Retire the scenic overlay path now that premium art owns the backdrop

This release removes the old scenic fog/nebula overlay system instead of leaving it dormant behind runtime conditions. The parallax stack now treats premium background art as the intended backdrop path, while the remaining moon/planet/twinkle/debris layers stay intact.

Constraint: Preserve the premium-background presentation and avoid disturbing unrelated gameplay or pause/runtime behavior
Rejected: Keep the scenic system behind a permanent feature gate | dead visual code would keep maintenance cost without planned use
Rejected: Remove all procedural parallax ambience in one pass | broader visual change than requested and harder to verify safely
Confidence: high
Scope-risk: moderate
Reversibility: clean
Directive: If you later want a flatter premium-art presentation, evaluate moon surface, passing planets, debris motes, and silhouettes separately rather than bundling them into one visual removal pass
Tested: bunx tsc --noEmit; bun run lint; bun test; bun run build; bun run levels:validate; bun run knip; bun run bundle:check
Not-tested: Manual in-game visual smoke pass on the affected premium-background levels after this exact release build

Author: vriesdcrv

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+## [1.1.17] - 2026-04-28
+
+### Changed
+- Removed the old procedural scenic fog/nebula overlay system from the parallax stack now that premium level backgrounds are the intended presentation path.
+- Deleted the scenic-layer lifecycle and scenic-texture generator code instead of keeping the overlay dormant behind runtime gating.
+- Simplified `ParallaxBackground` and level-visual lifecycle wiring by removing scenic-layer create/layout/update/destroy paths and the unused `premiumAssetsReplaceProcedural` manifest flag.
+
+### Quality
+- Added/updated regression coverage for the level-visual lifecycle and parallax orchestration after scenic-layer removal.
+- Verified with `bunx tsc --noEmit`, `bun run lint`, `bun test`, `bun run build`, `bun run levels:validate`, `bun run knip`, and `bun run bundle:check`.
+
 ## [1.1.16] - 2026-04-28
 
 ### Changed

docs/releases/1.1.17.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Release 1.1.17 — scenic overlay removal
+
+## Highlights
+
+- Removes the old procedural scenic fog/nebula overlay system that was still rendering over premium background art.
+- Keeps the premium background presentation path and deletes the now-unwanted scenic overlay code instead of leaving it disabled.
+- Simplifies the parallax/runtime wiring and trims a small amount of dead visual infrastructure.
+
+## What changed
+
+- Scenic overlay removal:
+  - Deleted `src/systems/parallax/scenicLayerLifecycle.ts`
+  - Deleted `src/systems/parallax/scenicTextureGenerator.ts`
+  - Removed scenic-layer create/layout/update/destroy wiring from:
+    - `src/systems/ParallaxBackground.ts`
+    - `src/systems/parallax/backgroundMotion.ts`
+    - `src/systems/parallax/levelVisualLayerLifecycle.ts`
+    - `src/systems/parallax/levelVisualLayerLifecycleContext.ts`
+  - Removed the unused `premiumAssetsReplaceProcedural` flag from:
+    - `src/systems/parallax/premiumBackgroundManifest.ts`
+
+- Regression coverage updates:
+  - `tests/levelVisualLayerLifecycle.test.ts`
+  - `tests/levelVisualLayerLifecycleContext.test.ts`
+  - `tests/ParallaxBackground.test.ts`
+  - Updated the lifecycle/parallax tests to lock the scenic-overlay removal and the remaining visual-layer orchestration.
+
+## Validation
+
+- `bunx tsc --noEmit`
+- `bun run lint`
+- `bun test`
+- `bun run build`
+- `bun run levels:validate`
+- `bun run knip`
+- `bun run bundle:check`

docs/releases/README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 Latest first.
 
