Starbrew Station News

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed "Not Responding" crashes when using the decoration transform modal (rotation/scale sliders)
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed unit purchase buttons (x10, x25, MAX) not buying the correct amount
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed potential freezes when rapidly clicking shrine upgrades during boss fights
  [/p]
• [p]Improved decoration modal UX - added close button and visual connector to show which decoration is selected
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Performance & Stability[/h3]

• [p] Switched to Compatibility renderer for improved stability across more hardware configurations
  [/p]
• [p] Added D3D12 rendering fallback for systems with Vulkan issues
  [/p]
• [p] Tweaked debounced saves to prevent UI freezes during rapid interactions [/p]
• [p] Added safeguards against overlapping async operations
  [/p]

[p] Thank you to our playtesters for the detailed bug reports! You are absolutely crucial to figuring out the issues that we can't reproduce locally. [/p][p] -HeartCoded, Lost Rabbit Digital[/p]

[p]Hey Station Managers! Thank you so much for your patience and continued support as we polish up Starbrew Station. This update focuses on squashing bugs and improving the overall experience based on your feedback. [/p][h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• [p] Fixed display monitor detection to use your active screen instead of primary monitor
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed UI Scale setting not affecting menu text in SubViewports
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed baristas attempting to brew with invalid or depleted machines
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed machine counter UI to properly include technician bonuses
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed deck counter display issues
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed remaining boss fight freeze edge cases
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed loading screen showing main menu through background
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed video settings not applying correctly in Godot 4.5
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed jukebox decoration blocking unit clicks during morale tutorial
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed achievements being incorrectly auto-awarded from Steam on fresh saves
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed achievements resetting on prestige
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed beginner tutorial restarting after prestige
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed post-prestige tutorials (run modifiers, token shop) not showing
  [/p]
• [p] Fixed critical save bug where game could exit before save completes
  [/p]

• [p]Fixed achievement manager being inaccessible to save manager [/p][p][/p]

[h2]Improvements[/h2]

• [p] Added deck machine count labels to the game world for better visibility
  [/p]
• [p] Added visual feedback for unit specializations
  [/p]
• [p] Added rotation and scale controls for decorations
  [/p]
• [p] Replaced emoji unit type icons with cleaner geometric shapes
  [/p]
• [p] Improved Twitch viewer name label alignment on units
  [/p]
• [p] Improved Twitch integration checkbox UI clarity
  [/p]
• [p] Shortened tutorial messages for a better streamer experience
  [/p]
• [p] Added specialization info to unit tooltips
  [/p]
• [p] Updated UI styling to use the Apollo color palette for visual consistency
  [/p]
• [p] Added prestige token reminder notification when loading with unspent tokens
  [/p]
• [p] Rush hour ship clicks now always reward credits (was 30% chance before)
  [/p]
• [p] Rush hour ship rewards now scale with your credits per second (2-5x multiplier)
  [/p]
• [p] Adjusted fighter unit sizes for better visual balance
  [/p]
• [p] Increased boss inspector size for better visibility during fights
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Performance & Stability[/h2]

• [p] Switched to synchronous saves for improved reliability
  [/p]
• [p] Added audio streaming for background music (reduces memory usage by ~40MB)
  [/p]
• [p] Added modular settings menu handlers for better code organization
  [/p]
• [p] Refactored hardcoded colors to use consistent palette
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Art & Localization[/h2]

• [p] Updated various artwork and screenshots
  [/p]
• [p] Optimized Steam store page layout
  [/p]
• [p] Updated translated Steam store descriptions [/p]

[p] Thanks for playing Starbrew Station! Your feedback helps make the game better with every update. If you encounter any issues, please let us know in the discussions, in discord, via in-game feedback, or leave a review, they all help! See you on the station!

- HeartCoded, The Lost Rabbit Digital Team[/p]

[h2]Happy New Year!!!

