Thank you, and congratulations on the Hall of Fame spots, you earned every one of them.
You were right about offline gains, and it was a real bug. While you were away, your lenses kept earning ✦, but the aspect essence that finished crystals send to your planets (Ignis, Aqua and the rest) wasn't counted at all. Only planet weather was still adding any, which is why three hours gave you around a hundred Ignis and your fire world didn't help. It's fixed in v1.7.1, out now: your lenses keep sending aspect essence at the rate they had when you left, Resonant worlds included, and the welcome-back banner shows what each aspect gained.
And please never apologise for rambling like that. Locking planets into lenses for stronger but fixed patterns, a seventh world at the heart of the mandala, Ascended worlds as pillars to forge your own star: that's very close to where I want AZOTH to grow after the planets. I'm now designing ways to tie the mandala, your worlds and your alchemists together, with balance for both battle players and calm farmers, and your ideas are going straight into that. I can't promise all 777 shadow worlds yet, but I love the direction.
Thanks for playing so deeply and taking the time to write. If AZOTH keeps you company, a rating on the page helps a lot, and if anything ever feels off, tell me first like you just did.