Enemy AI Behavior

Enemy AI That Keeps You on Your Toes

Keeper bering

Combat Design

preetham mukundan

Programmer and Combat Design

Luca morote

Combat Design

Enemy AI Behavior

The goal was to design an AI system that is challenging, fair, and immersive, with each enemy featuring a unique behavior system and clear design intent. This ensures players can quickly identify threats, understand their patterns, and strategize effectively, creating engaging and dynamic encounters throughout the game.

Grunt (Fodder Enemy)

Role: Provide fast, close-range pressure to keep the player engaged in melee combat.


Behavior:

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  • Grunts move directly toward the player using simple pathfinding.
  • Once they reach their attack range, they dynamically position themselves by lerping to a spot in front of the player using an Environmental Query System (EQS).
  • After positioning, they initiate a melee attack on the player.
  • Grunts rely on their numbers to overwhelm and create chaos, ensuring constant player movement and focus on crowd control.

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    Soldier (Ranged Enemy)

    Role: Provide mid-range combat pressure, challenging the player to stay mobile and take cover.


    Behavior:
    • Soldiers navigate to a position where they have a clear line of sight to the player.
    • They calculate the player’s velocity and distance to predict their movement, adjusting their projectile trajectory to land a hit accurately.
    • Before firing, they request a "ticket" (a game logic check to ensure balance and prevent simultaneous firing).
      • If granted a ticket, they fire directly at the player.
      • If not, they shoot within a random radius around the player's current position, maintaining pressure without being overly punishing.
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    Flyer (Ranged Aerial Enemy)

    Role: Add verticality and unpredictability to encounters, requiring the player to aim and react across multiple planes.


    Behavior:
    • Flyers position themselves at elevated spots with a clear view of the player.
    • Similar to soldiers, they request a ticket before attacking:
      • If granted, they fire directly at the player.
      • If denied, they fire within a random radius around the player’s position.
    • After firing, they slightly reposition, making them harder to track and encouraging the player to stay alert.

    Bomber (Suicidal Explosive Enemy)

    Role: Force the player to react quickly to high-speed threats and prioritize high-risk targets.


    Behavior:
    • Bombers sprint directly toward the player with the intent to self-destruct.
    • Upon reaching their explosion radius, they detonate, dealing significant area-of-effect damage.
    • Their design forces players to assess the battlefield constantly and eliminate them before they close the gap.

    Tank (Heavy Melee Enemy)

    Role: Serve as a high-health, high-damage anchor that disrupts player positioning and demands strategic focus.


    Behavior:
    • Tanks steadily walk toward the player, using their imposing size and durability to create tension.
    • When within attack range, they position themselves in front of the player using EQS for maximum impact.
    • They attack with devastating melee strikes, punishing players who stay too close.
    • If their pounce ability is off cooldown, they assess whether they can jump directly to the player.
      • If conditions are met, they leap to the player’s position, dealing massive damage on impact and temporarily disorienting them.
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