Input and State Machines – Building the Foundation for Fluid Gameplay

No matter how elaborately you build a world, it all falls apart if the player cannot move naturally within it.
That’s why yesterday’s work felt like a huge milestone — I finally completed the base input system and activated the core state machine that will govern Daedalus’ behavior throughout the game.

Right now, the system supports:

• Basic movement input (keyboard/controller)

• Interaction triggers

• Idle, walk, and transition states

• Smooth switching between states without breaking animation flow

I opted to use a custom state machine because it gives me full control over how Daedalus responds to player inputs in different situations — walking, interacting, participating in cutscenes, and eventually combat.

What excites me about this setup is how modular it is. Each state can grow in complexity (for example: “walk” could evolve into sneaking, sprinting, or carrying objects), and transitions can be animated smoothly without breaking flow. The groundwork is now laid for responsive, fluid gameplay — something I consider essential in an action-adventure title.

I’ll keep refining the system as more mechanics come in, but as of now…
Daedalus walks. He stops. He reacts. He’s alive.

(Screenshots of Blueprint flow or movement in-engine go great here)

Thank you for following the journey