Enemies

Enemies are hostile entities that challenge the player through combat. Orbem Studio supports four distinct enemy types with configurable AI behaviors, health, damage values, and movement patterns.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Creating an Enemy
• Configuration Fields
• Enemy Types
• Boss Fights
• AI Behaviors
• Best Practices
• Examples

Overview

Post Type: explore-enemy

Enemies provide challenge and combat scenarios in your game. They share many configuration options with characters but include combat-specific settings like damage values, health points, and enemy-specific behaviors.

Key Features

• Four enemy types: blocker, shooter, runner, boss
• Configurable health and damage values
• Movement AI (wandering, pathing, static)
• Directional sprite support
• Integration with missions (defeat to complete quest)
• Materialization system (appear after conditions met)
• Text-to-speech voice support

Creating an Enemy

1. Navigate to Orbem Studio → Enemies
2. Click Add New
3. Enter an enemy name (e.g., "Forest Wolf" or "Rogue Robot")
4. Configure meta fields in the Configuration box
5. Upload enemy images for all directions
6. Click Publish

Configuration Fields

Basic Configuration

Area Placement

Field: explore-area
Type: Select

The area where this enemy appears.

Example: Select "dark-forest" to place the enemy in that area.

Position and Size

Fields:

• explore-top - Vertical position in pixels
• explore-left - Horizontal position in pixels
• explore-height - Enemy height in pixels
• explore-width - Enemy width in pixels

Example:

Top: 1800
Left: 2200
Height: 120
Width: 100

Tips:

• Larger enemies feel more threatening
• Position away from player start points
• Consider sight lines and surprise factor

Visual Properties

Field: explore-rotation
Type: Number
Unit: Degrees

Rotate the enemy sprite.

Field: explore-layer
Type: Number

Z-index for layering. Higher numbers appear in front.

Example:

Rotation: 0
Layer: 5

Enemy Name Override

Field: explore-character-name
Type: Text

Display name shown to players during combat or interactions.

Example:

Post Title: wolf-enemy-01
Character Name: "Corrupted Wolf"

Enemy Images

Field: explore-character-images
Type: Multiple uploads

Visual representation of the enemy. Same directional sprite system as characters.

Required Images:

• static-up - Facing upward
• static-down - Facing downward
• static-left - Facing left
• static-right - Facing right
• up - Moving upward
• down - Moving downward
• left - Moving left
• right - Moving right

Optional Attack Poses:

• up-punch - Attacking upward
• down-punch - Attacking downward
• left-punch - Attacking left
• right-punch - Attacking right

Specifications:

• Format: PNG (with transparency) or GIF (for animations)
• Dimensions: Consistent across all images
• Style: Match character art style

Enemy Type

Field: explore-enemy-type
Type: Select

Determines the enemy's behavior and combat style.

Options:

• blocker - Static enemy, no special abilities
• shooter - Fires projectiles at the player
• runner - Chases and collides with the player
• boss - Special boss fight mechanics

Example:

Enemy Type: shooter

See Enemy Types section for detailed behavior descriptions.

Combat Stats

Damage Value

Field: explore-value
Type: Number

How much damage this enemy deals to the player.

Example:

Value: 10 (Low damage)
Value: 25 (Medium damage)
Value: 50 (High damage)

Balance Considerations:

• Compare to player health pool
• Consider enemy frequency in area
• Balance with weapon damage for combat duration

Health

Field: explore-health
Type: Number

How much damage the enemy can take before being defeated.

Example:

Health: 50 (Weak enemy)
Health: 100 (Standard enemy)
Health: 500 (Boss enemy)

Tips:

• Higher health = longer combat encounters
• Match health to enemy importance
• Boss enemies should have significantly more health

Movement Configuration

Enemies use the same movement system as NPCs.

Movement Speed

Field: explore-speed
Type: Number

How fast the enemy moves.

Example:

Speed: 50 (Slow, heavily armored)
Speed: 30 (Medium speed)
Speed: 20 (Fast, aggressive)

Gameplay Impact:

• Fast enemies are harder to avoid
• Slow enemies allow strategic positioning
• Match speed to enemy type (runner = fast, blocker = slow)

Wanderer Mode

Field: explore-wanderer
Type: Radio (yes or no)

Enable autonomous area exploration.

Behavior:

• Yes: Enemy roams freely, creating dynamic encounters
• No: Enemy follows defined path or stays stationary

Use Cases:

• Wandering: Patrol enemies, roaming creatures
• Static: Guard enemies, trap encounters

Walking Path

Field: explore-path
Type: Repeater (coordinate pairs)

Define a specific patrol route.

Example:

Point 1: Top: 2000, Left: 2500
Point 2: Top: 2000, Left: 3500
Point 3: Top: 2500, Left: 3500
Point 4: Top: 2500, Left: 2500

Strategy:

• Create patrol patterns players must navigate around
• Design paths that block important locations
• Consider timing and spacing for player dodging

Path Repeat

Field: explore-repeat
Type: Radio (yes or no)

Control if the enemy repeats their patrol path.