New Features[/h2]

• [p]Unit Specialization Visual Feedback - Specialized crew members now display a badge icon in the sidebar, their name is tinted with the specialization color, and hovering shows the specialization name and description
  [/p]
• [p]Deck Machine Count Labels - Each deck now displays a machine count (current/max) in the game world, making it easier to track your build capacity at a glance
  [/p]
• [p]Decoration Controls - Added rotation and scale controls for decorations, giving you more customization options for your station
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Visual Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Complete UI refresh using the new Apollo color palette for improved visual consistency
  [/p]
• [p]Updated background nebula, decorations, and achievement icons
  [/p]
• [p]Replaced emoji unit type icons with cleaner geometric shapes
  [/p]
• [p]Improved specialization icon positioning and added spec info to tooltips
  [/p]
• [p]Enhanced Twitch viewer name label alignment on units
  [/p]
• [p]Improved Twitch integration checkbox UI clarity
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Fixed UI Scale setting not affecting menu text in SubViewports
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed baristas attempting to brew with invalid or depleted machines
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed machine counter UI not including technician bonuses
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed top bar machine counter to show actual buildable capacity
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed loading screen showing main menu through the background
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed remaining boss fight freeze edge cases
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed jukebox decoration blocking unit clicks during morale tutorial
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed various deck counter UI issues
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h2]Technical[/h2]

• [p]Switched to synchronous saves for improved reliability
  [/p]
• [p]Refactored hardcoded colors to use centralized Apollo palette
  [/p]

[p] Thank you for playing Starbrew Station and HAPPY NEW YEAR!![/p][p]- HeartCoded (Lost Rabbit Digital)[/p]

[h2]Overview[/h2]
[p]Version 1.5.13 is a stability hotfix focused on eliminating memory corruption crashes and further performance optimization. This release fixes critical crashes during boss fights and scene transitions, adds new contextual tutorials, and improves overall game responsiveness.[/p]

[p]Key Highlights for v1.5.13:[/p]

• [p]Fixed heap memory corruption crashes during boss fights[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed crashes during scene transitions from looping animations[/p]
  
• [p]New contextual tutorials for Fighter Units, Support Units, and R&D Wing[/p]
  
• [p]Additional performance optimizations for UI updates[/p]
  
• [p]Improved Health Inspector and Deck 6 prestige flow[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Crash Fixes[/h2]

[h3]Boss Fight Stability[/h3]
[p]Fixed critical memory corruption issues that caused crashes during and after boss fights.[/p]

• [p]Fixed heap corruption crashes - Tweens and timers with callbacks now properly tracked and cleaned up[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed use-after-free crashes - Added validity checks in tween callbacks to prevent accessing freed objects[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed projectile/effect cleanup - All 7 tween instances in projectile spawning now properly managed[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed inspection boss fight crashes - Damage label and sprite color flash tweens now properly cleaned up[/p]
  

[h3]Scene Transition Stability[/h3]
[p]Fixed crashes when transitioning between scenes while animations were playing.[/p]

• [p]Fixed looping tween crashes - Infinite animation tweens now properly stopped on scene exit[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed save indicator animation - Save status indicator tween cleaned up on exit[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed rush hour pulse animation - Progress bar pulse effect properly disposed[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed loading screen glow - Glow animation tween cleaned up during transitions[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed scroll hint animation - Sidebar scroll hint pulse properly cleaned up[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed chat bubble async patterns - Added validity checks after await in unit chat systems[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]New Tutorials[/h2]
[p]ARIA now provides guidance at key progression milestones![/p]

• [p]Fighter Unit tutorial - First-time fighter purchasers get combat system guidance[/p]
  
• [p]Support Unit tutorial - Learn about support mechanics when hiring your first support unit[/p]
  
• [p]R&D Wing tutorial - ARIA explains research mechanics after your first prestige[/p]
  
• [p]One-time display - Each tutorial only shows once per save file[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Performance Optimizations[/h2]

[h3]UI Update Efficiency[/h3]

• [p]Optimized number formatting - Replaced O(n^2) string operations with efficient O(n) array operations[/p]
  
• [p]Throttled UI updates - Machine count display reduced from 60fps to 1Hz, rush hour timer to 2Hz[/p]
  
