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  3. Starbrew Station v1.5.4 - Remote Error Reporting Update

Starbrew Station v1.5.4 - Remote Error Reporting Update

[p][/p][h2]Overview[/h2][p] Version 1.5.4 focuses on polish, clarity, and stability improvements. This update brings major gameplay changes, visual enhancements, quality-of-life improvements, and numerous bug fixes based on player feedback and playtesting. [/p][p]One of the biggest changes is the addition of Sentry remote error reporting that reports errors and crashes with the godot console log attached to help us immediately start to fix issues and push hotfixes. [/p][p]In my test lab I use 7 different Windows desktop and laptop environments for testing, we are still having issues reported that we can't reproduce that require us to gather logs from users and then send builds out to them for validation.
[/p][p][/p][p] Key Highlights for v1.5.4:
[/p]
  • [p]Unit specializations changed from time-based to click-based progression[/p]
  • [p]New loading screen with tips and progress bar[/p]
  • [p]Collapsible left sidebar for more screen space[/p]
  • [p]"Patron" mechanic rebranded to "Supplier" for clarity[/p]
  • [p]Ships now fly past the station during rush hour events[/p]
  • [p]Middle mouse button camera panning[/p]
  • [p]60+ bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Major Changes[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Unit Specialization System Overhaul[/h3][p]
Based on playtester feedback, unit specializations are now earned through brewing actions instead of waiting for time to pass!

[/p]
  • [p]Click-based progression replaces time-based system[/p]
  • [p]Lower deck units require fewer brews (30 for Deck 1)[/p]
  • [p]Higher deck units require more brews (up to 150 for Deck 6)[/p]
  • [p]Stats menu now shows "X/Y brews" progress toward specialization[/p]
  • [p]Floating XP indicators appear every 5 brews showing progress[/p]
  • [p]More engaging and rewarding progression system[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Patron to Supplier Rebrand[/h3][p]
Based on player feedback, we've renamed the "Patron" mechanic to "Supplier" throughout the game. This better reflects what these units actually do - they supply resources to your station rather than being customers.

[/p]
  • [p]All UI text updated from "Patron" to "Supplier"[/p]
  • [p]Tutorial references updated[/p]
  • [p]Internal code renamed for consistency[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Rush Hour Ship Animations[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Rush hour events now feel more dynamic with ships flying past your station!