Example:

Repeat: yes (Continuous patrol)
Repeat: no (One-way patrol, stops at end)

Time Between Points

Field: explore-time-between
Type: Number
Unit: Milliseconds

Pause duration at each path point.

Example:

Time Between: 2000 (2 second pause)

Tactical Use:

• Brief pauses at corners (realistic patrol)
• Long pauses create windows for players to pass

Voice Configuration

Field: explore-voice
Type: Select (Google TTS voices)

Assign a voice for enemy dialogue or taunts in cutscenes.

Requirements:

• Google TTS API key in Global Options
• Typically used for boss enemies with dialogue

Example:

Voice: en-US-Wavenet-B (Menacing male voice)

Materialization System

Control when enemies appear in the game world.

Materialize After Cutscene

Field: explore-materialize-after-cutscene
Type: Select (list of cutscenes)

Enemy appears after a specific cutscene completes.

Example:

Materialize After Cutscene: alarm-triggered
(Enemies appear after alarm cutscene)

Materialize After Mission

Field: explore-materialize-after-mission
Type: Select (list of missions)

Enemy appears after a specific mission is completed.

Example:

Materialize After Mission: open-the-gate
(Enemy appears after gate opens)

Remove After Cutscene

Field: explore-remove-after-cutscene
Type: Select (list of cutscenes)

Enemy disappears after a cutscene.

Example:

Remove After Cutscene: peace-treaty
(Enemy leaves after story resolution)

Enemy Types

Blocker

Type: blocker

Static or patrolling enemies with no special abilities. Engage in melee combat when player approaches.

Behavior:

• Static item/enemy or can follow path / wanders (based on configuration)
• Does not attack

Best For:

• Guard enemies
• Obstacles that require combat to pass
• Low-level encounters

Example Configuration:

Enemy Type: blocker
Value: 10
Health: 75
Speed: 20
Wanderer: no
Path: [Guard post patrol pattern]

Shooter

Type: shooter

Ranged enemies that fire projectiles at the player.

Behavior:

• Maintains distance from player
• Fires projectiles periodically
• Can move while shooting
• Projectile damage uses explore-value

Best For:

• Ranged combat challenges
• Tower defense scenarios
• Forcing player movement

Tactical Considerations:

• Place in elevated positions or behind barriers
• Combine with blocker enemies for layered difficulty
• Projectile speed and damage balance is key

Example Configuration:

Enemy Type: shooter
Value: 15
Health: 60
Speed: 20
Wanderer: no
(Shooter AI automatically handles projectile firing)

Runner

Type: runner

Aggressive enemies that chase the player and deal damage on collision.

Behavior:

• Actively pursues the player
• Deals damage when colliding with player
• Fast movement speed
• High aggression range

Best For:

• Chase sequences
• Creating pressure and urgency
• Forcing players to keep moving

Gameplay Impact:

• High speed makes them hard to escape
• Encourage dodging over direct combat
• Excellent for creating tension

Example Configuration:

Enemy Type: runner
Value: 20
Health: 40
Speed: 10
Wanderer: yes
(Runner AI automatically chases player when in range)

Boss

Type: boss

Special enemies with boss fight mechanics, typically triggered by cutscenes.

Behavior:

• Must be triggered by a cutscene (see explore-cutscene-boss)
• Support for multi-phase fights
• Higher health pools
• Often combined with projectile or chase mechanics

Best For:

• End-of-level encounters
• Major story battles
• Gating progression

Boss Fight Setup:

1. Create boss enemy with type "boss"
2. Create cutscene that triggers the boss
3. Set cutscene's explore-cutscene-boss field to this boss
4. Player completes cutscene, boss fight begins

Example Configuration:

Enemy Type: boss
Value: 30
Health: 500
Speed: 30
Voice: en-US-Wavenet-B

(Triggered by cutscene: "boss-intro")

See Boss Fights section for detailed setup.

Boss Fights

Boss fights are special encounters triggered by cutscenes.

Boss Fight Flow

sequenceDiagram
    participant Player
    participant Cutscene
    participant Boss

    Player->>Cutscene: Trigger boss intro cutscene
    Cutscene->>Player: Play dialogue/story
    Cutscene->>Boss: Activate boss enemy
    Boss->>Player: Begin combat
    Player->>Boss: Deal damage
    Boss->>Player: Deal damage
    Player->>Boss: Defeat
    Boss->>Player: Mission complete (if tied to mission)

Setting Up a Boss Fight

Step 1: Create the Boss Enemy

Title: Shadow Lord
Enemy Type: boss
Value: 35
Health: 800
Speed: 30
Voice: en-US-Wavenet-B (for boss dialogue)

