Hey all, CaperCube here, we've got a doozy of an update this time!
We want to make sure the architecture for this game is as solid as we can make it so we can spend more time making the game instead of hunting down and fixing bugs. We think this refactor will help us do just that!
Now that we're figuring out our process here, I've taken on the task of refactoring our code and cleaning up some of the mess we (mostly me, tbh) have made in our haste. This involved creating new top-level systems, gutting the old systems, and thoughtfully moving / organizing / fixing all the old code into our new structures, which was a delicate process that took 4 solid weeks of focused planning and dev time. In that process, I've fixed quite literally hundreds of bugs, and made most of the logic super simply executable from anywhere in the game.
The result of this work is a game with more functionally independent systems, more flexible and reusable code, and a much cleaner and faster content development pipeline! And that's not even mentioning the new stuff!
I've added a developer panel in-game (accessible by pressing "~"), which GREATLY speeds up testing, debugging, and general development. From this panel (assuming you have dev-mode enabled) you'll be able to do just about anything the game is capable of as well as read through the game's system logs (these are mostly separate from the Godot engine logs, so we can keep track of specific game logic). Sometimes it's faster to click buttons than to type console commands, so I also added a drop-down menu in the developer panel for all the same functions. Clicking these items will execute the given function with its default parameters.
There's a few dev-mode tools I have planned as well that I haven't yet implemented, but one that I have added is the ability to quickly teleport to any room from the map by clicking on a room's connection arrows. Personally this is saving me a TON of time!
Josh and I have also been working on new rooms, enemies, bosses, items and a ton more. Much of it is still very much in development, so look forward to more new content in the next update!
We really look forward to hearing your feedback and comments!
Have fun!
- Tall Order Games