STATE MACHINE AI

Understand why state machines are ideal for game AI and visualize the enemy AI state diagram.

Configure a Godot 4.x project for 3D AI development and build the enemy CharacterBody3D scene.

Design a reusable base class for all AI states with lifecycle methods and exports.

Create the central state machine controller with automatic state discovery and transitions.

Create a context-aware idle state with variable durations and wander probability.

Implement random wandering with home-point tethering and smooth rotation.

Build the check_transitions() decision system with distance-based state changes.

Create smooth player pursuit with look-at rotation and approach deceleration.

Create attack state with dynamic animation selection and position locking.

Create tactical retreat behavior after attacks with intelligent follow-up selection.

Implement circular movement around the player using trigonometry for orbit positioning.

Detect when player is rushing toward the enemy and implement reactive attack behavior.

Create hitstun state with directional knockback and hit animation cycling.

Track consecutive hits for combo counting and implement knockback force scaling.

Build the take_damage() function and connect hitbox signals to the damage system.

Create death state with visual effects, object spawning, and proper cleanup.

Implement position correction after move_and_slide() to prevent unwanted pushing.

Trigger particle effects on hit and add debug visualization for state transitions.

Add new states without modifying existing code and create enemy variants.

Understand performance impact, cache expensive calculations, and optimize groups.

Hook everything together and build a smoke test to verify all states work.

Review your finished system and explore advanced AI patterns.