re: the Phase_1/2/3 block of the settings family -- mostly per stage, not per phase

72 records, 94 distinct field names, 31 in every one (post-processing core, five
Fog*, three ScreenColor*, SpaceSize, five Supply*, UnderCommandSquadron, the
first BGOperate slot).  Optional families sit in clean tiers: Nebura_* and
ColorLayer* in 69/72, DOF_*/UnsharpMask_*/ExposureKey_* in 15/72, FinalPass* in
3/72.

REFUTED: BGOperateFrameCount is NOT the number of BGOperateFrameName_i slots --
36 of 72.  What holds is Count <= slots, 72/72: a fixed slot array with a live
count, the same shape as MessageCount under the 32-slot clamp.

68 of the fields common to all three phases NEVER differ in any of the 24
objects.  The phase block is a per-stage environment block copied three times;
what a phase change is actually for is the backdrop animation (BGOperate*) and
the supply/command squadron assignment.

MapPath is not in this family -- its 87 records per pack are 29 x 3, the
resource manifest's Phase_N.

Also fixed a non-determinism the verify loop caught: most_common() over a set
iteration ordered ties differently per run; now sorted by (-count, name).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01PMRJjbxLqZtsb5Vb7KunPE

docs/re/BACKLOG.md

@@ -4623,3 +4623,50 @@ in one object: once for scoring, once for damage.
 `UnderCommandSquadron`, `MapPath`) is the largest remaining piece and was not
 read. Which object is which stage, beyond `IsBoss16Enable`. `SplinterCell Count
 5` is a name and a value only.
+
+---
+
+## ✅🔴 2026-08-27 — the `Phase_1/2/3` block of the settings family
+
+The largest remaining piece of the stage-settings table, now read.
+`stage-settings-table.md` extended; `mission_scoring.py` extended; artefact
+`data/mission-scoring.txt` grows. Still twelve artefacts.
+
+**Docs checked first.** `stage-definition-table.md` owns `MapPath`/`MapMesh` — in
+the **`Stage_SNN`** records, naming `.rgn`/`.col` MiscBin objects; `regn-map-grid.md`
+and `stage-mission-tables.md` also carry `MapPath`. `UnderCommandSquadron`,
+`BGOperateFrameName`, `SupplyMovie*`, `FinalPassVinetting`, `Nebura_*` and
+`ScreenColor*` are owned by **nothing**.
+
+✅ **72 records, 94 distinct field names, 31 in every one** — the post-processing
+core, five `Fog*`, three `ScreenColor*`, `SpaceSize`, five `Supply*`,
+`UnderCommandSquadron`, and the first `BGOperate` slot. Optional families sit in
+clean tiers: `Nebura_*` (12) + `ColorLayer*` + `BGRotateScale` in **69/72**;
+`DOF_*` (7), `UnsharpMask_*` (7), `ExposureKey_*` (4) in **15/72**;
+`FinalPass*` (11) in **3/72**.
+
+🔴 **Refuted: `BGOperateFrameCount` is NOT the number of `BGOperateFrameName_i`
+slots — 36 of 72.** I expected the `Count·k` pattern that pinned the chatter pairs
+and the cutscene pages, and it does not hold. What holds is
+**`Count ≤ slots` in 72/72**: the slot array is fixed (1, 4 or 5 present) and
+`Count` says how many are live — the same shape as `MessageCount` under the
+32-slot clamp. Recorded as a refutation because the strong form is the one a port
+would naively implement.
+
+✅ **68 of the fields common to all three phases NEVER differ, in any of the 24
+objects.** The whole `Nebura_*`, `DOF_*`, `UnsharpMask_*`, `FinalPass*` families,
+most fog/colour settings, `SupplySquadron2` and `SupplyRange` are **per stage,
+duplicated into all three phase records**. What moves — never in more than 6 of 24
+— is `BGOperateFrameName_0` (6), `SupplySquadron1` (5), then `Brightness`,
+`BrightPass*`, `ColorLayerA`, `BGOperateFrameCount`, `UnderCommandSquadron`,
+`FirstAdaptedLuminance`, `BGOperateFrameName_2` (3 each). **The phase block is a
+per-stage environment block copied three times**, and what a phase change is
+actually for is the backdrop animation and the supply/command squadron.
+
+⚠️ **`MapPath` is not in this family.** Its 87 records per pack are 29 × 3 — the
+**resource** manifest's `Phase_N`, not the settings'. Arithmetic, not assumption:
+the settings family is 24 objects, the resource family 29.
+
+🟡 Still open: which settings object is which stage beyond `IsBoss16Enable`;
+`SplinterCell Count 5`; what `SpaceSize`, `GlareType` and `Nebura_*` mean
+numerically.

