Lifecycle Wait Chain

Lifecycle Wait-Chain Reference

Claude deep-dive page (source-cited). This is the canonical page for precise boot ordering, the machine-role truth table, JIP waits and the global-flag dependency graph that enforces init order. Use Mission entrypoints and lifecycle for the include graph, role dispatch and per-role init responsibility map.

All paths below are relative to the source mission root Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus/.

Why this matters

WFBE does not use the BIS Functions CfgFunctions auto-init system. There is no engine-managed preInit/postInit ordering. Instead, boot order is enforced entirely by hand-rolled waitUntil {<flag>} barriers on global variables. A script execVM'd before the flag it waits on is set will simply spin forever, silently hanging that machine's boot. Before reordering any init call, check this page.

Machine-role truth table

Role is computed in initJIPCompatible.sqf:52-56. isHeadLessClient comes from Headless/Functions/HC_IsHeadlessClient.sqf (!(hasInterface || isDedicated)).

Machine	isServer	isDedicated	hasInterface	isHostedServer	isHeadLessClient	Init branches run
Dedicated server	true	true	false	false	false	Server
Hosted (listen) server	true	false	true	true	false	Server + Client
Pure client	false	false	true	false	false	Client
Headless client (HC)	false	false	false	false	true	HC
Singleplayer	true	false	true	true	false	Server + Client

isHostedServer = !isMultiplayer || (isServer && !isDedicated) (initJIPCompatible.sqf:52).

Engine-driven entry order (every machine)

1. Engine parses description.ext → #include "version.sqf" (preprocessor #defines) + all Rsc/*.hpp, Sounds/, Music/ includes.
2. Engine runs init.sqf (server-only: spawns test/wasp_selftest.sqf).
3. Engine runs initJIPCompatible.sqf — the master bootstrap, including on JIP clients.

Mission object init fields are also part of startup. In the Chernarus source mission, town logic objects call Common\Init\Init_Town.sqf from mission.sqm, while the WF_Logic object at mission.sqm:3265 seeds town-mode lists and starts Common\Init\Init_TownMode.sqf. Treat mission.sqm as an init source when auditing town lifecycle, not just as map placement data.

Gotcha — version.sqf is generated and git-ignored. It is #included by description.ext and initJIPCompatible.sqf but is produced per-terrain by LoadoutManager (see Tools and build workflow) and listed in .gitignore. A fresh checkout will not compile until LoadoutManager has been run or a version.sqf is dropped in.

Branch dispatch in initJIPCompatible.sqf

Branch	Guard	Line
Server	isHostedServer || isDedicated → ExecVM "Server/Init/Init_Server.sqf"	initJIPCompatible.sqf:218-220
Client	isHostedServer || (!isHeadLessClient && !isDedicated) → execVM "Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf"	initJIPCompatible.sqf:224-233
Headless	isHeadLessClient → execVM "Headless/Init/Init_HC.sqf"	initJIPCompatible.sqf:237-238

The old WASP client-init block is commented out at initJIPCompatible.sqf:241-245 (see WASP overlay).

Global-flag dependency graph

Each row: a flag, where it is set, and the waitUntil barriers it unblocks. Editing any producer line without its consumers (or vice-versa) risks a boot hang.

Flag	Set at	Unblocks (consumer waitUntil)
VERSION_SET	Common/Init/Init_Version.sqf	initJIPCompatible.sqf:49
WFBE_Parameters_Ready	initJIPCompatible.sqf:212	Common/Init/Init_TownMode.sqf:3, Init_Town.sqf:18
townModeSet	Common/Init/Init_TownMode.sqf:21, started by mission.sqm:3265	Init_Towns.sqf:3, Init_Town.sqf:18
BIS_fnc_init (engine)	engine	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:205-206
WFBE_PRESENTSIDES	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:282	client branch initJIPCompatible.sqf:235; test/wasp_selftest.sqf
commonInitComplete	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:371	Init_Server.sqf:127, Init_Client.sqf:165, Init_Town.sqf:42, Init_Unit.sqf:18
townInit	Common/Init/Init_Towns.sqf:13	Init_Server.sqf:127, client FSM launches, Init_Client.sqf:596
serverInitComplete	Init_Server.sqf:117	town model creation in Init_Town.sqf:92
serverInitFull	Init_Server.sqf:507	signals all per-side setup done (HC sleep 20 is a crude proxy)
clientInitComplete	Init_Client.sqf:957	Init_Unit.sqf:33; then CLIENT_INIT_READY is publicVariableServer'd (Init_Client.sqf:961-963)

