I was looking at the stats on an Elden Ring enemy and discovered a cool design resource: a combo chart, basically a State Diagram of enemy movesets ⚔
State Diagrams are a game design staple. We use them for all kinds of things, from showcasing a games skill progression to mapping out the growable plants in a gardening system to displaying a games hub world and which levels the player can access when. (I’m curious, what else have you seen them used for?)
They’re a great tool for visually mapping out a complex system and getting a gut check on how it will work. Additionally, they’re excellent for communicating between team members, making it extremely clear what needs to be created. 🗺
All that said, I’ve never seen one used to document the movements, and even more so how the moves are capable of flowing from one to the other, in a fighting-heavy game like Elden Ring.
So cool! Have you seen something like this before? And I’m curious, what might you use a State Diagram for in your own games? And DEFINITELY share if you have already made one!! ✨
