v0.2.6 - Improved Lab Mode

This is a bigger update than usual that improves the functionality of Lab Mode. Contracts are more functional now and serve to guide you in exploring the simulation. The Strain Registry is also more functional in tracking your own collection of discovered strains. Changelog: v0.2.6:

• Major contracts rework:

• Improved coherence of objectives, progression and rewards

• Better integration with player's strain registry

• Fixed impossible objectives and display bugs

• Still highly WIP, but much more functional

• Major rework to the strain classification system to improve consistency

• Added first Mutagen: UM-1x. Each dose increases the culture's mutation magnitude by +1x

• Added rare cryochondria mutation to mitochondria. Blue mitochondria that cool the environment. (0.5% mutation chance)

• Unblocked blastocysts: transmembrane organelles that are launched as projectiles that burst on contact. (0.1% mutation chance)

• Unblocked enzyme chemistry synergies for players to discover. Fixed explosive modifier clobbering all other modifiers

• Restored universal mitochondria efficiency multiplier, stacks on per-nutrient efficiencies. Higher efficiency produces more heat.

• Tooltip overhaul (WIP):

• Added 9 missing gene displays

• Full enzyme and blastocyst chemistry display

• Added metabolic mode, cell age, mass

• Added placeholder behavior outputs display (needs dedicated graphic)

• Tooltip locks to selection/interaction targets

• Selection and hover highlights are now visually distinct

• Per-cell selection at cell layer zoom

• Selection persists when moving between layers

• Economy adjustments:

• Cell valuation reworked, duplicate genes no longer exponentially scale value

• Plasmodium base value reduced 180 -> 60

• Rescaled progression milestones. Trading and contracts now serve distinct economy purpose (trading is faster and smaller scale)

• Balance adjustments:

• Basal substrate starts at 66% with gradient to 100% at dense barrier

• Mitochondrial per-nutrient efficiency is now zero-sum (budget of 3)

• Direct-feed nutrient penalty (for cells without nutrient specialization) reduced 50% -> 35%

• Movement cost curve corrected: slow is cheap, sprinting is expensive

• Temperature damage rate and organelle maintenance cost increased

• Gene addition/deletion rates equalized per gene

• Added evolvable nutrient/pH waste pathways for mitochondria, supporting food webs

• Added foundation for plasmodia pH engineering via network flow (full control in v0.3.x)

• Plasmodia passive basal absorption rectified: all cells now passively absorb basal substrate, at the tradeoff of vulnerability (membrane permeability). Plasmodia have higher absorption rate/vulnerability.

• Cleaned up old references: slime mold -> plasmodium

• Visual tweaks and bug fixes

• Minor CPU code cleanup

• Partially addressed memory leak during long sessions. Monitoring.

• Debug console key can now be rebound