Overview

Working with large codebases presents unique challenges that require different strategies than smaller projects. Based on experience with complex game projects and enterprise codebases, this guide covers proven techniques for managing increased complexity in Summer.

Understanding Large Codebase Challenges

Common Issues

  • Context Overload: Too much information for the AI to process effectively
  • Scope Creep: Changes affecting unintended parts of the codebase
  • Pattern Inconsistency: Different coding styles across the project
  • Navigation Difficulty: Finding relevant code in thousands of files

Summer’s Approach

Summer’s Project Intelligence automatically indexes your codebase to understand:
  • File relationships and dependencies
  • Code patterns and architectural decisions
  • Your team’s coding conventions
  • Project-specific context and domain knowledge

Getting Up to Speed Quickly

Use Chat for Exploration

When joining a large project or exploring unfamiliar code, start with broad questions:
What does the combat system architecture look like in this project?
Show me how player input flows through the codebase
Where is the save/load functionality implemented?

Follow the Data Flow

Understand how data moves through your system:
Trace how a player action becomes a game state change
Show me the path from @input_handler.gd to @game_state.gd
What happens when a player clicks the attack button?

Map Dependencies

Get a high-level view of how systems connect:
What files depend on @player_manager.gd?
Show me all the systems that use @event_bus.gd
Which scripts are called by @level_loader.gd?

Effective Context Management

Start Broad, Then Narrow

Begin with general questions to understand the landscape: Step 1: High-level understanding
How is the inventory system organized in this project?
Step 2: Specific implementation details
Looking at @inventory/inventory_manager.gd, how does item stacking work?
Step 3: Focused changes
In @inventory/item.gd, modify the stack_size property to support different stack limits per item type

Use Rules for Consistency

Document your project’s patterns and conventions using Summer’s Rules system:
---
description: Combat System Patterns
---

1. All combat entities inherit from CombatEntity base class
2. Damage calculations use DamageCalculator.calculate_damage()
3. Status effects are managed through StatusEffectManager
4. Combat events are broadcast via CombatEventBus
5. Health changes trigger UI updates through HealthDisplay component

Reference Similar Implementations

When adding new features, reference existing patterns:
Create a new spell system similar to @abilities/melee_ability.gd
Follow the same pattern as @abilities/ranged_ability.gd for targeting
Use the cooldown system from @systems/cooldown_manager.gd
Integrate with the UI like @ui/ability_bar.gd does for other abilities

Strategic Planning

Break Down Large Changes

Instead of requesting massive changes, plan incrementally: ❌ Too Broad:
Refactor the entire combat system to support multiplayer
✅ Strategic Approach:
1. First, let's identify all the places where combat state is stored
2. Then we'll extract combat logic into a separate manager class
3. Next, we'll make the combat state serializable for network sync
4. Finally, we'll add network event broadcasting for combat actions

Use Ask Mode for Planning

Before implementing, use Summer’s Ask mode to create detailed plans:
I need to add a crafting system to this RPG project.

Looking at @inventory/, @items/, and @ui/ folders, create a plan for:
- Where to place crafting-related scripts
- How to integrate with the existing inventory system
- What UI components we'll need
- How to store crafting recipes

Ask me questions if you need clarification about requirements.

Choosing the Right Tools

Tool Selection Guide

ToolBest ForLarge Codebase StrengthsLimitations
Tab CompletionQuick, localized changesFast, doesn’t require context loadingSingle file only
Inline EditFocused modificationsSurgical changes without affecting other codeLimited to visible code
ChatMulti-file changes, explorationCan understand project architectureSlower, requires more context

Chat Best Practices for Large Projects

Start Fresh Frequently
  • Begin new chats for different features or bug fixes
  • Avoid letting conversations become too long and unfocused
  • Summarize important context when starting new chats
Provide Architectural Context
I'm working on the player progression system in our RPG.
Architecture: @systems/progression/ contains all progression logic
Data flow: XP gains → @progression_manager.gd → @player_stats.gd → UI updates
Current issue: Level-up rewards aren't being applied correctly
Use Specific File References
Looking at @systems/combat/damage_calculator.gd and @entities/player.gd,
I need to add armor penetration mechanics that reduce damage mitigation

Code Organization Strategies

Maintain Consistent Patterns

Document and enforce architectural patterns: Singleton Pattern Documentation:
---
description: Singleton Manager Pattern
globs: "**/managers/*.gd"
---

1. All manager classes extend from BaseManager
2. Use @export var for configuration in editor
3. Initialize in _ready(), cleanup in _exit_tree()
4. Provide static get_instance() method
5. Emit signals for state changes, don't call other systems directly

Component-Based Architecture

For large games, organize code into reusable components:
Create a new HealthComponent following the pattern in @components/
- Inherits from BaseComponent like @components/movement_component.gd
- Provides health, max_health, and damage/heal methods
- Emits health_changed and death signals
- Can be attached to any entity that needs health

System Boundaries

Define clear boundaries between systems:
The inventory system should only:
- Manage item storage and retrieval
- Handle item stacking and splitting
- Emit inventory_changed signals

It should NOT:
- Update UI directly (that's the UI system's job)
- Handle item usage effects (that's the item system's job)
- Manage player stats (that's the stats system's job)

Performance Considerations

Selective Context Loading

For very large projects, be strategic about context:
For this UI bug fix, only include context from @ui/ folder
Focus on @ui/inventory_panel.gd and related UI scripts
Don't load the entire combat system - it's not relevant here

Incremental Development

Build and test changes incrementally:
Let's implement the quest system in phases:
Phase 1: Basic quest data structure and storage
Phase 2: Quest progress tracking
Phase 3: UI integration
Phase 4: Reward system integration

Start with Phase 1 - create the basic QuestData resource class

Team Collaboration

Shared Context Rules

Create team-wide rules for consistency:
---
description: Team Coding Standards
---

1. Use PascalCase for class names, snake_case for variables
2. All public methods must have documentation comments
3. Use @export for designer-configurable values
4. Prefix private methods with underscore (_private_method)
5. Group related functionality in the same script file

Documentation Generation

Use Summer to maintain documentation:
Generate documentation for the @systems/combat/ folder
Include class descriptions, public method signatures, and usage examples
Format as markdown for our project wiki

Debugging Large Systems

Systematic Debugging

Approach bugs methodically in large codebases:
I have a bug where player stats aren't saving correctly.

Let's trace the data flow:
1. Check @player/player_stats.gd - are stats being updated correctly?
2. Look at @systems/save_system.gd - is the save data being serialized?
3. Examine @data/save_data.gd - is the data structure correct?
4. Review @systems/file_manager.gd - are files being written to disk?

Isolation Testing

Test systems in isolation:
Create a simple test scene that only loads:
- @systems/inventory_manager.gd
- @data/item_database.gd
- Basic test items

This will help us isolate the inventory bug from other systems

Takeaways

  • Start broad, then narrow: Understand the big picture before diving into specifics
  • Use Rules extensively: Document patterns and conventions for consistency
  • Plan before implementing: Use Ask mode to create detailed plans for large changes
  • Choose appropriate tools: Match the tool to the task complexity
  • Maintain clear boundaries: Keep systems decoupled and responsibilities clear
  • Work incrementally: Break large changes into smaller, testable pieces
  • Create fresh contexts: Start new chats frequently to maintain focus
Working effectively with large codebases is a skill that develops over time. The key is balancing comprehensive understanding with focused action, using Summer’s intelligence to navigate complexity while maintaining clear architectural principles.