This update focuses on launch speed and runtime efficiency. No new features, just making everything faster.
Launch speed
- The game no longer builds the terminal command table, narrative milestones, or virtual filesystem at startup. All three are now constructed on first use, which means the main menu loads faster.
- Steam SDK initialization is now deferred so it doesn't block the window from appearing.
- The game loop no longer runs while you're on the main menu. It starts when you enter a save.
Runtime efficiency
- Hardware milestone levels are now computed once per upgrade per tick instead of three times.
- Removed a redundant DOM write for the protocol status label that was firing every frame.
- The optimization node panel only updates when its tab is actually visible.
- The window title only updates when it actually changes, instead of recomputing every frame.
- The audio visualizer throttles down to ~20 FPS when the game window isn't focused, instead of running at full speed in the background.
None of these changes affect gameplay, saves, or progression. Everything should just feel snappier.