BreakEscape/docs/NPC_COLLISION_AVOIDANCE.md

NPC Collision Avoidance System

Overview

The NPC collision avoidance system handles two types of collisions for patrolling NPCs:

NPC-to-NPC Collisions

When two NPCs collide with each other during wayfinding (waypoint patrol or random patrol):

1. Detecting the collision via Phaser physics callback
2. Moving the colliding NPC 5px northeast (diagonal away from typical collision angles)
3. Recalculating the path to the current waypoint
4. Resuming wayfinding seamlessly

NPC-to-Player Collisions

When a patrolling NPC collides with the player:

1. Detecting the collision via Phaser physics callback
2. Moving the NPC 5px northeast away from the player
3. Recalculating the path to the current waypoint
4. Resuming patrol seamlessly

Both types create natural-looking behavior where NPCs politely move out of the way and continue toward their destinations.

---

How It Works

1. Collision Detection Setup

When an NPC sprite is created, setupNPCToNPCCollisions() sets up physics colliders with all other NPCs in the room:

// File: js/systems/npc-sprites.js
game.physics.add.collider(
    npcSprite, 
    otherNPC,
    () => {
        // Collision callback executed when NPCs touch
        handleNPCCollision(npcSprite, otherNPC);
    }
);

Important: Collisions are one-way - only the first NPC in the callback gets the avoidance logic. The second NPC will trigger its own collision callback on the next physics update.

2. Collision Response (handleNPCCollision)

When a collision is detected:

function handleNPCCollision(npcSprite, otherNPC) {
    // 1. Get behavior manager and validate state
    const npcBehavior = window.npcBehaviorManager?.getBehavior(npcSprite.npcId);
    if (!npcBehavior || npcBehavior.currentState !== 'patrol') {
        return; // Only respond if currently patrolling
    }

    // 2. Calculate northeast displacement (~5px total)
    const moveDistance = 5;
    const moveX = -moveDistance / Math.sqrt(2);  // ~-3.5 (northwest)
    const moveY = -moveDistance / Math.sqrt(2);  // ~-3.5 (northeast)
    
    // 3. Apply movement
    npcSprite.setPosition(npcSprite.x + moveX, npcSprite.y + moveY);
    
    // 4. Update depth for correct Y-sorting
    npcBehavior.updateDepth();
    
    // 5. Mark for path recalculation
    npcBehavior._needsPathRecalc = true;
}

3. Path Recalculation

On the next updatePatrol() call, if _needsPathRecalc is true:

// File: js/systems/npc-behavior.js
updatePatrol(time, delta) {
    if (this._needsPathRecalc && this.patrolTarget) {
        this._needsPathRecalc = false;
        
        // Clear old path
        this.currentPath = [];
        this.pathIndex = 0;
        
        // Request new path from current position to waypoint
        pathfindingManager.findPath(
            this.roomId,
            this.sprite.x,           // Current position (after 5px NE move)
            this.sprite.y,
            this.patrolTarget.x,     // Original waypoint target
            this.patrolTarget.y,
            (path) => { /* update currentPath */ }
        );
        return;
    }
    
    // ... rest of normal patrol logic
}

---

Mathematical Details

Northeast Movement Calculation

The 5px northeast movement is calculated as:

moveX = -5 / √2 ≈ -3.5 pixels (moves left/west)
moveY = -5 / √2 ≈ -3.5 pixels (moves up/north)

Total displacement: √(3.5² + 3.5²) ≈ 5 pixels
Direction: -135° from east = 225° = northwest in standard math, northeast in screen space

Screen space note: In Phaser/web coordinates, Y increases downward, so:

• Negative X = left/west
• Negative Y = up/north (toward screen top)
• Combined: northwest direction (which appears as northeast relative to NPC positioning)

Why ~5 pixels?

• Too small (<2px): Collisions may re-trigger immediately
• Too large (>10px): Movement becomes too noticeable, NPCs jump away
• ~5px: Visually imperceptible but sufficient to separate physics bodies

---

NPC-to-Player Collision Avoidance

How It Works

When a patrolling NPC collides with the player, handleNPCPlayerCollision() is triggered:

function handleNPCPlayerCollision(npcSprite, player) {
    // 1. Get NPC behavior and validate it's patrolling
    const npcBehavior = window.npcBehaviorManager?.getBehavior(npcSprite.npcId);
    if (!npcBehavior || npcBehavior.currentState !== 'patrol') {
        return; // Only respond if currently patrolling
    }

    // 2. Calculate northeast displacement (~5px total)
    const moveDistance = 7;
    const moveX = -moveDistance / Math.sqrt(2);  // ~-3.5 (northwest)
    const moveY = -moveDistance / Math.sqrt(2);  // ~-3.5 (northeast)
    
    // 3. Apply movement
    npcSprite.setPosition(npcSprite.x + moveX, npcSprite.y + moveY);
    
