Refactors, Bug Fixes, and Sprite Progress

Today was a productive day of cleanup, visual iteration, and bug hunting during a full game playthrough. Major systems were refactored for Claude and GPT tooling compatibility, and the star map's visual quality improved.

Major File Refactors

Seven substantial files were reorganized to manage token limits:

1. fleet_composition_panel.zig — 1,435 lines
2. game_state.zig — 1,342 lines
3. ai_controller.zig — 1,192 lines
4. save_load.zig — 1,070 lines
5. colony_panel.zig — 1,056 lines
6. research_panel.zig — 844 lines
7. combat_visualization_panel.zig — 831 lines

This refactoring supports improved AI-assisted development and long-term maintainability.

Playtest + Bug Fixes

Live testing revealed and resolved three issues:

• Territory borders missing after save loading
• Debug fleet combat with missing defenders
• Combat resolution freezing (ships not taking damage)

Outstanding concerns include UI button implementation, notification routing problems, incorrect research status displays, and ships in transit being targeted during combat.

Visuals & Content

• Planet sprite sheets continued (desert, barren, arctic variants)
• New star map icons generated
• Latest developer newsletter published

Observations

Growing skepticism toward AI tools in gaming communities. Human decision-making drives design while AI assists with tooling and content.