Designing Combat Physics and State Machines for 'The Manifesto'

Translating the world and combat mechanics from a fantasy novel into a playable 2D fighting & adventure game has been one of my most exciting challenges. In The Manifesto, movement feel and attack frame data are everything.

Architecture: Decoupled State Machines

To handle responsive attacks, dodge rolls, hit-stuns, and block cancels without spaghetti code, I implemented a hierarchical state machine (HSM) in C#:

• Base Player State: Handles ground detection, gravity, and input buffers.
• Combat Sub-states: Handle startup frames, active damage frames, and recovery windows.
• Event-Driven Hitboxes: Collision boxes trigger weapon contact events that query target hurtboxes and apply poise reduction.

Lessons Learned in Game Feel

1. Input Buffering is Crucial: Registering inputs 4–6 frames before an animation completes makes combat feel snappy rather than unresponsive.
2. Camera Shake & Freeze Frames: A 2-frame micro-pause on heavy impact delivers that weighty, visceral impact feel.
3. Decoupled Audio: Separating weapon sound synthesis from animation events prevents audio clipping during rapid combo executions.

I document these workflows on my YouTube channel @mgfsdev—check out the latest devlogs to see the engine in action!