We’ve made big progress recently on two of the most important systems in Evervalley – Bloodlines: custom pathfinding and combat mechanics.

After testing several options, we moved away from pure tile-based grids and traditional A* solutions. Instead, we built a custom hybrid system using Unity’s NavMesh combined with a grid overlay. This lets units move naturally across the terrain while still snapping to grid-aligned positions—critical for our cover mechanics, formation control, and melee/ranged interactions.

We also explored using NavMesh Cutters, but ran into issues with units snapping or jumping unpredictably. After a lot of trial and error, we settled on a solution that maintains clean movement, respects AP limits, and supports tactical cover placement.

Combat is now fully functional. Units move and attack based on Action Points, with separate systems for melee, ranged, and spell attacks. Attacks trigger animations, handle damage timing cleanly, and respect line-of-sight. We're now integrating traits, gear modifiers, and ability effects into the combat layer.

Next up: finishing cover interactions, refining the camera system, and polishing enemy behavior.

Thanks for following development—more updates soon.