Starbrew Station News

[h2]Overview[/h2][p]Version 1.5.7 is a stability and polish update focused on critical bug fixes, enhanced boss fight visuals, and improved audio feedback. This release addresses several data loss issues and adds visual spectacle to the Galactic Inspector boss encounter.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Key Highlights for v1.5.7:[/p]

• [p]Critical fix for prestige data not saving correctly[/p]
• [p]Epic visual enhancements to the boss fight[/p]
• [p]16 new sound effects for better audio feedback[/p]
• [p]Brightness/contrast display settings[/p]
• [p]Enhanced camera controls with trackpad support[/p]
• [p]Decorations tab now more visible with animated styling[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Critical Bug Fixes[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Save System Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed prestige data not persisting - Prestige tokens, total prestiges, and purchased upgrades were resetting to 0 when closing and reopening the game. The data was saved correctly but wasn't being loaded properly.[/p]
• [p]Fixed critical data loss during prestige - Removed dangerous delete_save() calls that could cause total progress loss if the game crashed during prestige.[/p]
• [p]Unified save migration required - Legacy save fallbacks have been removed. All saves now go through the unified save system which provides atomic writes and automatic backups.[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Boss Fight Stability[/h3]

• [p]Fixed critical hit race condition - When 50+ fighters landed critical hits simultaneously, the time-freeze effect could cause performance issues or soft-lock the game. Added static lock to prevent race conditions.[/p]
• [p]Fixed crash at 60-second mark - The inspection animation was creating 50-100+ simultaneous timers causing a massive garbage collection spike. Replaced with a single batched operation.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Ctrl+P crash - Debug force-prestige key could crash when managers weren't ready. Debug keys have been remapped to F-keys with null safety checks.[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Boss Fight Visual Enhancements[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]HP Milestone Effects[/h3][p]The Galactic Inspector now reacts dramatically as you whittle down their health![/p]

• [p]Milestone thresholds at 75%, 50%, 25% HP[/p]
• [p]Screen flash effect at each threshold[/p]
• [p]Strong camera shake[/p]
• [p]Boss rage glow animation with particle aura[/p]
• [p]Dynamic milestone messages ("THE INSPECTOR IS WEAKENING!")[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Enhanced Attack Shockwave[/h3]

• [p]Multiple expanding shockwave rings (3 waves)[/p]
• [p]Stronger camera shake (12.0 intensity)[/p]
• [p]Screen edge vignette flash[/p]
• [p]Fiery gradient particle burst at center[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Fighter-Specific Attack Effects[/h3]

• [p]Melee fighters - Quick white slash particle arc[/p]
• [p]Ranged fighters - Coffee projectile with trailing particles[/p]
• [p]Mystic fighters - Purple glowing orb with particle aura[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Critical Hit Fanfare[/h3]

• [p]Brief time-freeze effect (0.2x for 0.03s)[/p]
• [p]Yellow starburst particle explosion[/p]
• [p]Bigger floating "CRITICAL!" text with shake[/p]
• [p]Enhanced sound effect[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Audio Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]16 New Sound Effects[/h3]

• [p]Brewing sounds - Start and completion audio cues[/p]
• [p]Purchase sounds - Improved unit purchase/sell feedback[/p]
• [p]Milestone sounds - Major milestone fanfares based on tokens earned[/p]
• [p]Rush hour warning - Dedicated anticipation sound before rush hour begins[/p]
• [p]All sounds mapped with consonance for pleasant audio experience[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Visual Settings[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Brightness & Contrast Controls[/h3]

• [p]Brightness slider - Adjust overall screen brightness[/p]
• [p]Contrast slider - Fine-tune visual contrast[/p]
• [p]Shader-based post-processing for smooth adjustment[/p]
• [p]Previously hidden, now enabled in Video settings[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]UI Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Enhanced Camera Controls[/h3]

• [p]+/- keyboard zoom - Use equals/minus keys or numpad to zoom[/p]
• [p]Trackpad pan support - Two-finger pan gesture for laptop users[/p]
• [p]Horizontal scroll - Scroll wheel panning support[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Decorations Tab Visibility[/h3]

• [p]Purple accent styling - Decorations button stands out more[/p]
• [p]Pulse animation - Subtle animation draws attention[/p]
• [p]Enhanced states - Distinct hover/pressed/focus visual feedback[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Basketball Stats Reset[/h3]

• [p]Now includes confirmation dialog before resetting[/p]
• [p]Stats properly saved to unified save system[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Balance Adjustments[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Unit Scale Normalization[/h3][p]Deck 2 robots and drones were appearing much smaller than intended. Scales have been adjusted based on actual sprite sizes:[/p]