• [p]Cached scroll containers - Virtual cursor no longer scans scene tree every frame[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed rush hour indicator - Theme color override no longer called every frame[/p]
  

[h3]General Optimizations[/h3]

• [p]Cached deck unlock checks - NextGoalsPanel now caches results instead of recalculating 3x per update[/p]
  
• [p]Batch stats queries - StatsManager uses shared processing helpers for efficiency[/p]
  
• [p]Cached UI references - RDWingPortal and ModifierDisplay cache references at startup[/p]
  
• [p]Optimized rush hour pulse - Replaced expensive sin() calculations with tween animation[/p]
  
• [p]Cached unit data - TwitchIntegrationManager caches unit data instead of reloading[/p]
  
• [p]Consolidated loops - TimeManager combines two unit_counts iterations into one[/p]
  
• [p]Batched Steam API calls - AchievementsManager spreads initialization across frames[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]UX Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Improved prestige flow - Health Inspector and Deck 6 prestige experience streamlined[/p]
  
• [p]Better tutorial timing - Contextual tutorials appear at natural progression points[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Compatibility[/h2]

• [p]Full backward compatibility with v1.5.x saves[/p]
  
• [p]All progress and achievements preserved[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]What's Next[/h2]
[p]This hotfix addresses the remaining crash reports from v1.5.12, particularly around boss fights and scene transitions. The new contextual tutorials help guide players through key mechanics at the right moments. Thank you for reporting these issues - your crash reports helped us identify and fix these memory corruption bugs![/p]

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

[h2]Overview[/h2]
[p]Version 1.5.12 is a major polish update focused on performance optimization, character personality, and tutorial improvements. This release brings unit lore chat bubbles, graphics quality presets, and significant fixes to eliminate game freezes and crashes.[/p]

[p]Key Highlights for v1.5.12:[/p]

• [p]New unit lore system with personality-driven chat bubbles[/p]
  
• [p]Graphics quality presets (Low/Medium/High/Ultra)[/p]
  
• [p]First-time tutorials for Basketball and Botanical Garden minigames[/p]
  
• [p]Major performance optimizations eliminating app freezes[/p]
  
• [p]Desynchronized unit animations for more natural movement[/p]
  
• [p]Late-game progression rebalancing[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]New Features[/h2]

[h3]Unit Lore System[/h3]
[p]Your crew members now have personality! Each unit displays unique lore-based comments via chat bubbles.[/p]

• [p]Role-colored chat bubbles - Chat bubble colors match each unit's role for easy identification[/p]
  
• [p]Unique character comments - Every crew member has their own voice and personality[/p]
  
• [p]Full translation support - Unit lore is available in all supported languages[/p]
  
• [p]Desynchronized timing - Random timing offsets prevent all units from speaking at once[/p]
  

[h3]Graphics Quality Presets[/h3]

• [p]Four preset levels - Low, Medium, High, and Ultra graphics options[/p]
  
• [p]Optimized black hole effect - Reduced GPU load on lower-end machines[/p]
  
• [p]Particle quality scaling - Effects scale based on your chosen preset[/p]
  

[h3]Minigame Tutorials[/h3]
[p]ARIA now guides new players through the minigames with her signature dark humor![/p]

• [p]Basketball tutorial - First-time players get gameplay guidance[/p]
  
• [p]Botanical Garden tutorial - Learn the growing mechanics with ARIA's help[/p]
  
• [p]Pachinko tutorial - Instructions for the pachinko minigame[/p]
  
• [p]Deck 6 construction tutorial - ARIA explains the new deck with dark space humor[/p]
  
• [p]Tutorials only show once - Fixed issue where tutorials would repeat every session[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Performance Optimizations[/h2]

[h3]Eliminated App Freezes[/h3]
[p]Major architectural improvements to prevent the game from hanging during gameplay.[/p]

• [p]Preloaded scenes and textures - All assets now load at startup instead of on-demand[/p]
  
• [p]Converted load() to preload() - Synchronous loads no longer block the main thread[/p]
  
