- In the destination system, the orange compass arrow now points at the
destination OBJECT (not just the next gate), so the "where to fly next"
marker persists across the last hop into the system.
- Add `_checkDestinationReached` per-frame check: clears the destination and
fires REACHED only when the ship is within the object's keep-out rim,
replacing the old jump-time clear for destinations with a specific object.
- Route compass entries (`route:`/`dest:` ids) are now resolvable by
`autopilotTo`, fixing the ship aiming at the star instead of the gate.
- New `alwaysFull` flag on compass targets keeps route waypoints at full
readout (arrow + type + name) regardless of distance; add tests.
- Add `route.destTypeLabel` config key and update docs/PROJECT_NOTES.md.
- New `js/galaxy/Route.js` derives the unique path between systems over the spanning-tree jump network (Dijkstra), exposing `planRoute` / `nextSystem`; pure and Node-tested in `dev/route.test.mjs`.
- Persist only the destination (`systemId`, `objectId`) in save data; the route itself is recomputed from the current system, so following it shortens automatically and a detour re-plots.
- Compass marks the route's next gate in orange (shown even while undiscovered) and suppresses that gate's ordinary cyan entry.
- On jump, resolve arrival / on-course / detour before `captureState` and queue REACHED / RE-PLOTTED notices to surface after the destination scene spawns.
- Map console SYSTEM tab now charts a charted star's system; confirming an object sets the destination and closes the map.
- Fix galaxy stars bleeding through the system chart: plate culling respects overall visibility, fog skips when no tethers anchor it, and the boot reveal finalizes to full alpha on tab switch.
- Add `assets/videos/ss-land-03.mp4` and document the route feature in PROJECT_NOTES.
- Shrink the roster from 200 to 60 systems and drop spiral arms / core bulge for a uniform-in-area sparse disk (data/galaxy.json)
- Turn the jump network into a pure spanning tree (shortcuts off): exactly one route between any two systems, barren systems become single-gate dead-end leaves
- Remove the rendered Star entity; non-home system centers are now empty space with the star kept only as invisible dossier flavor
- Gate anchors restricted to planets (stations no longer anchor) and every non-barren system guaranteed ≥1 planet so a buildable world always exists
- Give barren dead ends 1–2 asteroid clusters drifting inside their gate's level-1 tether as the stop's only payload
- Bump save format to 2 and reject legacy format-1 saves with a clear toast message
- Update tests, docs, and README to reflect the maze layout, leaf dead ends, empty centers, and new barren cluster rules
- Replace direct-click-to-jump with a shared comms panel variant that shows LINK ACTIVE/DORMANT status, REQUEST JUMP (disabled while dormant), and CANCEL
- Render gates from the new 256x256 spritesheet (frame 0 body, frame 1 active swirl) with procedural fallback when the texture is missing
- Active gate swirl spins clockwise and breathes alpha between configurable bounds; dormant gates keep the body at full alpha with the swirl hidden
- Wire CommsPanel to a dynamic primary-button action id so the same panel serves world and gate variants
- Add dev probe page (dev/gate-comms.html/.mjs) and update jumpgate/jump-travel tests for the new sprite path, fallback renderer, and comm-window flow
- Play a cover-scaled video between systems on jump, with an opaque backdrop so the source doesn't show through
- Double-click skips the remaining clip; single press is swallowed while it plays
- Fall back to the short jumpDelayMs cut when no video is configured or missing
- Guard against stalled/overlong playback with a grace and duration cap before restarting
- Add assets/videos/jump.mp4 and document the new behavior in gates.json and PROJECT_NOTES.md
- Add JumpTravel.js with pure arrival geometry (return-gate lookup, spawn point past keepout) and wire it into GameScene.jumpThroughGate to re-stage the run via the save pipeline and scene restart
- Add gate hit-test (gateAt) so active gates trigger the jump on click while dormant ones show a console nudge and fall through to fly-here
- Add jump config block to gates.json (feature switch, arrival gap, delay, toast templates) and update landing.json gasgiant shop clips
- Add dev/jump-travel.test.mjs covering config, geometry, real-galaxy coverage, and determinism; refresh PROJECT_NOTES for the new mechanic
- Introduce a dynamic "system" research category built at runtime with two techs: `{System} Map` (granted on entry) and `Unlock {System} Jumpgates` (researchable once every NAV point is discovered).
- Wire gate activation through the research effects seam so completing the jumpgate tech activates the system's gates plus linked return gates, anchors level-1 tethers at each activated gate, and saves/restores via a new `activatedGates` set.
- Extend ResearchModel with optional tree hooks (`available`, `lockNote`) so dynamic categories can gate research on live world state without adding static requires.
- Add map and gate procedural icons, update tests for the new category contract and icon roster, and document the system category in project notes.
- Galaxy shrunk to 200 systems (data/galaxy.json) — always fully known,
generation ~15 ms; roster/content two-level design unchanged.
- Object composition replaces planetCount (data/systems.json → objectCount):
10% barren (jump-gate-only), else 2/3/4/5 objects (planets + free-space
stations) at 15/30/30/15. One unified roll (rollSystemComposition) shared
by the content generator and the frame pass.
- Barren systems: no planets, no stations, no asteroid clusters; their
single gate sits on the star→destination ray at barrenDistance (8192 px).
Strong connectivity keeps them reachable.
- Jump gates are DORMANT by default: every gate record carries
active:false, the entity renders dim with a still field. Activation is
the seam for the tether mechanic (an activated gate anchors a level-1
tether). data/gates.json gains barrenDistance.
- Frame diversity (js/galaxy/PlanetFrames.js): one galaxy-wide pass spreads
(class, frame) across the galaxy — fixed spatial order, least-used face
among already-assigned nearest stars, seeded tie-breaks. Stamps
planet.frame + content.homeFrame, read by GameScene.
- Tests: dev/frames.test.mjs added; jumps/galaxy/discovery/jumpgate/asteroids
suites updated to the new rules (composition buckets, barren gates,
active flags, frame determinism/spread, 5-object max, index clamps).
- Docs (README, PROJECT_NOTES) and stale 40k references updated.
- Introduce data/gates.json + js/galaxy/JumpNetwork.js: a strongly-connected, degree-limited spanning tree over the nearest-star graph (plus local shortcuts) so every system holds 1–3 gates, all jumps are local, and no system is closed or trapped
- Place each gate on the tether circle of an anchor (planet / space station / home world), facing its destination star; enforce radius band, clearance from anchors, and gap between gates in SystemGenerator.layoutGates
- Add the JumpGate entity (procedural twin-pylon portal) with the same solid contract as Planet/Station, discoverable in cyan, listed in the HUD dossier; wire into GameScene solids + discovery
- Guarantee every system holds at least one gate anchor (barren systems get a deep-space station); cap the home system at 3 objects so it fits the tighter band
- Rework solar-system layout to a full pairwise band [minSpacing, maxSpacing] with rotation tuned toward gate bearings; update tests and docs accordingly
Brian Fertig