• [p]Supply Drone (Deck 2) - Significantly larger for visibility[/p]
• [p]Cargo Loader (Deck 2) - Moderately increased[/p]
• [p]Deck 2 Technician - Slightly increased[/p]
• [p]Ranged/Mystic fighters (Deck 6) - Adjusted for consistency[/p]

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

• [p]Debug keys remapped - Changed from Ctrl+ combos to F-keys (F1-F7) with null safety[/p]
• [p]Removed WorkshopManager - Cleaned up unused code[/p]
• [p]Simplified boss fight - Removed periodic inspection stun mechanic (knockback attack provides enough disruption)[/p]
• [p]Unified save architecture - Atomic writes prevent data loss, automatic backups on every save[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Compatibility[/h2]

• [p]Full backward compatibility with v1.5.x saves[/p]
• [p]Legacy saves automatically migrated to unified format[/p]
• [p]All progress and achievements preserved[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]What's Next[/h2][p]We're continuing to polish the game based on player feedback. The v1.5.7 update addresses (more) critical save issues and adds visual excitement to the boss fight. Thank you for your bug reports - they help make Starbrew Station better for everyone![/p][p][/p][p]Brew on, Commanders![/p][p]o7,[/p][p]David (HeartCoded)[/p]

[h2]Overview[/h2][p]Version 1.5.6 is a major visual polish update focused on making Starbrew Station feel more premium and "juicy". Based on player feedback about the game feeling unfinished, we've added bloom effects, ambient particles, screen shake, enhanced animations, and scaled up visual elements across the board.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Key Highlights for v1.5.6:[/p]

• [p]New bloom/glow effects for game world and UI elements[/p]
• [p]Ambient cosmic particle effects (dust, stars, motes)[/p]
• [p]Screen shake system for impactful moments[/p]
• [p]Units and coffee machines scaled up for better visibility[/p]
• [p]8 unique Galactic Inspector boss variants[/p]
• [p]25 new and updated deck decorations to customize your station[/p]
• [p]Enhanced tutorial with ARIA portrait expressions[/p]
• [p]Premium menu transitions and celebration effects[/p]
• [p]Twitch integration button in Options menu[/p]
• [p]Improved save system with compatibility detection[/p]
• [p]Sprite art improvements for all units[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Visual Polish - "Premium Feel" Update[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Bloom & Glow Effects[/h3][p]A new bloom shader system adds subtle glow to UI elements and the game world, giving everything a more polished, premium appearance.[/p]

• [p]Separate Game World and UI bloom settings - Control bloom independently[/p]
• [p]Bloom intensity slider in Video settings (0-100%)[/p]
• [p]Configurable per-category - Disable if you prefer a crisper look[/p]
• [p]Sci-fi themed cyan/purple glow aesthetic[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Ambient Effects System[/h3][p]New background particle systems add life and atmosphere to your station.[/p]

• [p]Cosmic dust particles - Subtle floating particles in layered parallax[/p]
• [p]Twinkling stars - Background stars that softly pulse[/p]
• [p]Floating motes - Gentle ambient particles throughout the station[/p]
• [p]Effects scale with Rush Hour intensity[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Screen Shake System[/h3][p]Impactful moments now have satisfying screen feedback.[/p]

• [p]Preset intensities - Micro, Light, Medium, Heavy, Epic[/p]
• [p]Event triggers - Rush Hour, deck construction, prestige, boss defeat[/p]
• [p]Accessibility option - Reduce or disable in settings[/p]
• [p]Smooth decay with configurable duration[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Scaled Up Visuals[/h3][p]Units and machines are now more visible and detailed.[/p]

• [p]Units scaled up - All character sprites are now larger and more readable[/p]
• [p]Coffee machines scaled up - Easier to click and more visually prominent[/p]
• [p]Better visual hierarchy across all decks[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Premium UI Polish[/h3][p]The UIStyleManager system provides consistent, premium styling.[/p]

• [p]Styled panel variants - Modal, Accent, Notification, Minimal styles[/p]
• [p]Menu transitions - Smooth slide and fade animations[/p]
• [p]Celebration effects - Particle bursts and animations for achievements[/p]
• [p]Magnitude-based floating text - Larger values get bigger, more colorful text[/p]
• [p]Consistent sci-fi dark blue aesthetic throughout[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Fade-In Effect[/h3][p]Smooth fade from black after loading screen for polished scene transitions.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Visual Refinements[/h3]

