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Creating enemy death and disappearing mechanics in top-down games

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CC

CombatCoder_Pro

Posted on January 24, 2024 • Intermediate

⚔️ Can’t make enemies die/disappear in my top-down sword fighting game!

Hey everyone! I’m working on a top-down sword fighting game and I’m having trouble making enemies disappear when they get hit by the player’s weapon.

The issues I’m facing:

  • Enemies don’t disappear when touched by the sword
  • Sometimes all enemies disappear at once
  • Collision detection seems inconsistent
  • Want to add death animations and effects

I’m using clones for the enemies. Any help would be amazing! 🙏

GM

GameMechanics_Expert

Replied 1 hour later • ⭐ Best Answer

I know exactly what you’re dealing with @CombatCoder_Pro! Enemy death mechanics can be tricky. Here’s the complete solution:

⚔️ Enemy Death System Architecture

Here’s how a proper enemy death system works:

flowchart TD A[🚩 Enemy Clone Created] --> B[📊 Initialize Enemy Variables] B --> C[🔄 Enemy Main Loop] C --> D[🎯 Enemy AI Behavior] D --> E[🔍 Check Player Collision] E --> F{⚔️ Hit by Weapon?} F -->|No| G[🏃 Continue Normal Behavior] F -->|Yes| H[💥 Take Damage] H --> I[📊 Reduce Health] I --> J{💀 Health <= 0?} J -->|No| K[🩸 Show Damage Effect] J -->|Yes| L[💀 Start Death Sequence] K --> M[⏱️ Brief Invincibility] M --> N[🔄 Return to Main Loop] N --> C L --> O[🔊 Play Death Sound] O --> P[🎭 Play Death Animation] P --> Q[✨ Spawn Death Effects] Q --> R[💰 Drop Items/Score] R --> S[📊 Update Game Stats] S --> T[🗑️ Delete This Clone] G --> U[🎯 Move Towards Player] U --> V[⚔️ Attack if Close] V --> W[⏱️ Wait Next Frame] W --> C subgraph "Enemy Variables" X["❤️ Health Points"] Y["⚔️ Attack Power"] Z["🛡️ Invincibility Timer"] AA["💀 Is Dead (Boolean)"] BB["🎯 Target Player"] end subgraph "Death Effects" CC["💥 Explosion Animation"] DD["🔊 Death Sound"] EE["💰 Coin Drop"] FF["⭐ Score Points"] GG["🩸 Blood Particles"] end style A fill:#e1f5fe style H fill:#ffebee style L fill:#ffcdd2 style T fill:#c8e6c9 style Q fill:#fff3e0

🎯 Problem Analysis

The main issues are usually:

  • Broadcast messages affecting all clones instead of just one
  • Collision detection happening too frequently
  • Missing proper clone identification

✅ Proper Enemy Death System

Here’s the correct way to handle enemy deaths:

Method 1: Direct Clone Detection (Recommended)

    // Enemy clone code
when I start as a clone
set [enemy_health v] to [3]
set [enemy_id v] to (pick random [1000] to [9999])
forever
// Enemy AI and movement
move [2] steps
if on edge, bounce

// Check for weapon collision
if <touching [weapon v]?> then
if <(weapon_active) = [1]> then
change [enemy_health v] by [-1]
set [weapon_active v] to [0] // Prevent multiple hits

// Visual feedback
set [color v] effect to [25]
wait [0.1] seconds
set [color v] effect to [0]

// Check if dead
if <(enemy_health) < [1]> then
// Death animation
repeat [5]
change [ghost v] effect by [20]
change size by [-10]
wait [0.1] seconds
end

// Drop items or add score
change [score v] by [10]

delete this clone
end
end
end
end

Weapon Sprite Code:

    // Weapon sprite
when flag clicked
set [weapon_active v] to [0]
forever
// Follow player or mouse
go to [mouse-pointer v]

// Attack on click
if <mouse down?> then
if <(weapon_active) = [0]> then
set [weapon_active v] to [1]

// Attack animation
repeat [3]
turn right [30] degrees
wait [0.05] seconds
end
turn right [-90] degrees

wait [0.3] seconds
set [weapon_active v] to [0]
end
end
end

🚀 Advanced Enemy System

For more sophisticated combat:

