Combat architecture for Unreal Engine

Hitboxes, i-frames, input buffering, damage, enemies that decide when to dodge. One system at a time, with the code.
More about Quod Soler

I'm Quod Soler, Lead Gameplay Programmer on Lords of the Fallen ( Hexworks ). I've shipped eleven games. Here I take the combat systems I build on top of the Gameplay Ability System ( GAS ) and explain how each one works, with the code. Plus the engine work that surrounds it. More about me →

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Dashes and Knockbacks with Root Motion Sources

Dashes and Knockbacks with Root Motion Sources

No root motion in the clip. The task builds the motion from plain numbers and hands it to the movement component, the animation is just cosmetic.
PlayMontageAndWait in GAS: Montage Replication

PlayMontageAndWait in GAS: Montage Replication

Montage_Play works on your screen and nowhere else. The ASC is the one that tells everybody else.
How Enemies Decide to Dodge

How Enemies Decide to Dodge

Dodge chance is a GAS attribute, pressure is a stacking effect on top of it, and the AI simply rolls dice.
Building Souls-Style Input Buffering on Top of GAS

Building Souls-Style Input Buffering on Top of GAS

A buffered press is simply a struct, a gate tag and one drain function that an anim notify state calls.
MMCs and Executions in GAS: Count the Outputs, Not the Inputs

MMCs and Executions in GAS: Count the Outputs, Not the Inputs

If only one number changes you want an MMC, no matter how complex the formula. Only a hit that writes many attributes needs an execution.
Dodge i-Frames with GAS: Anim Notify Windows and Perfect Dodges

Dodge i-Frames with GAS: Anim Notify Windows and Perfect Dodges

The dodge ability grants no invulnerability at all. A notify on the montage does it, and you get perfect dodges almost for free.
Hitbox Rank and Group: Sweetspots Without Scripting

Hitbox Rank and Group: Sweetspots Without Scripting

A sweetspot is simply one extra capsule and one integer. How rank and group IDs decide which hitbox wins.
Unreal Engine Gameplay Ability System (GAS): Introduction

Unreal Engine Gameplay Ability System (GAS): Introduction

The six pieces of GAS, how one attack flows through them, and three rules that prevent most GAS bugs.
GiveAbilityAndActivateOnce: One-Shot Abilities Without the Cleanup

GiveAbilityAndActivateOnce: One-Shot Abilities Without the Cleanup

Grant an ability, activate it once, and let GAS remove the spec by itself.
How to Increase FPS in Unreal Engine 5

How to Increase FPS in Unreal Engine 5

Turn off the heavy features and push UE5 past 1000 FPS.
Best Udemy Unreal Engine Courses: Blueprint, C++ and Gameplay Abilities

Best Udemy Unreal Engine Courses: Blueprint, C++ and Gameplay Abilities

Learn Unreal Engine fast!
UE5 Gameplay Effect Components: Setup and Stacking

UE5 Gameplay Effect Components: Setup and Stacking

The built-in Gameplay Effect Components, plus how duration and stacking work.
How to Fix Crashes in Unreal Engine 5 Games on Intel i7-13700K and i9-13900K Series

How to Fix Crashes in Unreal Engine 5 Games on Intel i7-13700K and i9-13900K Series

The fix for those Intel CPU crashes, step by step.
10 GAS Ability Tasks: PlayMontageAndWait and More

10 GAS Ability Tasks: PlayMontageAndWait and More

Don't wait a Delay to Play your Montages, use Gameplay Ability Tasks
UE5 Level Instances: Loading Levels in Blueprint and C++

UE5 Level Instances: Loading Levels in Blueprint and C++

Create the Procedural World of your Dreams
Learning about Ability Instancing Policy in GAS

Learning about Ability Instancing Policy in GAS

So many instancing types!
Top Games Like The Exit 8 for Observation Horror Fans

Top Games Like The Exit 8 for Observation Horror Fans

Make sure to not miss any anomaly
Palworld Launch Analysis: A Deep Dive into Follower and Wishlist Impact on Game Success

