v0.1.12: The Belt Moves
Every version of Cultures of the Belt has made the belt feel more real. This one makes it feel like it has momentum.
Transient Rich Asteroid Clusters
The belt is not uniformly distributed. Occasionally, a dense pocket of high-yield asteroids drifts through your operational sphere — richer than anything nearby, but only there for a limited window. In v0.1.12, these transient clusters are a real game mechanic.
When a cluster appears, your HUD shows a countdown. You can scramble your robots to capitalize on it, or stick to your existing plan and let it pass. That tradeoff — exploit the windfall or stay the course — is exactly the kind of decision the belt should force on you.
The Solar System Is Real
The game is set in 2089. Your map now shows where the solar system's planets actually are on March 22, 2089 — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. Procedural sprites render them at the correct positions based on real orbital mechanics. It's cosmetic, but it makes the setting feel anchored in something real.
Faction Trade Windows
Faction traders don't deal at all hours. In v0.1.12, trade offers are time-gated: each faction opens windows based on your reputation and the current game state. Stronger standing means more frequent and more favorable windows. Let your reputation slip and the windows close. The faction system was already dynamic — now it's also temporal.
Crisis Countdowns
When a megastructure stage is under threat, you now see exactly how long you have. The pressure was always there; now it's legible. Some players find this more stressful. Most find it more strategic.
New Player Experience
Every new player now starts with $5 of ARIA inference credit. No API key needed. No configuration. Just open the game, and ARIA is there — watching your operation, flagging risks, pointing out opportunities. The advisor system is the heart of the game; the first session should include it.
Full Changelog — v0.1.12
What's New
- Solar system planets — real 2089-03-22 planetary positions with procedural sprites; visible on your map
- Transient rich asteroid clusters — time-limited high-yield opportunities with HUD countdown timers
- Crisis countdown events — megastructure stages under threat now show an explicit deadline
- Faction trade windows — time-gated deals based on reputation; alliance standing unlocks better terms
- ARIA starting credit — new players begin with $5 of inference credit; no API key required
- In-game support prompt — direct bug reporting path without leaving the game
Fixes
- Minimap UX overhaul: legend, label de-overlap, sun/orientation marker, scale indicator, player icon
- Bug report form now shows an error toast on failed submissions instead of failing silently
- Robot Factory is now the primary robot cap source; Solar Panels correctly grant charge rate
- Asteroid entity removal in transient cluster phase uses swap-and-pop — fixes corruption on cluster expiry
- Transient cluster HUD state cleared on save/load — no more ghost countdown timers in loaded saves
- Error handling added to worker message dispatch and lazy panel loading