state-machine

Using a finite state machine pattern structures enemy AI into distinct states with Enter, Exit, and Update methods managed by a reusable generic StateMachine, eliminating scattered conditional branches and making your Unity AI logic easier to debug and maintain.

A finite state machine handles overall game flow by defining menu, loading, gameplay, pause, and gameover phases as individual states, enabling safe event-driven transitions and clean separation between high-level game phases.

Yes, the finite state machine supports designer-configurable ScriptableObject parameters, allowing designers to tweak state behaviors and transitions without modifying code, streamlining the gameplay architecture workflow.

You can unit test player controller states by implementing them as plain C# classes with IState contracts, which removes Unity dependencies and allows direct testing of finite state machine transitions and behaviors.

Use a hierarchical finite state machine when a standard FSM causes state explosion, delegating sub-states to avoid complexity while maintaining clean Enter, Exit, and Update logic for complex enemy AI phases.

Yes, a reusable generic StateMachine registers states once and reuses state instances, applying minimal allocation practices to prevent garbage collection spikes during frequent gameplay and AI state transitions.