Life Beyond Tech

Rogue C# – The Monsters Evolve

August 27, 2026August 27, 2026 Andrew Comeau

Ironically, adding the remaining traps to my roguelike game did not break anything new in the code like the potions did; I was able to build on existing resources already in the classes. Also, this week, I did some code reorganization, clearing the deck for the addition of monster special attacks and upcoming inventory additions. In the process, I examine some of the challenges of maintaining separation of concerns within an object-oriented program and opportunities for creative solutions.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Rethinking Random Selection

August 19, 2026August 21, 2026 Andrew Comeau

After adding all those potions in one shot, they still had to be tested and every single one exposed something that needed to be improved in the code. The sheer number of fixes would be too long for this post but I did come up with a few interesting examples.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – The Dungeon Pharmacopeia

August 14, 2026August 14, 2026 Andrew Comeau

Potions are much like scrolls but every new effect potentially requires supporting changes elsewhere, including new properties and changes to game play. In this chapter, I sample all the potions and see how many ways I can break the code.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – The Ever-Changing Program Flow

August 9, 2026August 14, 2026 Andrew Comeau

As a program grows, it’s important to maintain standards and practices within the code. Classes and methods need clear lines of responsibility and operation in order to keep the code maintainable and reduce errors.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Setting Traps

July 31, 2026July 31, 2026 Andrew Comeau

Traps add to the challenge of the game, even if they are annoying sometimes. In this chapter, I add them to the game and discover that the player and monsters have more in common than they know.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Don’t Confuse the Monsters!

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026 Andrew Comeau

During the rescue of the Rogue C# project, I’ve seen some examples of things that weren’t quite thought out the first time around but the MoveMonster() function might have been a case of over-thinking … or of just really needing to walk away for a bit.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Coding Scrolls for Fun and Profit

July 21, 2026July 21, 2026 Andrew Comeau

Not all scrolls and potions are helpful in a roguelike but that’s part of the fun … more or less. In this update, I add a mix of scrolls including Remove Curse, a frustratingly rare item that you’ll want after putting on the wrong armor and Aggravate Monsters which wil make your life on the level a lot more exciting. As before, every new scroll leads to a re-examination of the code.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Designing Power-ups into the Game

July 17, 2026July 17, 2026 Andrew Comeau

The Scroll of Confuse Monster is a scroll that gives the player the power to confuse the next monster they attack for a certain number of turns and then the monster’s confusion lasts a certain number of turns so there are multiple steps to tackle here.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Chasing Bugs Off the Map

July 12, 2026July 17, 2026 Andrew Comeau

In this chapter, I do some important code review of the MapLevel class which manages map construction and functions within the game. I also track down a few more bugs and look at some testing strategies specific to this roguelike game. Finally, I show how bugs can be accidently introduced through otherwise well-meaning code maintenance.

Programming, Rogue C# Series

Rogue C# – Taking Inventory

June 30, 2026July 14, 2026 Andrew Comeau

It’s time to add more inventory items but first we need a way to define their abilities without getting lost in the code.

Programming, Rogue C# Series