[/p]
  • [p]16 new stylized ship sprites added[/p]
  • [p]Ships animate past the station during rush hour[/p]
  • [p]Adds visual excitement to busy periods[/p]
  • [p]New art style for passing vessels[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Visual Feedback Improvements[/h3][p]Coffee Machine Click Feedback
[/p]
  • [p]Floating credit values now appear when clicking coffee machines[/p]
  • [p]See exactly how much each click earns[/p]
  • [p]Satisfying visual confirmation of your actions[/p]
[p]
Supplier Delivery Indicator
[/p]
  • [p]Visual indicator shows when suppliers are delivering resources[/p]
  • [p]Better feedback on resource flow[/p]
[p]
[/p][p][/p][h3]Tutorial Improvements[/h3]
  • [p]Skip confirmation dialog - Prevents accidental tutorial skips[/p]
  • [p]Resume functionality - Continue tutorial from where you left off[/p]
  • [p]Step indicator - Shows current progress through tutorial steps[/p]
  • [p]Fixed tutorial system conflicts for smoother experience[/p]
  • [p]Rush hour tutorial replaced with smaller notification (less intrusive)[/p]
  • [p]Consolidated introduction tutorial with tongue-in-cheek world-building[/p]
  • [p]New portrait artwork for tutorial character[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]UI Improvements[/h2][p]
Loading Screen
[/p]
  • [p]New loading screen with progress bar and rotating gameplay tips[/p]
  • [p]Tips glow and cycle to keep you informed while loading[/p]
  • [p]Smoother transition into gameplay[/p]
[p]
Collapsible Left Sidebar
[/p]
  • [p]Toggle button to slide sidebar in/out for more screen space[/p]
  • [p]Perfect for players who want a cleaner view of their station[/p]
  • [p]Easy access when you need the sidebar back[/p]
[p]
Run Modifiers Tutorial
[/p]
  • [p]New tutorial explaining run modifiers after first prestige[/p]
  • [p]Helps players understand the prestige mechanic better[/p]
  • [p]Fixed run modifier collapse arrow direction (up/down instead of right)[/p]
[p]
Panel Styling
[/p]
  • [p]Unified colors for Next Goals and Run Modifiers panels[/p]
  • [p]Panels start collapsed by default - Next Goals and Run Modifiers begin minimized[/p]
  • [p]Consistent visual design across UI elements[/p]
  • [p]Improved collapsed modifier panel styling[/p]
  • [p]Styled Prestige menu buttons consistently (History, Stats, Close)[/p]
  • [p]Removed emojis from Units help guide[/p]
  • [p]Removed "Rush hour incoming!" notification (redundant with progress bar)[/p]
[p]
Camera Navigation
[/p]
  • [p]Middle mouse button panning - Click and drag to pan the camera[/p]
  • [p]Zoom-aware camera bounds - Camera can move lower when zoomed in[/p]
  • [p]New sci-fi themed SVG icons for camera controls[/p]
  • [p]Better visual integration with game aesthetic[/p]
[p]
Gameplay Tweaks
[/p]
  • [p]Morale inspiration boost duration increased from 20s to 30s[/p]
  • [p]Reduced Jovian Barista movement speed for better visual clarity[/p]
  • [p]Achievements now sorted with unlocked achievements at the top[/p]
  • [p]Pachinko minigame now starts with 25 balls (max 100) for better balance[/p]
  • [p]Rush hour ships now follow smooth sine wave flight paths[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Bug Fixes[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Critical Fixes[/h3][p]
Save System
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed infinite save spinner - Added timeout recovery and proper error handling[/p]
  • [p]Simplified save system - 60s auto-save interval, removed complex verification that caused hangs[/p]
  • [p]Improved save indicator animations with defensive guards[/p]
  • [p]Save operations no longer get stuck indefinitely[/p]
  • [p]Fixed save timeout by removing blocking Steam Cloud writes[/p]
  • [p]Fixed false save failure warning by preventing auto-save before initialization[/p]
  • [p]Simplified SaveManager to local-only operations for reliability[/p]
[p]
Crash Prevention
[/p]
  • [p]Added is_inside_tree() guards throughout the codebase[/p]
  • [p]Prevents crashes during scene transitions[/p]
  • [p]Comprehensive defensive null guards added[/p]
[p]
Supplier System
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed supplier purchase failures - Resolved unit type naming mismatch[/p]
  • [p]Purchasing suppliers now works correctly[/p]
  • [p]Completed patrons to suppliers refactor across entire codebase[/p]
  • [p]Fixed get_patron_stats function to use renamed get_supplier_stats[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]UI Fixes[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hide UI button - No longer hides itself when toggling visibility[/p]
  • [p]Fixed left sidebar collapse - Sidebar now fully hides when collapsed (dynamic based on width)[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Next Goals collapse icon - Now shows up arrow when collapsed[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Run modifiers panel - No longer shows empty when collapsed (hides if no content)[/p]
  • [p]Fixed tutorial highlight - Now follows correctly when scrolling[/p]
  • [p]Fixed coffee machine deck sprite - Corrected sprite path mismatch[/p]
  • [p]Fixed MultiplierService error - Resolved null return causing type errors[/p]
  • [p]Fixed auto-save indicator - Moved to lower-left with proper centering[/p]
  • [p]Fixed bottom bar buttons - Proper sizing and centering for all buttons[/p]
  • [p]Fixed PRESTIGE SHOP and pause buttons not visible in top bar[/p]
  • [p]Fixed minigame icons, modifier bar icons, and sidebar animation[/p]
  • [p]Fixed RUSH HOUR and MACHINES text to use Neuropol font[/p]
  • [p]Fixed modifier arrow visibility and sidebar slide animation[/p]
  • [p]Fixed sidebar visibility not persisting after game restart[/p]
  • [p]Fixed unit sidebar to use offset-based sliding for anchor layouts[/p]
  • [p]Fixed daily reward notification style to match UI theme[/p]
  • [p]Fixed income tooltip styling and missing translation key[/p]
  • [p]Fixed XP indicator display format for clearer progression feedback[/p]
  • [p]Removed emojis from stats panel production breakdown[/p]
  • [p]Fixed UI loading bugs - Parse error and ugly loading frame resolved[/p]
  • [p]Fixed toggle button tween_method argument mismatch[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Settings & Navigation Fixes[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed monitor detection - Uses primary monitor on first launch[/p]
  • [p]Removed flag emojis from language selector in settings[/p]
  • [p]Renamed "Game Customisation" to "Accessibility" in all languages[/p]
  • [p]Set framerate limit default to off[/p]
  • [p]Hidden non-functional leaderboard button[/p]
  • [p]Steam button now links to Starbrew news page[/p]
  • [p]Hidden brightness/contrast controls (not implemented yet)[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Controller & Menu Navigation[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Added focus management for controller navigation[/p]
  • [p]Changed Help menu "Close" to "Back" button[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Help menu focus restoration when returning to pause menu[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Main Menu initial focus on start button[/p]
  • [p]Added Tab navigation support for main menu buttons[/p]
  • [p]Fixed help menu translations and improved pause menu settings UX[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Gameplay Fixes[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed frozen floating units - Units now drift off screen while fading instead of stopping movement[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Clear game data error - Resolved "Invalid assignment of 'unit_counts'" crash[/p]
  • [p]Fixed tutorial auto-refund - Supplier units correctly refund during tutorial[/p]
  • [p]Fixed pause menu stuck when tutorial is active[/p]
  • [p]Fixed overlays persisting after game data reset[/p]
  • [p]Disabled game data reset in main game scene to prevent errors[/p]
  • [p]Added missing rush_hour_tutorial_shown proxy property to GameManager[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Warning & Dependency Fixes[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed GameWorld not found warnings in DeckEffectsManager[/p]
  • [p]Fixed RushHourShipManager - Now finds GameWorld lazily when rush hour starts[/p]
  • [p]Fixed NextGoalsPanel - Resolved missing game_state_query dependency[/p]
  • [p]Fixed DecorationsScreen - Resolved dependency warning during initialization[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Accessibility containers - Added missing unique_name_in_owner[/p]
  • [p]Fixed get_path() conflict - Resolved method conflict with native Node.get_path()[/p]
  • [p]Fixed TypedArray validation error in _cleanup_finished_ships[/p]
  • [p]Fixed typed array assignment error in DeckManager reset[/p]
  • [p]Fixed undeclared economy_query variable in TutorialManager[/p]
  • [p]Fixed has() errors in TutorialManager[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Audio Fixes[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed missing power_down sound - Added to audio_streams[/p]
[p]
[/p][h3]Tutorial Fixes[/h3][p]
[/p]
  • [p]Fixed tutorial UI visibility - Restored inner control visibility after wrapping[/p]
  • [p]Fixed tutorial overlay - No longer blocks sidebar clicks (reduced opacity)[/p]
  • [p]Fixed morale tutorial flag - Corrected incorrect property name[/p]
  • [p]Improved offline notification and fixed sidebar slide[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Technical Improvements[/h2][p] Error Reporting
[/p]
  • [p]Sentry SDK integration - Crash and error reporting to help identify issues faster[/p]
  • [p]Automatic error capture for faster bug fixes[/p]
  • [p]Fixed Sentry initialization issues[/p]
  • [p]Disabled Sentry debug logging for production (cleaner console output)[/p]
[p]
Code Quality
[/p]
  • [p]Renamed patron_production_multiplier to supplier_production_multiplier[/p]
  • [p]Updated translations for units and UI consistency[/p]
  • [p]Gemini API key now read from environment variable[/p]
  • [p]Accessibility settings infrastructure improvements[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Compatibility[/h2][p]
Save Compatibility
[/p]
  • [p]Full backward compatibility with v1.5.x saves[/p]
  • [p]No save data migration required[/p]
  • [p]All progress and achievements preserved[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Community[/h2][p]
Thank you to everyone who submitted bug reports!

