Starbrew Station News

[p]Greetings, Brewmasters![/p][p]We've been hard at work brewing up a major update based on your feedback. This patch focuses heavily on audio improvements, UI polish, and game balance tweaks to make your coffee empire experience smoother than ever![/p][hr][/hr][h2]Major Audio System Overhaul[/h2][p]We completely rebuilt our audio system from the ground up! No more jarring sound overlaps or music tracks fighting for dominance.[/p][p]What's New:[/p]

• [p]Smooth Music Transitions - Background music, Rush Hour, and Boss Fight tracks now seamlessly cross-fade instead of layering on top of each other[/p]
• [p]Spatial Audio - Units now have positional audio based on their location in your station[/p]
• [p]Better Audio Mixing - Added high-pass filters and dedicated audio buses for cleaner sound[/p]
• [p]Instant Audio Settings - Volume sliders now apply changes immediately (no more needing to restart!)[/p]
• [p]Enhanced Consonance System - Replaced the old Circle of Fifths system for more harmonious, pleasant background audio[/p]
• [p]Expanded Soundtrack - Added 8 new music tracks across all game phases[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Prestige Shop & Balance[/h2][p]VIP Level Progression Rebalanced:[/p]

• [p]Unit costs scaled significantly higher (8M -> 21M) to account for coffee income from earlier deck unlocks[/p]
• [p]VIP progression now feels more rewarding and appropriately paced[/p]

[p]Boss & Fighter Balance:[/p]

• [p]Fighter damage now scales with prestige: +1.5% bonus per prestige level[/p]
• [p]Boss health scaling reduced for smoother difficulty curves (+1.0% per prestige instead of higher rates)[/p]
• [p]Fixed prestige scaling calculations affecting both boss health and fighter damage[/p]

[p]UI Fixes:[/p]

• [p]Fixed variable display formatting in Prestige Shop[/p]
• [p]Unit count displays properly update after purchasing prestige upgrades (I see you, no more 5/3 weirdness!)[/p]
• [p]Max unit count tooltips now correctly display prestige upgrade bonuses when reloading[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Localization Improvements[/h2][p]Easier Language Selection:[/p]

• [p]Language switcher moved to the top-right flag UI (no more buried menus!)[/p]
• [p]Added all missing flag icons following consistent naming convention[/p]
• [p]Fixed translation system to refresh UI elements immediately when switching languages[/p]
• [p]Top bar and social icons now update properly with selected language[/p]
• [p]Tested all supported languages to ensure error-free loading[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]New Statistics Screen[/h2][p]Track your coffee empire's performance with the new Statistics Screen! View detailed production breakdowns and bonuses by unit type to optimize your brewing strategy.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]UI & UX Polish[/h2]

• [p]Main Menu now properly grabs focus on the first button for better controller/keyboard navigation[/p]
• [p]Discord notification indicator changed from square to a cleaner red circle[/p]
• [p]Fixed various tooltip display issues throughout the game[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Technical Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Removed legacy audio code (old system references cleaned up)[/p]
• [p]Optimized audio manager architecture for better performance[/p]
• [p]Added dedicated ambient chatter audio bus with filtering[/p]
• [p]Ensured only one music track plays at any given time (no more audio chaos!)[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Thank you for your continued support and feedback! We're constantly brewing up improvements to make Starbrew Station the best idle coffee tycoon experience possible.[/p][p]Stay caffeinated, [/p][p]Boden & The Starbrew Station Dev Team[/p][hr][/hr][p]Got feedback or found a bug? Join our Discord or post in the discussions![/p]

[p]Greetings, Station Commanders![/p][p]We're thrilled to announce Update 0.8.5 for Starbrew Station, bringing a massive localization effort and a host of quality-of-life improvements based directly on your feedback![/p][p][/p][p]Now Fluent in 30 Languages![/p][p]That's right! Starbrew Station is now fully translated into all 30 languages supported by Steam. From English to Español, Française to 简体中文, and everything in between, you can now manage your cosmic coffee empire in your preferred language. A huge thank you to our localization partners for helping us reach players across the globe![/p][p][/p][p]Patch Notes Highlights (v0.8.5):[/p][p]Based on extensive playtesting and your valuable feedback, this update polishes many aspects of the game:[/p]