• [p]Lens flare adjustments - Removed hexagonal lens flare, reduced effect intensity[/p]
• [p]Tutorial overlay fade - Overlay now fades after intro welcome messages[/p]
• [p]Character orientation - All characters now consistently face right[/p]
• [p]Normal map optimization - Removed unused normal map sprites for cleaner visuals[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]New Content[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]8 Galactic Inspector Variants[/h3][p]The Health Inspector boss now has 8 unique visual variants, randomly selected each prestige![/p]

• [p]Each variant has distinct alien appearance[/p]
• [p]Boss variant persists in save file for consistency[/p]
• [p]Adds visual variety to the prestige loop[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Enhanced Tutorial System[/h3][p]ARIA, your station AI guide, now has multiple portrait expressions.[/p]

• [p]Dynamic portraits - Angry, Concerned, Shocked, Default expressions[/p]
• [p]Dark humor dialogue - ARIA's personality shines through[/p]
• [p]Morale interaction tutorial - New tutorial step for morale mechanics[/p]
• [p]Restart Tutorial option - New button in Game Settings to replay the tutorial anytime[/p]
• [p]Streamlined text - Less text dump, more interactive[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Twitch Integration[/h3][p]New Twitch Integration button in Options menu for streamers.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Deck Decorations[/h3][p]Customize your station with 25 new decorations![/p]

• [p]15 free decorations - 3 unique decorations per deck[/p]
• [p]10 DLC decorations - 2 premium decorations per deck for supporters[/p]
• [p]Each decoration reflects the unique theme of its deck[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Minigame Enhancements[/h3]

• [p]Basketball minigame parallax - Cursor-based background parallax effect[/p]
• [p]Botanical Garden sprites - New plant state sprites for growth stages[/p]
• [p]Unified save support - Pachinko and Botanical Garden minigames now use unified save system[/p]
• [p]Premium styling - UIStyleManager applied to all minigame UIs[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Art Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Updated Sprites[/h3]

• [p]New deck backgrounds - Deck 1 and Deck 2 with improved detail[/p]
• [p]Updated character sprites - Baristas, patrons, and technicians across all decks[/p]
• [p]Coffee machine art - All deck machines have improved artwork[/p]
• [p]Boss variants - 8 unique Galactic Inspector sprites[/p]
• [p]DLC unit sprites - Pip, Maintenance Droid, Bio Sprout, Tycoon updated[/p]
• [p]ARIA portraits - Multiple expression variants[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Audio Updates[/h3]

• [p]Updated background music tracks with better quality[/p]
• [p]Removed obsolete/unused audio files (reduced file size)[/p]
• [p]Consolidated rush hour music[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Bug Fixes[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]Critical Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed time_manager scope error in PrestigeManager that could cause crashes[/p]
• [p]Fixed R&D upgrades not applying correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed efficiency_expert achievement not unlocking properly[/p]
• [p]Fixed GDScript parse errors in settings_menu.gd and PrestigeUI.gd[/p]
• [p]Fixed ghost machine errors during prestige reset[/p]
• [p]Fixed lambda capture crashes during prestige scene changes[/p]
• [p]Fixed circular dependency causing PrestigeUI.new() to fail[/p]
• [p]Fixed MultiplierService error not available during save load[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]UI Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed settings menu back button not working correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed bloom settings UI toggle and slider behavior[/p]
• [p]Fixed ambient effects fade error when transitioning scenes[/p]
• [p]Fixed NPC scale issues on certain unit types[/p]
• [p]Fixed menu brightness bug caused by duplicate UV normalization[/p]
• [p]Fixed Twitch settings headline display[/p]
• [p]Fixed Golden Barista display issues[/p]
• [p]Fixed specialization name translation in stats menu[/p]
• [p]Fixed DecorationsScreen parse error with TextureRect settings[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Gameplay Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed offline progress notification - Now delays while minigame is active[/p]
• [p]Fixed quit errors in ambient effects and screen shake managers[/p]
• [p]Fixed morale tutorial conflict - No longer triggers during introduction[/p]
• [p]Fixed Golden Legend achievement - Now triggers when spawning Golden Barista[/p]
• [p]Fixed black hole timeout - Objects now properly progress toward center[/p]
• [p]Fixed legacy patron loading - Old save unit types now load correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed prestige stat recording when Steam stats load slowly[/p]
• [p]Fixed AudioManager race condition in menu music transition[/p]
• [p]Fixed tutorial replaying after prestige - Tutorial no longer re-triggers on prestige[/p]
• [p]Fixed inspector_defeated flag - Now properly resets on prestige[/p]
• [p]Fixed screenshake not applying to camera view - Screen shake effects now visible[/p]
• [p]Fixed camera zoom scrolling - Can now scroll to Deck 1 when zoomed in[/p]
• [p]Fixed unit scaling and boss targeting - Units scale correctly, boss targets properly[/p]
• [p]Fixed seed count display - Gardening minigame harvest notification shows correct count[/p]
• [p]Rush hour timer now pauses during tutorial[/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Save System Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed lambda capture null errors across 11 files[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing sprite references for Station Mascot Pip and Maintenance Droid[/p]
• [p]Fixed ShopUI and CosmicDice node paths in MinigameViewport[/p]
• [p]Fixed leaderboard signal handler argument mismatch[/p]
• [p]Fixed invalid prestige_manager access in RDWingManager[/p]
• [p]Fixed prestige_completed signal handler argument mismatch[/p]
• [p]Consolidated prestige save - Prestige data now uses unified save system[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Localization[/h2]

