MAG combat experiments
Recorded fights using the game's real AI, movement and combat. Fixed positions and seed 42; each replay describes its equipment. Open a replay to play, pause or scrub both encounters.
Melee fighters use carried bandages, drink emergency potions, and commit to healing retreats. They circle near the fight while recovering; exhausted supplies mean a longer escape. This version gives each fighter two healing potions alongside the existing ten bandages.
| Group fight | Contact tuning | Survival |
|---|
| Fighters surviving | 1 | 2 |
| Fight duration | 14.73 s | 20.78 s |
| Fighter 2 | Dies | One retreat, two wraps, one potion |
Watch Fighter 2 from about 5 seconds: it creates space, keeps moving when pursued, heals, then returns. Fighter 1 stays in the fight. The solo encounter still ends at 8.68 seconds without a retreat.
When a melee NPC's adjacent target is blocked, it can engage another enemy it can already strike. Reachable targets stay locked; taunts and retaliation retain priority.
| Group fight | Baseline | Tuned |
|---|
| Zombie 3 moving | 5.10 s | 2.27 s |
| Zombie 3 holding in combat | 9.00 s | 12.45 s |
| Fighters surviving | 2 | 1 |
The solo fight is unchanged. The group fight becomes more dangerous: Fighter 2 dies before Fighter 1 defeats the last zombie. No damage, armor or healing rules changed.
One equipped fighter versus one zombie, and two fighters versus three zombies. Watch Zombie 3 circle the crowded fight while holding its original target.
These are open-ground combat tests, without town routines. Movement totals stop at team defeat. These captures illustrate one deterministic seed; they are not a balance verdict.