• [p]Full Translations: Completed initial translations for all 30 Steam languages, fixing numerous text gaps across the UI, tooltips, tutorials, and descriptions.[/p]
• [p]Tooltip Rework: Tooltips now reliably stay visible while hovering, giving you ample time to read unit details and descriptions. Redundant tooltips on buy buttons and labels were removed for clarity. Social media icons now have tooltips.[/p]
• [p]Accessibility: Added Colorblind Mode options via screen shaders. Morale boost progress bar and particle effects are now larger and have a higher Z-index for better visibility.[/p]
• [p]UI & UX Fixes:[/p]
  • [p]Resolved text overlapping issues in unit description panels.[/p]
  • [p]Corrected label themes in Video Settings.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed untranslated text in numerous areas including headers, buttons, stats, prestige shop, achievements, decorations, offline notifications, and tutorials.[/p]
  • [p]Updated tutorial text to use the correct unit name "Blue Spacer" instead of "Coffee Enthusiast".[/p]
  • [p]Simplified the second deck tutorial for better focus.[/p]
• [p]Gameplay & Balance:[/p]
  • [p]Rebalanced "Starting Credits" prestige upgrade, setting a max level of 25 and reducing scaling. Max levels and benefit descriptions added for clarity on prestige perks.[/p]
  • [p]Set default sound effects volume lower.[/p]
  • [p]Added visual feedback for player damage vs. unit damage during the Inspector fight.[/p]
• [p]Bug Squashing:[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Perk Up Pup walking backward and occasionally rendering behind machines.[/p]
  • [p]Resolved issues with DLC assets loading incorrectly.[/p]
• [p]Steam Integration:[/p]
  • [p]Added Steam Stats handlers for Prestige Count and Deck Count.[/p]
  • [p]Unchecked Steam Cloud save syncing restriction for "Developers Only" (SORRY!). Your saves will now sync as expected.[/p]
  • [p]Version number on main menu no longer displays "Alpha".[/p]
  • [p]Expired and resent curator connections.[/p]

[p]Jump back into Starbrew Station today to experience these improvements and enjoy the game in your language! As always, keep the feedback coming, it helps us make your stations the best they can be.[/p][p]Happy Brewing![/p][p]- David & The Starbrew Station Team[/p]

[h2]New Features[/h2][p]Daily Rewards[/p]

• [p]Added daily rewards button to the bottom bar - claim 5 minutes of progression once every 24 hours[/p]
• [p]Red notification indicator appears when rewards are unclaimed[/p]

[p]Unit Morale System[/p]

• [p]Wiggling and giggling with your units now has purpose! Click units 3-5 times to fill their morale bar[/p]
• [p]Inspired units gain a +50% movement speed buff for 20 seconds with a visual effect[/p]
• [p]Tutorial explainer: "Raise morale by interacting with your units, if their morale is happy enough they'll become inspired and move 50% faster!"[/p]

[p]Machine Max Count[/p]

• [p]Machine limits are now station-wide instead of per-floor[/p]
• [p]Added tutorial tip when hitting machine max: "If you hit the machine max, your technicians won't be able to place more machines, make sure your baristas can keep up!"[/p]

[p]Enhanced Visual & Audio Feedback[/p]

• [p]Boss defeats now feature dramatic visual effects - watch them fall like a cardboard cutout with a geyser of coffee cups![/p]
• [p]Coffee particle spray erupts from the boss when clicked or hit by fighter units[/p]
• [p]Stronger audio feedback and visual effects when starting deck construction[/p]
• [p]Achievement claims now feature smooth color transitions from grey to colored icons with particle bursts and coffee icon animations[/p]

[p]UI Improvements[/p]