Ordered boot timeline (server)

Init_Version → WFBE_Parameters_Ready → Init_Common (sets WFBE_PRESENTSIDES, then commonInitComplete) → Init_Towns (townInit) → Init_Server (serverInitComplete early, serverInitFull after per-side loop) → launch server_town.sqf, server_town_ai.sqf, cleaners/restorers, updateresources.sqf, victory loop.

Ordered boot timeline (client)

Block on WFBE_PRESENTSIDES + wfbe_teams → Init_Client compiles functions → block on commonInitComplete → set up HUD/modules/JIP handshake → block on townInit → launch map/marker/action FSMs → remove blackout (Init_Client.sqf:775) → clientInitComplete → broadcast CLIENT_INIT_READY.

Headless client

Init_HC.sqf compiles the three delegation handlers (Client_DelegateTownAI, Client_DelegateAI, Client_DelegateAIStaticDefence) plus Client_HandlePVF, then sleep 20 (a hard wait used in place of a waitUntil {serverInitFull} barrier) and notifies the server via ["RequestSpecial", ["connected-hc", player]]. See AI, headless and performance for the runtime source router and Headless delegation and failover for DR-21/DR-42 patch policy.

Source-check note: Init_HC.sqf:12 is the fixed sleep and :15 sends the HC registration request. serverInitFull is not set until Server/Init/Init_Server.sqf:507, after serverInitComplete at :117 and the commonInitComplete && townInit wait at :127.

Page ownership note: this lifecycle page owns HC boot timing and wait-chain risk only. HC work tracking, update-back choices, disconnect policy and failover design intentionally live in Headless delegation and failover.

JIP specifics

There is no didJIP variable; JIP is handled implicitly because initJIPCompatible.sqf runs identically on joining clients, hitting the same barriers.

• Time catch-up: initJIPCompatible.sqf:212 — if (local player) then {skipTime (time/3600)}; initial date applied from WFBE_DAYNIGHT_DATE if present (:203).
• Spawn position: Init_Client.sqf:462 — if (time < 30) use start position, else (JIP) spawn at newest factory building.
• Markers: Init_Client.sqf:732-736 — deferred re-init of town/camp markers from already-synced object variables after a short sleep.
• State sync: town sideID/supplyValue, side-logic commander/HQ/upgrades/teams, and team wfbe_funds are all written with setVariable [..., true] so the engine replicates them to JIP clients automatically (see the JIP section of Networking and public variables).

Claude DR-37 reviewed the boot/JIP path as broadly correct: the RequestJoin handshake has a 30-second retry, time/date/team/client state is replicated through broadcast variables, and the apparent while {true} joins at Init_Client.sqf:419 and :444 are bounded handshake polls. The remaining robustness gap is the post-join serial wait chain in Init_Client.sqf:367-502: waits for wfbe_structures, side supply, wfbe_commander, radio HQ state, start position, HQ, deployment state and vote time have no timeout or log fallback. A single missed synced variable can leave a JIP client black-screened or stuck forever. Treat defensive timeouts here as a robustness improvement, not evidence that the normal JIP path is broken.

Post-Join Wait Audit

Gap closure note (2026-06-03): this table is the source-backed wait-chain audit promised by the old gap-wait-chain-timeouts machine record. It is intentionally scoped to boot/JIP gates rather than ordinary gameplay loops. Rows distinguish retrying handshakes from timeout-less replicated-variable waits and cite both the consumer gate and the producer where practical.

Bernoulli's 2026-06-02 wait-chain audit split the client join gates into two classes: retrying handshake gates and replicated-variable waits with no terminal timeout.