• [p]Updated tutorial dialogue translations for 26 languages[/p]
• [p]Standardized "Prestige Tokens" terminology (was "Synergy Tokens" in some places)[/p]
• [p]New bloom settings translated[/p]

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

• [p]UIStyleManager - Centralized premium UI styling system[/p]
• [p]AmbientEffectsManager - Modular ambient particle system[/p]
• [p]ScreenShakeManager - Event-driven screen shake with presets[/p]
• [p]Save compatibility detection - Automatic detection and migration system (v3)[/p]
• [p]Unified save architecture - Atomic writes for safer save operations[/p]
• [p]Prestige improvements - Unified confirmation dialog with run stats[/p]
• [p]Dependency injection - Improved manager initialization patterns[/p]
• [p]Defensive is_inside_tree() guards throughout[/p]
• [p]Removed useless Deck Hotkeys R&D upgrade[/p]
• [p]Fixed duplicate deck unlock options between Prestige Shop and R&D Wing[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Compatibility[/h2]

• [p]Full backward compatibility with v1.5.x saves[/p]
• [p]Automatic save compatibility detection and migration[/p]
• [p]Legacy patron unit types from old saves now load correctly[/p]
• [p]All progress and achievements preserved[/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]What's Next[/h2][p]We're continuing to address player feedback about visual polish and game feel. The v1.5.6 update represents a significant step toward making Starbrew Station feel like a premium, polished experience rather than a basic mobile game. More improvements coming based on your feedback![/p][p]
[/p][p]Brew on, Commanders![/p][p]o7,[/p][p]David (HeartCoded)[/p]

[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]

[p]Greetings, Station Managers. [/p][p]Version 1.5.3 is a stability update that fixes an anti-pattern for setting positions on units and UI elements, with 14 crash-causing bugs discovered since v1.5.2. [/p][p]If you've experienced random crashes when loading saves, placing units, or during boss fights, this update should resolve those issues. [/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Crash Fixes[/h2][p]
We've identified and fixed a category of crashes related to Godot 4.5's stricter node tree validation.

[/p][h3]The Problem[/h3][p]Several scripts were setting a node's global_position before the node was added to the scene tree. In Godot 4.5, this triggers a crash. These bugs were lurking in many different systems and only appeared under specific conditions.

[/p][h3]The Fix[/h3]

• [p]Boss Fight Crash - Fixed node tree errors causing crashes during the inspection boss fight
  [/p]
• [p]Technician Ghost Machine - Fixed crash when technician units spawn ghost machines
  [/p]
• [p]12 Additional Fixes - Fixed global_position crashes across 9 different game systems including units, machines, and UI elements
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Files Fixed[/h3]

• [p]Unit management and spawning
  [/p]
• [p]Machine placement and ghost previews
  [/p]
• [p]Boss fight mechanics
  [/p]
• [p]R&D wing upgrades
  [/p]
• [p]Tutorial overlays
  [/p]
• [p]Achievement popups
  [/p]
• [p]UI indicators and labels
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Controller UX Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p]

• [p]Controller Glyphs - UI buttons and tooltips now display correct controller button icons when using a gamepad
  [/p]
• [p]Supports Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo controller button prompts
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Visual Polish[/h2][p]
[/p]

• [p]Unified Panel Styling - Offline progress notification and pause menu now share consistent visual styling
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Save Compatibility[/h2][p]
[/p]

• [p]Full backward compatibility with all v1.5.x saves
  [/p]
• [p]No save data migration required
  [/p]
• [p]Progress made before this update will be preserved
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Thank You[/h2][p] Thank you for your continued bug reports and patience, and I'm sorry for any save data lost or corrupted due to these crashes. [/p][p]These crash fixes improve stability for all players, especially those on lower-end systems or using the latest Godot engine features. [/p][p]- HeartCoded and the Starbrew Station Team [/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Community Links[/h2][p]
Discord: https://discord.gg/PAYUfqkHSC

Enjoying the game? A Steam review helps other players discover Starbrew Station. Thank you for your support!
[/p]

[p]
Greetings, Station Managers.

