Starbrew Station v1.4.1 - The Architecture & Polish Update

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Greetings, Station Managers.

We're excited to announce version 1.4.1, a major technical update that completely refactors the game's architecture while delivering critical bug fixes and enhanced menu experience.

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[/p][h2]Major Technical Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Complete Architecture Refactor[/h3][p]
The game is now built on a solid foundation.

We've completely separated the main menu from gameplay systems:
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• [p]Clean scene separation - MainMenu and Game scenes are now fully independent
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• [p]Eliminated duplicate code
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• [p]Better resource management - Faster load times and cleaner transitions
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• [p]Improved stability - Reduced race conditions and initialization errors
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• [p]Robust node lookups - Replaced fragile hardcoded paths with group-based system
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This architectural overhaul ensures:
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• [p] Faster game startup
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• [p] More reliable scene transitions
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• [p] Better memory management
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• [p] Foundation for future features
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[/p][h2]Enhanced Main Menu Experience[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Stunning Visual Effects[/h3][p]
The main menu now looks incredible.

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• [p]Beautiful shader effects - Dynamic visual polish on the main menu
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• [p]Professional presentation - Enhanced visual quality from first launch
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• [p]Smooth transitions - Polished scene changes and animations
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[/p][h3]Immersive Audio[/h3][p]
Main menu audio has been completely revamped.

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• [p]Crossfade system - Smooth music transitions
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• [p]Seamless looping - No audio gaps or jarring restarts
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• [p]Proper music selection - Themed audio for the main menu experience
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• [p]AudioManager integration - Better timing and initialization
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[/p][h2]Critical Bug Fixes[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Gameplay Fixes[/h3][p]
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• [p]Fixed fighter units drifting between decks - Admin deck fighters no longer drift to VIP deck
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• [p]Fixed fighters frozen when no boss present - Fighter units now behave correctly between boss fights
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• [p]Fixed shrine tooltips not appearing - Tooltips now show properly before START is pressed
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• [p]Fixed DLC decoration visibility - DLC decorations now display correctly in DecorationsScreen
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• [p]Fixed DLC entitlement checking - Added dev_mode_dlc flag for proper DLC validation
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[/p][h3]UI & Menu Fixes[/h3][p]
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• [p]Fixed UI rendering race condition - Eliminated save loading race condition that broke UI rendering
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• [p]Fixed play button showing 'Loading...' - Button now updates correctly
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• [p]Fixed pause menu icon issues - Pause menu now displays with correct iconography
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• [p]Fixed minigame icons not appearing - Icons now visible after main menu split
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• [p]Fixed menu reappearing after scene transition - Added auto-start to prevent menu bugs
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[/p][h3]Technical Fixes[/h3][p]
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• [p]Fixed game scene not loading - Play button now reliably starts the game
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• [p]Fixed scene loading inconsistency - Menu now correctly loads Game.tscn
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• [p]Fixed main menu music loading - Music and game start functionality now work reliably
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• [p]Fixed game initialization timing - AudioManager now available when needed
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• [p]Fixed rush_hour_duration error - Eliminated console errors during rush hour events
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• [p]Fixed missing deck_5.png resource - Resource declaration properly added
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[/p][h2]Quality of Life Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Garden System Enhancement[/h3][p]
Your garden plots now persist properly.

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• [p]Persistent garden plot status - Garden state saves and loads correctly
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• [p]No more lost progress - Your botanical garden work is now preserved
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• [p]Better save integration - Garden data properly synchronized
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[/p][h3]Pause Menu Improvements[/h3][p]
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• [p]Enhanced pause menu functionality - Added to Game scene for better integration
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• [p]ESC key support - Quick pause access maintained
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• [p]Proper state management - Pause system more reliable
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[/p][h3]Translation Updates[/h3][p]
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• [p]Updated translations - Added missing translation keys
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• [p]32+ languages supported - All new features fully localized
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• [p]Better text consistency - Improved translation quality across the board
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[/p][h2]Code Quality & Performance[/h2][p]
Behind the scenes improvements for stability:

