📜 Samotracia v1.14.4

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🎨 Shader Overhaul & Dithering Refinement

• Transition to Ordered Bayer Dithering:

• Replaced the previous randomized noise generator (pseudoNoise) with an optimized 4x4 Bayer Matrix.

• Eliminates screen flickering, motion blur, and the aggressive "noise" effect when moving the camera or walking through high-contrast areas.

• Pixel-Aligned Dithering Grid:

• The dither pattern is now mathematically locked to the half-resolution pixel grid rather than individual screen pixels.

• Produces a crisp, authentic 8-bit retro aesthetic that remains completely static relative to the game world, drastically reducing visual strain.

• Improved Contrast & Shadow Readability:

• Recalibrated color quantization levels to prevent dark areas (such as caves and night cycles) from turning into unreadable black or purple blocks.

⚡ Performance & Optimization

• Shader Pipeline Streamlining:
• Removed expensive trigonometric (sin, dot) calls from the frame pipeline in favor of hardware-native bitwise operations (& 3).
• Significantly reduces GPU fill-rate strain and prevents frame drops during post-processing rendering.

🖼️ Visual Comparison

Below are two side-by-side screenshots demonstrating the visual improvements between the legacy shader and the new Bayer dithering implementation:

• Deep Dark Environment: Notice how shadow details and sculk textures remain visible without turning into chaotic, flashing noise artifacts.

!DeepDark Bayer

!DeepDark Random Dithering (Old Samotracia 1.14.3)

• Overworld Surface (Daylight): Demonstrates the clean, retro 8-bit dithering pattern across wide gradients like the sky, providing a retro feel without camera flickering.

!Overworld Bayer Dither

!Overworld Random Dither (Old Samotracia 1.14.3)

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💡 Developer Note: A sincere apology regarding the previous shader: I am deeply sorry if the previous post-effect shader ruined your gameplay experience, caused eye strain, or made dark environments unplayable. The old implementation relied on a pseudo-random algorithm that created an overly aggressive "flickering" effect during movement, which made playing for more than a few minutes extremely uncomfortable. With v1.14.4, the post-effect system has been completely rewritten from scratch. The new ordered dithering provides the exact retro aesthetic I envisioned—sharp, stylish, and retro—but without the motion sickness or visual noise. If you previously disabled the shader or stopped playing due to visual fatigue, I warmly invite you to give it another try.