realms-in-ruin-dev/Documentation/Archaeology/08-CharacterSystems.md

08 — Character Systems

Status: Draft

• Scope: Player character Blueprint hierarchy (Pass 3), shared base architecture (Pass 5), and per-character Ability 001–004 connected-path reconstruction (Pass 6).
• Inspection method: Read-only AssetTools + BlueprintTools + ObjectTools; connected subgraphs on all five playables + base correlation.
• Last updated: 2026-07-16
• Current phase: Phase 1 — Static Architecture
• Last completed pass: Pass 6 (Batch 3)
• Next pass expected to contribute: Batch 4 Pass 7 / Pass 8

Draft tracking

Completed sections

• Native player chain + ASC ownership (Batch 1)
• Blueprint parent chains and structural sheets for five playables + base
• Shared input / RPC / death / HUD / multicast architecture
• Interface BPI_PlayerCharacter surface
• Override matrix (which Server_Ability events children implement)
• Pass 6: Full Ability 001–004 path reconstruction per character — see 05-LegacyAbilityArchitecture.md
• Charge / DivineCircle / Whirlwind / UseAbility hit paths inventoried
• Montage dependency seeds — see 10-AnimationDependencies.md

Pending sections

• AnimNotify → UseAbility wiring (Pass 8)
• Weapon component deep dive if separate assets exist beyond overlaps
• Gunslinger intended design (no static implementation)

Evidence still required

• Exact who calls UseAbility* (likely AnimNotify — Pass 8)
• PlayerDeath callers beyond Amazonian ReceiveAnyDamage

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Native player chain

ACharacter → ARIRBaseCharacter → ARIRPlayerCharacter → BP_PlayerCharacterBase → Player_*

Observed Implementation: ASC on ARIRPlayerState; character caches pointers in InitAbilityActorInfo. Native also calls ARIRHUD::InitOverlay (GAS attribute UI path).

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Playable Blueprint paths

Character	Asset path
Base	/Game/_Main/Blueprints/Characters/PlayerCharacters/BP_PlayerCharacterBase
Paladin	.../PlayerCharacterClasses/Paladin/Player_Paladin
Amazonian	.../Amazonian/Player_Amazonian
Cleric	.../Cleric/Player_Cleric
Wizard	.../Wizard/Player_Wizard
Gunslinger	.../Gunslinger/Player_Gunslinger

Observed Runtime Behavior (project brief, not re-tested): Amazonian melee works; most abilities inactive; Gunslinger incomplete — Existing Baseline Defects.

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BP_PlayerCharacterBase — shared architecture

Full ability/RPC inventory: 05-LegacyAbilityArchitecture.md.

Components (Observed Implementation)

• Camera: TPSpringArm, ThirdPersonCamera, CameraPositionRef
• Footsteps: BP_FootstepComponent_Left / Right (EasyFootstepSystem)
• Native mesh / capsule / movement / arrow

Shared vs child-owned behavior

Concern	Shared on base	Child-specific
Ability input IA_001–004	Yes — calls Server_Ability_*	Bodies overridden
Camera zoom/pan	Yes	—
Multicast montage/SFX/VFX	Yes helpers	Children supply montage assets
Death / respawn	Yes	—
HUD via DEPRECATED floats	Yes	—
Charge / DivineCircle / Whirlwind	—	Paladin / Cleric / Amazonian
Hit checks	—	PlayerHitCheck on Paladin/Amazonian/Cleric

BeginPlay / Possessed (Observed Implementation)

• BeginPlay: Set InitialSpawnLocation = GetActorLocation only
• Possessed: Set PlayerController → Delay 0.4 → Server_UpdateHUD

Ability flow (shared)

IA_Ability_N Started → Server_Ability_N_Begin
IA_Ability_N Completed/Canceled → Server_Ability_N_End

Base Begin stubs PrintString "Override Ability N". Base End stubs empty.

