SiegeScape - Devlog #5

Date: April 27, 2025 Focus: Persistence is Key! Save/Load, Gold Economy, and Shops!

Hello again, Siege Scape defenders!

This past development cycle was huge! We dove deep into systems that extend the gameplay beyond a single run, adding persistence, meta-progression, and the foundations for long-term rewards. The goal was to start building the loop around the core tower defense runs, and we ended up laying down a massive amount of groundwork.

Saving Your Progress & Starting Anew: One of the most requested features is taking shape: a Save/Load System!

• Persistent Profiles: You can now create named playthroughs (save slots), and the game automatically saves key persistent data like your accumulated Gold and unlocked items. Your last position in the Tavern is even saved for convenience.
• Title Screen Flow: We've introduced a proper Title Screen! From here, you can choose to continue your last game, load a specific save slot, manage your saves (delete old ones), or start a completely fresh playthrough with a new character name. Starting or loading will now seamlessly take you to the Tavern Hub.

Introducing Gold & End-of-Run Conversion: Get ready for meta-progression!

• Gold Standard: We've implemented Gold, the permanent currency you'll earn and keep between runs.
• Soul Essence -> Gold: At the end of a successful (or unsuccessful!) run, your remaining volatile Soul Essence is now converted into permanent Gold based on a set rate. You'll see a summary screen showing your earnings before heading back to the title screen or tavern. The conversion rate can even be boosted by persistent unlocks!.

In-Run Shop Phase & Flow Changes: We've refined the flow between waves to make space for the upcoming In-Run Card Shop:

• Shop Phase: After defeating the last enemy of a wave, the game now enters a dedicated "Shop" phase instead of immediately letting you start the next wave.
• Player Control: You now explicitly choose when to start the next wave via a button on the main HUD. This button will also be used to trigger opening the Card Shop UI once it's implemented.
• UI Management: The Player Controller logic was updated to better handle switching between game control and UI control for the shop phase.

Tavern Meta-Shop Foundation: Spend your hard-earned Gold! We've built the backend and basic UI for the Tavern Meta-Shop, where you'll unlock permanent upgrades:

• Shop Interface: A basic shop UI can now be opened by interacting with the correct NPC in the Tavern. It shows your current Gold and has sections for different item types (like Decks and Enchants).
• Unlockable Decks & Enchants: Starting Decks and new "Enchants" (persistent run modifiers) are now defined as purchasable items with Gold costs.
• Tracking Unlocks: Your save file now keeps track of which Decks and Enchants you've permanently unlocked using Gold.
• Purchase Logic: The shop UI correctly displays items, filters out already unlocked ones, checks if you have enough Gold, allows you to purchase, updates your unlock list in the save file, and saves the game immediately.

Enchant System Basics: Those Enchants you unlock aren't just for show!

• Applying Effects: Purchased Enchants are now automatically applied at the start of each new run.
• Run Modifiers: These Enchants provide passive bonuses for the duration of the run, such as starting with extra Soul Essence, boosting global tower damage, or increasing the Gold earned from Soul Essence conversion.

Challenges & Bug Fixes: Implementing the save system definitely had its tricky moments! We chased down issues with unlocked decks not loading correctly and ensured the shop UI accurately reflected the player's gold and unlock status after purchases. We also refined the game phase transitions to make sure waves only start when the player initiates them.

Next Steps: With the meta-loop structure and save system in place, we can now focus back on gameplay depth:

• Fleshing out Building Level-Up Effects (making levels more impactful).
• Designing and implementing the Relic System.

This was a massive step towards creating a persistent and rewarding experience beyond single runs. Building the save system early was crucial, and seeing the Gold economy and unlock system start working is incredibly motivating!

Thanks for following the development of Siege Scape!

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