Development Log – November 2025: Procedural Level Generation System Overhaul and AI Behavior Refactor

Advancements were made in procedural level generation, including core logic refactoring, the introduction of a new generator component, and expanded content diversity. Core AI movement and behavior, alongside procedural enemy spawning systems, were also refactored and enhanced.

[MILESTONE]

  • Major advancements in procedural level generation, with levels now functioning reliably.
  • Refactored core room and door initialization logic for procedural levels, improving level construction.
  • Introduced `DungeonGeneratorRunnerGrid2D`, a core component driving procedural level generation.
  • Enhanced procedural room connection logic, leading to more coherent and varied level layouts.
  • Added new room templates and corridor types, expanding the diversity of procedurally generated environments.
  • Integrated initial cave level art assets, laying the groundwork for new environment themes.

[GAMEPLAY]

  • Major refactor of core AI movement and behavior actions, resulting in more responsive and intelligent enemies.
  • Integrated and enhanced a procedural enemy spawning system, enabling more varied and challenging encounters.
  • Refined enemy weapon setup and improved general AI behavior, contributing to dynamic combat scenarios.
  • Implemented a dynamic alarm configuration system, allowing for reactive enemy spawning based on player actions.
  • Introduced a new visibility detection system, crucial for AI perception and player stealth mechanics.
  • Extensive refactor of the quest system to support dynamic goals and complex progress tracking, including objectives like ‘loot crate openings’.
  • Introduced a mission processor system to handle post-generation logic for quests and mission objectives.
  • Added a Steamworld Heist inspired “Smash & Grab” mission type
  • Major architectural refactor of the weapon system, improving its flexibility, scalability, and stability.
  • Refactored level intro sequences, adding a new processor for dynamic dialogue flow to enhance the initial player experience in levels.

[GRAPHICS]

  • Enhanced Fog of War system with new post-processing, improving player visibility and exploration dynamics.
  • Introduced `GroundBlockUnderlay` post-processing feature for improved aesthetic quality and visual consistency of level grounds.
  • Refactored lighting and ‘revealable’ systems, adding `RevealableLight` for dynamic light interactions and environmental visibility.
  • Updated various level and weapon meshes, along with shadow references, across different scenes for visual consistency.
  • Integrated initial cave level art assets and updated associated prefabs, preparing for new biomes.

[UI/UX]

  • Comprehensive refactor of the UI system to a widget-based architecture, improving modularity, performance, and development efficiency.
  • Introduced a new UI input blocking API and a refactored input management system, enhancing control over player interaction.
  • Added essential UI elements, including a dedicated Settings Canvas for player options and a new Confirmation Dialog for user prompts.
  • Implemented a minimap icon system, significantly improving player navigation and situational awareness.
  • Improved quest UI removal logic for a cleaner and more intuitive interface.

[PERFORMANCE]

  • Executed core script optimizations to significantly reduce memory allocations and improve overall game performance, resulting in a smoother gameplay experience.

[FIXED]

  • Resolved an issue where the cursor would get stuck during movement abilities, improving player control.

[TECHNICAL]

  • Introduced a behavior testing system for NPC actions, providing developers with robust tools for AI validation.
  • Refactored the core GameData system and LevelManager architecture for better scalability and maintainability.
  • Performed general cleanup of unused code and assets, contributing to improved project health and reduced build sizes.
  • Refactored node manager integration, critical for improving pathfinding and level structure generation systems.

This Changelog is automatically generated with Google Gemini based on my git commit history.

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