• [p]Optimized UnitManager - Removed redundant scene tree scans that caused stuttering[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed app hangs - Synchronous operations that blocked the main thread have been eliminated[/p]
  

[h3]Boss Fight Performance[/h3]

• [p]GPU particle pooling - New pooling system prevents freezes during intense boss fights[/p]
  
• [p]Damage label pooling - Floating damage numbers now reuse objects instead of creating new ones[/p]
  
• [p]Staggered particle spawning - Particle effects spawn gradually instead of all at once[/p]
  
• [p]Fighter glyph fix - Fixed crash when reaching maximum fighters[/p]
  

[h3]General Stability[/h3]

• [p]Production stability settings - Optimized project settings for release builds[/p]
  
• [p]Null safety checks - Added guards to prevent crashes from uninitialized objects[/p]
  
• [p]Shrine upgrade fix - Fixed crashes on weaker machines during shrine upgrades[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

[h3]Gameplay Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed Plasma Specialist pathing - Unit no longer walks to wrong deck[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed tutorial detection - Coffee machine clicks now properly detected during Rush Hour tutorial[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed Admin floor crash - Resolved crash when accessing Admin floor[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed barista initialization - Boss fight baristas now initialize correctly[/p]
  

[h3]Save System[/h3]

• [p]Decorations now in unified save - All decoration data migrated to the unified save system[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed pachinko saves - Individual save properly integrated with unified system[/p]
  
• [p]Removed dual-save patterns - Cleaned up vestigial legacy code from minigame managers[/p]
  
• [p]Improved save robustness - Fixed risky behaviors that could corrupt saves[/p]
  

[h3]UI Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed decoration sizing - Decorations now display at correct sizes[/p]
  
• [p]Extended placement bounds - Decorations can now be placed in more locations[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed decoration loading - Saved decoration positions now load correctly[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed decoration visibility - Decorations no longer disappear unexpectedly[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed botanical garden button overlap - UI elements no longer overlap[/p]
  
• [p]Moved pachinko instructions - Popup now positioned higher for better visibility[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Visual Improvements[/h2]

[h3]Unit Animations[/h3]

• [p]Desynchronized animations - Random timing offsets make unit movement more natural[/p]
  
• [p]Adjusted Deck 1 character sizes - Units sized appropriately for their deck[/p]
  
• [p]Enlarged Deck 2 coffee machine - Sprite increased by 40% for better visibility[/p]
  

[h3]Combat Effects[/h3]

• [p]Simplified critical hit visuals - Removed slowdown effect for cleaner feedback[/p]
  
• [p]Removed unit summary panel - Cleaned up fighter unit interface[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2]

[h3]Deck Progression[/h3]

• [p]Increased late-game deck costs - Later decks now cost more for extended progression[/p]
  
• [p]Rebalanced deck progression - UX improvements for smoother advancement[/p]
  
• [p]Narrative reframing - Game mechanics clarified through improved storytelling[/p]
  

[h3]Player Feedback Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Improved hire wording - Clearer language when hiring crew[/p]
  
• [p]Enhanced ship interaction - Better feedback when interacting with the ship[/p]
  
• [p]Decoration buffs visible - Effects from decorations now clearly displayed[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Technical Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Translation updates - Multiple language files updated with new content[/p]
  
• [p]Unit lore localization - Full translation support for all unit comments[/p]
  
• [p]Disabled console wrapper - Removed for release builds[/p]
  
• [p]Suppressed checksum warnings - Release builds no longer show debug warnings[/p]
  
• [p]Fixed signal connection errors - Resolved "signal already connected" issues[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Compatibility[/h2]

• [p]Full backward compatibility with v1.5.x saves[/p]
  
• [p]All saves automatically use the unified save system[/p]
  
• [p]All progress and achievements preserved[/p]
  

[hr][/hr]

[h2]What's Next[/h2]
[p]This update represents our biggest performance and polish pass yet. The unit lore system brings your crew to life, while the performance optimizations ensure smooth gameplay even during intense boss battles. Thank you for your continued feedback - it drives every improvement we make![/p]

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