diff --git a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
index d1139198f..b63d980d5 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
@@ -832,12 +832,13 @@ export class DefaultConfig implements Config {
     if (nukeType !== UnitType.MIRVWarhead) {
       return (5 * humans) / Math.max(1, tilesOwned);
     }
-
-    const targetPop = 0.05 * maxPop;
+    const targetPop = 0.03 * maxPop;
     const excessPop = Math.max(0, humans - targetPop);
-    const scalingFactor = 20000;
+    const scalingFactor = 500;
 
-    return (scalingFactor * excessPop * excessPop) / (maxPop * maxPop);
+    const steepness = 2;
+    const normalizedExcess = excessPop / maxPop;
+    return scalingFactor * (1 - Math.exp(-steepness * normalizedExcess));
   }
 
   structureMinDist(): number {
diff --git a/src/core/execution/TransportShipExecution.ts b/src/core/execution/TransportShipExecution.ts
index 3681dbaae..543dac9ea 100644
--- a/src/core/execution/TransportShipExecution.ts
+++ b/src/core/execution/TransportShipExecution.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export class TransportShipExecution implements Execution {
 
     this.lastMove = ticks;
     this.mg = mg;
-    this.pathFinder = PathFinder.Mini(mg, 10_000, true, 10);
+    this.pathFinder = PathFinder.Mini(mg, 10_000, true, 100);
 
     if (
       this.attacker.unitCount(UnitType.TransportShip) >=
diff --git a/src/core/execution/WarshipExecution.ts b/src/core/execution/WarshipExecution.ts
index d11e97c57..f573a8a47 100644
--- a/src/core/execution/WarshipExecution.ts
+++ b/src/core/execution/WarshipExecution.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export class WarshipExecution implements Execution {
 
   init(mg: Game, ticks: number): void {
     this.mg = mg;
-    this.pathfinder = PathFinder.Mini(mg, 5000);
+    this.pathfinder = PathFinder.Mini(mg, 10_000, true, 100);
     this.random = new PseudoRandom(mg.ticks());
     if (isUnit(this.input)) {
       this.warship = this.input;
diff --git a/src/core/game/TransportShipUtils.ts b/src/core/game/TransportShipUtils.ts
index d9ec739ad..b457ad94a 100644
--- a/src/core/game/TransportShipUtils.ts
+++ b/src/core/game/TransportShipUtils.ts
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ export function bestShoreDeploymentSource(
   if (t === null) return false;
 
   const candidates = candidateShoreTiles(gm, player, t);
-  const aStar = new MiniAStar(gm, gm.miniMap(), candidates, t, 500_000, 1);
+  const aStar = new MiniAStar(gm, gm.miniMap(), candidates, t, 1_000_000, 1);
   const result = aStar.compute();
   if (result !== PathFindResultType.Completed) {
     console.warn(`bestShoreDeploymentSource: path not found: ${result}`);
diff --git a/src/server/GameServer.ts b/src/server/GameServer.ts
index 73d44195c..42524faee 100644
--- a/src/server/GameServer.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameServer.ts
@@ -176,7 +176,6 @@ export class GameServer {
       client.isDisconnected = existing.isDisconnected;
       client.lastPing = existing.lastPing;
 
-      existing.ws.removeAllListeners();
       this.activeClients = this.activeClients.filter((c) => c !== existing);
     }
 
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@ export class GameServer {
 
     this.allClients.set(client.clientID, client);
 
-    client.ws.removeAllListeners();
+    client.ws.removeAllListeners("message");
     client.ws.on(
       "message",
       gatekeeper.wsHandler(client.ip, async (message: string) => {
@@ -205,7 +204,6 @@ export class GameServer {
               } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
             );
             client.ws.close(1002, "ClientMessageSchema");
-            client.ws.removeAllListeners();
             return;
           }
           const clientMsg = parsed.data;
@@ -263,7 +261,6 @@ export class GameServer {
     });
     client.ws.on("error", (error: Error) => {
       if ((error as any).code === "WS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_RSV_1") {
-        client.ws.removeAllListeners();
         client.ws.close(1002, "WS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_RSV_1");
       }
     });
@@ -405,7 +402,6 @@ export class GameServer {
     // Close all WebSocket connections
     clearInterval(this.endTurnIntervalID);
     this.websockets.forEach((ws) => {
-      ws.removeAllListeners();
       if (ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
         ws.close(1000, "game has ended");
       }
@@ -463,7 +459,6 @@ export class GameServer {
         });
         if (client.ws.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
           client.ws.close(1000, "no heartbeats received, closing connection");
-          client.ws.removeAllListeners();
         }
       } else {
         alive.push(client);
@@ -558,7 +553,6 @@ export class GameServer {
       this.activeClients = this.activeClients.filter(
         (c) => c.clientID !== clientID,
       );
-      client.ws.removeAllListeners();
       this.kickedClients.add(clientID);
     } else {
       this.log.warn(`cannot kick client, not found in game`, {
diff --git a/src/server/Worker.ts b/src/server/Worker.ts
index 96efde652..bad56d0a5 100644
--- a/src/server/Worker.ts
+++ b/src/server/Worker.ts
@@ -316,7 +316,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
                 error: error.toString(),
               } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
             );
-            ws.removeAllListeners();
             ws.close(1002, "ClientJoinMessageSchema");
             return;
           }
@@ -334,7 +333,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
                 error,
               } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
             );
-            ws.removeAllListeners();
             ws.close(1002, "ClientJoinMessageSchema");
             return;
           }
@@ -352,7 +350,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
           const result = await verifyClientToken(clientMsg.token, config);
           if (result === false) {
             log.warn("Unauthorized: Invalid token");
-            ws.removeAllListeners();
             ws.close(1002, "Unauthorized");
             return;
           }
@@ -365,7 +362,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
           if (claims === null) {
             if (allowedFlares !== undefined) {
               log.warn("Unauthorized: Anonymous user attempted to join game");
-              ws.removeAllListeners();
               ws.close(1002, "Unauthorized");
               return;
             }
@@ -374,7 +370,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
             const result = await getUserMe(clientMsg.token, config);
             if (result === false) {
               log.warn("Unauthorized: Invalid session");
-              ws.removeAllListeners();
               ws.close(1002, "Unauthorized");
               return;
             }
@@ -389,7 +384,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
                 log.warn(
                   "Forbidden: player without an allowed flare attempted to join game",
                 );
-                ws.removeAllListeners();
                 ws.close(1002, "Forbidden");
                 return;
               }
@@ -406,7 +400,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
               );
               if (allowed !== true) {
                 log.warn(`Custom flag ${allowed}: ${clientMsg.flag}`);
-                ws.removeAllListeners();
                 ws.close(1002, `Custom flag ${allowed}`);
                 return;
               }
@@ -422,7 +415,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
             );
             if (allowed !== true) {
               log.warn(`Pattern ${allowed}: ${clientMsg.pattern}`);
-              ws.removeAllListeners();
               ws.close(1002, `Pattern ${allowed}`);
               return;
             }
@@ -457,7 +449,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
 
           // Handle other message types
         } catch (error) {
-          ws.removeAllListeners();
           ws.close(1011, "Internal server error");
           log.warn(
             `error handling websocket message for ${ipAnonymize(ip)}: ${error}`.substring(
@@ -470,7 +461,6 @@ export function startWorker() {
     );
 
     ws.on("error", (error: Error) => {
-      ws.removeAllListeners();
       if ((error as any).code === "WS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_RSV_1") {
         ws.close(1002, "WS_ERR_UNEXPECTED_RSV_1");
       }