Create a Beat 'em up game in Godot! (Part 06/20: Damaging Enemies)

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to enhance your beat 'em up game in Godot by implementing enemy damage mechanics and new player attack abilities. This guide continues from Episode 05 of the series, focusing on creating a more dynamic gameplay experience as enemies react to player's attacks.

Step 1: Set Up Enemy Damage System

To allow enemies to take damage from player attacks, you need to implement a few core mechanics.

1. Create a Damage Function

   • In your enemy script, define a function to handle damage.
   • Consider the following code snippet for the damage function:

   func take_damage(amount):
       health -= amount
       if health <= 0:
           die()
   

   • This function decreases the enemy's health by the damage amount and checks if the enemy should die.

2. Connect Player Attacks to Enemy Damage

   • Ensure your player attack script calls the enemy's damage function when an attack hits.
   • You can use signals to manage interactions between player and enemies effectively.

3. Check for Collisions

   • Implement collision detection in your player attack area to trigger the damage function on the enemy.
   • Use Godot’s built-in physics engine to manage interactions.

Step 2: Implement Enemy Knockback Effect

Once the damage system is established, you can add a knockback effect when an enemy is hit.

1. Calculate Knockback Direction

   • Determine the direction of the knockback based on the player's position relative to the enemy. Use vectors to calculate this.

   var knockback_vector = (enemy.position - player.position).normalized() * knockback_strength
   

2. Apply Knockback

   • Modify the enemy's velocity or position to simulate the knockback effect. This can be done in the enemy's script.

   velocity += knockback_vector
   

3. Smooth Out the Effect

   • Adjust the knockback to ensure it looks realistic. You may want to use interpolation or easing functions to smooth out the motion.

Step 3: Create New Attack Abilities

To diversify gameplay, introduce new attack abilities for the player.

1. Define Attack Types

   • Add new abilities in your player script, such as a power attack or a combo attack. Each should have distinct animations and effects.

2. Implement Attack Logic

   • For example, a power attack might have a longer cooldown but deal more damage. Here’s a basic structure:

   func power_attack():
       if cooldown_timer <= 0:
           perform_attack(damage_amount * 2)
           cooldown_timer = power_attack_cooldown
   

3. Animate New Attacks

   • Ensure each attack has an appropriate animation linked in the AnimationPlayer node. This enhances visual feedback for players.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to set up a damage system for enemies, implement knockback effects, and introduce new player attack abilities in your Godot beat 'em up game. These features not only add depth to gameplay but also engage players more effectively.

For the next steps, consider refining your combat mechanics, adding sound effects, and playtesting with different enemy types to further enhance your game. Happy game developing!