Area: throne-room
Top: 1500
Left: 2500
Height: 150
Width: 120

Step 2: Create Boss Intro Cutscene

Title: Shadow Lord Confrontation
Area: throne-room

Cutscene Trigger: (Position near throne)
Trigger Type: auto

Cutscene Boss: shadow-lord (select the boss enemy)

(Add dialogue content in the post content area)

Step 3: Optional Mission Integration

Link a mission to the boss:

Mission Title: Defeat the Shadow Lord
Trigger Enemy: shadow-lord
(Mission completes when boss is defeated)

Boss Fight Phases

For multi-phase boss fights:

1. Create multiple boss enemies with different stats
2. Use cutscenes between phases
3. Remove defeated phase, materialize next phase
4. Each phase can have different behavior types

Example Multi-Phase Boss:

Phase 1: shadow-lord-phase-1 (Type: blocker)
Phase 2: shadow-lord-phase-2 (Type: shooter)
Phase 3: shadow-lord-phase-3 (Type: runner)

AI Behaviors

Static Enemies

No movement configuration needed.

Setup:

Wanderer: no
Path: (empty)

Use Cases:

• Turrets
• Trapped enemies
• Guard posts

Patrol Enemies

Follow defined paths.

Setup:

Wanderer: no
Path: [multiple points]
Repeat: yes
Speed: 20

Strategy:

• Create predictable patterns players can learn
• Add brief pauses for realism
• Position patrols to block important paths

Roaming Enemies

Wander freely throughout the area.

Setup:

Wanderer: yes
Path: (empty)
Speed: 20

Gameplay:

• Unpredictable encounters
• Dynamic difficulty
• Requires player awareness

Aggressive Chase

For runner-type enemies that actively pursue the player.

Setup:

Enemy Type: runner
Wanderer: yes
Speed: 50

Behavior:

• Detects player within aggro range
• Chases until player escapes or enemy is defeated
• Creates high-pressure situations

Best Practices

Balance and Difficulty

Health Pool Ratios:

Early game: 50-100 health
Mid game: 100-200 health
Late game: 200-400 health
Boss: 500+ health

Damage Balance:

Player health: 100 (typical)
Weak enemy damage: 5-10
Standard enemy damage: 15-25
Boss damage: 30-50

Combat Duration:

• Weak enemies: 2-4 hits to defeat
• Standard enemies: 5-10 hits
• Bosses: 15-30 hits

Enemy Placement

Density:

• Don't overwhelm players with too many enemies
• Leave safe spaces for players to recover
• Scale enemy count with area size

Positioning:

• Place enemies guarding valuable items
• Use line-of-sight to create surprise encounters
• Position shooters behind blockers

Variety:

• Mix enemy types in same area
• Combine static and mobile enemies
• Force players to adapt strategies

Visual Design

Sprite Clarity:

• Enemies should be visually distinct from friendly NPCs
• Use color schemes that indicate threat (red, dark colors)
• Make boss enemies noticeably larger

Animation:

• Attack animations should clearly telegraph damage
• Movement animations should indicate speed
• Death animations provide satisfying feedback

Performance

Optimization:

• Limit active enemies in player's vicinity
• Despawn enemies far from player
• Use sprite sheets for efficient loading

Examples

Example 1: Basic Guard Enemy

Title: Castle Guard
Slug: castle-guard-enemy

Enemy Type: blocker
Area: castle-entrance
Top: 2000
Left: 2500
Height: 110
Width: 90

Value: 15
Health: 100
Speed: 20

Path:
  Point 1: Top: 2000, Left: 2500
  Point 2: Top: 2000, Left: 3500
Repeat: yes
Time Between: 3000

Example 2: Aggressive Runner

Title: Shadow Beast
Slug: shadow-beast

Enemy Type: runner
Area: dark-forest
Top: 1500
Left: 1800
Height: 130
Width: 110

Value: 25
Health: 80
Speed: 10

Wanderer: yes

Example 3: Ranged Shooter

Title: Turret Drone
Slug: turret-drone

Enemy Type: shooter
Area: security-zone
Top: 2200
Left: 3000
Height: 100
Width: 100

Value: 20
Health: 150
Speed: 0

Wanderer: no
Path: (empty - stays stationary)

Example 4: Multi-Phase Boss

Phase 1:
Title: Dragon Lord - Phase 1
Enemy Type: blocker
Value: 30
Health: 400
Speed: 2

Phase 2 (materializes after Phase 1 defeated):
Title: Dragon Lord - Phase 2
Enemy Type: shooter
Value: 35
Health: 400
Speed: 3
Materialize After Mission: defeat-dragon-phase-1

Phase 3:
Title: Dragon Lord - Final Form
Enemy Type: runner
Value: 40
Health: 500
Speed: 4
Materialize After Mission: defeat-dragon-phase-2

Related Documentation

• Characters - Shared configuration with enemies
• Weapons - Combat system
• Missions - Enemy defeat objectives
• Cutscenes - Boss fight triggers
• Developer Mode - Visual enemy positioning