# The Waiting Game - Development Log (October 2025)

## Project Overview

**The Waiting Game** is a hardcore text-based dungeon crawler built on the Evennia MUD engine. It features deep progression systems, resource management, and meaningful death penalties.

**Live at:** https://thewaitinggame.one  

**Genre:** Roguelike MUD, Dungeon Crawler, Text-Based RPG

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## Recent Major Updates

### Web Integration & Player Guide (October 27, 2025)

- ✅ **Custom Landing Page** - Professional homepage replacing Evennia default

- ✅ **Comprehensive Web Guide** - Full player documentation at `/guide/`

  - 10 major sections covering all game mechanics

  - Searchable navigation sidebar

  - Status effects, combat, stamina management, prestige system

- ✅ **CSRF & Cookie Fixes** - Resolved localhost development issues

- ✅ **Production Deployment** - Successfully deployed to production server

### Critical Bug Fixes (October 27, 2025)

- ✅ **Bread Consumption Bug** - Fixed issue where eating 1 bread deleted entire stack

- ✅ **Item Creation Bug** - Fixed DEFAULT_HOME errors when buying shop items

- ✅ **Potion Shortcuts** - Added `gpot` and `spot` for Greater/Superior Health Potions

### Potion System Improvements (October 2025)

- ✅ **Percentage-Based Healing** - Potions heal based on % of max HP

  - Health Potion: 33% max HP (500g)

  - Greater Health Potion: 66% max HP (1500g)

  - Superior Health Potion: 99% max HP (3500g)

- ✅ **Shop Shortcuts** - Quick purchase commands for common items

- ✅ **Guidebook Updates** - Documented all status effects and mechanics

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## Core Game Systems (Current State)

### 🏰 Dungeon System

- **10 Procedurally Generated Floors** - Each with unique scaling

- **Boss-Gated Progression** - Must defeat floor boss to unlock next floor

- **Floor Unlock Tracking** - Persistent progress across deaths

- **Adaptive Spawning** - Monster difficulty scales with player level and prestige

### ⚔️ Combat System

- **Turn-Based Combat** - Attack, flee, use potions

- **Monster Tiers** - Normal, Elite, Miniboss, Boss

- **Status Effects** - Burn, freeze, stun, poison (4 types)

- **Tactical Gameplay** - Roll to extinguish burns, antidotes for poison

- **Combat Stamina Cost** - 1 stamina per combat turn

### 🔥 Status Effects (Dungeon Only)

1. **Burn** - 5% max HP per tick, extinguish with `roll` (35% chance, costs 1 stamina)

2. **Freeze** - Immobilized for 10 turns OR until hit (takes 2x damage when broken)

3. **Stun** - Paralyzed for 5 turns, cannot act

4. **Poison** - Three tiers (I: 40% total, II: 100% total, III: continuous until cured)

### ⚡ Stamina System

- **Core Resource** - Every action costs stamina

  - Movement: -2 stamina per room

  - Combat: -1 stamina per turn

  - Events: -1 stamina per chest/corpse

- **Penalty Tiers:**

  - 50 stamina: -20% ATK, -25% AGI

  - 25 stamina: -35% ATK, -50% AGI

  - 0 stamina: -50% ATK, -75% AGI, -20% DEF, 1% HP drain per step

- **Restoration:** Bread (+20), Portal (full), Rest at Inn (30g, full)

### 💀 Death & Prestige System

**On Death, You LOSE:**

- Level and all XP (reset to 0)

- All equipped items (destroyed)

- 50% of carried gold

- All temporary stat allocations

**On Death, You KEEP:**

- 100% of banked gold

- All prestige levels (permanent stats!)

- Floor unlock progress

- Knowledge and experience

**Prestige Benefits:**

- Permanent stat boosts per level

- Passive income (allowance per hour)

- Required to access higher floors

- Core progression mechanic

### 🤖 Terminal Bot System

- **Safe Combat Simulation** - No real death risk

- **Bread-Fueled Missions** - 5 bread per deployment

- **Gold Farming** - Earn gold safely while learning mechanics

- **Bread Regeneration** - 1 bread every 5 minutes (claim system)

- **Bot Upgrades** - Spend gold to improve bot stats

### 🎖️ Equipment System

- **5 Rarity Tiers:** Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary

- **Stat Scaling** - Higher rarity = better stats

- **Equipment Slots:** Weapon, Armor, Helmet, Boots, Gloves, Ring, Amulet

- **Auto-Equip** - `eqbest` command for quick gearing

- **Sell System** - Convert loot to gold for prestige

### 🏦 Economy & Banking

- **Bank System** - Deposit gold to keep safe through death

- **Shop System** - Buy potions, scrolls, antidotes, bread

- **Sell Prices:** Common=1g, Uncommon=2g, Rare=5g, Epic=10g, Legendary=25g

- **Passive Income** - Earn gold per hour from prestige/arena/guilds

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## Technical Stack

### Backend

- **Engine:** Evennia 4.x (Python MUD Framework)

