🛠️ Patch 2.0.2 – A Smoother Ride Into the Kuiper Belt

Hey folks!

This week’s update is all about making *Kaipa Bots* feel smoother, faster, and just a bit less grindy — especially for those of you playing on laptops or older machines.

Let’s dive in 👇

🚀 New: Update Reminder + One-Click Itch Link

I’ve added an info window that shows up when your build is more than 14 days old — complete with a direct link to the Itch.io page so you can grab the freshest version.

Also, there's now an Itch.io logo and link on the intro screen. Because… subtlety is overrated.

🎨 Space Background Toggle (For Real Performance Gains)

Some graphics cards (especially in midrange laptops) were struggling with the animated space background.

Now you can turn it off from the Options menu — both in-game and in the main menu.

✅ Testers reported going from 30 FPS → 120 FPS after turning it off.

Toggle freely and see what works best for your setup!

💾 Save System Rewrites (Less Scary, More Reliable)

The save system is now smarter and more robust:

* The game now checks if your save or delete request worked — and retries if it didn’t.

* Broken/corrupted saves can now be manually deleted via a new button.

* Some groundwork has been laid to fix Linux permission issues too.

These changes address timing issues on **slower hardware**,

especially when saves and deletions overlap. The system now retries automatically, keeping your progress safer.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Auto-saves now trigger properly every 3 minutes (this had quietly broken a few weeks ago, sorry!)
• The “Change Recipe” button is now rounded and harder to misclick when choosing a recipe.
• The Player Info Window can no longer be resized into weird shapes.

⚙️ Balance Changes – Build More, Worry Less

I’ve made a whole bunch of machines cheaper to craft.

Why? Because the real challenge should be unlocking tech and managing your base — not hoarding 36 iron gears just to place a drill.

Here’s the short version:

• Drill, Constructor, Crusher, Smelter, Furnace, Refinery, Storage: All now require fewer bricks, rods, and plates.
• Tunnels A & B: Much cheaper to slap down and connect your machines.
• Inventory Module Research: Recipe adjusted — now costs circuit boards instead of iron gears.

The Inventory Module used to mislead players into thinking they could build modules long before the needed materials were available. With this tweak, if you can research it, you're also ready to use it — no more false starts or wasted resources.

The goal here is to encourage more building, more experimenting, and less early-game grind.

That’s it for now!

Thanks for testing and supporting the game — and if you haven’t already,

download the latest build here.

A more detailed patchlog (with all the gritty numbers and notes) is posted on the Discord server  ,

along with channels for feedback, bug reports, and suggestions.

See you out there in the dust of the Belt 🛰️

– MechanicusKai