From 69582caeb081856e49453e5c59b15185e048b918 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: James Dansereau <106631954+jkdansereau@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2026 22:12:43 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] Release notes: finalize for v0.2.0 final (#81)
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* Release notes: finalize for v0.2.0 final (CI re-stamps the body on tag cut)

- Drop '(pre-release)' from the title; <version> stamps to 0.2.0, so the
  Downloads/Verify tables already name the final assets correctly.
- Blockquote rewritten: no more 'cut is for playtesting'. Claims what is true
  (21 missions load and run crash-free) without claiming an end-to-end
  completable campaign; adds the first-public-release note, hedged with
  'to our knowledge'.
- New What's-new bullets: Everything-unlocked-by-default (D257, ON by default,
  F10 opt-out, no active cheats) and the Steam Deck first-run preset + the two
  new F10 rows (No hit flash / Skip intro).
- Known issues unchanged — all eight walked with the user and confirmed still
  open; wording already matches the latest reports.
- Preview montage GIF at the top of the body (release pages can't play mp4);
  raw URL pinned to the v0.2.0 tag, so it resolves once PR #80 has merged and
  the tag is cut.

* Release notes: campaign-completed claim + D255 register-capture diagnosis

- Blockquote: full campaign playtested end to end (all 21 missions, Agent
  difficulty) per the v0.2.0-pre PC playtest
- D255 bullet: updated from 'narrowed to a stale model reference' to the
  pinned diagnosis (NULL ObjectRecord.model on an active record during
  mid-firefight destruction; repros on Bunker + Frigate)
---
 .github/release-notes.md | 38 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 28 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/release-notes.md b/.github/release-notes.md
index fcc1ed51..dd3cfc37 100644
--- a/.github/release-notes.md
+++ b/.github/release-notes.md
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
-## GoldenEye 007 PC Port — <version> (pre-release)
+## GoldenEye 007 PC Port — <version>
 
-> **Pre-release.** The full single-player campaign runs at a steady 60 fps,
-> audio (music + SFX) playing throughout. This cut is for playtesting: a full
-> end-to-end confirmation that all 21 missions are completable on this build
-> is still owed, and the known issues below are real.
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="https://github.com/jkdansereau/goldeneye-pc-port/raw/v0.2.0/docs/media/goldeneye-gh-preview.gif" width="480"
+       alt="~32 s gameplay montage from live play sessions (no audio track)">
+</p>
+
+> The full single-player campaign runs at a steady 60 fps with audio (music +
+> SFX) playing throughout, on Windows and Linux including Steam Deck — and it
+> is completable end to end: the whole campaign has been playtested through
+> all 21 missions (Agent difficulty). To our knowledge this is also the first
+> open-source port of the original N64 game to ship as a public release. It's
+> an early public cut: all 21 solo missions load and run crash-free, but the
+> known issues below are real — feedback is very welcome.
 
 ### What's new since v0.1.0
 
@@ -26,6 +34,15 @@
 - **QoL**: F10 in-game options overlay (fullscreen, resolution, frame cap,
   MSAA, texture filtering, FOV/draw distance, sensitivity), mute-on-focus-loss,
   F12 screenshot.
+- **Everything unlocked by default** — all 21 solo levels are selectable at
+  every difficulty from the first launch, 007 mode is available, and the cheat
+  menu is fully populated. No *active* cheats are enabled (weapons remain
+  per-mission pickups, as on N64); F10 → *All unlocked* switches back to
+  faithful N64 progression.
+- **Steam Deck first-run preset** — on SteamOS the first launch seeds
+  Deck-friendly defaults (native 1280×800 fullscreen, VSync, MSAA 4, 150%
+  draw/LOD distance); an existing `ge007.ini` always wins. Two more F10 rows:
+  *No hit flash* (suppresses the damage-flash overlay) and *Skip intro*.
 - **Modern dual-stick controller layout** (the scheme used by the console
   re-releases): left stick move/strafe, right stick look, right trigger fire,
   left trigger aim, A/X use, B/Y crouch/cancel, **RB/LB cycle weapons**.
@@ -57,11 +74,12 @@
   fullscreen ghost of the top row.
 - **Steam Deck: one intermittent crash remains** — the v0.1.0-era Facility
   crash is confirmed fixed on Deck hardware, but a SIGSEGV can occasionally
-  occur during heavy firefights (D255); diagnosis has narrowed it to a stale
-  model reference hit while vertex batches merge mid-destruction, and current
-  builds capture full faulting registers in `ge007.crash.log` for a
-  definitive pin. More Deck playtime across levels is welcome — please report
-  any Deck-specific faults.
+  occur during heavy firefights (D255; seen on Bunker and Frigate). The
+  faulting-register capture in `ge007.crash.log` has pinned it: an object
+  record whose model reference is NULL while the record is still active —
+  i.e. something in a mid-firefight destruction leaves the record live one
+  tick too long. We're tracking down the exact destruction path; more Deck
+  playtime across levels is welcome — please report any Deck-specific faults.
 
 ### Downloads