Introducing Enemy Combat FUNDAMENTALS

This time we introduce the fundamentals of enemy combat design!
This is part 1 of 7 in a long-form analysis of Enemy Combat Design, created for gamers and game developers to learn more about how gameplay is designed in action games.
[As always, to pay fealty to the nascent machine gods that control our meager mortal efforts to connect to others, we supplicate for any signal boosts (likes, shares, subscriptions, etc) on your digital ecosystem of choice.]
Text Essays: signalsandlight.substack.com/
Cohost: cohost.org/SignalsAndLight
Bluesky: signalsandlight.bsky.social
Threads: threads.net/@signalsandlight
Twitter: / signalsandlight
Instagram: / signalsandlight
TikTok: / signalsandlight
MUSIC:
"Bozz" by William Benckert
"8-bit Win (A Nice Final Boss)" by VELDA
"Malenia, Blade of Miquella" from Elden Ring OST
"Back to Business" by William Benckert
"Tiger Tracks" by Lexica
VIDEO CLIPS: @allbosses360 @metalclone100 @MKIceAndFire @Shirrako @BossFightDatabase @StarMarshal @DarkPlayerBrett @TheWileSpice @frostyaustin735 @bauhaus-movement @ActionButton
(Fair use for non-monetized educational content.)
FULL CITATIONS LIST: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
[wwq hul omisoe]
00:00:00 - Opening
00:00:56 - Introduction
00:02:52 - P1-A - What is Enemy Attack Cadence?
00:04:14 - P1-B - Why Talk About Enemy Attack Cadence?
00:07:35 - P1-C - Essay Structure
00:09:47 - Next Time
TOPICS: #GameDev #GameDesign #CombatDesign #VideoEssay #Analysis #Tutorial
GAMES: #HorizonForbiddenWest #GodofWarRagnarök #EntertheGungeon #GodofWar2 #Tunic #HollowKnight #Sekiro #DarksidersGenesis #Brotato #JediFallenOrder #EldenRing #MonsterHunterWorld #Godfall #Halo #SpiderMan #MilesMorales #Darktide #Remnant #Slice&Dice #DoomEternal #Returnal

[@signalsandlight]

OPEN TO FEEDBACK / QUESTIONS - I haven't recorded Part 7, so if there's anything in this or other parts of the series folks want more nuanced takes on, leave a comment! As always, in trying to get the channel off the ground, any social media boost is appreciated! Twitter: twitter.com/SignalsAndLight Instagram: instagram.com/signalsandlight/ TikTok: tiktok.com/@signalsandlight Bluesky: signalsandlight.bsky.social

[@DrN0VA.]

I think this channel has a definite future! One bit of feedback though: You spent a good bit of time talkingabout what this essay is or isn't, which wasted a lot of time. It felt a bit strange to keep talking about what it was, rather than actually getting into the meat of it. Maybe I missed the point but I would've rathered you talk about the essay and why those things were designed X or Y way. Also loose the cult/alter ego thing, it just felt weird .

[@connor2238]

I feel like this video would have been much better without the "alter ego." That's just personal preference, but I don't know if I will watch the whole series if it continues like this, which is too bad, because I really enjoy the content of this and your framing.

[@signalsandlight]

Whoever that is, they're pretty core to the creative identity of the channel (whether they're a hit in this video is debatable, though). You may find them less distracting in future installments, they're more involved in the topics rather than just doing snide asides. Otherwise, they're not in the text versions of the essay put up on Substack.

[@animatedanimators]

These are awesome!!! Great at helping animators understand what's going on in designers heads more, and communicate with them better.

[@idounnowatuwant]

Amazing video. Been working on implementing "COMBAT" + AI in my game for the past 2 months. I used my own terminology for this stuff but its crazy how the ideas are all the same.

[@logansmith5375]

Love the vid!

[@idounnowatuwant]

also any footage or analysis of combat in FF7: R? I think its an interesting game to analyze

[@maxki187]

like the structuring of the video. But your opening sequence was so long it made me want to turn off this video immediately. would be a shame because the rest is not bad. I agree with the other commenter on the alter ego stuff though, could live without it =)

[@JoCoAnim]

Hahahaha I share you sighing on Horizon... I found the combats SO chaotic. The pace and Ai behavior are just a big mess imho. The game would not be playable at all without the slomo

[@signalsandlight]

I loved the first one so much, and yeah, the chaos of the second was rough. That and a few bits of GoW: Ragnarok were what got me thinking a lot about this stuff (alongside how much it can or should be mitigated in stuff I work on myself). Part 6 wraps back around to the specific element of how rough the camera makes things in games like that.