Version 1.5.2 is a stability hotfix that addresses critical performance issues causing game freezes during the inspection boss fight and the black hole prestige animation. If you've experienced crashes or freezing during these sequences, this update is for you.

[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Boss Fight Performance Fixes[/h2][p]
We've identified and fixed the root cause of boss fight freezes reported by players.

[/p][h3]The Problem[/h3][p]When many fighters attack simultaneously (especially with attack speed upgrades), the game was creating hundreds of objects per second - projectiles, damage labels, particle effects, and sound effects. This overwhelmed the CPU on lower-end systems and caused the game to freeze.

[/p][h3]The Fix[/h3]

• [p]Damage Number Batching - Instead of showing individual damage numbers for every attack, damage is now accumulated and displayed as a single combined number every 0.15 seconds
  [/p]
• [p]Particle Effect Throttling - Visual effects now spawn at controlled intervals (max every 0.3 seconds) instead of flooding the screen
  [/p]
• [p]Attack Effect Cooldown - Each fighter's projectiles now only spawn every 0.5 seconds, reducing visual clutter
  [/p]
• [p]Sound Spam Prevention - Attack sounds are now throttled to prevent audio overload
  [/p]
• [p]DPS Caching - DPS calculations are now cached and updated every 0.5 seconds instead of every frame
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][h3]Performance Impact[/h3]

• [p]Before: 50 fighters could create 50+ new nodes/particles per second
  [/p]
• [p]After: 50 fighters now create ~7 damage labels + ~3 particle bursts per second
  [/p]
• [p]With high attack speed builds, the improvement is even more dramatic
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Black Hole Animation Crash Fix[/h2][p]
We've fixed critical bugs in the prestige black hole animation that were causing game freezes after defeating the boss.

[/p][h3]The Problem[/h3][p]The black hole animation had a bug where it continuously triggered redraws every single frame, creating an infinite loop that eventually froze the game. Additionally, there was an unsafe memory operation when objects were being consumed.

[/p][h3]The Fix[/h3]

• [p]Fixed Infinite Redraw Loop - The black hole no longer triggers unnecessary redraws
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed Memory Safety Issue - Objects are now safely removed during the animation
  [/p]
• [p]Frame Budget Limit - Maximum of 20 objects processed per frame to prevent CPU spikes
  [/p]
• [p]Reduced Visual Detail - Spiral arm complexity reduced for smoother rendering
  [/p]
• [p]Fewer Victory Particles - Reduced from 5 waves of 50 particles to 3 waves of 25 particles
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Boss Balance Adjustments[/h2][p]
[/p]

• [p]Boss HP adjusted to 750,000 (was 1,000,000) - Provides a more reasonable fight duration while still being challenging
  [/p]
• [p]Prestige Scaling Increased - Late-game prestige scaling slightly increased (1.01x to 1.02x per prestige) to maintain challenge for veteran players
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Botanical Garden Improvements[/h2][p]
[/p]

• [p]Click Feedback - Plots now display messages when clicked showing planting or progress status
  [/p]
• [p]Improved Visuals - Empty plots now have visible borders and hover effects
  [/p]
• [p]Clearer Labels - "PLANT" button renamed to "HARVEST" for clarity
  [/p]
• [p]Fixed Persistence - Plot states now properly save and restore
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Save Compatibility[/h2][p]
[/p]

• [p]Full backward compatibility with v1.5.0 and v1.5.1 saves
  [/p]
• [p]No save data migration required
  [/p]
• [p]Progress made before this update will be preserved
  [/p]

[p]
[/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Thank You[/h2][p] Thank you to everyone who reported these crashes with detailed information about their system specs and when the freezes occurred. This helped us identify and fix the root causes. If you're still experiencing performance issues after updating, please let us know on Discord or in the Steam discussions - include your system specs and the number of fighters you had active. [/p][p]--- HeartCoded and the Starbrew Station Team [/p][hr][/hr][p]
[/p][h2]Community Links[/h2][p]
Discord: discord.gg/lostrabbits

Enjoying the game? A Steam review helps other players discover Starbrew Station. Thank you for your support!
[/p]