+- [`1.1.17`](./1.1.17.md) — removes the old scenic overlay system now that premium backgrounds are the intended art path
+
 - [`1.1.16`](./1.1.16.md) — gameScene contract split and import-boundary cleanup for the next maintainability tranche
 
 - [`1.1.15`](./1.1.15.md) — maintainability release for gameplay/runtime refactors, import cleanup, and broader regression coverage

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "space-explorer",
-  "version": "1.1.16",
+  "version": "1.1.17",
   "author": "Douwe de Vries",
   "license": "MIT",
   "private": true,

src/systems/ParallaxBackground.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import {
   updateMoonSurfaceMotion,
   updatePassingPlanetMotion,
   updatePlanetLayerMotion,
-  updateScenicLayerMotion,
   updateTwinkleMotion,
 } from './parallax/backgroundMotion';
 import {
@@ -37,10 +36,6 @@ import {
   type MoonSurfaceState,
 } from './parallax/moonSurfaceLayerLifecycle';
 import { type ForegroundSilhouetteState } from './parallax/foregroundSilhouetteLifecycle';
-import {
-  layoutScenicLayers as layoutScenicLayersHelper,
-  type ScenicLayerState,
-} from './parallax/scenicLayerLifecycle';
 import {
   getPassingPlanetOffscreenThreshold,
   resetPassingPlanetPosition,
@@ -80,7 +75,6 @@ export class ParallaxBackground {
   private scene: Phaser.Scene | null = null;
   private levelConfig?: LevelConfig;
   private tileSprites: Phaser.GameObjects.TileSprite[] = [];
-  private scenicLayers: ScenicLayerState[] = [];
   private planetLayer: PlanetLayerState | null = null;
   private debrisMotes: DebrisMoteState[] = [];
   private twinkles: TwinkleState[] = [];
@@ -121,7 +115,6 @@ export class ParallaxBackground {
     this.scene = scene;
     this.levelConfig = levelConfig;
     this.tileSprites = [];
-    this.scenicLayers = [];
     this.debrisMotes = [];
     this.foregroundSilhouettes = [];
     this.resetRuntimeFieldState(scene.cameras.main.width, scene.cameras.main.height);
@@ -209,7 +202,6 @@ export class ParallaxBackground {
       this.scene,
       this.currentWidth,
       this.currentHeight,
-      this.scenicLayers,
       this.passingPlanetSprites,
       this.twinkles,
       this.foregroundSilhouettes,
@@ -363,7 +355,6 @@ export class ParallaxBackground {
   private updateVisualLayers(delta: number): void {
     scrollStarLayers(this.tileSprites, STARFIELD_LAYER_CONFIGS, delta);
     this.scrollPremiumBackgroundLayers(delta);
-    updateScenicLayerMotion(this.scenicLayers, this.elapsed, this.atmosphereDrift, this.atmosphereAlpha);
     updatePlanetLayerMotion(this.planetLayer, this.elapsed, this.atmosphereAlpha, this.landmarkAlpha);
     updateDebrisMoteMotion(this.debrisMotes, this.elapsed, delta, this.atmosphereAlpha);
     updateTwinkleMotion(this.twinkles, this.elapsed, this.atmosphereTwinkle);
@@ -411,7 +402,6 @@ export class ParallaxBackground {
   }
 
   private layoutLevelVisualLayers(): void {
-    layoutScenicLayersHelper(this.scenicLayers, this.getViewportSize());
     this.layoutMoonSurfaceLayer();
     this.layoutPlanetLayer();
   }

src/systems/parallax/backgroundMotion.ts

@@ -5,17 +5,6 @@ interface TileSpriteScrollConfig {
   scrollSpeed: number;
 }
 
-interface ScenicMotionState {
-  sprite: Phaser.GameObjects.Image;
-  baseX: number;
-  baseY: number;
-  baseAlpha: number;
-  driftX: number;
-  driftY: number;
-  speed: number;
-  phase: number;
-}
-
 interface PlanetMotionState {
   sprite: Phaser.GameObjects.Image;
   baseX: number;
@@ -80,21 +69,6 @@ export function scrollStarLayers(
   }
 }
 
