feat: release v0.2.13 with chat visual overhaul and new features

docs/changelog/index.md

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Release history for EchoHub.
 
 ## Releases
 
+- [v0.2.13](v0.2.13.md) - Chat Visual Overhaul: Aligned Nick Column, Nick Colors, Date Rules & Unread Marker
 - [v0.2.12](v0.2.12.md) - End-to-End Encrypted Channels, IRC Channel Keys, Image Save & Ctrl+W Crash Fix
 - [v0.2.11](v0.2.11.md) - EchoHubSpace Auth, Live Directory Updates & Server Browser Metadata
 - [v0.2.10](v0.2.10.md) - Command Palette, Infinite History Scroll & Auto-Updater Fixes

docs/changelog/toc.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 - name: Overview
   href: index.md
+- name: v0.2.13
+  href: v0.2.13.md
 - name: v0.2.12
   href: v0.2.12.md
 - name: v0.2.11

docs/changelog/v0.2.13.md

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# v0.2.13
+
+A visual overhaul of the chat client: messages now line up in a WeeChat-style column layout with a timestamp gutter, right-aligned nicks, and a vertical rail; every user gets a stable nickname color; day boundaries and unread positions are marked with horizontal rules; the status bar gains an irssi-style activity segment and an animated connecting spinner; and an ASCII-art welcome banner greets you before you join a channel. Modern polish, old IRC soul.
+
+## New Features
+
+- **Aligned message layout (WeeChat-style)** — every message renders as `HH:mm  nickname │ text`: a dim timestamp, the nick right-aligned in a fixed 12-column gutter, and a dim `│` rail separating names from content. Word-wrapped continuation lines, multi-line messages, attachments, ASCII-art image previews, and link embeds all align under the text column and extend the rail, so conversations read as a clean two-column grid. Over-long nicks are truncated with `…` in the gutter only — profiles, mentions, and the users panel always use the full name. System and status lines (`joined`, `is now Away`, …) show `--` in the nick column, replacing the old `**` prefix.
+- **Deterministic nickname colors** — users who haven't picked a `/color` now get an automatic, stable color derived from their nick (12-entry palette chosen to stay readable on dark and light backgrounds). The same user is the same color in message headers and the online-users panel, on every client, every session. An explicitly chosen nickname color still takes priority.
+- **Date separator rules** — a full-width `── Wed, Jul 16 2026 ─────` rule is inserted whenever the calendar day changes (live, in loaded history, and when scrolling back through older messages). Timestamps are now a compact `HH:mm` — the date lives in the rules instead of being repeated on every line.
+- **"New messages" marker** — the first message that arrives in a channel you're not viewing gets an orange `── new messages ──` rule above it (irssi-style). Switch to the channel and the marker shows exactly where you left off; it survives the history reload on channel switch and is consumed when you move away again.
+- **Status bar activity segment** — channels with unread messages appear in the status bar as `│ Act: #dev,#random` (up to 4, `+n` overflow). Channels where you were @mentioned show in orange, others in cyan.
+- **Connecting spinner** — transitional connection states (Connecting, Reconnecting, Authenticating…) now animate a braille spinner in the status bar instead of sitting on static text.
+- **Mention-aware channel list** — a channel where you were @mentioned turns orange in the channel list (name and unread badge), escalating above the cyan plain-unread highlight. The highlight clears when you view the channel.
+- **Welcome banner** — with no channel selected (fresh start, or after disconnecting) the chat pane shows a gold-gradient ASCII "ECHOHUB" logo with the version and key hints, instead of an empty box. Narrow panes get a compact variant.
+- **Rounded frame borders** — the channels, chat, input, and users panels draw with rounded corners.
+
+## Bug Fixes
+
+- The @mention highlight no longer drops off the second and later lines of a long mention message — wrapped continuation lines now inherit the highlight.
+- The unread-position marker is re-anchored after a channel switch reloads history, instead of being wiped by the reload before you could see it.

src/Directory.Build.props

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <Project>
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <Version>0.2.12</Version>
+    <Version>0.2.13</Version>
     <GenerateDocumentationFile>true</GenerateDocumentationFile>
     <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);CS1591</NoWarn>
   </PropertyGroup>