| name | animation-state-patterns |
| description | Structure animation state, blending, events, and sync so authored motion remains reliable under gameplay pressure. |
| origin | everything-game-dev-code |
| category | engineering-common |
Animation State Patterns
Purpose
Structure animation state, blending, events, and sync so authored motion remains reliable under gameplay pressure.
Use When
- the project has complex stateful animation
- animation bugs create gameplay errors
- authored transitions are hard to reason about
Inputs
- gameplay state model
- animation set
- event requirements
- network or timing constraints
Process
- define animation states and transition ownership
- separate gameplay truth from presentation timing where possible
- document event usage and failure handling
- prevent state explosion with clear grouping and priorities
- verify edge cases such as interruptions, stun, equip, hit reactions, and cancel windows
Outputs
- animation state map
- event contract notes
- sync rules
- test cases for transitions
Quality Bar
- makes ownership, state flow, and failure behavior explicit
- improves maintainability without over-abstracting
- supports testing, debugging, and safe iteration
Common Failure Modes
- coupling systems through hidden globals or timing assumptions
- writing logic that is hard to test or debug
- optimizing the wrong layer before measuring
Related Agents
- animation-programmer
- combat-designer
- ai-programmer
Related Commands
- tech-design
- verify
- playtest-report
Related Skills
Notes
- Keep this skill aligned with the relevant rules layer and current project documentation.
- If engine-specific constraints materially change the workflow, hand off to the matching engine skill or engine-specific reviewer.
- Boundary: this skill owns runtime state-machine architecture;
2d-animation-pipeline owns animation authoring, import, and wiring conventions.