-export function updateScenicLayerMotion(
-  layers: ScenicMotionState[],
-  elapsed: number,
-  atmosphereDrift: number,
-  atmosphereAlpha: number
-): void {
-  for (let i = 0; i < layers.length; i++) {
-    const layer = layers[i];
-    const phase = elapsed * layer.speed * atmosphereDrift + layer.phase;
-    layer.sprite.x = layer.baseX + Math.sin(phase) * layer.driftX * atmosphereDrift;
-    layer.sprite.y = layer.baseY + Math.cos(phase * 0.85) * layer.driftY * atmosphereDrift;
-    layer.sprite.setAlpha(Phaser.Math.Clamp(layer.baseAlpha * atmosphereAlpha, 0.16, 0.95));
-  }
-}
-
 export function updatePlanetLayerMotion(
   planetLayer: PlanetMotionState | null,
   elapsed: number,

src/systems/parallax/levelVisualLayerLifecycle.ts

@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 import Phaser from 'phaser';
 import type { LevelConfig } from '../../config/LevelsConfig';
-import {
-  createScenicLayers,
-  destroyScenicLayers,
-  type ScenicLayerState,
-} from './scenicLayerLifecycle';
 import {
   createPassingPlanetLayers,
   destroyPassingPlanetLayers,
@@ -21,7 +16,6 @@ export type LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext = {
   scene: Phaser.Scene | null;
   currentWidth: number;
   currentHeight: number;
-  scenicLayers: ScenicLayerState[];
   passingPlanetSprites: PassingPlanetState[];
   twinkles: TwinkleState[];
   foregroundSilhouettes: ForegroundSilhouetteState[];
@@ -43,15 +37,6 @@ export function createLevelVisualLayers(
   scene: Phaser.Scene,
   config: LevelConfig
 ): void {
-  createScenicLayers(
-    scene,
-    config,
-    {
-      width: context.currentWidth,
-      height: context.currentHeight,
-    },
-    context.scenicLayers
-  );
   context.createMoonSurfaceLayer(scene, config);
   createPassingPlanetLayers(
     scene,
@@ -81,7 +66,6 @@ export function createLevelVisualLayers(
 }
 
 export function destroyLevelVisualLayers(context: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext): void {
-  destroyScenicLayers(context.scene, context.scenicLayers);
   context.destroyMoonSurfaceLayer();
   context.setPassingPlanetSprites(destroyPassingPlanetLayers(context.passingPlanetSprites));
   context.destroyPlanetLayer();

src/systems/parallax/levelVisualLayerLifecycleContext.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ export function getLevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext(
   scene: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['scene'],
   currentWidth: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['currentWidth'],
   currentHeight: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['currentHeight'],
-  scenicLayers: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['scenicLayers'],
   passingPlanetSprites: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['passingPlanetSprites'],
   twinkles: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['twinkles'],
   foregroundSilhouettes: LevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext['foregroundSilhouettes'],
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ export function getLevelVisualLayerLifecycleContext(
     scene,
     currentWidth,
     currentHeight,
-    scenicLayers,
     passingPlanetSprites,
     twinkles,
     foregroundSilhouettes,

src/systems/parallax/premiumBackgroundManifest.ts

@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ interface PremiumBackgroundManifest {
   levelName: string;
   assetPrefix: string;
   baseSize: { width: number; height: number };
-  premiumAssetsReplaceProcedural: boolean;
   layers: PremiumBackgroundLayerConfig[];
 }
 
@@ -60,7 +59,6 @@ function createManifest(level: (typeof LEVELS)[number]): PremiumBackgroundManife
     levelName: level.name,
     assetPrefix,
     baseSize: { ...BASE_SIZE },
-    premiumAssetsReplaceProcedural: false,
     layers: [createLayer(level.index)],
   };
 }