docs/re/INDEX.md

@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ files, which is how the same ground got covered twice.
 | [`structures/cutscene-message-table.md`](structures/cutscene-message-table.md) | Cutscene dialogue — speaker, portrait, on-screen seconds, audio cue per page | ✅ CONFIRMED, field count = 9·PageCount+2 for all 7 PageCounts, 1 252/1 252 caption keys match, 138 ids close both ways |
 | [`structures/preset-message-rules.md`](structures/preset-message-rules.md) | The reactive-chatter rule table — 64 events, the (message, Yes/No) pair payload, the `Sperkers` roster | ✅ CONFIRMED, the seven fields read off `sub_82213980`, phase tables merge non-additively (224 variants discarded); 8 firing sites share one entry, Probability is a per-cent roll against rand*100.0; Yes = one-shot line; queue is Priority-ordered and capped at 128; the cooldown is Interval + Fluctuation*rand held in the lingering queue node; the 14 player-facing events are voiced by the player set alone (13/15 Katana tables, 0/129 others) (three are seconds ×60, the Yes/No element is a u32 mask, hence the 32 clamp); MessageCount·2 == positional count in 9 216/9 216; five naming routes union to 144/144 (six names predicted from the speaker roster before hashing, control 0/4); 2 388/2 405 message ids bind to a cue |
 | [`structures/mission-scoring.md`](structures/mission-scoring.md) | Mission scoring and the S/A/B/C/D rank thresholds — 24 tables x 3 difficulties | ✅ CONFIRMED, one 22-field schema over 72 records; difficulty moves 10 of 22 fields and never the RankScore thresholds; 🔴 which object is which stage unresolved (0/28 names under 19 prefixes) |
-| [`structures/stage-settings-table.md`](structures/stage-settings-table.md) | The per-stage settings object — Camera rigs, Player limits, Difficulty_* damage record | ✅ CONFIRMED, 24 settings objects vs 29 resource objects both using Phase_1/2/3; Camera is 13/14 fields constant; GravityFactor non-zero in 4 stages; IsBoss16Enable identifies one object |
+| [`structures/stage-settings-table.md`](structures/stage-settings-table.md) | The per-stage settings object — Camera rigs, Player limits, Difficulty_* damage record | ✅ CONFIRMED, 24 settings objects vs 29 resource objects both using Phase_1/2/3; Camera is 13/14 fields constant; GravityFactor non-zero in 4 stages; IsBoss16Enable identifies one object; the Phase block is 94 fields of which 68 never vary between phases |
 | [`structures/isl-mission-timer.md`](structures/isl-mission-timer.md) | The mission timer — two sequential countdowns, not a limit and a warning |  ✅ CONFIRMED — read from `sub_822639B8`; the threshold reading is |
 | [`structures/archive-naming.md`](structures/archive-naming.md) | Which archives the disc can name — 100% for menu paks, **0.0%** for the six 2D paks and `GP_READY_ROOM` |  ✅ CONFIRMED — 6027 names × 16 prefixes, bimodal |
 | [`structures/hud-config.md`](structures/hud-config.md) | The in-game HUD configuration — 16 records, 419 asset paths, and a per-stage `ResourceTable` |  ✅ CONFIRMED — 0 of 419 config paths resolve as pak entries |

docs/re/data/mission-scoring.txt

@@ -124,6 +124,41 @@ the rest of the settings object (24 objects):
     PlayerShieldDamageAdjustment          1 distinct  1.0=24
     ShieldDamageAdjustment                2 distinct  0.5=23 1.0=1
 
