Changelog [0.5.3] & [0.5.4] - 2025-05-09

# Snake³ Controls and Camera Improvements (v0.5.3-beta)

Snake³ Update Notes (v0.5.3-beta)

### Gameplay Improvements:

- Smoothed snake movement with deltaTime-based calculations.

- Added customizable Snake Speed via new Settings slider.

- Improved camera follow behavior with predictive leaning and adjustable height.

### Settings Improvements:

- You can now open Settings directly from the Pause menu during gameplay.

- Adjust Snake Speed, WASD Turn Sensitivity, and Camera Height while paused.

- Added a centered "Close" button to the Settings panel for easier navigation.

- Added a small "X" close button at the top of the Settings panel.

### Polish:

- Maintained the same neon arcade style across all new UI elements.

- No HTML structure changes needed — handled everything dynamically.

After receiving feedback about the controls feeling difficult, I focused on making improvements to the gameplay experience.

First, I adjusted the snake movement to make it smoother and more responsive. I added a deltaTime calculation in the game loop to allow for frame-independent movement, capping it to prevent weird jumps if the player tabs out. I also exposed the snake speed through a slider in the Settings menu, so players can customize how fast they want the game to feel.

Next, I worked on improving the camera behavior. I updated the camera to predictively shift slightly when turning, giving a better sense of motion and control. I also made the camera height adjustable with a new slider in the Settings menu. This gives players more flexibility in how the game feels visually.

To make it easier for players to tweak settings mid-game, I added a new "Settings" button to the Pause menu. Clicking it will hide the Pause overlay and show the Settings panel without needing to go back to the main menu. I updated the Settings panel Close button to match the game's neon green style and centered it for a cleaner look. I also added a small "X" button at the top corner of the panel for quicker closing.

Throughout these changes, I made sure everything worked without needing to modify the existing HTML structure. I used JavaScript to control visibility and z-index when switching between menus and settings during gameplay.

This update improves control responsiveness, gives players more options to adjust gameplay, and keeps the overall experience clean and polished.

Big thanks to everyone who took the time to give feedback! It’s been super helpful; not just for SnakeCubed, but for leveling up my coding skills too. SnakeCubed doesn’t really run on an engine, it’s basically built from scratch on the framework I’m piecing together.

### [0.5.4] - 2025-05-09 
### Added 
- Uploadable custom music tracks via pause menu (supports .mp3, .wav, etc.) 
- Real-time equalizer visualizer with mirrored left/right bars - "Next Track" button to cycle through randomized in-game music playlist - Track name display under pause menu that updates on change or upload  
### Fixed 
- Resolved overlapping audio playback when switching from default to custom tracks 
- Fixed right-side equalizer bars not animating due to incorrect frequency indexing 
- Cleaned up Workbox precache config to remove deleted model references 
- Eliminated 404 error from old Dutch ship model in sw.js  ### Improved 
- Unified all music playback through a single Audio source to prevent duplication 
- Equalizer visuals now pull from better mid-range and mirrored frequency bins
- Enhanced neon button styling for "Next Track" and music-related controls 
- General cleanup of sound.js, equalizer.js, and main.js for clarity and modularity
### Improved 
- Unified all music playback through a single Audio source to prevent duplication 
- Equalizer visuals now pull from better mid-range and mirrored frequency bins 
- Enhanced neon button styling for "Next Track" and music-related controls 
- General cleanup of sound.js, equalizer.js, and main.js for clarity and modularity