CONTENTS
COMBAT DESIGN THEORY
Below you can find some of the theory I use to motivate my decisions when designing enemies and combat mechanics. This is a result of months of research and a whole lot of passion for combat in video games.
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These theories are originally intended for real-time melee combat, however a lot of them are applicable for any type of gameplay regardless of genre or style.
1. Average human reaction time is 16 frames, give players the minimum of 20 frames
2. Player attack hitboxes should be minimum ~1 of the player avatar's width
3. It can be useful to think of health points in number of hits to kill. This allows for an efficient abstraction of difficulty/challenge
4. Arrange input mappings into categories consisting of similar actions to make controls more intuitive
5. Removing player agency is risky, but can be effective if it suits the game's aesthetics (e.g. Darkest Dungeon)
PLAYER MECHANICS
Key to good combat design is challenging the player and their knowledge of the game's mechanics. Giving the player a variety of alternative strategies to evaluate and pick from will enrich their experience and increase replayability. Each playstyle, strategy or ability should have it's own set of balanced risks and rewards in order to encourage strategic thinking.
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KNOCKBACK
Knockback allows players to control space and keep enemies at a safe distance. Often paired with stun and stagger effects. When used by enemies, it's important to fine-tune the duration of these effects as taking away player agency for extended periods of time can lead to frustration.
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HIT PAUSE
Hit pause is a split-second pause of the whole game triggered when the player connects an attack with the opponent. This emphasizes the impact of an attack improving gamefeel and giving it extra weight.
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LEAD-INS
Lead-ins are animations which initiate attacks. The length of player lead-ins should equate to the reward of a successful hit (e.g. strong attack = longer lead-in, weak attack = shorter lead-in). Enemy lead-in animations also serve as indicators of their attacks, which give players a chance to react accordingly.
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CANCELING ACTIONS
Allowing players to cancel their actions can lead to a smoother and more accessible experience. On the contrary, absence of such features forces players to calculate their actions and make more conscious decisions. This can potentially make combat feel more deliberate, however it reduces accessibility and increases difficulty.
Level design and combat go hand to hand. Combat spaces can create challenges and encourage use of the environment to your advantage. Environmental hazards, empty spaces, covers and chokepoints are just some of the things that make level design and combat design come together in synergy.
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Here are some factors that players should keep in mind to successfully control space:
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Use the environment to isolate enemies from larger groups and fight them separately
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Stay aware and maneuver the combat space to avoid getting surrounded / cornered
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Identify safe spaces to replenish resources, e.g. reload, heal, use consumables etc.
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​ARCHETYPES OF COMBAT SPACE
These archetypes can be applied to combat space design without focusing on any specific enemy designs. It also allows level designers and enemy designers to work simultaneously without creating blockers.
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Flat Plane
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Relies on the shape and size of the arena​
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Gap
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Can be crossable with certain mechanics (e.g. flying, jumping) or remain uncrossable
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Ledge
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Requires finding alternate paths to reach target(s)
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Can be destructible (e.g. towers)
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ENEMY ARCHETYPES
The purpose of these archetypes is to allow designers to quickly establish different types of experiences based on dynamics, without having to go into details like mechanics. Additionally, it gives level designers a chance to create level blockouts early, while enemy designers are still shaping their ideas.
Roles can be paired with Types for a plethora of interesting combinations that can make gameplay more interesting and engaging. Multiple Roles and Types can be used simultaneously for more complex enemy archetypes.
ROLES
Emphasizer
The purpose of this role is to encourage use of specific player mechanics, while not requiring their use for victory.
Enforcer
Smasher
These enemies demand use of specific mechanics and leave no other options to achieve success. Communicating requirements is key to designing good Enforcers.
Smashers are weak, easily defeatable enemies that often give the player a feeling power. They are often introduced early to teach basic mechanics. They can be challenging however, depending on their design.
Challenger
The primary function of this role is to challenge the player and test their knowledge of the game's mechanics. Challengers often block the path forward or guard valuable resources.
TYPES
Near
Far
This basic enemy type always stays close to the player, quickly becoming the center of attention. It pairs very well with every type or role, with an obvious exception of the Far type. While the standard go-to Near design is a melee opponent, there are other ways to utilize this enemy type, e.g. enemies that explode when in close proximity to the player.
These enemies are designed to keep a distance from the player and force them to stay on the move. Positioning them correctly on the battlefield is fundamental to creating captivating encounters. While they often use ranged attacks, they can be designed in a plethora of different ways e.g. Treasure Goblins from the Diablo franchise.
Swarmer
Heavy
Spawner
Often paired with the Near type and the Smasher role, Swarmers tend to be on the squishier side and rather harmless alone. Their strength comes in numbers, as the name suggests. A popular design choice is using the Spawner & Swarmer combo.
Heavy enemies have a lot of presence on the battlefield and usually become player's number one priority. They often posses more health points then other, lesser enemies and can be paired with almost any Role or Type, with the exception of Swarmer.
Spawners exist, as their name suggests, to spawn other enemies, most often Swarmers. They also make for great bosses. These enemies don't even need to have attacks of their own, as they can simply rely on enemies they spawn to protect them.
PAIRING EXAMPLES
Near
Heavy
Emphasizer
Far