This update addresses issues reported through:
[/p]
  • [p]Discord community feedback[/p]
  • [p]Steam discussions[/p]
  • [p]Sentry crash reports[/p]
  • [p]Direct player feedback[/p]
[p]
Your reports help make Starbrew Station better for everyone.

[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]The Story Behind Starbrew Station[/h2][p]
A personal note from the developer

My son Kobi was born 25 weeks premature in late November of last year, weighing barely 1 pound. Over the past year in the hospital, he's grown from 1 pound to over 20 pounds, and he's still in the NICU, but he is so much stronger.

In the US, you only get a little bit of time even in circumstances like ours, and then it's back to work. Luckily I can work remote in the hospital for much of the week.

During my time at the hospital this year, I picked up a two pot a day coffee addiction and spent hours day and night reading to him, even before he was big enough to hold.

We read mostly sci-fi and horror, a lot of the same stuff I read growing up like the Darren Shan Chronicles, Artemis Fowl, Animorphs, The Things, Micro, just a lot of good 1 year old stories, right?

Anyway, one book that stuck with me was an alphabet picture book based on Ridley Scott's Alien, just made cuter for kids, and somewhere between the caffeine and the xenomorphs, this idea started brewing.
[/p][p][/p][p]
I started Starbrew Station over the summer as a way to experiment with making a game that had more numbers and simple fun and less story writing / plothole fixing than my previous game Spud Customs, working on it when my son was konked out after too many Clarkesworld sci-fi short stories, and too many drum and bass tracks.

For some reason, I thought another simulation game with even more numbers would be easier to manage and be more about the gameplay, and here a half a year later I've learned just how much math and design consideration goes into even simple incremental games as we pass 2,127 code commits on Starbrew.

Over 10,430 players like you have helped shape Starbrew Station this year. You're voting on features, submitting feedback, joining Discord, providing crash logs, filing bug reports, streaming the game, and recording YouTube videos.

Thank you for your feedback, your patience, and your interest in our fantasy about hyped up aliens in space. Every bug report, every suggestion, every kind word has meant more than you know during this journey.

Sincerely, and happy holidays,
David (HeartCoded) and the Lost Rabbit Digital crew[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]How to Report Bugs[/h2][p]
Found an issue? Let us know:

1. Note your game version (check main menu)
2. Describe what happened vs what you expected
3. Include reproduction steps if possible
4. Add screenshots/video if it's a visual issue

Where to Report: [/p]
  • [p]In-Game / Discord: Fastest response[/p]
  • [p]Steam Discussions: Good for general issues[/p]
[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Ok, What's Next?[/h2][p]We're continuing to work on stability improvements and new features based on your feedback. Hotfixes will be deployed based on crash reports throughout December until y'all can't figure out ways to crash it anymore.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Brew on, Commanders!
o7,
David (HeartCoded)[/p][p][/p]