Online Multiplayer, Stability, Gameplay & Localization Update

Patch - v0.2.0-ea.4

This update brings major improvements across online multiplayer, loading, stability, memory usage, progression, fishing, restaurant systems, localization, and general gameplay polish. Thank you for continuing to send us your bug reports and feedback!

Online Multiplayer Improvements

• Improved connection reliability for players with slower computers or unstable internet connections.
• Increased loading and synchronization time limits to prevent slower players from being disconnected too early.
• Improved recovery from temporary connection failures.
• Improved late joining after the host has already started the game.
• Large save files and world data are now transferred in smaller, safer pieces.
• Reduced frame freezes while player and world data are loading.
• Character customization and other nonessential visuals no longer unnecessarily delay gameplay.
• Improved protection against outdated connection data affecting new sessions.
• Added clearer warnings when lobby players are using different game versions.
• Hosts can no longer start a game while incompatible versions are present.
• Fixed missing or incorrect characters in localized version notifications.

Lobby & Loading Fixes

• Fixed clients sometimes returning to the main menu while joining a game.
• Fixed clients getting stuck on the loading screen after leaving during the boat departure sequence.
• Lobby controls are now temporarily locked once the boat begins moving.
• Fixed clients attempting to reconnect after the host intentionally closed the session.
• Fixed broken or unresponsive main menus after leaving an online game.
• Fixed several cases where player names, characters, or menu buttons failed to appear after returning.
• Regular lobby joining and leaving no longer displays an unnecessary full-screen loading screen.
• Fixed a black screen that could appear while returning from gameplay to the main menu.
• Fixed missing loading-screen text during connection recovery.
• Removed the loading-screen Cancel button from release builds.

Session Cleanup

• Improved cleanup when the host or client leaves a session.
• Improved handling of interrupted loading and scene transitions.
• Prevented old loading operations from affecting newly joined sessions.
• Improved rejoining the same session without requiring a game restart.
• Added safer handling when the host closes the game while another player is still loading.

These changes should make online sessions more reliable, especially for players using slower systems or inconsistent connections.

Stability & Memory Improvements

• Reduced memory usage during ingredient cutting and slicing.
• Fixed outdated cutting results potentially affecting a new preparation session.
• Improved cleanup of character customization textures and materials.
• Fixed memory buildup related to:
• Dirty plates
• Custom wallpapers
• Color Picker
• Screenshots
• Lattice-deformed objects

Improved background worker shutdown to prevent leftover cutting processes.

Prevented pending character customization tasks from continuing after a character was removed.

Reduced unnecessary analytics tracking while keeping critical error reporting active.

Added automated stability and regression tests for affected systems.

Cutting geometry, recipes, economy, visuals, and gameplay balance remain unchanged by these optimizations.

Gameplay & Progression Fixes

• Fixed Sea Urchin Fillets becoming permanently stuck in the Fillet Machine output.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent players from picking up the Fishing Rod.
• Fixed the Conveyor repair mission becoming stuck if the Conveyor was repaired before the mission started.
• Fixed dirty trays disappearing when multiple players collected them quickly.
• Fixed the Harpoon occasionally becoming unavailable or preventing players from switching tools.
• Players with affected saves should now have their missing Harpoon automatically restored.
• Fixed repaired restaurant tables not saving their open/closed state.
• Fixed Eel Nigiri consuming ingredients for four pieces while producing only two.

Fishing & Ocean Improvements

• Fishing challenges now stop player movement when they begin.
• Players now automatically face the targeted fish when starting a Fishing Challenge.
• Fixed Fishing Rod catches not updating the Personal Best record in the Fish Book.
• Adjusted fish quick-slot stack limits based on fish size.
• Smaller fish can now stack in larger quantities.
• Fixed Sea Urchins and Scallops not being added to the Fish Book when picked up by hand.
• Fixed duplicate Fish Book entries when picking up the same fish again.
• Sea Urchins and Scallops now spawn at random positions within their assigned ocean areas.
• Sea Urchins and Scallops now fall naturally through the water before settling.
• Fixed Sea Urchins and Scallops displaying default icons when scanned.
• Fixed a pathfinding error that could occur when entering certain ocean layers.

