Release Notes: Feb 1, 2025

[h2]Graphics[/h2]

Huge performance improvement for the "Realistic Lighting" setting.

[h2]Sound[/h2]

Lowered the default music volume and raised the default ambient sounds volume.
Added the sound of the desk lamp switching on in the start menu scene when the player is entering the workshop, just before the camera pans down to view the workbench from the top.

[h2]General[/h2]

When entering the workshop from the start menu, the puzzle boxes are now visible on the workbench as it comes into view, all closed and locked.
Changed the text on the "Reset" settings button to "Reset All".
The "Reset All" settings button no longer resets the computer dials.
Improved how the progress and settings files are managed:
- Updated the file naming conventions for progress and settings files so that multiple users on the same computer, or the same user across multiple cloud-backed computers, can play the game and have their progress and settings stored independently in the same folders.
- Added fail-fast logic to the game at startup for all progress file and settings file errors. This avoids the player accidentally losing their progress or settings due to ephemeral file system issues or to bad edits made to the files manually, and it also prevents the player from starting the game if their progress or settings cannot be saved.
Fixed a bug that caused the progress meters on puzzle boxes to be empty when returning to the workbench for the first time after tablet puzzles are unlocked, upon leaving the tutorial.
Fixed a bug that would sometimes cause a puzzle box door to open, close and then open again, rather than just opening one time and staying open, after the last puzzle in the group is solved.
Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the cursor to disappear for a moment when clicking an empty puzzle box.

[h2]Computer Puzzles[/h2]

When the Types dial is changed, the current screen changes in real time rather than the dial only affecting subsequent screens.
When the Types dial is On or Auto, types are shown in a greenish color to make it more obvious that they are merely meta descriptors for the code rather than the code itself, and to make it easier to distinguish them from the parameter names they are describing.
Improved computer puzzles so that when any of the functions aren't used, but the syntax is valid and the guess is submitted, then evaluation animations will occur anyway, despite the attempt ultimately failing (because each function must be used at least once).
- This new behavior enables players to experiment with a subset of the available functions, while utilizing the animated evaluations feature, without requiring them to figure out a way to use every function just to get evaluations at all.
The names of parameters in the computer puzzle functions and their examples are all different now, rather than many of them using "f" or "x" even within the same puzzle, which was very confusing to non-programmers.
- I'm hoping that by changing the parameter names it helps players to realize that all parameter names are scoped to the function in which they're defined, rather than being global variables.
Added headers to each computer puzzle example, so that it's much clearer to players where an example begins and where it ends.
Reworded example inputs to use similar language as the coding prompts "{value} is provided as {variable}" rather than "{variable} is {value}" to better link the concept of example inputs with puzzle inputs and to illustrate that the letters are just variables, which hold the provided values.
Improved the syntax of lambda expressions in function examples to be less confusing to non-programmers.
Moved the 'count' function (for Church Numerals) so it's always first in the functions list of all puzzles that use it, so that examples that reference it make sense to the player, in context.
Added (N)ext prompts between computer puzzle examples, to highlight that each is a separate example, and since some of the more complex examples may take up several lines it helps to avoid scrolling the function off the top of the screen.
Fixed a bug that caused "Inputs:" to always be the label for function examples, rather than "Input:", when a function only has one parameter.
Changed the puzzle example definition label from "Define: " to "Function: ", for when it fits on a single line. "Define: " seemed to confuse some non-programmers.
When the computer is loading the tablet for the first time, the puzzle boxes can be heard loading on the workbench, and the player can see the counts on the computer panel update as well.

[h2]Workbench Puzzles[/h2]

Enabled flipping a part while dragging it, even when it's currently outside of the machine.
- Also fixed a bug that prevented flipping an object by right-mouse clicking (the default mapping) even while dragging the object within the machine.
When dropped on the workbench outside of the machine, a part now keeps its current orientation rather than resetting back to its default orientation.
Added a cover to the switch in laser puzzles. It automatically opens when all deflectors have been added to the puzzle. It's a direct indicator to the player that all deflectors must be used.
Fixed the laser puzzle switch so that it automatically turns off after the puzzle is solved.
The selection indicator (blueish glow) is now removed from a laser deflector after the switch box is clicked or dragged, giving it focus, rather than remaining on the deflector, which no longer has keyboard focus.
Moved the default laser switch box position so that the tablet doesn't slide into it.
Fixed a bug that caused the "unused part" indicator (pinkish glow) to sometimes remain permanently stuck on some parts.
Fixed the layout of parts on the workbench so that large puzzles no longer cause parts to clip/overlap on the last row and instead stack in vertical layers.
Improved the layout of parts on the workbench by increasing the surface area that is used.
Fixed a bug in the laser deflector striping that caused it to display an incorrect stripe in some orientations.
Replaced the 3 colors on the laser deflector stripes with a translucent white color, in all orientations.
- The distinct colors did not provide any useful information to players, given the fact that it must change in some orientations, as noted in the previous bug fix.
Fixed a bug that sometimes allowed the laser emitter to stick out through the side of the laser puzzle box when the machine is inside of it.
Fixed a camera orbit bug that would sometimes cause the camera to jump slightly up or down based on the current zoom level, when beginning to orbit.