Combat System

Canonical GDD content

Combat is balanced gun + melee — [CONFIRMED]. Both are first-class; the player constantly switches based on ammo, range, and threat. All combat is server-authoritative.

Camera & aiming

• Third-person over-shoulder with three aim modes (see 02-Player-Character.md): HipRelaxed (weapon down), ShoulderAim (hold), ADS (toggle).
• Spread, movement speed penalty, and camera interp all key off replicated aim mode (ULambeerAimComponent).

• [RECOMMENDATION] subtle aim assist for controller in ShoulderAim/ADS only; mouse is raw.

Gunplay

Firing model — [RECOMMENDATION]

• Hitscan for most firearms in v1 (simpler, cheaper to network, fine at our ranges).
• Projectile/ballistics (bullet drop, travel time) reserved for long-range weapons (e.g., sniper) or a later phase. Decide per-weapon via a data field, not hard-coded.

Per-weapon data (data-driven)

Each firearm is defined by a DataAsset/DataTable row, not a unique class. Fields:

Damage & hit zones

• Locational damage: headshot multiplier, limb multipliers.
• Zombies have weak points (e.g., head); some boss zombies have armor/weak-point mechanics. See ../03-Enemies/01-Zombie-Design.md.

Recoil & feedback

• Deterministic recoil pattern + small random bloom; recoil recovers when not firing.
• Strong hit feedback: hitmarkers, impact VFX/decals, world blood splatter, audio. Feedback quality is a pillar (readable combat). Persistent stains on gear/bodies and the local HUD blood overlay are specified in 10-Blood-Visual.md — visual only; gameplay effects [TBD].

Melee

• Light attack, heavy attack, block/parry [RECOMMENDATION], shove/kick to create space.
• Stamina-gated: attacks and blocks cost stamina.
• Melee matters because ammo is scarce (full-loot economy) — it's the reliable fallback, not a last resort.
• Melee weapons are also data-driven (damage, speed, stamina cost, durability).
• Successful melee hits that deal damage to living targets stain the striking item (or fists/gloves/shoes) and the victim. See 10-Blood-Visual.md.

Ammo, magazines & durability

• Ammo is a crafted/looted item with weight; ammo scarcity drives the gun↔melee balance.
• Magazines are items that hold ammo (Tarkov-like). The player loads ammo into a mag, then installs the mag. Magazines do not stack; partial fills persist; mixed compatible ammo types in one mag are allowed. The firearm has a chambered round separate from the mag, plus check / charge / bolt-release handling. Full rules: 09-Weapon-Customization.md.
• Durability on firearms and tools is [CONFIRMED]. Use reduces durability. There is no dirt system. Repair uses a gun repair kit and/or salvaged family parts (e.g. AR → AR parts). See 09-Weapon-Customization.md. Blood stains: 10-Blood-Visual.md.

Networking notes

• Server is authoritative for damage, ammo, and hit validation.
• Client-side prediction for responsiveness (firing feedback) with server reconciliation.
• [RISK] lag compensation / hit registration for ~40–60 players is non-trivial; budget time for it. See ../04-Multiplayer/01-Network-Architecture.md.
• Anti-cheat sensitive: never trust client-reported hits/damage. [TBD] anti-cheat solution.

Implementation guidance

• UCombatComponent on the character orchestrates firing/melee; weapon behavior driven by weapon data + a weapon actor/instance (including chamber, mag, and replicated attachments).
• Back weapon slots 1–2 (inventory UI) are the holstered firearm/melee on the character back. Drawing them into hands is [TBD] (binds and combat component).
• [RECOMMENDATION] model damage, health, stamina, and buffs through GAS (GameplayEffects for damage and status), which cleanly supports the boss permanent-buff system. See 07-Crafting-and-Progression.md and ../05-Technical/01-Tech-Stack-and-Engine.md.