WhileIterating's game – Devlog

A daily devlog documenting my journey building a turn-based RPG, with many other elements mixed in for fun, in Godot

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Project maintained by Brhando Hosted on GitHub Pages — Theme by mattgraham

📘 Devlog Day 20 – June 18, 2025

Progress Made

• Removed DevotionReq from Skill to fully decouple active skill unlocking from combat behavior.
• Finalized subclass skill unlock system tied to Dungeon Heart usage.
• Implemented multiple subclass-specific skills including:
  • Vampiric Strike, Skull Splitter, Rage Slash (Berserker)
  • Heavy Block, Deflect Slash, Immovable Judgement (Warder)
• Wrote clear TODOs and design notes inside each skill for future debuff system integration.
• Improved DevotionTree logic: devotion now normalizes post-dungeon and is tracked as Running points.
• Updated fallback logic and ensured skill slots are safely populated to prevent null skill errors.
• Designed out-of-band skill behaviors for chaining, conditional effects, and subclass synergy (e.g., “blood fatigue”, “disarm”, “stun”).

Challenges

• Ensuring that skill execution logic remains readable while planning for future systems (debuffs, effects).
• Thinking through where and how debuff data should flow (especially within SkillResult).
• Deciding the cleanest way to separate permanent devotion from per-dungeon combat behavior.

Next Steps

• Build the Passive System (data structure, UI unlocks, effects).
• Create UI panels for Active Skill unlocks (Dungeon Heart usage) and Passive Skill viewing (Devotion milestones).
• Integrate the Debuff System: DebuffType, Debuff, manager singleton, and UI cues.
• Optionally wire visual indicators or text logs when subclass buffs/debuffs trigger during combat.

Reflection

Today was all about clearing the path forward. I didn’t just refactor—I restructured the entire subclass system into something modular, progression-aware, and intuitive to expand. The decision to tie active skill upgrades to Dungeon Heart usage gave the design a satisfying rhythm: players earn progress through risk, not just repetition.

Even more important, I laid the conceptual foundation for the debuff system with well-placed comments and a strong sense of where things will go. Having that vision makes tomorrow’s work less about guessing and more about building. It’s like I’ve sketched the skeleton of my game’s class system, and now I’m finally adding muscle and motion.

I’m proud of the way I’ve gradually transformed my early prototypes into something that resembles a real game—and even more proud that I’m doing it on my terms, with care, strategy, and purpose. Stopping today feels like ending on a high note. Tomorrow, I close the loop.