain with enough nearby space. All six positions are checked first; a spawn failure removes the partial batch. Picking up the folders uses normal intel discovery and the configured reveal chance.

The initial prison patrol contains 3–5 soldiers, chosen once during preparation from the selected enemy faction roster. An existing RTO is retained. If that roster has no large radio, one soldier is equipped with a physical manpack (US/USAF: AN/PRC-77; otherwise R-107M). Preparation waits for that radio to be present. The guards start at separate random clear positions 12–24 m around the prison and remain frozen until it is unlocked; other site squads keep their configured size.

## Extraction landing zones and site icons

Extraction searches for suitable clear ground across the terrain from the first
attempt, on original Everon and on other terrains. It does not prioritize airports.
Dry ground, slope, obstacle/overhead clearance, nearby rescue-fleet space and the
prison's escape boundary still constrain placement. Terrain-generated scenarios
also require reachable navigation at the landing zone and guard positions.
Original Everon uses `RandomClear 1` and `RequireAirfield 0`; its old airport
coordinate is only a validated fallback if the random search is exhausted.
Scenario authors can still explicitly require an airfield for their own fixed pads.

Identified sites use helicopter, radio, artillery, building, medical and supplies
icons. Partial intel shows a question mark at an approximate position; the prison
remains hidden regardless of discovery.
The western guarded UAZ/crate site is removed; the medical stash provides the
second radio-intel source. See [implementation and validation](airfield-extraction-and-map-icons.md).

See [mortar intel, original messages and perimeter guards](mortar-intel-and-prison-map.md) for the four-site configuration and validation.

## Permanent radio security

Radio sites require a guard squad. HQ permanently reserves that squad for the
radio's 20 m defend area; it cannot be dispatched on searches, reinforcements or
courier work. The generated Everon radio and table sit inside a full-size tent,
with standing room for interaction. See [radio camp security](radio-camp-security.md).

Everon also sets `ScoutCount 10` in its scenario definition. This creates ten finite hilltop sniper/scout posts with radio-equipped ammunition packs; see [hill scouts](hill-scouts.md) for terrain criteria, loadouts and reporting. Other authored scenarios default to zero.

Search helicopter: `heliTimerMinutes` defaults to 15 minutes after prison escape
and after aircraft loss. Use `/esc hq heli show`, `/esc hq heli timer set 15`,
or `/esc hq heli return`. See [search-helicopter.md](search-helicopter.md).

Enemy equipment percentages affect soldiers whose initial loadout has not yet been rolled. They do not replace authored equipment or replenish dropped/looted items. Mines are carried, not automatically planted. See [enemy loadouts](enemy-loadouts.md) for faction launcher selection and fallback.

**Factions → Random all** immediately saves Random for all three roles; no second Apply is needed. Random remains saved after closing the menu and is resolved afresh at each round startup. Current factions stay unchanged until the next round. Individual dropdown edits still use **Apply factions**.

The 2026-09-23 native `prisoner-kit` fixture verified that Random all saves via the authenticated owner RPC, survives a fresh settings load and menu reopen without Apply, and preserves current-round faction roles. It completed 357 assertions without script/runtime failures; installed external resource errors still make the engine report non-clean. Regression coverage is in `test_faction_menu.py` and `test_faction_selection.py`.

Civilian traffic uses `mission.civilianTrafficCount` in the same configuration. See [civilian traffic](civilian-traffic.md) for routes, observer distances and vehicle ownership.

## Optional Cessna patrol

`planeReconEnabled` defaults to `1`: use Cessna 172 only when it and Propeller
Flight Core are loaded on a dedicated server. **HQ → Configure Cessna** provides
Enabled/Disabled buttons and Apply fields for patrol altitude (150–500 m, default
250), replacement delay (30–1800 s, default 60), and new patrol area interval
(30–600 s, default 120). All save for the next round. `/esc mission plane set 0|1` uses
the same admin authorization. No loaded addon or no safe airport means no plane.
See [reconnaissance plane details](cessna-reconnaissance.md).

## Starting backpack contents

Open **Items → Starting backpack** in the admin menu. Select a loaded mod, choose **Show items**, browse its catalog pages, choose an item, quantity and destination (**Inside backpack** or **On ground beside backpack**), then choose **Save quantity**. Saving the same item and destination again replaces that quantity; zero removes it from that destination. The same item can have separate backpack and ground quantities. **Remove item** removes the selected saved entry. Weapons, matching magazines and medical supplies can be selected explicitly. The saved-content dropdown lists every selected item, quantity and destination.

Select **Custom loadout** to use that list for the next prison or crash start. The shared field map is always included. **Default loadout** restores the existing pistol and magazine count settings without erasing your custom list. Existing backpacks are never refilled or changed by these edits. Enemy item permissions and probability weights do not change this explicit starting loadout.

