Anti-steal: don't grab a property a peer is already sweeping

The over-eager neighbor

Imagine one tractor is deep into a dense block, clearing lot after lot. Density cohesion keeps it there — good. But what stops a second tractor from wandering in, grabbing a lot two doors down, and stepping on the first machine's work?

That's what anti-steal prevents.

How it works

When the engine scores an open property, it checks whether a peer is already working right next to it on the same block. If so, that property is held back from other machines — it's effectively reserved for the tractor already sweeping there.

The machine on the block keeps its momentum and finishes the cluster it started. Other machines are steered to blocks that actually need them, instead of doubling up where a peer already has coverage.

Why it matters

• No overlap — two machines don't sweep the same block side by side while another block sits untouched.
• Momentum is protected — the tractor already in a cluster gets to finish it cleanly, which pairs naturally with density cohesion.
• Better fleet spread — freeing other machines from covered blocks pushes them toward real gaps in coverage.

The whole-fleet picture

Anti-steal is the mirror image of density cohesion. Cohesion keeps you on your block; anti-steal keeps others off it. Read together they describe a simple, human rule the swarm follows automatically: one machine owns a block until it's swept, and everyone else goes where they're actually needed.