Connected Games Blog – Week 2 (Continued): Expanding Combat Systems

Implementing Weapon Mechanics

With health systems in place, I focused on developing core combat mechanics. To support diverse playstyles, I created a modular playerShooter script that allows players to switch between pistol, shotgun, and rifle weapon types. Each weapon has unique fire rates, projectile patterns, and cooldowns.

*Above is the core implementation of the* playerShooter *script:*

Projectile Lifetime and Damage

Projectiles require careful network synchronization. I implemented a ProjectileCode class that automatically despawns after 2 seconds and handles damage calculation on enemy collision:

*Above is the core implementation of the* ProjectileCode *script:*

Loot System with Rarity Scaling

To support roguelike progression, I created an RNGSystem that generates randomized weapons with rarity-based stat scaling:

*Above is the core implementation of the* RNGSystem *script:*

Enemy AI and Navigation

Enemies use Unity’s NavMesh to pathfind toward the nearest player. The EnemyScript includes XP rewards and loot dropping functionality:

*Above is the core implementation of the* EnemyScript *script:*

Design Thinking

Combat Flow Design:

Weapon Differentiation: Shotguns reward positioning, rifles enable sustained fire, pistols offer precision
Risk vs Reward: High-damage enemies require teamwork to defeat but drop better loot
Network Optimization: Projectile collision is authority-managed to prevent cheating

Technical Considerations:

Separated visual effects from network-critical code to maintain performance

Used Fusion’s TickTimer for framerate-independent cooldowns

Implemented object pooling for projectiles to reduce GC pressure

Reflection and Next Steps

Progress:

Established core combat loop (shoot → loot → upgrade)
Validated networked weapon behavior with 3 distinct types
Implemented basic enemy AI that scales to 4 players

Immediate Challenges:

Optimizing NavMesh recalculation for large enemy counts

Balancing weapon stats across different rarities

Preventing projectile collision false positives in crowded battles

References

Unity Technologies. (2024). Rigidbody Physics System. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/class-Rigidbody.html

Unity Technologies. (2025). NavMesh Agent Documentation. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/nav-AgentTypes.html

Photon Engine. (2025). Networked Object Pooling Best Practices. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://doc.photonengine.com/fusion/current/manual/network-objects

ShareX Team. (2025). ShareX: Free and Open Source Screenshot Tool for Windows. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://getsharex.com

Imgur. (2025). Online Image Sharing and Hosting Service. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from https://imgur.com