- **Database:** PostgreSQL (local dev + production)

- **Web Framework:** Django (included with Evennia)

- **Server:** Linode VPS (Ubuntu)

### Frontend

- **Web Client:** Evennia's built-in webclient

- **Templates:** Django templates with Bootstrap 5

- **CSS Framework:** Bootstrap 5.x

- **Landing Page:** Custom override of Evennia defaults

### Deployment

- **Production:** thewaitinggame.one (Linode)

- **SSL:** Configured for HTTPS

- **WebSocket:** WSS for secure real-time communication

- **Port Configuration:** 4001 (web), 4000 (telnet/websocket)

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## Current Development Status

### ✅ Completed & Stable

- Core combat system with status effects

- Stamina management and penalties

- Death/prestige progression loop

- Boss-gated floor unlocking

- Terminal bot system

- Banking and economy

- Equipment system with rarities

- Potion system with shortcuts

- Web guide and landing page

### 🚧 In Progress

- Arena system (partially implemented)

- Guild system (basic structure exists)

- Karma system (dual alignment - light/dark)

- Achievement system (boss achievements working)

- Leaderboards (basic implementation)

### 📋 Planned Features

- PvP arena battles

- Guild wars and territories

- More floors (currently 10, planning 20+)

- Crafting system

- Quest system

- Random events (partially implemented)

- More status effects

- Pet/companion system

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## Known Issues & Recent Fixes

### Recently Fixed ✅

1. **Bread Consumption** - Now properly reduces quantity instead of deleting all

2. **Shop Item Creation** - Fixed DEFAULT_HOME errors

3. **CSRF Cookies** - Resolved localhost development issues

4. **Potion Shortcuts** - Added gpot/spot for quick healing

### Active Issues 🔧

1. None currently blocking gameplay!

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## Player Feedback Integration

### What Players Love ❤️

- High difficulty and meaningful death penalties

- Prestige system for permanent progression

- Safe bot training before risking real character

- Deep resource management (stamina/gold/equipment)

### Recent Improvements Based on Feedback

- Added web-based guide for easier reference

- Improved potion shortcuts for faster combat

- Better status effect documentation

- Clearer stamina penalty warnings

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## Next Development Priorities

### Short-Term (Next 2 Weeks)

1. ✅ Fix bread consumption bug ✅

2. Polish web guide with more examples

3. Add more floor variety (11-15)

4. Improve boss difficulty scaling

### Medium-Term (Next Month)

1. Complete arena system

2. Guild functionality expansion

3. Karma shop implementation

4. More random events

### Long-Term (Next 3 Months)

1. Crafting system

2. Quest chains

3. Prestige tier system (prestige of prestige)

4. Mobile-responsive web improvements

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## How to Play

**Web Client:** https://thewaitinggame.one  

**Create Account** → **Create Character** → **Read the Guide!**

**First Steps:**

1. Talk to Guide for starting gold: `talk guide`

2. Visit Terminal: `terminal`

3. Create your bot: `namebot <name>`

4. Buy bread from shop: `n`, `shop`, `buy 4 10` (buy 10 bread)

5. Read the full guide: `/guide/` on website or `guide` in-game

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## Development Philosophy

**The Waiting Game** is designed around:

- **Meaningful Choices** - Every action has weight

- **Risk vs Reward** - Push deeper or play it safe?

- **Permanent Progression** - Prestige ensures you always make progress

- **Learning Through Death** - Each run teaches you more about the dungeon

- **Resource Management** - Stamina and gold are precious

Death is punishing but not crippling. Prestige ensures every run makes you stronger, even if you lose everything else.

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## Community & Support

- **Website:** https://thewaitinggame.one

- **Developer:** 9to5ninja-projects

- **Platform:** itch.io (coming soon)

- **License:** Custom (game content), Evennia BSD-3

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## Technical Notes for Developers

### Recent Architectural Changes

- Moved from single `views.py` to `views/__init__.py` package structure

- Custom LoginView with CSRF cookie enforcement

- Template override system for landing page and guide

- Item creation now uses `home=character` to avoid DEFAULT_HOME issues

### Database Schema Updates

- Bread/potions now properly support `quantity` attribute

- All stackable items check quantity before deletion

- Consumable.consume() method updated to handle stacking

### Code Quality Improvements

- Better error handling for item creation

- Consistent use of `home` parameter in create_object calls

- Improved documentation in guidebook and web guide

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*Last Updated: October 27, 2025*