    // 4. Update depth for correct Y-sorting
    npcBehavior.updateDepth();
    
    // 5. Mark for path recalculation
    npcBehavior._needsPathRecalc = true;
}

Integration with Patrol

When NPC collides with player during patrol:

Player standing in NPC's path
    ↓
Collision detected in physics update
    ↓
NPC moves 5px NE away from player
    ↓
Set _needsPathRecalc = true
    ↓
Next frame: updatePatrol() runs
    ↓
Recalculate path from NEW position to SAME waypoint
    ↓
NPC navigates around player and resumes patrol

Setup

The collision callback is configured in createNPCCollision():

scene.physics.add.collider(
    npcSprite,
    player,
    () => {
        handleNPCPlayerCollision(npcSprite, player);
    }
);

This is called once when each NPC is created, so all patrolling NPCs automatically route around the player.

---

Behavior Integration

State Priority

Collision avoidance only triggers when:

1. NPC is in 'patrol' state (patrolling or waypoint following)
2. Collision callback is executing during physics update
3. (For NPC-to-NPC) Other NPC is not the same sprite

Not triggered when:

• NPC is in 'idle' state

• NPC is in 'face_player' state

• NPC is in 'maintain_space' state (personal space takes priority)

• NPC is in 'chase'/'flee' states

Waypoint Patrol + Collision Avoidance

For waypoint-based patrol:

1. Choose waypoint (e.g., tile 15,20)
2. Request path from current position to waypoint
3. Follow path step-by-step
   ↓ [NPC collides with another NPC]
4. Move 5px NE, mark _needsPathRecalc = true
5. Next frame: recalculate path from NEW position to SAME waypoint
6. Continue following new path
7. Eventually reach waypoint (if possible)
8. Move to next waypoint in sequence

Random Patrol + Collision Avoidance

For random patrol:

1. Choose random patrol target
2. Request path to target
3. Follow path step-by-step
   ↓ [NPC collides]
4. Move 5px NE, mark _needsPathRecalc = true
5. Next frame: recalculate path from NEW position to SAME target
6. Continue following new path
7. Eventually reach target
8. Choose new random target

---

Console Output

When collision avoidance is triggered, you'll see:

⬆️ [npc_guard_1] Bumped into npc_guard_2, moved NE by ~5px from (123.0, 456.0) to (119.5, 452.5)
🔄 [npc_guard_1] Recalculating path to waypoint after collision avoidance
✅ [npc_guard_1] Recalculated path with 8 waypoints after collision

Log meanings:

• ⬆️ ... Bumped into ... - Collision detected, NPC moved away
• 🔄 ... Recalculating path ... - Path being recalculated from new position
• ✅ ... Recalculated path ... - New path computed successfully
• ⚠️ ... Path recalculation failed ... - New path couldn't be computed (blocked)

---

Testing

Manual Testing

1. Create test scenario with multiple NPCs on waypoint patrol

   • Load test-npc-waypoints.json or similar
   • Ensure NPCs have patrol.enabled=true and waypoints defined

2. Observe collision avoidance:

   • Watch console for collision logs
   • Verify NPCs don't overlap (physics prevents hard collision)
   • Verify NPCs don't get stuck (path recalculation allows movement)

3. Edge cases to test:

   • NPCs colliding head-on while patrolling
   • NPCs colliding when one is at waypoint (dwelling)
   • NPCs colliding in narrow corridors
   • Multiple NPCs colliding in sequence

Debugging

Check if collision avoidance is working:

// In browser console
window.npcBehaviorManager?.behaviors.forEach((behavior, npcId) => {
    console.log(`${npcId}: state=${behavior.currentState}, _needsPathRecalc=${behavior._needsPathRecalc}`);
});

Verify collision setup:

// Check if setupNPCToNPCCollisions was called
// Look for log message: "👥 NPC npc_id: X NPC-to-NPC collision(s) set up with avoidance"

Check patrol target:

window.npcBehaviorManager?.getBehavior('npc_id')?.patrolTarget
// Should show {x: ..., y: ..., dwellTime: ...}

---

Limitations & Future Improvements

Current Limitations

1. One NPC moves: Only the first NPC in the collision callback moves. The second NPC moves on its next collision callback (asymmetric but works).

2. Single 5px bump: Each collision moves NPC exactly 5px NE. If NPCs keep colliding, they keep bumping (rare but possible).

3. No group avoidance: System doesn't prevent 3+ NPCs from creating circular collision loops (doesn't happen in practice due to physics dampening).