Paladin Ability 001 override (Observed Implementation): Does not call parent. Gate NOT CurrentlyAttacking AND NOT IsDead → set CurrentlyAttacking → SetPlayerCanMove(true) → Multicast_PlayMontage(random Ability001Montages). Pass 6: UseAbility001 Authority BoxOverlap → ApplyDamage(DEPRECATED_Ability001Damage). Full tables → 05-LegacyAbilityArchitecture.md.

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Per-character structural sheets

Paladin

Field	Value
Graphs	UCS, EventGraph, GetPlayerPaladinREF, PlayerHitCheck
Local vars	Ability001Montages, ChargeStartLoc, ChargeFinishLoc, IsCharging, IsBlocking
AnimBP	ABP_Paladin
Ability events implemented	Server_001 Begin; 002 Begin+End; 003 Begin; 004 Begin; UseAbility001/004; Charge; Client_Charge
Parent Call on Ability overrides	No
Pass 6 status	001 Implemented; 002 Partial (block); 003 Implemented (charge+damage); 004 Implemented (empty particle template)

Amazonian

Field	Value
Graphs	UCS, EventGraph, GetPlayerAmazonREF, PlayerHitCheck
Local vars	DynamicMaterials, Ability001Montage, PerformingWhirlwind
AnimBP (deps)	ABP_Amazon
Ability events	Server_001 Begin; UseAbility001; ReceiveAnyDamage
Pass 6 status	001 Implemented (= known working melee); 002–004 inherited stubs; PerformingWhirlwind never Set

Cleric

Field	Value
Graphs	UCS, EventGraph, GetPlayerClericREF, PlayerHitCheck
Local vars	Ability001Montages, DivineCircleActive, DivineCircleTimerHandle, IsBlocking, EnemyFound, ClosestEnemy
Ability events	Server_001–004 Begin; Server_003 End; UseAbility002/004; ConcentrateHandle; EndConcentrate
Parent Call on Ability overrides	No
Pass 6 status	001 Partial (montage only); 002 Partial heal (empty particle); 003 Implemented DivineCircle; 004 Broken spawn + mana bypass

Wizard

Field	Value
Graphs	UCS, EventGraph, GetPlayerWizardREF
Local vars	EnemyFound, IsBlocking, ClosestEnemy (unused in EventGraph)
Ability events	None implemented (BeginPlay/Tick/Overlap only)
BeginPlay Parent	No (skips base InitialSpawnLocation set)
Pass 6 status	001–004 inherited PrintString stubs; NS_Wizard_Ability001 / GE_Wizard_DefaultAttributes / BP_PlayerProjectile unwired

Gunslinger

Field	Value
IsDataOnly	True
Graphs	UCS, EventGraph
Local vars	[]
Dependencies	Only BP_PlayerCharacterBase
BeginPlay/Tick/Overlap	Call Parent
Pass 6 status	001–004 inherited PrintString stubs; no weapon/projectile/AnimBP/GE

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Interfaces

BP_PlayerCharacterBase implements BPI_PlayerCharacter. Class REF getters on base return self-cast nulls for wrong class; children override own REF.

BPI_PlayerController used heavily for SetPlayerCanMove, UpdatePlayerHUD, PlayerRespawn, AddKill.

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GAS interaction findings (character side)

Finding	Classification
No GA grant/activate on base or child ability EventGraphs	Observed Implementation
Server_UpdateHUD uses DEPRECATED floats, not ASC	Observed Implementation
Native InitOverlay still runs from C++ possession	Observed Implementation (Batch 1)
Dual UI attribute paths	Incomplete Refactor
Character DefaultAttributes GE assets orphaned	Present but Unconnected (Pass 6)

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Networking summary

See 05 RPC inventory. Replicated: IsDead, CurrentlyAttacking, DEPRECATED resource floats. Ability activation: client Enhanced Input → Server custom events → optional Multicast FX. Reliability: Unknown — MCP property visibility limitation.