Gate	Producer	Consumer / source anchors	Timeout / retry state	Failure mode	Fix direction
RequestJoin -> WFBE_P_CANJOIN	RequestJoin.sqf sends HandleSpecial ["join-answer", ...]; client HandleSpecial.sqf writes WFBE_P_CANJOIN.	Init_Client.sqf:416-431, RequestJoin.sqf:75-79, HandleSpecial.sqf:24-28.	Polls and resends every 30 seconds; no hard terminal timeout.	Black screen / join pending forever if no answer; explicit lobby return if denied.	Keep retry but add hard timeout, log and fail-soft fallback.
Launch ACK -> WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK	Server PVEH records launch side and replies to the player owner; client PVEH stores the ACK variable.	Init_Client.sqf:441-456, clientHasConnectedAtLaunch.sqf:1-15, hasConnectedAtLaunchACK.sqf:1-6.	Polls and resends every 30 seconds; no hard terminal timeout.	Join remains pending if ACK is lost.	Add bounded retry budget and diagnostic log.
wfbe_structures / optional side supply	Server seeds wfbe_structures and initial side supply; side-supply PVEH later updates wfbe_supply_<side>.	Init_Client.sqf:367-371, Init_Server.sqf:363,386, Server_ChangeSideSupply.sqf:19-21,43-45.	No timeout, no retry.	Client never reaches action/resources init.	Add timeout/log fallback around structure and supply sync.
wfbe_commander	Server init seeds side commander state; vote/reassignment/disconnect handlers later mutate it.	Init_Client.sqf:384, Init_Server.sqf:356, RequestNewCommander.sqf:12-14, Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:136-146.	No timeout, no retry.	Commander FSM/UI state never starts correctly.	Guard with timeout and missing-broadcast diagnostic.
wfbe_radio_hq / wfbe_radio_hq_id	Server init creates side radio HQ objects and topic IDs.	Init_Client.sqf:394-405, Init_Server.sqf:401-413.	No timeout, no retry.	HQ announcer identity/radio wiring stalls.	Add sync check and log.
Spawn location: wfbe_startpos, else wfbe_hq + wfbe_structures	Server init seeds start position, HQ and structures; later construction/kill/repair paths mutate HQ state.	Init_Client.sqf:461-486, Init_Server.sqf:357,361,363.	No timeout, no retry.	Spawn position never resolves or resolves poorly.	Fail soft if HQ/structures are absent.
wfbe_hq_deployed and nested wfbe_hq	Server init seeds deployment/HQ; HQ construction, death and repair paths later update them.	Init_Client.sqf:490-506, Init_Server.sqf:357-358, Construction_HQSite.sqf:79-91, Server_MHQRepair.sqf:41-43.	No timeout, no retry.	CoIn/HQ event-handler setup can block; JIP client may miss HQ killed handler.	Timeout and skip/retry only the dependent setup instead of stalling all client boot.
townInit	Common/Init/Init_Towns.sqf sets townInit = true; client waits before JIP town/FSM setup.	Init_Client.sqf:595, Init_Towns.sqf:13.	No timeout, no retry.	Town, marker and action FSMs never launch.	Log a town-init stall before launching client FSM bundle.
wfbe_votetime	Server init seeds vote time from mission constants; vote code later updates countdown state.	Init_Client.sqf:787-789, Init_Server.sqf:370.	No timeout, no retry.	Vote menu does not open when vote state should exist.	Treat as optional/lazy-polled with timeout and log.

Known ordering hazards

• Debug-only economy override: initJIPCompatible.sqf:151-162 raises starting funds/supply and other test parameters only inside if (WF_Debug). Confirm WF_Debug state before comparing economy behavior against mission parameters.
• Server-only code inside Common: Init_Common.sqf:303-308 runs an if (isServer) town-group load from the common path. Functionally correct but architecturally surprising.
• Mission object init can look invisible in SQF-only scans: town setup begins from mission.sqm object init fields. Audit mission.sqm together with Init_Town*.sqf before changing town startup, town-mode filters, town count assumptions or generated mission propagation.
• Duplicate compiles in Init_Server: several functions are compiled twice (e.g. WFBE_SE_FNC_PlayerObjectsList, WFBE_CO_FNC_LogGameEnd); harmless (second overwrites first) but wasteful.
• gameOver vs WFBE_GameOver vs WFBE_gameover: SQF identifiers are case-insensitive, so WFBE_gameover == WFBE_GameOver; the lowercase-gameOver is a separate variable also set at boot. No bug, but easy to misread.

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