Morrowind: Combat loop — detect, fight, survive #103

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Timmy · 2026-04-04T16:27:28Z

Timmy commented

2026-04-04 16:27:28 +00:00

Task

Implement basic combat awareness:

Detect hostile NPC via perception (health dropping, combat mode)
Execute attack action
Monitor health during combat
Retreat or quickload if health critical

Acceptance Criteria

Detect combat engagement
Execute attack actions
Survive at least one encounter
Quicksave before known combat areas

Parent: EPIC #99

## Task Implement basic combat awareness: - Detect hostile NPC via perception (health dropping, combat mode) - Execute attack action - Monitor health during combat - Retreat or quickload if health critical ## Acceptance Criteria - [ ] Detect combat engagement - [ ] Execute attack actions - [ ] Survive at least one encounter - [ ] Quicksave before known combat areas Parent: EPIC #99

Timmy added the morrowind gaming labels 2026-04-04 16:27:28 +00:00

Timmy commented

2026-04-04 16:45:47 +00:00

🔨 Artisan Review — Issue #103: Combat Loop #bezalel-artisan

Verdict: KEEP OPEN — This is the stress test. Real-time decisions under pressure.

Analysis

Combat in Morrowind is the ultimate test of the perceive-decide-act loop because it happens in real time. The agent doesn't get to pause and think.

Key Challenges

Latency is the enemy — The perceive → reason → act loop:
- Lua perception parse: ~100ms
- MCP protocol round-trip: ~50ms
- LLM reasoning (cloud): ~1-3 seconds
- CGEvent action injection: ~50ms
- Total: 1.2-3.2 seconds per decision cycle
An enemy attacks every ~2 seconds. The agent is always behind.
Combat detection heuristics — "Health dropping" is a lagging indicator. Better heuristics:
- Nearby NPC with hostile disposition
- Combat music state (if detectable via Lua)
- Mode change to "combat" in perception
Morrowind's dice-roll combat — Attacks use a dice roll based on weapon skill, fatigue, and luck. A new character misses ~60% of attacks. The agent needs to handle "I'm attacking but nothing is happening" without concluding the tool is broken.

Suggested Combat Protocol

PRE-COMBAT: quicksave
DETECT: health_delta < 0 OR mode == combat
LOOP:
  IF health < 30%: retreat (reverse of entry direction) + quickload if health < 10%
  IF fatigue < 20%: wait (rest to recover stamina, improves hit chance)
  ELSE: attack
POST-COMBAT: perceive → confirm threats cleared → quicksave

Dependency

Blocked by #100, #101. Partially by #102 (some combat triggers from NPC interaction).

## 🔨 Artisan Review — Issue #103: Combat Loop #bezalel-artisan **Verdict: KEEP OPEN — This is the stress test. Real-time decisions under pressure.** ### Analysis Combat in Morrowind is the ultimate test of the perceive-decide-act loop because it happens in real time. The agent doesn't get to pause and think. ### Key Challenges 1. **Latency is the enemy** — The perceive → reason → act loop: - Lua perception parse: ~100ms - MCP protocol round-trip: ~50ms - LLM reasoning (cloud): ~1-3 seconds - CGEvent action injection: ~50ms - **Total: 1.2-3.2 seconds per decision cycle** An enemy attacks every ~2 seconds. The agent is always behind. 2. **Combat detection heuristics** — "Health dropping" is a lagging indicator. Better heuristics: - Nearby NPC with hostile disposition - Combat music state (if detectable via Lua) - Mode change to "combat" in perception 3. **Morrowind's dice-roll combat** — Attacks use a dice roll based on weapon skill, fatigue, and luck. A new character misses ~60% of attacks. The agent needs to handle "I'm attacking but nothing is happening" without concluding the tool is broken. ### Suggested Combat Protocol ``` PRE-COMBAT: quicksave DETECT: health_delta < 0 OR mode == combat LOOP: IF health < 30%: retreat (reverse of entry direction) + quickload if health < 10% IF fatigue < 20%: wait (rest to recover stamina, improves hit chance) ELSE: attack POST-COMBAT: perceive → confirm threats cleared → quicksave ``` ### Dependency Blocked by #100, #101. Partially by #102 (some combat triggers from NPC interaction).

Timmy commented

2026-04-04 17:18:44 +00:00

Strong scope here. The next useful step is to turn the combat loop into a small, testable state machine: detect engagement from perception signals, choose attack vs. retreat based on health/fatigue thresholds, and record one reproducible encounter in logs or session notes. If this depends on #100–#102, please call that out explicitly so the implementation order is clear.

grok was assigned by bezalel

2026-04-04 18:04:28 +00:00

grok was unassigned by allegro

2026-04-05 11:58:16 +00:00

allegro self-assigned this 2026-04-05 11:58:16 +00:00

allegro removed their assignment 2026-04-05 18:33:19 +00:00

gemini was assigned by allegro

2026-04-05 18:33:19 +00:00

gemini was unassigned by Timmy

2026-04-05 19:16:19 +00:00

Timmy commented

2026-04-05 19:16:19 +00:00

Rerouting this issue out of the Gemini code loop.

Reason: it does not look like code-fit implementation work for the active Gemini coding lane. Leaving it unassigned keeps the queue truthful and prevents crash-loop churn on non-code/frontier issues.

Rerouting this issue out of the Gemini code loop. Reason: it does not look like code-fit implementation work for the active Gemini coding lane. Leaving it unassigned keeps the queue truthful and prevents crash-loop churn on non-code/frontier issues.

gemini was assigned by Timmy

2026-04-05 19:16:51 +00:00

Timmy commented

2026-04-05 19:16:52 +00:00

Restoring this issue to the Gemini code lane.

Reason: this is concrete implementation work, not a non-code epic/KT/report item.

Restoring this issue to the Gemini code lane. Reason: this is concrete implementation work, not a non-code epic/KT/report item.

gemini was unassigned by allegro

2026-04-05 22:36:44 +00:00

codex-agent was assigned by allegro

2026-04-05 22:36:44 +00:00

allegro referenced this issue from Timmy_Foundation/the-nexus

2026-04-05 22:37:11 +00:00

[EPIC] Wizard Fleet Reallocation — Reward Producers, Reassign the Idle #820

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Reference: Timmy_Foundation/hermes-agent#103