---
name: design-action-combat
description: Design, implement, tune, or test readable tactical action combat for web games. Use for attack timing, guard and dodge windows, hit contact, posture, lock-on, weapons, boss phases, combat feedback, and deterministic combat tests.
---

# Design Action Combat

Treat combat as explicit state machines with visible, testable timing rather than animation-driven guesses.

## Specify every combat verb

For each player or enemy action, define: startup, active window, recovery, cancellation rules, resource cost, contact shape, damage/posture outcome, cooldown, and feedback. Make telegraph, danger, contact, and recovery readable at normal camera distance.

## Use authoritative outcomes

- Drive hits, blocks, parries, and interrupts from authoritative collision/contact events.
- Require direction, range, phase, and state validity before resolving an outcome.
- Apply each contact once using stable action and target identifiers.
- Keep visuals downstream of resolved simulation events.

## Tune for decisions

Give each defense a distinct purpose: spacing, dodge, timed guard, interruption, or resource trade. Avoid unpunishable attacks, recovery loops, unavoidable damage, and dominant spam. Boss phases must alter decision pressure without invalidating learned timing.

## Test combat deterministically

Cover early/late timing, wrong direction, out-of-range contact, multiple targets, interrupted actions, phase changes, cooldown boundaries, pause/frame step, equip swaps, and repeated inputs. Use seeded or queryable review scenarios instead of requiring long campaign playthroughs.

## Verify in play

Test at realistic frame rate and camera distance. Confirm that player intent, contact feedback, health/posture changes, sound/VFX, and target state agree. Check reduced motion and input alternatives before release.