Absorber Demo Update 1.2

Changes

• The title screen now has a Program Codex. The Codex tracks discovered programs permanently across the profile save and reveals program details after successful use.

• A large recent-program batch is now wired into the game. New or recently completed programs include INTEREST_RATE, PANIC_BUTTON, BAD_BACKUP, DOWNLOAD_RAM, SYNTAX_ERROR, MUTINY, SELF_INFECT, SPAGHETTI_CODE, KING_ME, MAZE_GENERATOR, EXIT_MAGNET, COMPILER_ROULETTE, ACHIEVEMENT_HUNTER, FRIENDLY_FIRE, RAGE_QUIT, DIV_BY_ZERO, and LAG_SWITCH.

• Several experimental Ultimate programs are implemented but flagged off for normal pools. PATCH_NOTES and FORK_BOMB are available for debug testing while rollout tuning continues.

New And Expanded Gameplay

• Program Codex: browse the live program catalog from the title screen, with locked entries hidden until discovered.

• LAG_SWITCH: captures a successful movement step, waits several turns, then replays it while checking current blockers.

• DIV_BY_ZERO: places a 3-turn singularity that pulls enemies toward a fatal center, with escalating Flux cost per sector.

• AdjustedRAGE_QUITa destructive panic blast that clears nearby enemies, deals reduced boss damage, and removes its own slot.

• Recent utility/control programs: MUTINY, SELF_INFECT, SPAGHETTI_CODE, KING_ME, MAZE_GENERATOR, EXIT_MAGNET, FRIENDLY_FIRE, and ACHIEVEMENT_HUNTER broaden board control, risk/reward objectives, and enemy manipulation.

• AddedRecent economy/meta programsINTEREST_RATE, PANIC_BUTTON, BAD_BACKUP, DOWNLOAD_RAM, SYNTAX_ERROR, and COMPILER_ROULETTE add new passive economy, emergency, illegal-offer, and loadout-risk options.

Major Program Fixes

• SYMBIOTE now plays as temporary possession. After attaching to a host, the player can command that enemy directly with keyboard or mouse, move it, attack other hostiles, pass, detach, or spend Angler's once-per-cycle remote cast.

• Passive programs now auto-arm when equipped. Formerly manual passives now synchronize from their equipped, non-digesting slot. Pressing the card is a status readout instead of a cast.

• VOLATILITY's Damage Roll modal is reliable again. It handles input before global locks, uses correct scaled/fullscreen mouse coordinates, has larger controls, supports reroll shortcuts, and shows live [c]V n SPEND x/y[/c] progress.

• TOLL is stronger and clearer. Each drained PWR now absorbs up to 2 incoming damage, AMPLIFY affects real outgoing damage, DISCHARGE uses only the current window, and Haunted TOLL consistently costs 6 PWR.

• TRANSFUSION was corrected. RESIDUE no longer double-spends through STATIC White Noise, saved RESIDUE keeps decay timing, active Flux outputs use shared gain handling, and shop pricing was lowered.

• TUMOR burst behavior was reworked. Bursting turns protection off, spawned leeches can hurt the player normally, leech rewards are now mixed HP/PWR recovery, and live leeches follow between sectors.

• WELD now routes resources more consistently. Exact-cost activation works, identity Flux abilities spend CORE while fused, shop rerolls respect CORE, and Mirror WELD damage feedback matches actual CORE loss.

• MOLTING now restores shed programs correctly. It no longer sheds two-slot tail sentinels, restores two-slot programs as real pairs, and preserves active WELD state.

• Martyr Shield now persists across sectors and saves. Its shield grant was reduced to match the stronger persistence.

• HALF-LIFE, GLASS JAW, VOLT LEAK, STATIC, PATCH_NOTES, FORK_BOMB, FRIENDLY_FIRE, ACHIEVEMENT_HUNTER, COMPILER_ROULETTE, EXIT_MAGNET, MAZE_GENERATOR, SPAGHETTI_CODE, SELF_INFECT, INTEREST_RATE, PANIC_BUTTON, MUTINY, DOWNLOAD_RAM, and Sacrifice Ward all received correctness or UX fixes.

UI, Controls, And Readability

• Identity slot replacement now supports the mouse. Left-click chooses a replacement slot; right-click cancels. Clicking identity HUD slots can trigger identity abilities.

• Shielder identity shield is now manually armed. The shield uses Q/X, has a sector-ramping Flux/cooldown cost, and reflects 30% of blocked damage.

• UNDERSTUDY's echo queue moved to a compact right-side panel instead of covering the board or hotbar.

• SYMBIOTE's possession HUD moved to the right auxiliary panel and now separates voluntary detach cost from host-death backlash.

• Passive HP/Flux/PWR drain telegraphs were added. The HUD now previews program-owned passive drain through side-bar slivers, resource-colored hotbar frames, and live drain streams.

• Passive SFX received a full pass. Passive programs now use dedicated cues, duplicate triggers are debounced, and delayed sound backlogs are prevented.

• DEJA VU now uses its original rewind cue again instead of inheriting the shared teleport-family sound.

• Sacrifice Ward's amount picker works with keyboard, gamepad, mouse wheel, and mouse clicks without input-locking itself.

• Settings UI spacing was tightened, and the refresh-rate selector no longer gets stuck on 60 Hz.

• DirectX icon scaling is smoother for menu, program, identity, node, and HUD icons.

Balance And Economy Notes

• TOLL now absorbs 2 damage per 1 PWR.

• Haunted TOLL now consistently displays and pays 6 PWR.

• TRANSFUSION is now priced as a Basic-tier shop program at 8 Flux / 5 HP / 2 PWR.

• Martyr Shield now grants 5 shield HP from the fixed 3 HP sacrifice, down from 7, because it now persists.

• Shielder identity shield starts at 3 Flux / 2-turn cooldown and ramps by +1 Flux / +1 cooldown per sector use.

• VOLATILITY now surfaces V thresholds in the modal: Glass Cannon reaches visible V2 at 4 spend, Balanced at 6, and Tank at 8.

• DIV_BY_ZERO's Flux cost escalates by +5 per successful sector use.