Sands v0.1.32 Release Notes

🎮 New Features

Discord Rich Presence Integration

• Discord Integration: Added full Discord Rich Presence support showing your current game status, location, and progress to your Discord friends
• Cross-Platform Support: Works on Windows (Named Pipes), Linux/macOS (Unix Sockets)
• Real-time Updates: Your Discord status updates dynamically as you play, showing current level and game state

Enhanced NPC System

• New “Cornered” AI State: NPCs that get stuck while fleeing now enter a desperate “Cornered” state where they fight to the death instead of helplessly running into walls
• AI State Visual Indicators: NPCs now display floating status messages when changing states (“Enemy spotted!”, “Engaging!”, “Retreating!”, “Cornered!”, etc.)
• Combat Action Feedback: NPCs show visual indicators when reloading weapons or using special abilities
• Smarter Faction Checks: Improved worm faction detection logic for better AI behavior
• Ally Alert System: NPCs now only alert allies once when attacked, preventing spam alerts
• Harkonnen Deserter Rework: Deserters now have Smuggler faction (not Harkonnen), include new abilities (Bleed Strike, Quick Shot), and have updated loot tables and dialogue

Combat & Abilities

• Dance of Death Enhancement: This mastery ability now includes visual movement - the player physically moves to each target during the dance sequence and returns to the original position when complete, making the ability more immersive and visually engaging

🔧 User Interface Improvements

Inventory System Overhaul

• Split-Screen Layout: Redesigned inventory to show item list on the left and detailed descriptions on the right side
• Dynamic Font Sizing: Selected items now use larger, more readable font (size 30 vs 20 for unselected items)
• Smart Space Management: Inventory automatically calculates how many items can fit on screen to prevent UI overflow
• Removed Description Mode: Streamlined interface by removing the separate description view mode
• Smart Resource Management: Broken parts consumption now prioritizes using lower rarity parts first, preserving valuable high-rarity components
• Layout Constants Reorganization: Cleaned up positioning logic for more consistent UI spacing

Dialog System Enhancements

• Improved Vertical Spacing: Increased padding between NPC name and dialog text for better readability

🛠️ Technical Improvements

OS Support

• macOS Release Support: Added complete macOS build pipeline for official releases

Code Quality & Performance

• Code Cleanup: Extensive refactoring and cleanup of legacy code
• Better Error Handling: Improved edge case handling throughout the codebase
• Optimized Logic: Cleaner and more efficient code structure across multiple systems
• Enhanced Faction System: Better handling of worm faction checks and related logic

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed various edge cases in NPC cornering situations
• Improved inventory handling to prevent UI overlap issues
• Better error handling for Discord connection failures
• Enhanced stability in sandstorm and weather systems
• Fixed issues with barterer and trader NPC interactions

🎯 Player Experience

This release focuses heavily on improving the overall player experience with:

• Better Immersion: Discord integration lets you share your adventures
• Clearer Visuals: Improved UI readability and NPC status indicators
• Smarter Enemies: Enhanced AI makes combat more engaging
• Smoother Gameplay: Inventory and dialog improvements reduce friction

Thank you for playing Sands! We hope you enjoy the new features and improvements in this release. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to develop and enhance the game. Happy gaming!