Devlog Update: Player Weaponry (Dice), Enemy Management, and Battle System (Part I)
This week's devlog has arrived! As the subtitle suggests, I’ve added a significant amount of content while implementing the core battle system.
Initially, I planned for a simple battle mechanic update. However, as development progressed, I realized I needed to integrate how characters "fire" their dice results, how enemies react to being targeted, and how these entities interact within the game world. Because of the scope, the Battle System breakdown will be split into multiple parts.
Player Weaponry System
As you can see in the mockup GIF, both the player and the enemy utilize a "dice" system - styled as a six-barrel revolver. Each bullet socket represents a face of a die. Every die has six sides, each featuring unique effects and damage values.
The "dice" functions as a piece of weapon equipment that can be obtained through various methods. There are base weapon variants with exclusive traits (for example, SMGs can fire without ending a turn, while Snipers offer high crit chances). You can further customize these by adding gun parts, such as laser sights. Since players and enemies share the same attack-roll logic, you can loot and equip guns directly from defeated foes.
Enemy Management System
The enemy interface is designed for clarity:
Vital Stats: View the enemy’s name and a health bar that shifts color as their HP drops.
Equipment: See their active dice, handheld items, armor, and special abilities.
Interaction: Clicking an enemy’s portrait opens their description, while clicking anywhere else locks onto them as your primary target.
Even though the game is turn-based, you will often find yourself outnumbered. Multiple enemies can spawn and pursue you at once. While defeating them yields high-tier loot - like guns, handheld items, or military grade armor plates - you’ll often find that retreat is the best strategy when the odds are stacked against you.
Community Poll: I will be adding "harassment" attacks for enemies. Stay tuned for a poll where you can decide what kind of debuffs or tactical interference they’ll use against the player!
Battle System: The Core Mechanics
The foundational mechanics are now live. You "roll" your dice (the cylinder) by spending Time and Bullets. Because turns occur simultaneously, efficiency is key; you must maximize your impact to defeat enemies before they overwhelm you.
However, since the enemy gang members are thugs rather than professional soldiers, their goals aren't always lethal. They may attempt to harass or capture you rather than simply shooting to kill. I am currently working on a completed UI and various "player state" scenes for future updates.
What’s Next?
Because I’ve expanded the scope of these features, I am now working on the gun interface, player battle CGs, and mechanic refinements simultaneously. My priority is finalizing the battle logic to trigger specific CG scenes during gameplay.
I’ve also already integrated the sound engine (I learned the hard way that adding audio at the middle of a project is a massive headache), so the world map and combat already have their own distinct atmosphere.