• [p]Prestige upgrade benefits are now visible in the token shop[/p]
• [p]Deck buttons redesigned with dynamic creation and vertical separators[/p]
• [p]Deck names in unit list are now clickable to collapse/expand sections[/p]
• [p]Max unit count displayed in unit buy buttons[/p]
• [p]Floor quick select added for easier navigation[/p]

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2][p]Prestige & Progression[/p]

• [p]Fixed tokens not being awarded when prestiging[/p]
• [p]Fixed final units (Pick-Up Pup, Mod-Bod) becoming unavailable after prestige[/p]
• [p]Fixed reactor construction issues after first prestige[/p]
• [p]Fixed deck buttons not appearing after prestige or when reloading the game[/p]

[p]Deck Construction[/p]

• [p]Fixed Deck 6 construction alert constantly triggering[/p]
• [p]Fixed Deck 4 visibility issues[/p]
• [p]Fixed deck construction progress bar not resetting when resetting game data[/p]
• [p]Fixed deck construction completion notification positioning[/p]

[p]UI & Audio[/p]

• [p]Fixed bottom bar losing labels after reaching five floors[/p]
• [p]Fixed Rush Hour and Boss Fight music overlapping[/p]
• [p]Fixed settings apply button logic[/p]
• [p]Fixed pause menu not hiding tutorial overlay[/p]
• [p]Fixed info pop-ups displaying off-screen[/p]
• [p]Fixed token projection showing empty tooltips[/p]
• [p]Fixed health inspector alert styling[/p]

[p]Units & Combat[/p]

• [p]Fixed units not returning to squash/stretch animation after wiggling[/p]
• [p]Boss now properly reloads when loading a saved game[/p]
• [p]Rebalanced user clicks and attack units[/p]
• [p]Reduced Health Inspector health to 999,999[/p]

[p]Achievements & DLC[/p]

• [p]Fixed achievements not being claimable[/p]
• [p]Fixed achievement notification dots not appearing[/p]
• [p]Fixed DLC icons missing and not being treated as DLC content[/p]

[h2]Major Balance Pass [/h2][p] We've completely rebalanced all units across all decks based on community feedback! Patrons now have reduced production to reflect their passive income advantage, while support units are more affordable. Check the full details in discord! [/p][h3]Key Balance Changes:[/h3]

• [p]Patron production reduced 30-60% across all decks (they're passive, so they should be less efficient!) [/p]
• [p]Support unit costs reduced by 50-60% (much more affordable now)[/p]
• [p]Boss fighters rebalanced for proper DPS scaling[/p]
• [p]Golden Legend production reduced from 50k → 3.5k (still powerful early to mid-game, but not game-breaking!)[/p]

[h3]
Audio Improvements [/h3]

• [p] Coffee machines now have positional audio [/p]
• [p]New industrial power-down sound for machines[/p]
• [p]Rush hour music no longer conflicts with boss fight music[/p]
• [p]Fixed credit SFX positioning [/p]

[h3]UI/UX Polish [/h3]

• [p] Tutorial panels now properly themed [/p]
• [p]Progress bars updated: Coffee brewing (no longer purple!), durability (green), technician install (light blue)[/p]
• [p]Fixed decorations z-index (no longer block coffee machines)[/p]
• [p]Top bar production counter updates every second with proper number formatting [/p]

[h3]Bug Fixes [/h3]

• [p] Golden Barista now animates properly [/p]
• [p]Prestige no longer kicks you to main menu [/p]
• [p]Blackhole properly resets scene and camera Boss respawns correctly on Deck 6 [/p]
• [p]Units now appear on Deck 6 as intended [/p]
• [p]Prestige only takes credits if VIP deck is built [/p]
• [p]Consolidated token shop menus (no more ugly fallback menu confusion!) [/p]
• [p]Missing prestige upgrades restored [/p]

[p][/p][h3]Marketing Update [/h3][p] IGDB entry added
New trailer featuring clearer gameplay progression (and Boden working on a better one)
Sent copies to 100 Steam curators, 250 streamers, 150 press members.[/p][p][/p][p]And of course, our Steam Page is now live! Please wishlist and share, it helps a small team like ours tremendously.
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