🎨 Palette: Enhanced Game Feedback and Visual Polish

.Jules/palette.md

@@ -25,3 +25,11 @@
 ## 2026-03-02 - Hiding the Cursor in CLI Games
 **Learning:** In terminal applications that require rapid visual updates or where user input doesn't involve typing text, an actively blinking cursor can be a visual distraction. Hiding it during interaction (`\033[?25l`) and rigorously ensuring it is restored (`\033[?25h`) on exit—including signal interrupts—significantly improves the aesthetic and focus.
 **Action:** Always hide the cursor for interactive CLI games and explicitly restore it across all exit paths, including async-signal-safe signal handlers.
+
+## 2026-05-24 - Real-time Record Feedback and Robust CLI Updates
+**Learning:** Real-time feedback for high scores (e.g., 'Score: 5 | High: 10') motivates players by providing a persistent target. Additionally, using the ANSI 'Erase in Line' sequence (`\033[K`) is far more robust than manual space padding for handling variable-length terminal updates, as it eliminates visual artifacts when the content shrinks.
+**Action:** Use real-time record comparisons in game UIs and prioritize `\033[K` for all in-place CLI line updates.
+
+## 2026-05-25 - Inclusive Milestone Celebrations
+**Learning:** Suppressing achievement celebrations (like "NEW BEST!") for first-time players creates a clinical and unrewarding initial experience. A player's first session is technically their first personal best and should be celebrated as such to build immediate positive reinforcement.
+**Action:** Ensure achievement logic like `score > highscore` handles the `highscore == 0` case gracefully to celebrate first-time milestones.

src/main.cpp

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ int main() {
     }
 
     for (int i = 3; i > 0; --i) {
-        std::cout << "\rStarting in " << i << "... " << std::flush;
+        std::cout << "\rStarting in " << CLR_CTRL << i << CLR_RESET << "... " << std::flush;
         auto start_wait = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
         while (std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start_wait).count() < 1000) {
             int elapsed = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start_wait).count();
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ int main() {
             }
         }
     }
-    std::cout << "\rGO!             \n" << std::flush;
+    std::cout << "\r" << CLR_NORM << "GO!" << CLR_RESET << "             \n" << std::flush;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(200));
     tcflush(STDIN_FILENO, TCIFLUSH);
 
@@ -137,10 +137,10 @@ int main() {
         }
 
         if (updateUI) {
-            std::cout << "\r" << CLR_SCORE << "Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << " "
+            std::cout << "\r" << CLR_SCORE << "Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << " | High: " << (score > highscore ? score : highscore) << " "
                       << (hardMode ? CLR_HARD "[HARD MODE]" : CLR_NORM "[NORMAL MODE]")
-                      << (score > initialHighscore && initialHighscore > 0 ? " NEW BEST! 🥳" : "")
-                      << "           " << std::flush;
+                      << (score > initialHighscore ? " NEW BEST! 🥳" : "")
+                      << "\033[K" << std::flush;
             updateUI = false;
         }
     }
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ int main() {
 
     tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSANOW, &oldt);
     std::cout << "\n\n" << CLR_SCORE << "Final Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << "\n";
-    if (score > initialHighscore && initialHighscore > 0) {
+    if (score > initialHighscore) {
         std::cout << "Congratulations! A new personal best!\n";
     }
     std::cout << "Thanks for playing!\n";