Patch Notes - Version 0.9.5 (Public Live Version)

This document describes all the new features, gameplay improvements, balancing adjustments, and bug fixes from the Consumer Beta phase tested over the past few weeks, consolidated for the public live version 0.9.5.

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🗺️ 1. Route Planning & Dispatch (Dispatcher V2 & Navigation)

● Route Planning Center V2:

• Modern Glassmorphism Design: The user interface of the core dispatching system has been completely redesigned. Floating sidebars with translucency effects, softer corners, elegant drop shadows, and uniformly rounded buttons provide a contemporary, premium appearance.

• Two-Tab Layout: Players can now switch seamlessly between the pure table view (Planning) and the interactive world map. The travel direction of planned routes is now visualized directly on the map.

• Permanent Draft Saving: Planned route drafts (including assigned drivers, vehicles, trailers, cargo, and departure times) remain saved globally when the window is closed or a save game is loaded.

● Pathfinding & Road Network Simulation:

• BFS & Dijkstra Pathfinding: Trucks no longer move in a straight line over obstacles like mountains and seas. Route calculations are performed along real road connections, highway axes, and ferry lines (e.g., in the Mediterranean around Italy/Sicily like Palermo, or Baltic Sea transit). This leads to realistic distances, travel times, and fuel consumption.

• Smooth Visualization: Vehicle markers move smoothly along the calculated road sections. In addition, the outbound trip (with cargo) is shown in red, and the return trip (without cargo) in green, including direction arrows.

● Advanced Dispatch Convenience Features:

• RemovedAuto-Split CheckboxAllows free control over the planning behavior for manual routes. When enabled, orders are automatically split into loading (_L) and unloading sections (_U). When auto-routing is active, Auto-Split is automatically disabled.

• Timeline Grouping by Calendar Days: The route display is grouped by day with actual weekdays (e.g., Fri, 02.01.2026). The headers light up in golden yellow, and subtle lines separate travel days and city changes.

• Jump-to-Top (⏫) & Jump-to-Bottom (⏬) Buttons: Enable lightning-fast moving of order cards to the very beginning or the very end of the draft. Tooltips are fully localized in all 6 languages.

• Automatic Scrolling: After each recalculation, the timeline automatically scrolls to the end of the route (arrival time, last stop) to make manual scrolling obsolete.

• Transit Runs (Magenta): Allow planning stops with a loaded vehicle. The system calculates the route based on real loaded vehicle physics (weight, braking distance, consumption) and protects the cargo from premature deletion.

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🏗️ 2. Infrastructure, Branch Management & Diesel Economy

● Diesel Economy & Yard Fueling System:

• Branches can construct physical diesel tanks (5,000 liters capacity each, multiple tanks per branch possible). Fill levels are displayed live in the menu.

• The purchase price for ordered fuel delivery is permanently 20% below the market price (delivery the following morning).

• Vehicles can be fueled manually or (with an active Fleet Manager) automatically at the yard or during transit. Missing quantities are automatically purchased at the current market price from gas stations.

● Energy Infrastructure:

• Solar PV Systems: Expanding on garage roofs (1 system per standard garage) generates free electricity for the branch.

• Battery Storage: Stores excess solar power. Electric vehicles charge automatically and preferentially from the storage. Grid power is only drawn when needed at the current price.

• Simulation Option: "Charge/Fuel during breaks" lets drivers automatically use mandatory breaks and overnight stays for energy supply.

● New Buildings & Upgrades:

• Workshop (€15,000, 80 m²): Unlocks mechanics and enables automatic repairs.

• Fleet Manager Office (€8,000, 30 m²): Unlocks the Fleet Manager.

• Marketing Department (€12,000, 50 m²): Replaces the old marketing center, requires a completed office complex, and unlocks the PR Manager.

● HQ Standardization & Management Convenience:

• The headquarters (FAC_HOME) has been standardized system-wide to the "branch" type. Since the player takes over management at the HQ, manager salary costs are eliminated. Mechanics and Fleet Managers work fully automatically at the HQ.

• Branches can be set as the default branch and will be automatically pre-selected in the route planner.

• AddedConstruction Queue LimitA maximum of 3 active construction projects (new constructions, ground leveling, repairs) are allowed per branch at the same time. Diesel orders are exempt from this limit.

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👥 3. HR Management & Driver Training

● Expanded Employee System:

• Branch Manager: Unlocks branches.

• Mechanic (Tier 1–3): Automatically repairs parked vehicles at a rate of 6% / 15% / 30% vehicle condition per hour.

• Fleet Manager: Enables automatic fueling at the yard.

• PR Manager (Tier 1–3): Increases the order range by +30% / +50% / +80%.

● Recruitment & Management System:

• 3 new candidates per role appear daily with individual attributes (name, age, salary, tier). Discharges include a confirmation prompt.

• The recruitment and training system has been redesigned. The application prefix has been standardized, and applicant emails now display the correct license class.

