Project Chromata Update - Version 1.8.2

Hello, Chroma Engineers!

The stabilization effort continues.Version 1.8.2 is a major cleanup and quality-of-life update focused on clarity, stability, and giving players more control over how they approach some of the harder systems in the game.The headline addition is Stage 4 Realm Mastery, a new optional progression layer that gives permanent bonuses to Realm Assaults, while also preserving a separate Challenge Assault mode for players who want a clean, no-bonus time attack.This patch also includes a new crash reporting system for Steam, a redesigned save export/import flow, major Stage 4 fixes, Void Hunt visibility improvements, and several important Stage 8 fixes for players who got stuck or lost access to important UI elements.

Patch Notes - Version 1.8.2

GLOBAL

• Fixed Bug (Critical): Game crashed immediately on launch for some Steam players.
• Added: Crash reporting system. If the game encounters a fatal error, a dialog will now appear with the crash details and the path to a log file (crash.log) to share when reporting issues.
• Enhanced: Save export/import has been redesigned to be much clearer. Export now offers one-click copy, save-file download, and a labeled save block for manual fallback.
• Enhanced: Save import now accepts the new labeled save block, legacy export strings, and imported save files.
• Compatibility: Existing exported saves remain valid after the format update.
• Added: Optional Scientific Notation number formatting toggle in Settings -> Visuals for players who prefer values like 1.23e9 over suffix-based abbreviations.
• Fixed Bug: Feedback button was rendered behind the Changelog button, making it hard to access unless FPS display was enabled. It now sits inline with the other bottom-bar buttons.

PERFORMANCE

• Added: Extreme performance mode (Settings -> Visuals -> Visual Effects). Cycles through High -> Low -> Extreme Low. Targets 30 FPS to reduce CPU load, uses a smaller star chart buffer to avoid allocation failures, and disables non-essential visual effects for maximum performance.

AUTOMATION

• Fixed Bug: High Yield automation now accounts for compression levels above x1 when evaluating production chains, so pip allocation matches the real compressed input cost.
• Added: Auto-Converge now supports a total Light Fill % mode, letting you converge based on how full your overall tank network is instead of only White or time elapsed.

NULL / VOID HUNT

• Enhanced: Void Hunt in the Null tab now shows a much clearer in-game instruction panel, and the containment field is easier to see while playing.
• Fixed Bug: On smaller windows, the bottom Null Store upgrade could be covered by the close button. The upgrade list now scrolls so every upgrade remains reachable.

STAGE 1

• Enhanced: Added a Help Codex explanation for Essence Compression and a hover ? tooltip next to the compression selector in the Prestige panel.

STAGE 3

• Fixed Bug: Monuments placed in the Fractured Void became visually missing after completing Stage 8 and returning to the hexgrid view in the same session.
• Fixed Bug: Typing a quantity into Makeshift or Efficient Pristine Light crafting could snap back to 1 because the input field was using stale limits. Typed values now apply correctly without relying on the slider.

STAGE 4

• Added: Assault fog of war memory. Previously explored hexes are now remembered between failed attempts. On retry, those areas are shown with a subtle dark overlay so players can plan around known enemy tower positions without re-exploring the entire map. Memory is cleared on a successful clear.
• Added: Realm Mastery, an optional Stage 4 upgrade tree with Standard Assault bonuses and separate no-bonus Challenge Assault records.
• Enhanced: Simulate Standard can now grant one-time catch-up Realm Mastery shards on already-cleared landmarks if that landmark never awarded Standard mastery before.
• Changed: Speedrunner now requires a sub-120 second Challenge Assault clear instead of boosted Standard mode.

STAGE 5

• Fixed Bug (Critical): All narrative choices that award Sovereignty were granting double the correct amount.

STAGE 7

• Fixed Bug: Terminal upgrades no longer consume resources if the compiler cannot start because Logic Load is too high.

STAGE 8

• Fixed Bug (Critical): Players stuck after typing force_mount_productionv1 could become permanently stuck. Affected players can type force_mount_productionv1 again after updating to resume.
• Fixed Bug: On standard browser window sizes, the per-chamber Auto-Fire toggle could be pushed out of view by the chamber upgrade list. The panel now reserves space so the toggle remains visible.
• Fixed Bug: Phase 3.5 (the 30-second sync calibration after the hijack) rendered a blank screen with only fallback debug text. It now shows a proper sync error screen with a countdown.
• Fixed Bug: Network Synchronized and Primal Refraction achievements now grant correctly and also unlock retroactively for affected saves.

Thank you for all the feedback, bug reports, and patience while I continue improving Project Chromata.Join the Discord to share your progress, report issues, and help shape the next updates!