/godot-auditor

Aurelius Protocol: Dialogue System NEVER List

• NEVER hardcode dialogue text directly in your GDScript files — This makes translation impossible. Store text in Resources or external JSON/CSV files [12].
• NEVER display choices that the player hasn't met the criteria for — Hidden choices should stay hidden unless they are "grayed out" intentionally to show a missed path [13].
• NEVER use loose strings for node transitions without validation — Typos in next_node_id will crash the dialogue mid-convo. Use assert() or a central ID registry [14].
• NEVER force a typewriter effect without a "Skip" option — Forcing players to read at a fixed speed leads to frustration. Always allow clicking to finish the line [15].
• NEVER store the current dialogue state inside a UI node — If the UI is closed or the scene changes, the player loses their place. Use an AutoLoad DialogueManager [16].
• NEVER use get_node() to find dialogue UI from the NPC script — Use signals like DialogueManager.start_dialogue(res) to maintain a decoupled architecture.
• NEVER use complex regex for simple text tags — Godot's RichTextLabel supports BBCode tags natively. Use [b], [i], and [url] for formatting.
• NEVER perform save/load operations inside a dialogue node — Conversation nodes should be pure data. Delegate persistence to a dedicated SaveSystem.
• NEVER block the main thread for text reveal timing — Never use OS.delay_msec(). Use create_timer() or Tween to maintain smooth 60fps performance.
• NEVER hardcode portrait paths — Assign textures directly to the DialogueNode resource in the inspector or use a central PortraitDatabase.