Devlog: The Energy Crisis! Strategic Upgrades & Massive UI Overhaul

Hello, fellow prospectors!

The last couple of development sessions for Exo Idle Miner have been absolutely transformative. We’ve moved beyond just adding features and have entered a phase of deep-diving into the core gameplay loop, adding layers of strategy while simultaneously performing a major overhaul on the UI to make everything clearer, more intuitive, and more satisfying to interact with.

Here’s a breakdown of the huge list of changes!

The Main Event: Introducing the Solar Power System!

This is a game-changer. We’ve introduced a full-fledged energy mechanic that adds a new strategic layer to managing your planetary empire.

• Solar Power Generation: Planets are no longer self-sufficient! Each planet now has a Solar Power Plant that generates energy based on its distance from the system’s star. Prime real estate close to the sun is now more valuable than ever.
• Energy Consumption: Power isn’t free! Your key planetary buildings—the Extraction Drills and the Warehouses—now consume energy. The higher their level, the more power they draw.
• Operational Efficiency: This is where the strategy comes in. We now track a planet’s Consumption vs. Efficiency. If your energy generation can’t keep up with consumption, your planet’s operational efficiency will drop below 100%. This directly impacts your Extraction Rate, slowing down mining operations. You’ll need to balance your lust for production with a stable power grid!

Averting Disaster: The New Downgrade System

We realized the new energy mechanic could lead to a frustrating situation where a player might over-upgrade their buildings, tank their efficiency, and get “soft-locked” with no way to recover. We hate that, so we added a safety net:

• Revert Your Upgrades! All infrastructure buildings (Solar Plant, Extraction, Warehouse) now have a “Revert” button. If you’ve made a mistake, you can downgrade a building by one level.
• Partial Refund: Downgrading isn’t free, but it’s fair. You’ll be refunded a percentage of the gold from that last upgrade, giving you the capital to reinvest and fix your energy crisis.

Planet Management UI 2.0

To accommodate these new mechanics and improve clarity, the Planet Panel has received another major overhaul:

• New “Infrastructure” and “Logistics” Tabs: The upgrades section is now split. “Infrastructure” contains energy, extraction, and storage, while “Logistics” is dedicated to the transporter’s capacity and speed. This cleans up the UI and makes room for our next big feature: multi-resource upgrade costs!
• Redesigned Upgrade Rows: To make space, the “Level” indicator has been moved directly below the upgrade’s name, giving the layout a cleaner, more organized look.
• Fixed Efficiency Status: The “Consumption / Efficiency” info now sits as a fixed header within the Infrastructure tab, so you always know your planet’s energy status while making upgrade decisions.

And All The Polish From Last Time!

On top of these huge new systems, we’ve continued to build on the foundation from the previous session. In case you missed it, we also added:

• Distance-Based Colonization Time: Colonizing distant worlds now takes longer, making expansion more strategic.
• Enhanced Feedback: We added a juicy pulse effect on planet clicks, improved the visibility of resource delivery text at the space station, and now show a “Warehouse Full!” warning.
• Visual Clarity: Manager names are colored by rarity for at-a-glance information, and dialog panels are more opaque for better readability.
• Debug & Translation Prep: A debug panel was added for faster testing, and more text was converted to translation keys.

These sessions have been pivotal, shifting the game from a simple clicker to a more engaging management and strategy experience. We’re incredibly excited about this new direction and can’t wait for you to balance your own interstellar power grids!

Thanks for following the development of Exo Idle Miner