Devlog 9

Career Data Economies & Dual-Currency Loops

• High-Value Science Points System: Introduced a rare, secondary currency variable (self.science_points) to map technological advancement completely separate from commercial funding tokens. Technology nodes have been balanced around tight progressive scaling limits (Tiers priced strictly at 0, 50, and 100 Science) to mirror an authentic career growth profile.
• Dual-Payout Contract Integrations: Upgraded my background contract validator engine. When an orbiting satellite payload successfully stabilizes above an active contract’s minimum target periapsis, the engine’s data-parsing loop dynamically credits my profile wallet with a clean balance of both liquid credits and research science points simultaneously.

Standalone Fullscreen R&D Lab

• Standalone Laboratory Interface: Developed an independent fullscreen terminal draw method (self.draw_rd_facility_screen) mapping out an active circuit-board grid overlay, dynamic science balance counters, and interconnected horizontal pipeline line segments.
• Horizontal Viewport Scrolling Shell: Pre-engineered an internal pan variable layout (self.rd_scroll_x) across the entire R&D module canvas, forcing all container card vectors, schema lines, and cursor mouse selection boxes to calculate position relative to a scrolling offset matrix, allowing infinite horizontal expansion for future node assets.
• Strict Prerequisite Dependency Gates: Integrated sequential unlock gate logic inside on_mouse_press. Technology cards actively verify historical milestones before compiling transactions. Attempting to click and unlock high-tier “Lunar Flight Systems” is aggressively blocked by error banner notification flags until the player has successfully researched and cleared the prerequisite “Deep Space Comms” branch node, preventing unlock bypass exploits.

Future Progression Loops

With the structural progression loops, career dashboards, technology prerequisites, and multi-state menu freeze tickers running perfectly, the foundation is completely stable. In Devlog 10, I am shifting focus back to space flight physics by drafting the multi-body gravitational vector math required to introduce an active, orbiting Moon complete with independent transitionary Spheres of Influence (SOIs)!

See you in the next Devlog!