v0.1.1 — Save/Load Fix, Difficulty Overhaul, Clearer UI

EARLY ACCESS UPDATE — June 1

This update is a major stability + UX pass focused on the Early Access feedback we've received. Save/load is now reliable, the AI respects difficulty levels, and the UI explains what's happening.

▶ FIXES

• Save/load no longer overwrites approval (and other metrics) on reload. Saving at 50% approval now correctly loads at 50%. • Monthly Briefing modal now renders its full body — KPIs, drivers, legislative outcomes, advisor commentary, warnings. • Parliament: scheduled bills now resolve on their vote date and no longer linger in the pending list. Stale overdue bills auto- expire. • Crisis modal now appears on every screen (was empty when triggered outside the dashboard). • Cabinet "Stimulus Package" button now routes to the right tab. • Ministerial Department dialog Close button now actually closes the dialog. • Step One Month no longer resumes the clock. • Economy no longer crashes from -3% to -10%/mo in the first few months of a term — early shocks are clamped.

▶ NEW: SIX DIFFICULTY LEVELS

• SANDBOX — Unlimited Political Capital, very forgiving AI, 36-month grace period. For experimentation and roleplay. • BEGINNER — Cautious AI, 18-month grace, +30% PC regen. • NORMAL — Balanced default. • HARD — Strategic AI, faster reactions, fewer safety nets. • EXPERT — Aggressive AI, coalitions form, minimal protection. • SIMULATION — Country traits drive AI behavior. Not balanced around the player.

▶ NEW: EXPLAINABILITY LAYER

• Monthly Briefing modal pops up after each month with KPI changes, top drivers, law outcomes, and advisor commentary. • Dashboard now shows 5 status chips: Economy / Approval / Fiscal / Stability / International — at-a-glance read. • Dashboard "Recommended Next Moves" panel surfaces 2-4 actionable suggestions driven by current state. • National Log screen unifies law outcomes, political events, diplomatic milestones, crises, and alerts. • Law outcome notifications surface as toasts when bills pass or fail.

▶ NEW: PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE

• Economy + Parliament now have Simple/Advanced view toggles. New players see clean summaries; veterans get the full tables. • Onboarding hints surface on first visit to key screens, with permanent dismiss. • Inline advisor notes on Economy + Parliament screens. • Parliament filter chips: All / Passed / Failed / Expired.

▶ NAMING + UI

• Portrait UI removed by default — names and titles only, in the spirit of premium grand-strategy games. • Realistic country-appropriate naming for every nation: Chinese surnames for China, Arabic for Saudi Arabia, French for France, Brazilian Portuguese for Brazil, Japanese for Japan, and so on.

Thanks for playing during Early Access. Keep the feedback coming.