• Upon hiring, implied lower license classes are automatically generated (Class B baseline). Completing training unlocks lower licenses correctly.

• Driver Training with Live Countdown: Drivers in training receive a 🎓 badge on the driver card as well as a live countdown in hours and minutes. Actions are blocked during training.

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⚖️ 4. Economics & Scenario System

● The New 3-Tier Difficulty Balancing:

• RemovedEasyStart with €10,000, CityRunner Hybrid + Trailer S, +25% order revenue, reduced costs for licenses and buildings. Convenience features are permanently active (leaderboards and achievements disabled).

• Normal: Start with €10,000 and €10,000 credit debt, CityRunner Diesel, helper functions optional, achievements and leaderboards active.

• Hard (Hardcore Mode): Start with -€5,000 bank balance, €10,000 credit, old rusty vehicle, -25% revenue, and +25% purchase prices (inflation). No assistant functions. Custom leaderboards and exclusive hardcore achievements.

● New Scenario System:

• Scenario 1: "Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire" (Loan Shark Scenario): Pay off €250,000 in debt with a monthly payment of €50,000.

• Scenario 2: "The European Express": Build at least one branch in every country on the map within 10 years – without bank loans.

● Compensation Feature (Save Game Migration):

• AdjustedWhen loading an older save game, an automatic conversion takes placethe salvage value of your entire fleet plus a bonus of €250 per completed order is calculated and credited as starting capital based on the chosen difficulty (Easy = 100%, Normal = 50%, Hard = 0%). Save game version has been raised to version 9.

● Special Transports (Heavy Cargo & Hazmat):

• AdjustedEconomic RebalancingMultipliers for all 6 special transport categories have been adjusted to realistic long-haul economics (e.g., Industrial Crane from 3.8x to 1.2x, Isotopes from 4.5x to 1.4x).

• Rarity: A maximum of 2 active special orders simultaneously (previously 5), generated in the daily rollover with a 35% chance per day.

• Permit Fees (Money Sink): Requires non-refundable special permits before starting the trip (Heavy Cargo: €12,000 for BF3/BF4 escort vehicles and road closures; Hazmat: €3,000). Route changes reset permits. Start button remains locked until all permits are paid.

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🖥️ 5. UI Modernization & Convenience Upgrades

● Dynamic Filter Profiles & Order Market V2:

• Manage an infinite number of profile presets directly above the order market (Save, Rename, Delete, Add on empty template).

• Country & Loading Units Filter

  Filter by origin and destination country (dynamic and localized) as well as continuous filtering by required loading units (LE).

  Order

  Origin Country ➜ Origin City ➜ Destination Country ➜ Destination City.

● Contract Agency V2:

• Structured in a space-saving accordion layout with collapsible contract cards.

• Integrated auctions and live negotiations against AI competitors.

• Map preview when hovering over orders and filter presets.

● UI & Layout Overhaul:

• Uniform gray/silver design with modernized tabs, softer panels, hover effects, and harmonized translucency for the order market, stock market window, competitor overview, advertising, pause menu, and chat. Text clipping and scrolling behavior have been comprehensively improved.

● Active Trips:

• The old table view has been replaced with a modern, interactive map system with glass cards and a chronological day-by-day timeline. Details expand dynamically and show activities (✓ Completed, ▶ Active, Future) in real time.

● Stock Market Extensions:

• The stock market window now displays company value, stock pool, dynamic buy limits, and detailed trade information.

● In-game Bug Reporting System:

• Report bugs directly via the top bar. Technical debug information, game version, and Steam name are automatically transmitted.

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🔧 6. Stability, Engine Fixes & Bugfixes

● Storage Space & Autosave Protection:

• Autosaves never overwrite manual save games (slots 1–5). Background autosaves are strictly limited to the blue slot 0 (AUTOSAVE).

• Tips are kept in RAM and only written to disk during the daily morning save (07:00 in-game) to prevent constant disk write access.

● Performance during Bulk Settlements:

• No more UI freezes when completing many orders at the same time. Notifications and UI updates are processed with a delay or throttled during the settlement process.

● Background Self-Healing Systems:

• Driver and trailer statuses are monitored in the background. Stuck resources (e.g., after accidents or canceled trips with the status "Driving" or "BUSY") are automatically reset to "Ready" or "FREE".

● Loan Repayment & Finances:

• The bank window now has an early loan repayment button. Company value calculation fixed (branch expansions no longer erroneously lower the value).

● Godot 4 Stability:

• Critical engine collision error fixed when opening the pause menu over an open tip dialog. ESC/P closes the pause menu reliably.

● Other Fixed Errors:

• Ferry route bug fixed where vehicles stationed at the HQ were incorrectly assigned routes via Scandinavian ferries.

• Keyboard focus error fixed: The spacebar now reliably controls play/pause instead of triggering closed UI buttons again.

• Tractor markers on the world map corrected and scaled.

• Weekly company special orders are now credited correctly.

• Mail system: Categorized deletion (the "Delete All" button only deletes messages from the active folder).