The list permits up to 32 item/destination entries, 48 per entry and 64 total items across both destinations, plus the map. Ground items bypass inventory insertion and remain available nearby for pickup. Items that do not fit inside the backpack also stay nearby instead of blocking startup or being deleted. Unavailable custom items are skipped and logged. Add matching magazines explicitly; selecting a weapon does not automatically add spare ammunition. Settings persist in the `startBackpack` section of `Escapists.json`. Existing version 1 loadouts remain valid and their items keep the backpack destination. Saving writes version 2 records as `prefab|quantity|backpack` or `prefab|quantity|ground`; the enclosing configuration version does not change.

## After-mission statistics

The results screen remains open for 120 seconds before automatic restart. A
server's explicit `-autoReload` command-line setting still takes precedence.

Victory and defeat screens include a scrollable mission summary: duration,
participant and escape counts, squad totals, and each participant's kills,
friendly kills, deaths, times downed, recoveries and final escape status.
Disconnected participants retain their records. Only participants who actually
escaped according to the extraction service are marked **Escaped**.

Kills count non-friendly characters credited by native damage events to a
participant's body; friendly kills are separate. Vehicles, self-kills, editor
kills and unattributed damage do not add to the kill score. A fatal loss counts
as a death. Because the mission normally keeps wounded players alive, unconscious
episodes are counted separately as **Downed**. **Recoveries** include both medical
treatment and natural/self-recovery; they are not a medic's revive score.

The report freezes when the round ends. Counts belong to the current round and
start fresh with the next mission. They work with statistics telemetry disabled
and require no web service. At most 128 distinct participants are retained; the
report explicitly marks truncation if that limit is reached. No account IDs are
included in the displayed or replicated summary.

After a victory or defeat is accepted by the community statistics receiver, the
screen also shows the current map's wins, failures and win rate on this server
and across all reporting servers. Totals include this round and update if they
arrive while the screen is open. Different maps are counted separately using
their loaded world resources. Startup failures, empty restarts and interrupted
sessions are excluded. Community totals show unavailable if reporting is disabled
or delivery fails; local round statistics still work.

### Parked civilian vehicles

Open **Admin menu → Mission → Civilian vehicles**. Each garage control has an **Apply** button and saved-value display; changes apply next round.

| Control | Range | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nearby garage vehicles | 0–24; 0 disables | 16 |
| Garage selection chance | 0–100%; 0 disables | 70% |
| Spawn radius | 250–1500 metres | 1000 m |
| Time between spawns | 5–60 seconds | 5 s |

The additional saved keys are `mission.garageChancePercent`, `mission.garageRadiusMetres` and `mission.garageSpawnIntervalSeconds`. Chat equivalents are `/esc mission garagechance set N`, `/esc mission garageradius set N`, and `/esc mission garageinterval set N`.

In **Mission → Civilian vehicles**, set **Nearby garage vehicles** (or `/esc mission garagevehicles set N`). `mission.garageVehicleCount` defaults to 16, accepts 0–24, and applies next round. Zero disables placement. This is a shared limit on **unclaimed nearby vehicles**, not a lifetime limit of 16 across the island. Every fourth vehicle attempts an optional unarmed WCS motorbike when its dependencies are loaded; otherwise cars fill the slots.

As players explore, the server discovers native `Garage_E_01` and `HouseAddon_Garage_E_01` buildings within the configured radius. Each garage uses the configured selection chance, rolled once on discovery. A bay must be at least 35 metres from every player body/spectator target, hidden by scenery from all of them, dry and collision-free. Open editor cameras or unknown observer targets suspend spawning and retirement. Adjacent suitable garages can both contain vehicles; the old 150-metre spacing and whole-island survey are gone. Custom garage models are not currently supported.

Discovery, candidate checks, prefab loading and creation run as separate updates, every 250 ms. Each update scans at most one 500-metre cell, maintains one vehicle, checks one physical bay, loads one prefab, or creates one vehicle. Native creations respect the configured delay, with a minimum of five seconds. Prefabs stay cached for later spawns. Native resource loading and entity creation are indivisible calls, so this limits bursts rather than guaranteeing zero frame spikes.

Vehicles have 30–80% fuel and no AI crew. Entering a vehicle permanently preserves it, including after exiting. Occupants or movement beyond three metres also protect it as a fallback for missed entry callbacks or towing. Its original garage is then consumed for the round, preventing repeated vehicle farming. Used vehicles do not occupy the nearby unclaimed allowance. A separate limit of 128 retained-plus-current vehicles bounds accumulation during unusually long rounds; it never deletes used vehicles.

An untouched vehicle can be retired only when it is at least 1,400 metres from every known observer (or the configured spawn radius plus 400 metres, whichever is larger) and hidden for a sampled 60-second grace period. Returning nearby, gaining visibility or losing observer information cancels that grace period. Retirement frees a nearby slot for the players' new area; an unused garage can become eligible again on a later visit. Unclaimed cars are maintained one at a time. The discovery cache is capped at 16,384 cells and 2,048 garages per round. Vehicles still incur ordinary physics and replication costs.

Validation: [menu settings and round persistence](evidence/garage-vehicles-2026-10-30/menu/report.json), [nearby garage spawning and retention](evidence/garage-vehicles-2026-10-30/nearby/report.json), plus production-method observer, lifecycle, settings and menu tests.