Sands v0.1.26 - Release Notes

Major Features & Improvements

🌟 Quest Chain System

Complete quest system overhaul with linked quest progression

• Brand new quest chain system that allows for interconnected storylines and progressive quest unlocking
• Two new main quest chains have been introduced to provide structured gameplay progression
• Enhanced journal interface with proper quest chain display and navigation
• NPCs and quest givers now fully support the new quest chain system
• Improved quest completion logic with better tracking and state management

⚔️ New Ability: Spice Awareness

Tactical reconnaissance ability powered by spice consumption

• Use spice to reveal enemy positions, types, and threat levels within range
• Temporarily marks enemies for strategic planning and combat preparation
• Replaces the previous Desert Survey ability with more focused functionality
• Scalable range and marking duration with ability level progression

🔍 New Equipment: Binoculars & Dust Goggles

Essential desert survival equipment

• Binoculars: Utility item providing “Far Sight” ability to scout distant areas
• Dust Goggles: Protective eyewear for harsh desert conditions
• Both items are available through traders and can be found in the world

💬 Enhanced Dialog System

Streamlined conversation interface with numbered options

• All dialog options now display with numbers for quick selection using keyboard input
• Much cleaner and more intuitive conversation flow
• Improved accessibility and faster navigation through dialog trees

📊 Active Status Effects Display

Real-time status effect monitoring

• New status effects bar displays all active buffs and debuffs above your abilities
• Visual indicators for duration and effect strength
• Better awareness of your character’s current state during combat and exploration

Combat & Gameplay Improvements

⚖️ Combat Balancing & Health System

Refined combat mechanics for better gameplay flow

• Overhauled health and damage calculation system for more strategic combat
• Improved damage range calculations for more predictable weapon performance
• Better threat calculation system for more intelligent enemy AI behavior
• Fixed issue where players could take turns attacking without ammunition

🎯 Equipment & Inventory

Quality of life improvements for item management

• Equipment rarity is now properly preserved during trading transactions
• Target equipment now displays with rarity-based color coding for easier identification
• Fixed issues with items remaining equipped when they shouldn’t be
• Improved inventory management and item handling

🏃‍♂️ Movement & Navigation

Smoother exploration experience

• Fixed auto-movement speed issues for more comfortable travel
• Improved scrolling behavior in various UI components
• Better handling of movement during combat situations
• Enhanced far sight mechanics integration

User Interface & Visual Improvements

📝 Text & Display Enhancements

Better readability and information presentation

• Improved spacing and handling of long helper text descriptions
• Fixed text scrolling issues across multiple interface components
• Better formatting for status effects and character information
• Flying damage numbers now appear for health regeneration events

🎮 Controls & Input

More responsive and intuitive controls

• Improved input handling throughout the game
• Better keyboard navigation support
• Fixed various UI responsiveness issues

Bug Fixes & Technical Improvements

🔧 Save System & Persistence

Reliable game state management

• Fixed water drain bug that occurred when loading saved games
• Improved save/load reliability for character progression
• Better handling of quest states across save sessions

🐛 Stability & Performance

Various crash fixes and performance optimizations

• Fixed auto-walk safety to prevent character death during automated movement
• Resolved scrolling issues in help and information screens
• Improved error handling throughout the codebase
• Multiple stability improvements for longer play sessions

This update focuses heavily on quest progression, new tactical abilities, and overall polish to create a more engaging and stable desert survival experience. The quest chain system in particular opens up new possibilities for complex storylines and character development.