2D Platformer – Enemy AI System

Overview

The Enemy AI System introduces dynamic challenges to the player.
Enemies patrol, chase, and jump toward the player using raycasts to detect the environment and react intelligently.
They deal damage on contact, take damage from the player’s attacks, and drop loot items when defeated.

The system includes health handling, visual feedback (sprite flashing on damage), and configurable loot tables with rarity percentages.
This makes enemies feel alive, responsive, and rewarding to defeat.

Development & Behavior

Chasing: Enemies detect the player’s horizontal position and move toward them using directional velocity.
Jumping: Raycasts check for obstacles, gaps, and platforms above. If blocked, enemies jump toward the player with calculated force.
Ground Detection: Physics2D.Raycast ensures enemies only chase and jump when grounded.
Damage System:
- Player contact inflicts damage.
- Enemies flash white briefly when hit, then return to their original color.
Health: Configurable maxHealth and currentHealth ensure scalable difficulty.
Loot Drop: Randomized loot table determines if gems, health, or boosts drop upon death.
Sound & Feedback: Integrated with SoundEffectManager to trigger hit sounds.

Visual Evolution — Before vs After

Early Prototype

The early enemy used placeholder sprites with minimal animation. Movement was rigid, and there was little feedback when taking damage. Loot drop visuals were basic and lacked variation.

Polished Build

The final version features stylized pixel art enemies, smooth chase and jump behaviors, flashing feedback when damaged, and visually distinct loot drops.
Combined with refined animations, they feel integrated into the polished world.