From 3f62ba5647eb0656cf9998166678a99281977cd9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "google-labs-jules[bot]"
 <161369871+google-labs-jules[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 12:10:29 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] =?UTF-8?q?=F0=9F=8E=A8=20Palette:=20Add=20encouraging=20e?=
 =?UTF-8?q?mpty=20state=20for=20new=20players?=
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- Updated initial highscore print to display encouraging output when personal best is zero
- Added explicit encouraging empty state rather than omitting the UI element
- Updated `.Jules/palette.md` to record the corresponding critical UX learning

Co-authored-by: EiJackGH <172181576+EiJackGH@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .Jules/palette.md | 4 ++++
 src/main.cpp      | 2 ++
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.Jules/palette.md b/.Jules/palette.md
index 05d4366..85558f7 100644
--- a/.Jules/palette.md
+++ b/.Jules/palette.md
@@ -33,3 +33,7 @@
 ## 2024-04-24 - Avoiding Trailing Artifacts in CLI Applications
 **Learning:** When dynamically updating terminal lines using carriage return (`\r`), relying on hardcoded padding spaces to overwrite old text is brittle and leads to trailing text artifacts when new lines are shorter than previous ones.
 **Action:** Always use the ANSI escape sequence `\033[K` (Erase in Line) immediately after the carriage return (`\r`) to cleanly clear the line before writing new content, rather than manually managing padding spaces.
+
+## 2026-05-25 - Encouraging Empty States in CLI
+**Learning:** In CLI games, missing UI elements like a high score when the user hasn't played yet can leave them confused or feeling unsupported. Providing an explicit, encouraging empty state for data (like a "None yet! Start clicking!" message instead of hiding the high score completely) clarifies the system state and improves the onboarding experience for new users.
+**Action:** Provide explicit, encouraging empty states for data or achievements rather than hiding the UI element when empty, to clarify system state and improve user onboarding.
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 60ae556..de671a3 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ int main() {
 
     if (highscore > 0) {
         std::cout << " Personal Best: " << CLR_SCORE << highscore << CLR_RESET << "\n\n";
+    } else {
+        std::cout << " Personal Best: " << CLR_NORM << "None yet! Start clicking to set a record!" << CLR_RESET << "\n\n";
     }
 
     std::cout << "Controls:\n " << CLR_CTRL << "[h]" << CLR_RESET << " Toggle Hard Mode (10x Speed!)\n "