Palworld Launch Analysis: A Deep Dive into Follower and Wishlist Impact on Game Success

Predicting Steam game sales is hard.
UE5 Save Game System in Blueprint: A Simple Setup

UE5 Save Game System in Blueprint: A Simple Setup

Saving data has never been easier in Unreal
10 Games Made With Unreal Engine 5

10 Games Made With Unreal Engine 5

What Games use Unreal Engine 5? These ones.
Best Unreal Engine Plugins to speed up your Development Time

Best Unreal Engine Plugins to speed up your Development Time

Plugins that save you real development time.
I Made a Steam Game in 60 Hours with Unreal Blueprints

I Made a Steam Game in 60 Hours with Unreal Blueprints

The Power of Blueprints for fast iteration
Gameplay Effect Duration in GAS: Policies and Period

Gameplay Effect Duration in GAS: Policies and Period

Instant vs Has Duration vs Infinite
Motion Warping in UE5: Blueprint Setup and Fixes

Motion Warping in UE5: Blueprint Setup and Fixes

Are we suddenly playing Kingdom Hearts!!??
Crafting Dynamic Poison & Antidote Mechanics with Unreal Engine 5.3 Modular Gameplay Effects

Crafting Dynamic Poison & Antidote Mechanics with Unreal Engine 5.3 Modular Gameplay Effects

Create the definitive poison swamp that every souls-like needs!
UE5 IK Retargeting: Set Up an IK Rig and IK Retargeter

UE5 IK Retargeting: Set Up an IK Rig and IK Retargeter

Learn how to use the IK Retargeting system in Unreal to share animations between characters.
How to create an Unreal Engine Plugin: A Step-By-Step Guide with Examples

How to create an Unreal Engine Plugin: A Step-By-Step Guide with Examples

Roll your own Unreal Engine plugin, module and all.
Unreal Engine Component Visualizers: FComponentVisualizer

Unreal Engine Component Visualizers: FComponentVisualizer

Learn how to improve in-editor debugging and speed-up your development.
GAS Attribute Sets: Create Attributes in Unreal Engine

GAS Attribute Sets: Create Attributes in Unreal Engine

Gameplay Ability System Documentation on how to create Attribute Sets to hold your character stats
Hard and Soft Object References in UE5

Hard and Soft Object References in UE5

Learn the differences between Hard and Soft references in Unreal Engine
UE5 Data Tables: Create and Read Rows in Blueprint and C++

UE5 Data Tables: Create and Read Rows in Blueprint and C++

DataTables store static data and then it can be consulted at runtime.
Intro to Unreal Procedural Content Generation Framework

Intro to Unreal Procedural Content Generation Framework

Learn the basics of the new Unreal 5.2 way to create procedural content in a visual scripted way
Customize your Unreal Class Icons

Customize your Unreal Class Icons

Make Unreal Engine look fabulous!
Unreal GAS Documentation: Guides, Talks and Source Code

Unreal GAS Documentation: Guides, Talks and Source Code

Unreal Gameplay Ability System is not well documented. Here are some useful resources for GAS.
UE5 Gameplay Tags: Store and Query Game State

UE5 Gameplay Tags: Store and Query Game State

Storing state in Gameplay Tags makes it easier to store state and create interesting gameplay
The Modular Level Design of Fallout 4

The Modular Level Design of Fallout 4

Creating modular levels requires good thinking. Here is how Bethesda did it.
Complex Character Interactions in Shadow of War

Complex Character Interactions in Shadow of War

How the takedowns and finishers stay in sync.
Prototyping in Horizon Zero Dawn

Prototyping in Horizon Zero Dawn

Prototype fast, keep what works, ditch the rest.
How Game Designers need to validate their ideas

How Game Designers need to validate their ideas

Two years out, testers called Horizon 'beyond disappointing'.