The save format change was not made to stop people editing saves or because I was offended that people were bypassing anything. I genuinely do not care if someone wants to modify their own save.
The old save format was becoming a technical problem as saves grew. They were getting large enough that browsers were beginning to struggle to write them reliably, and some saves were starting to fail. I changed the format because I needed something smaller, more reliable, and easier to keep stable as the game expands, along with proper current/previous save handling and migration from older formats. What you are seeing as invalid characters is the compact binary encoding, not an anti-cheat or encryption system designed to confuse save editors.
On the progression side, the Milestones section was originally intended to be a record of what you have accomplished, not a quest log telling you exactly what to do next. That said, if you can reach that point with no reasonable idea how to continue, then there is an information problem regardless of the original intent. I’ll be looking at how progression guidance is presented without turning the whole game into a checklist.
The training-yard trials are meant to be actual progression challenges rather than something solved purely by raising numbers, but I also don’t want someone sitting there at an absurdly high rank wondering whether they are missing a mechanic, a requirement, or simply doing the puzzle wrong. There is room to make that distinction clearer.
So I understand the frustration, but the save change specifically had nothing to do with preventing people from getting around the progression. It was infrastructure work because the old format was becoming unreliable at the size saves were reaching.