I was responsible for the entire enemy system and AI architecture in The Negative Edge, developing all the code. Starting from scratch in C++, I structured three base classes (enemy, controller), which I then specialized into four unique enemy types, each with distinct behaviors and attack strategies:

• Melee: Sword-wielding enemies that aggressively pursue and attack the player up close.
• Ranged: Keep their distance and shoot at the player from afar.
• Explosive: Charge towards the player and explode, requiring quick reactions to avoid damage.
• Agile Flying: Highly mobile aerial units that can activate special totems, making all other enemies invulnerable until the totem is destroyed.

To manage the intensity and pacing of the gameplay, I developed a custom wave system for the arenas, handling the logic for enemy spawning, progression, and increasing difficulty.

• Wave System: Designed and implemented a robust wave-based spawning system that controls enemy numbers, types, and progression, adapting the challenge dynamically as the player advances.
• Pending Attack System: Created a custom system to manage how many enemies can attack the player simultaneously, ensuring combat remains challenging but fair.
• General EQS (Environmental Query System): Developed a global EQS manager for enemy AI, controlling movement points, attack positions, and adaptive tactics for all enemy types.
• Zone & Area Management: Built a modular zone system to coordinate enemy behaviors and spawning within different areas of each arena, optimizing AI performance and encounter variety.

All enemy logic, behaviors, and interactions were fully integrated with the game's fast-paced movement and combat systems, resulting in intense, reactive, and memorable encounters throughout every wave.