+the Phase_1/2/3 block (72 records over 24 objects):
+  distinct field names        : 94
+  present in EVERY record     : 31
+    BGOperateFrameCount BGOperateFrameName_0 BGOperateScale_0 BloomScale BrightPassOffset BrightPassThreshold Brightness Contrast ExposureKeyValue FirstAdaptedLuminance FogLinear FogMaxAmount FogMaxDistance FogMinAmount FogMinDistance GlareType Hue LuminanceMax LuminanceMin Saturation ScreenColorB ScreenColorG ScreenColorR SpaceSize StarScale SupplyMovie1ID SupplyMovie2ID SupplyRange SupplySquadron1 SupplySquadron2 UnderCommandSquadron
+  field-count histogram       : {31: 3, 58: 28, 59: 24, 61: 1, 62: 1, 77: 6, 78: 6, 90: 3}
+  BGOperateFrameCount == slots: 36/72  (REFUTED)
+  BGOperateFrameCount <= slots: 72/72
+    slot histogram {1: 3, 4: 67, 5: 2} ; Count histogram {1: 9, 2: 14, 3: 16, 4: 31, 5: 2}
+  fields that DIFFER between phases (of 24 objects):
+    BGOperateFrameName_0          6
+    SupplySquadron1               5
+    BGOperateFrameCount           3
+    BGOperateFrameName_2          3
+    BrightPassOffset              3
+    BrightPassThreshold           3
+    Brightness                    3
+    ColorLayerA                   3
+    FirstAdaptedLuminance         3
+    UnderCommandSquadron          3
+    BGOperateScale_2              2
+    BloomScale                    2
+    ColorLayerG                   2
+    ColorLayerR                   2
+    Contrast                      2
+    GlareType                     2
+    LuminanceMax                  2
+    StarScale                     2
+    SupplyMovie1ID                2
+    BGRotateScale_2               1
+    FogMaxAmount                  1
+    SpaceSize                     1
+    SupplyMovie2ID                1
+  fields that NEVER differ between phases: 68
+    AfterimageScale BGAnimation_0 BGAnimation_3 BGOperateFrameName_1 BGOperateFrameName_3 BGOperateScale_0 BGOperateScale_1 BGOperateScale_3 BGRotateScale_0 BGRotateScale_1 BGRotateScale_3 CCDLuminance ColorLayerB ContrailFirstCullingOff DOF_Enable DOF_FarAmount DOF_FarClip DOF_FarFocal DOF_NearAmount DOF_NearClip DOF_NearFocal ExposureKeyValue ExposureKey_BeginTime ExposureKey_BeginValue ExposureKey_EndTime ExposureKey_EndValue FinalPassBB FinalPassBG FinalPassBR FinalPassDB FinalPassDG FinalPassDR FinalPassDesaturation FinalPassToneRatio FinalPassType FinalPassVinetting FinalPassVinettingSharpness FogLinear FogMaxDistance FogMinAmount FogMinDistance Hue LuminanceMin Nebura_Count Nebura_EmitterRadius Nebura_EmitterRadiusJitter Nebura_MiddleAmount Nebura_MiddleFar Nebura_MiddleNear Nebura_NearAmount Nebura_NearClip Nebura_ResourceName Nebura_Size Nebura_SpeedLimit Nebura_SpeedScale Saturation ScreenColorB ScreenColorG ScreenColorR SupplyRange SupplySquadron2 UnsharpMask_B UnsharpMask_Far UnsharpMask_G UnsharpMask_Luminance UnsharpMask_Near UnsharpMask_Offset UnsharpMask_R
+
 the commonest Normal record:
   CraftScore_Adjustment            1.0
   FFPenalty_Craft_Basis            1.0

docs/re/structures/stage-settings-table.md

@@ -77,11 +77,51 @@ almost everything is `1.0`, with `CollisionDamageRatio 0.8` and
 is expressed **twice** in the same object — once for *scoring*
 (`Score_{Easy,Normal,Hard}`) and once for *damage* (`Difficulty_*`).
 
-## 🟡 Not settled
+## ✅ The `Phase_1/2/3` block — mostly per stage, not per phase
 
-* The `Phase_1/2/3` block of the settings family (31–90 named fields:
+**Settled 2026-08-27.** 72 records (24 objects × 3), **94 distinct field names**,
-  post-processing, fog, DOF, unsharp mask, supply squadrons and movies,
+of which **31 appear in every one**: the post-processing core
-  `UnderCommandSquadron`, `MapPath`) is **not read here** — it is the largest
+(`ExposureKeyValue`, `LuminanceMin/Max`, `FirstAdaptedLuminance`,
-  remaining piece of this table.
+`BrightPassThreshold/Offset`, `BloomScale`, `StarScale`, `GlareType`,
+`Brightness`, `Contrast`, `Saturation`, `Hue`), the five `Fog*` fields, the three
+`ScreenColor*`, `SpaceSize`, the five `Supply*` (`SupplySquadron1/2`,
+`SupplyMovie1/2ID`, `SupplyRange`), `UnderCommandSquadron`, and the first
+`BGOperate` slot. Optional families come in fixed frequency tiers:
+`Nebura_*` (12 fields) and `ColorLayer*`/`BGRotateScale`/`AfterimageScale` in
+**69/72**, `DOF_*` (7) and `UnsharpMask_*` (7) and the four `ExposureKey_*` in
+**15/72**, `FinalPass*` (11) in **3/72**.
+
+### 🔴 Refuted: `BGOperateFrameCount` is not the number of name slots
+
+The obvious reading — a `Count` naming its indexed group, the pattern that pinned
+the chatter pairs and the cutscene pages — **fails here: 36 of 72**. What holds is
+the weaker statement, **`BGOperateFrameCount ≤ slot count` in 72/72**: the slot
+array is fixed (1, 4 or 5 `BGOperateFrameName_i` present) and `Count` says how
+many are live, exactly as `MessageCount` sits under the 32-slot clamp in
+[`preset-message-rules.md`](preset-message-rules.md). `Count` runs 1…5.
+
+### ✅ What actually changes between phases
+
+Of the fields common to all three phase records of an object, **68 never differ
+in any of the 24 objects**. The entire `Nebura_*`, `DOF_*`, `UnsharpMask_*` and
+`FinalPass*` families, most of the fog and colour settings, `SupplySquadron2` and
+`SupplyRange` are **per stage, duplicated into all three phases**.
+
+The short list that *does* move — and never in more than 6 of 24 objects — is:
+`BGOperateFrameName_0` (6), `SupplySquadron1` (5), then `Brightness`,
+`BrightPassOffset`/`Threshold`, `ColorLayerA`, `BGOperateFrameCount`,
+`UnderCommandSquadron`, `FirstAdaptedLuminance`, `BGOperateFrameName_2` (3 each),
+and a tail of bloom/glare/contrast/colour knobs at 2.
+
+So the phase block is best read as **a per-stage environment block copied three
+times**, with the backdrop animation (`BGOperate*`) and the supply/command
+squadron assignment as the parts a phase change is actually for.
+
+⚠️ **`MapPath` is not in this family.** Its 87 records per pack are 29 × 3 — the
+**resource** manifest's `Phase_N`, not the settings'. `stage-definition-table.md`
+owns `MapPath`/`MapMesh` in the `Stage_SNN` records; what it does not say is that
+the name recurs in the resource manifest's per-phase records.
+
+## 🟡 Not settled
 * Which object is which stage, beyond the single `IsBoss16Enable` hook.
 * `SplinterCell Count 5` — name and value only.