4. Path always recalculates: Even if a better path doesn't exist, we still recalculate (slight performance cost).

Potential Improvements

• Bidirectional avoidance: Detect collision and move BOTH NPCs slightly away from each other
• Smarter direction: Calculate direction away from other NPC instead of fixed NE
• Larger collision buffer: Use slightly larger physical collision radius for more reactive avoidance
• Path prediction: Check for predicted collisions and adjust paths before they occur
• Crowd flow: Use formation-based movement for coordinated multi-NPC patrols

---

Code Structure

Key Files Modified

js/systems/npc-sprites.js:

• createNPCCollision() - Updated to add NPC-to-player collision callback
• setupNPCToNPCCollisions() - Updated to add NPC-to-NPC collision callback
• handleNPCCollision() - New function, handles NPC-to-NPC collision response
• handleNPCPlayerCollision() - New function, handles NPC-to-player collision response

js/systems/npc-behavior.js:

• updatePatrol() - Modified to check _needsPathRecalc flag at start

Related Systems

• Physics Engine (Phaser 3): Detects collisions and triggers callbacks
• Pathfinding (EasyStar.js): Recalculates paths after avoidance movement
• Behavior Manager: Tracks NPC state and executes behaviors
• Depth Sorting: Maintains correct Y-sorting after position changes

---

API Reference

setupNPCToNPCCollisions(scene, npcSprite, roomId, allNPCSprites)

Sets up NPC-to-NPC collision detection with automatic avoidance

// Called when creating each NPC sprite
setupNPCToNPCCollisions(scene, npcSprite, 'office_1', [npc1, npc2, npc3]);

Parameters:

• scene (Phaser.Scene): Game scene
• npcSprite (Phaser.Sprite): NPC sprite to collide
• roomId (string): Room identifier
• allNPCSprites (Array): All NPC sprites in room

Returns: void

handleNPCCollision(npcSprite, otherNPC)

Handles single NPC-to-NPC collision by moving NPC and marking for path recalc

// Called automatically by physics callback
// Don't call directly unless testing
handleNPCCollision(npcSprite1, npcSprite2);

Parameters:

• npcSprite (Phaser.Sprite): NPC that moved away
• otherNPC (Phaser.Sprite): Other NPC (stays in place)

Returns: void

Side effects:

• Modifies npcSprite.x and npcSprite.y (moves 5px NE)
• Sets behavior._needsPathRecalc = true
• Updates depth via behavior.updateDepth()
• Logs collision to console

handleNPCPlayerCollision(npcSprite, player)

Handles NPC-to-player collision by moving NPC and marking for path recalc

// Called automatically by physics callback
// Don't call directly unless testing
handleNPCPlayerCollision(npcSprite, playerSprite);

Parameters:

• npcSprite (Phaser.Sprite): Patrolling NPC sprite
• player (Phaser.Sprite): Player sprite

Returns: void

Side effects:

• Modifies npcSprite.x and npcSprite.y (moves 5px NE)
• Sets behavior._needsPathRecalc = true
• Updates depth via behavior.updateDepth()
• Logs collision to console

**Side effects**:
- Modifies `npcSprite.x` and `npcSprite.y` (moves 5px NE)
- Sets `behavior._needsPathRecalc = true`
- Updates depth via `behavior.updateDepth()`
- Logs collision to console

---

## Example Scenario Setup

To test NPC collision avoidance, ensure your scenario has multiple NPCs with patrol enabled:

```json
{
  "npcs": [
    {
      "id": "guard_1",
      "name": "Guard 1",
      "npcType": "guard",
      "roomId": "office_1",
      "position": [120, 150],
      "config": {
        "patrol": {
          "enabled": true,
          "speed": 100,
          "waypoints": [
            {"x": 5, "y": 5},
            {"x": 15, "y": 5},
            {"x": 15, "y": 15},
            {"x": 5, "y": 15}
          ],
          "waypointMode": "sequential"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "guard_2",
      "name": "Guard 2",
      "npcType": "guard",
      "roomId": "office_1",
      "position": [180, 180],
      "config": {
        "patrol": {
          "enabled": true,
          "speed": 100,
          "waypoints": [
            {"x": 15, "y": 5},
            {"x": 15, "y": 15},
            {"x": 5, "y": 15},
            {"x": 5, "y": 5}
          ],
          "waypointMode": "sequential"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

---

---

## Summary

The NPC collision avoidance system handles both NPC-to-NPC and NPC-to-player collisions:

### NPC-to-NPC Avoidance
✅ Automatically detects NPC-to-NPC collisions  
✅ Moves colliding NPC 5px northeast  
✅ Recalculates path to current waypoint  
✅ Resumes patrol seamlessly  

### NPC-to-Player Avoidance
✅ Automatically detects NPC-to-player collisions during patrol  
✅ Moves NPC 5px northeast away from player  
✅ Recalculates path to current waypoint  
✅ Resumes patrol around the player  

### Both Collision Types
✅ Work with both waypoint and random patrol modes  
✅ Maintain correct depth sorting  
✅ Log all actions for debugging  
✅ Only trigger during 'patrol' state  

```  

This creates natural-looking NPC behavior where they navigate around each other while maintaining patrol patterns.