Player reports 2026-10-07: VEGA lines expand key tokens before formatting, the debris field's flight recorder gets a name, a shape and a line (#2368)

[marceld23]

Two inbox reports of 2026-10-07 (both v2026.10.8), fixed together. Epic #2368.

Hadewin's crash report — FormatException in VEGA's debris-field tip (#2363, #2364)

• Cause: VegaPanel.OnLine ran string.Format over the localized line before VegaText.ExpandKeyTokens replaced the {key:Action} tokens. vega.hint.debris_signal (new in feat(space): debris fields with salvage, one-time salvage, combat debris, raiders with real hulls (#2351) #2360) carries both {0} and {key:FlightMap}, so the format threw out of the poll for every pilot in a system with an unread debris field — no visible crash, the tip just never showed and its cadence slot was spent. wreck_signal had the same mix since fix(space,vega): the unreachable wreck — the radar keeps height, an ALT readout, VEGA's way to the derelict (#1880, #1881, #1882) #1883 but only fires with an AI core Mk2+.
• Fix: VegaText.Compose(text, lineArg, glyph) in Client.Core — key tokens first, then the packed {0}… slots, guarded by a FormatException fallback; without an argument a slot reads as „…“. VegaPanel.OnLine, SayLocal and the tips log (VEGA tips log shows raw {0} and {key:…} tokens #2364, which showed the raw tokens) use it.
• Tests: VegaTextTests — the real debris line composes, packed arguments, a malformed line never throws, the no-argument form, and a theory that composes every vega.* line in all 14 locales (this is the test that would have failed at PR time). CommunityLocaleTests comment and TRANSLATION_GUIDE.md corrected (they claimed plain replacement).

Layex' „was ist das?“ — the flight recorder nobody could name (#2365, #2366, #2367)

• The object in his screenshot is the debris field's marker, the "scorched flight recorder": a near-black box (invisible against space) with a copper band and beacon; the lock called it „Trümmerfeld: Likorn“, nothing explained the thing left behind once the field is carved out.
• Marker: scorched-steel box, half again as big, with a copper glow line along the band (SpaceView.Debris.cs). Lock/scanner label „Flugschreiber · Trümmerfeld Likorn“ (ui.scan.subject.debris_recorder); a locked loot drop reads „Beute“ instead of the raw kind name (ui.scan.subject.resource_drop).
• Server: VEGA context tip debris_recorder (once per save) when the pilot sits inside a read field with no fragment or capsule left; the recorder readout ui.scan.debris_field now names the box with the beacon. Test DebrisFieldTests.VegaTip_NamesTheRecorder_OnceTheFieldIsCarvedOut (new seam ClearDebrisFieldSalvageForTest).
• Keys en/de by hand, the twelve community languages machine-translated and read through (fixed: es article, fr "s'entaîne", it "riparazioni"/"detriti", ko/nl/zh field terms, pl "beacon", pt plural, ru/uk recorder term, uk "Доба́ч").

Credits

Hadewin and Layex in the README playtester list and the in-game credits (ui.credits.body, all 14 languages).

Docs

TODO.md entry, USER_MANUAL debris-field paragraph (recorder, loot label), TRANSLATION_GUIDE token rule.

Verification

• dotnet build -c Release --no-incremental: 0 warnings / 0 errors.
• BlocksBeyondTheStars.Client.Tests (full) and the server suites DebrisFieldTests, SpaceWreckTests, CommunityLocaleTests, ContentTests, ShipAiTests, locale tests: green.
• dotnet format BlocksBeyondTheStars.CI.slnf --verify-no-changes: clean.
• Local Unity build (scripts/build-client.ps1) in the worktree: see the comment below.

Ships with the next regular release (no hotfix — decided 2026-10-07).

closes #2363, closes #2364, closes #2365, closes #2366, closes #2367, closes #2368

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[marceld23]

Local Unity build on this tree (worktree, scripts/build-client.ps1): Build Finished, Result: Success. — BlocksBeyondTheStars.Client.dll 2026-10-07 18:01:51, no generated files to commit. dotnet build -c Release --no-incremental: 0 warnings / 0 errors. Client.Tests 1018/1018, server suites (DebrisField, SpaceWreck, CommunityLocale, Content, ShipAi, Locale) 166/166, dotnet format clean.