🥊 Episode 6 · Advanced · States

Write the Rules
Episode 6: States and Constants

States are the heart of a fighter: what it does, when input is allowed, and what happens on a hit. This is the biggest idea in MUGEN, so we take it slowly.

👶 Ages 10+ ⏱️ ~1 hour 🥊 MUGEN ✓ Free workshop
🧠 Statedef 🎛️ Controllers 📊 Constants 🔗 Changes
🧠 Start Step 1 ← All Episodes
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Ember says: a mind is just rules. A state says "when you are in this situation, do these things". Stack enough rules and your fighter feels alive.
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🧠
A State Block
The situation
Active
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Goal for this step

Read a [Statedef] block.

  • 1A state starts with [Statedef N], where N is the state number.
  • 2It sets things like type (stand/crouch/air), movetype (idle/attack), physics and which anim to play.
  • 3ctrl = 1 means the player can still control the fighter.
[Statedef 200]
type = S
movetype = A
physics = S
anim = 200
ctrl = 0
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Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
A state begins with and a number.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What does ctrl = 1 mean in a state?
AThe player can control the fighter
BThe fighter is frozen
CThe state is deleted
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Controllers
The instructions
Locked
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Goal for this step

Understand a controller inside a state.

  • 1Inside a state, each [State ...] block is a controller: one instruction.
  • 2Controllers have a type (like VelSet, ChangeState, PlaySnd) and trigger lines.
  • 3The controller only runs when its triggers are true.
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Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
Each instruction inside a state is called a .
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
When does a controller run?
AWhen its triggers are true
BEvery frame always
CNever
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Constants
The fighter statistics
Locked
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Goal for this step

Read the [Data] and [Size] constants.

  • 1[Data] sets life, attack and defence.
  • 2[Size] sets the fighter hitbox sizes and shadow.
  • 3[Velocity] sets walk and run speeds.
✏️
Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
The fighter life, attack and defence live in the constants.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
Where do you set how much life a fighter has?
A[Data] constants
BThe .snd file
Cselect.def
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Moving Between States
ChangeState
Locked
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Goal for this step

Send the fighter from one state to another.

  • 1ChangeState with a value moves the fighter to a new state number.
  • 2A punch state ends by changing back to the idle state.
  • 3This is how a whole fighting game chains together.
✏️
Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
To leave a state, use a ChangeState .
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
How does a punch state return to idle?
AIt changes state back to idle at the end
BIt restarts the game
CIt cannot
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Test One Move
Make a punch land
Locked
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Goal for this step

Wire one move end to end and test it.

  • 1Command fires, state triggers, animation plays, controller returns to idle.
  • 2Test in a match and watch the move happen.
  • 3If nothing happens, check the command name matches the state trigger exactly.
✏️
Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
If a move does nothing, check the command and trigger match exactly.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
A move does nothing. First thing to check?
AThe command name matches the state trigger
BThe music
CThe window size
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Your Fighter Has Rules!
You can write states and constants and chain moves. Next you make attacks actually connect with hitboxes.
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Total XP
1
Level
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Best Streak
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Accuracy
Next: Episode 7: Hitboxes →