    // Advanced enemy with different types
when I start as a clone
set [enemy_type v] to (pick random [1] to [3])

if <(enemy_type) = [1]> then
// Fast enemy
set [enemy_health v] to [1]
set [enemy_speed v] to [4]
switch costume to [fast_enemy v]
else
if <(enemy_type) = [2]> then
// Tank enemy
set [enemy_health v] to [5]
set [enemy_speed v] to [1]
switch costume to [tank_enemy v]
else
// Normal enemy
set [enemy_health v] to [3]
set [enemy_speed v] to [2]
switch costume to [normal_enemy v]
end
end

forever
// AI behavior based on type
if <(enemy_type) = [1]> then
point towards [player v]
move (enemy_speed) steps
else
if <(enemy_type) = [2]> then
// Tank moves slowly but shoots
move (enemy_speed) steps
if <(timer) mod [60] = [0]> then
create clone of [enemy_bullet v]
end
else
// Normal enemy wanders
move (enemy_speed) steps
if <(pick random [1] to [30]) = [1]> then
turn right (pick random [-45] to [45]) degrees
end
end
end

// Universal collision check
if <touching [weapon v]?> then
if <(weapon_active) = [1]> then
// Damage calculation
set [damage v] to [1]
if <(enemy_type) = [1]> then
set [damage v] to [2] // Fast enemies take more damage
end

change [enemy_health v] by (0 - (damage))

// Knockback effect
point away from [weapon v]
repeat [5]
move [3] steps
wait [0.02] seconds
end

if <(enemy_health) < [1]> then
// Different death effects per type
if <(enemy_type) = [1]> then
// Fast enemy explodes
repeat [8]
create clone of [particle v]
end
else
if <(enemy_type) = [2]> then
// Tank enemy drops power-up
create clone of [power_up v]
end
end

delete this clone
end
end
end
end

💥 Adding Visual Effects

Make deaths more satisfying:

    // Particle effect for enemy death
when I start as a clone
set [particle_speed v] to (pick random [3] to [8])
point in direction (pick random [1] to [360])
set size to (pick random [20] to [50])%
set [color v] effect to (pick random [0] to [100])

repeat [15]
move (particle_speed) steps
change [particle_speed v] by [-0.3]
change [ghost v] effect by [7]
turn right [5] degrees
end

delete this clone

// Screen shake effect
define screen_shake
repeat [5]
change x by (pick random [-3] to [3])
change y by (pick random [-3] to [3])
wait [0.05] seconds
end
go to x: [0] y: [0]

🛡️ Preventing Common Issues

Important tips to avoid problems:

  • Use weapon_active variable to prevent multiple hits per attack
  • Give each clone a unique ID if you need to target specific enemies
  • Use “delete this clone” not broadcasts for individual deaths
  • Add invincibility frames after taking damage
  • Test collision detection with different sprite sizes

This system will give you reliable, satisfying enemy death mechanics! ⚔️

CC

CombatCoder_Pro

Replied 25 minutes later

@GameMechanics_Expert This is incredible! 🤩 The enemy death system works perfectly now and the visual effects are amazing!

One question - how can I make enemies drop different items based on their type when they die?

LD

LootDesigner_Sam

Replied 45 minutes later

@CombatCoder_Pro Great question! Here’s how to create a smart loot system:

    // Loot drop system
define drop_loot (enemy_type) (x_pos) (y_pos)
if <(enemy_type) = [1]> then
// Fast enemy drops coins
if <(pick random [1] to [100]) < [80]> then
create clone of [coin v]
set [drop_x v] to (x_pos)
set [drop_y v] to (y_pos)
end
else
if <(enemy_type) = [2]> then
// Tank enemy drops rare items
if <(pick random [1] to [100]) < [30]> then
create clone of [rare_gem v]
set [drop_x v] to (x_pos)
set [drop_y v] to (y_pos)
else
if <(pick random [1] to [100]) < [60]> then
create clone of [health_potion v]
set [drop_x v] to (x_pos)
set [drop_y v] to (y_pos)
end
end
else
// Normal enemy drops common items
if <(pick random [1] to [100]) < [50]> then
create clone of [small_coin v]
set [drop_x v] to (x_pos)
set [drop_y v] to (y_pos)
end
end
end

// Call this before deleting enemy clone
drop_loot (enemy_type) (x position) (y position)
delete this clone

This creates a realistic loot system where different enemies drop appropriate rewards! 💎

AI

AIExpert_Luna

Replied 1 hour later

Excellent work everyone! 🎮 Here are some advanced tips for even better enemy systems:

  • Boss enemies: Multiple phases with different attack patterns
  • Enemy formations: Groups that work together
  • Adaptive difficulty: Enemies get stronger as player progresses
  • Status effects: Poison, freeze, stun mechanics
  • Smart AI: Enemies that learn player patterns

Remember to balance challenge with fun - players should feel accomplished when defeating enemies!

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🚀 Master Combat Game Development!

Amazing discussion everyone! For those looking to create even more advanced combat systems, our community can help you implement:

  • ⚔️ Complex weapon systems and combos
  • 🤖 Advanced enemy AI behaviors
  • 🎯 Precise hitbox and collision systems
  • 🎨 Professional combat animations

📚 Related Topics

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