Hey everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to share some of the behind-the-scenes challenges I’ve been facing while working on Nemesis. Specifically, I’ve been deep in the trenches trying to get the Nemesis monster to behave just the way I want it to and let me tell you—it’s been a real battle.

The Struggle is Real

When I first set out to design the AI, I had a clear vision: I wanted the monster to be more than just a predictable enemy. It needed to feel like a real, lurking threat—a creature that doesn’t just follow you around mindlessly but instead reacts to your presence in a way that feels organic and terrifying. However, getting there has been far from easy.

One of the biggest hurdles has been getting the AI to properly navigate the house, especially when it comes to interacting with the environment in a way that makes sense. I’ve spent countless hours tweaking the pathfinding system, only to see the Monster get stuck in corners or fail to react to the player’s movements in a believable way.

Then there's the challenge of making the Monster unpredictable. I don't want it to simply chase the player on a straight path. It needs to have moments where it pauses, changes direction, or even loses track of the player, creating tension and uncertainty. But implementing these behaviors has been a coding nightmare, with bugs popping up left and right—sometimes the Monster would freeze in place, other times it would clip through walls or ignore the player entirely.

Learning from Setbacks

After several frustrating attempts and many late nights, I decided to take a step back and reassess my approach. I’ve been revisiting the animation blueprints and tweaking the behavior trees, trying to create a system where the Monster can adapt to the player's actions dynamically. This means reworking a lot of the core logic, but I’m determined to make this AI as immersive and realistic as possible.

I’ve also been doing a lot of research into how other games handle AI, drawing inspiration from some of my favorite horror titles. It’s clear that creating a truly terrifying AI requires a delicate balance of predictability and randomness, and I’m learning a lot as I go.

What’s Next?

The work is far from over. There are still plenty of bugs to squash and behaviors to fine-tune. My goal is to create an experience where the monster feels like a living, breathing entity that reacts to the player in unexpected ways, heightening the tension and fear as you explore the house.

Thanks for sticking with me through this journey. I know the end result will be worth it, and I can’t wait for you all to experience the terror of Nemesis when it’s finally ready. I’ll keep you posted with more updates as I continue to refine the AI and bring this creature to life.

Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for your support!

- Moley