tools/re-capture/mission_scoring.py

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ language pack, each holding Score_Easy / Score_Normal / Score_Hard with one
 
 Run:  python3 mission_scoring.py > ../../docs/re/data/mission-scoring.txt
 """
-import sys, os, glob, collections
+import sys, os, re, glob, collections
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 from unit_substructures import pak_entries
 import unitgroup as U
@@ -120,6 +120,54 @@ def main():
             print('    %-36s %2d distinct  %s' % (
                 k, len(c), ' '.join('%s=%d' % (a, b) for a, b in c.most_common(5))[:70]))
 
+    # the Phase_1/2/3 block of the settings family
+    prec = [(h, i, U.named(d['Phase_%d' % i])) for h, d in full for i in (1, 2, 3)
+            if 'Phase_%d' % i in d]
+    allf = collections.Counter()
+    for _, _, n in prec:
+        for f in n:
+            allf[f] += 1
+    core = sorted(f for f, c in allf.items() if c == len(prec))
+    print()
+    print('the Phase_1/2/3 block (%d records over %d objects):' % (len(prec), len(full)))
+    print('  distinct field names        : %d' % len(allf))
+    print('  present in EVERY record     : %d' % len(core))
+    print('    %s' % ' '.join(core))
+    print('  field-count histogram       : %s' % dict(sorted(
+        collections.Counter(len(n) for _, _, n in prec).items())))
+
+    le = 0
+    slots = collections.Counter()
+    cnts = collections.Counter()
+    for _, _, n in prec:
+        c = int(n['BGOperateFrameCount'])
+        k = sum(1 for f in n if re.fullmatch(r'BGOperateFrameName_\d+', f))
+        slots[k] += 1
+        cnts[c] += 1
+        le += (c <= k)
+    eq = sum(1 for _, _, n in prec
+             if int(n['BGOperateFrameCount'])
+             == sum(1 for f in n if re.fullmatch(r'BGOperateFrameName_\d+', f)))
+    print('  BGOperateFrameCount == slots: %d/%d  (REFUTED)' % (eq, len(prec)))
+    print('  BGOperateFrameCount <= slots: %d/%d' % (le, len(prec)))
+    print('    slot histogram %s ; Count histogram %s' % (
+        dict(sorted(slots.items())), dict(sorted(cnts.items()))))
+
+    moved = collections.Counter()
+    same = collections.Counter()
+    for h, d in full:
+        ns = [U.named(d['Phase_%d' % i]) for i in (1, 2, 3) if 'Phase_%d' % i in d]
+        if len(ns) != 3:
+            continue
+        for f in set(ns[0]) & set(ns[1]) & set(ns[2]):
+            (moved if len({n[f] for n in ns}) > 1 else same)[f] += 1
+    never = sorted(f for f in same if f not in moved)
+    print('  fields that DIFFER between phases (of %d objects):' % len(full))
+    for f, c in sorted(moved.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0])):
+        print('    %-28s %2d' % (f, c))
+    print('  fields that NEVER differ between phases: %d' % len(never))
+    print('    %s' % ' '.join(never))
+
     print()
     print('the commonest Normal record:')
     for k, v in sorted(dict(base).items()):