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• [p]Group-based node lookups - More robust than hardcoded paths
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• [p]Eliminated duplicate menu files - Cleaner codebase, less confusion
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• [p]Better resource management - Improved scene loading and unloading
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• [p]Enhanced error logging - Better debugging capabilities
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• [p]Reduced race conditions - More reliable initialization sequences
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[/p][h2]Compatibility & Upgrade Information[/h2][p]
Save Compatibility
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• [p]Full backward compatibility with all v1.1.x saves
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• [p] Garden plot status now properly saved
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• [p] All progress, unlocks, and achievements preserved
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Steam Cloud
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• [p] Enhanced reliability
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• [p] Automatic cross-device sync
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• [p] Safe save migration
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Workshop Content
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• [p] All existing workshop content fully compatible
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• [p] No changes to workshop integration
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[/p][h2]Technical Details[/h2][p]
Modified Systems:
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• [p] Complete scene architecture refactor
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• [p] Main menu system overhaul
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• [p] Audio system improvements
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• [p] Garden save/load system
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• [p] Node lookup system modernization
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Bug Fixes:
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• [p] 17+ critical bugs resolved
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• [p] Multiple race conditions eliminated
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• [p] Scene loading reliability improved
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• [p] UI rendering stability enhanced
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[/p][h2]What's Next: Development Roadmap[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]v1.5.0 - The Minigame Update (Q1 2026)[/h3][p]
Planned Features:
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• [p]Improved minigame implementations - Basketball, Pachinko, and more [/p]
• [p]Enhanced Botanical Garden - Additional content and polish
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• [p]Controller support enhancements - Better gamepad integration
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• [p]Daily challenge system - New objectives with unique rewards
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[/p][h3]v2.0.0 - The Content Expansion (Q2 2026)[/h3][p]
Major Features:
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• [p]New deck concepts - Additional station areas to explore
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• [p]Seasonal events - Limited-time content and rewards
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• [p]Leaderboard expansion - Competitive rankings
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• [p]Enhanced workshop support - More custom content types
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[/p][h2]Player Feedback & Community[/h2][p]
This update addresses numerous player reports:

Implemented Fixes:
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• [p] "Fighter units drift to wrong decks" - Fixed
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• [p] "Play button gets stuck on Loading..." - Fixed
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• [p] "Garden plots don't save properly" - Fixed
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• [p] "DLC decorations not showing" - Fixed
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• [p] "Pause menu icon looks wrong" - Fixed
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• [p] "Game sometimes won't start" - Fixed
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Thank you for your reports! Every bug fix in this update came from community feedback.

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[/p][h2]How to Report Bugs[/h2][p]
Found a bug? Help us fix it:

1. Note your game version (v1.4.1 - press F1 in-game)
2. Describe what happened vs what you expected
3. Provide reproduction steps
4. Include your save file if relevant
5. Add screenshots/video if visual

Where to Report:[/p]

• [p]Discord: https://discord.gg/h63mMG9har[/p]
• [p]Steam Discussions: Community Hub[/p]

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[/p][h2]Installation & Upgrade[/h2][p]
For existing players:
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1. [p] Update via Steam (automatic)
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2. [p] Launch the game - your save will be automatically upgraded
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3. [p] Verify your progress is intact
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First time players:
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1. [p] Download and install from Steam
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2. [p] Enjoy the polished main menu experience
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3. [p] Start building your cosmic coffee empire!
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[/p][h2]Performance Notes[/h2][p]
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• [p]Faster startup times - Improved initialization sequence
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• [p]Better memory management - Cleaner scene transitions
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• [p]Reduced race conditions - More reliable gameplay
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• [p]Smoother audio transitions - No more audio pops or gaps
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[/p][h2]Thank You[/h2][p]
Version 1.4.1 represents a major technical milestone. The architecture refactor ensures Starbrew Station is built on a solid foundation for future updates.

Your feedback drives development.

Every bug fix, every improvement, every feature comes from listening to you - our amazing community.

Brew on, Station Managers.

— The Starbrew Station Team

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[/p][h2]Join Our Community[/h2][p]
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• [p]Discord: https://discord.gg/h63mMG9har[/p]
• [p]Steam Discussions: Community Hub[/p]

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P.S. - If you're enjoying the game, please consider leaving a Steam review. It helps other players discover Starbrew Station and supports continued development. Thank you!
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