Restaurant Improvements

• Restaurant customer voices now correctly match each resident's gender.
• Fixed incorrect voice assignments for some residents.
• Marina and Gabe now remain at their markets until midnight and walk home after closing.
• Fixed plates occasionally skipping Conveyor scanning when passing through too quickly.
• Improved tray interactions with wholesale packs and individual items.
• Fixed incorrect tray controls and interaction hints.
• Fixed beverage shelf placement controls and previews.
• Fixed some containers not being pickable while holding an empty tray.
• Rebalanced drink and side dish prices so higher-level items are more profitable.

Tray Trolley Fixes

• Fixed duplicate drink visuals appearing on the Tray Trolley.
• Fixed drinks blocking placement on higher Tray Trolley slots.

Prep Station & UI Improvements

• Prep Stations now remember the player's last-used quick slot after processing an item.
• The crosshair now hides when switching to third-person view inside Emote Areas.
• Tarcin can now be fed fillets of any size while still refusing dead fish larger than Medium.

Major Localization Update

We completed a major localization pass across multiple languages to improve translation quality, consistency, clarity, and gameplay terminology throughout the game.

Languages Updated

• Traditional Chinese — Taiwan ( zh-TW )
• Polish ( pl )
• Arabic ( ar )
• Czech ( cs )
• Portuguese — Portugal ( pt-PT )
• Dutch ( nl )
• Romanian ( ro )
• Hungarian ( hu )
• Malay ( ms )
• Swedish ( sv )
• Finnish ( fi )
• Danish ( da )
• Norwegian ( no )
• Greek ( el )
• Bulgarian ( bg )

General Localization Improvements

• Corrected words that had previously been translated using the wrong dictionary meaning.
• Improved translations for gameplay actions including:
• Hold
• Cast
• Reel
• Plate
• Roll
• Take Order
• Serve Order
• Collect Payment
• Pet
• Store Fish
• Recall

Improved restaurant terminology for:

• Chef Desk
• Prep Station
• Gastro Pan
• Conveyor Belt
• Fillet Machine
• Inventory
• Stock
• Employee roles

Standardized fish names and their:

• Fillet
• Nigiri
• Maki
• Uramaki
• Temaki
• Sashimi
• Long-strip variants

Improved quest objectives so they describe the intended gameplay actions more clearly.

Improved settings, notifications, tutorials, multiplayer messages, loading screens, and character customization text.

Corrected inconsistent terminology appearing across different parts of the game.

Reviewed placeholders and formatted text to prevent broken variables or UI tags.

Added and improved translations for Chef Desk and Prep Desk notifications, Chef Desk instructions, recipe menu buttons, and the Fix Table popup.

Improved text sizing for longer translated strings.

Chef Desk text now updates correctly when changing the game language.

Traditional Chinese — Taiwan

With the help of a native Taiwanese player, we also reviewed 116 community-submitted Traditional Chinese strings.

• 91 translations were updated after individual review.
• Replaced unnatural or overly literal translations with wording more commonly used by players in Taiwan.
• Restaurant food menus now consistently use 菜單 , while general interface menus use 選單 .
• Gabe's localized name was standardized as 蓋柏 .
• Yellowtail terminology was standardized using 青甘魚 .
• Standardized related terminology across fish names, fillets, nigiri, temaki, and other recipe variants.
• Improved quest objectives for actions such as catching fish, opening the restaurant, taking ingredients, and using equipment.
• Several NPC jokes were culturally adapted using Taiwanese wordplay instead of direct English translations.
• Improved NPC dialogue, restaurant notifications, character customization text, loading hints, and gameplay instructions.
• Suggestions containing typos or changing the intended gameplay meaning were not applied.

Only localization text was changed as part of the localization pass. No gameplay mechanics, progression, or balance values were modified by these translation changes.

A huge thank you to everyone who reported translation issues, and especially to the Taiwanese player who helped us improve the Traditional Chinese localization.

Thanks for all your reports and feedback! We’ll continue improving Deep Blue Sushi with future updates.

DISCORD:

PaperPixel Games