Strata: The Deepworks

0.26.0 — Chapter One Development Update

Since 0.5.0, Strata has grown from an ore-prospecting and processing prototype into a playable Chapter One progression build-ish...(There are still many bugs needed to be fixed and features needing to be edited and added on)

Gameplay and progression

• Added the Field Surveyor for finding nearby iron, copper, and gold; the Field Mill for turning raw ore into concentrates and tailings; and furnace recipes for refining concentrates.
• Added the Field Washer, Hand Crank, and Field Tank. Wash tailings to recover metal, speed up active machines by hand, and store water beside the Washer.
• Added nine saved Charter contracts, tracked objectives with HUD progress, research rewards, the recovered Shift Log, and the Deepworks Relay finale with its Mast Segments and Lower Works Dispatch.
• Added a searchable Field Manual, recipe index, and a nine-node skill tree. Tier-three masteries reveal exact Surveyor distance, improve Hand Crank work, or raise Tank capacity to eight buckets.

Interface and visuals

• Added the Strata creative tab and customizable interface colors.
• Reworked the Field Journal and Field Notes, including contract tracking, machine guidance, recipe references, and skill upgrades.
• Added the illustrated Strata title, underground mining backgrounds, themed Options and world-selection screens, and violet loading-screen colors.
• Improved menu controls and fixed visual issues with the title art, pause-screen Field Notes panel, and machine interfaces.

Fixes

• Improved Washer water and item handling, including blocked outputs, stored-water recovery, and breaking machines during processing.
• Prevented mixed ore types from being combined in the Mill and protected rejected items.
• Added Mill stack loading and improved Relay construction feedback.