Combat Simulation Engine

A modular, grid-based combat simulation engine written in C++17. This project serves as both a learning tool and a foundation for more complex battlefield simulations such as autonomous agent behavior, team tactics, and spatial reasoning.

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Features

• Grid-based world representation with adjustable width and height
• Walls and obstacles that prevent unit placement
• Basic unit system with team identification (e.g., red vs. blue)
• JSON output for simulation state logging
• Terminal display visualization of grid state
• Expandable structure using modular C++ classes

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Project Structure

combat-simulation-engine/
├── build/              # CMake build directory
├── config/             # (Reserved) Simulation configuration files
├── external/           # External dependencies (e.g., nlohmann/json)
├── include/            # Header files (Unit.hpp, Grid.hpp, etc.)
├── outputs/            # JSON output logs from simulation runs
├── scripts/            # Placeholder for run/test automation scripts
├── src/                # C++ implementation files
├── CMakeLists.txt      # Root CMake build configuration
└── README.md           # You're here

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Getting Started

1. Prerequisites

• CMake (v3.10+)
• A C++17-compatible compiler (e.g., MSVC, GCC, or Clang)

2. Build Instructions

# From project root
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
cmake --build .

3. Run the Simulator

bin/Debug/simulator.exe    # Windows
./bin/simulator            # Linux/Mac

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Sample Output

Terminal grid display:

.#..
..U.
.#..
....

JSON state log:

{
  "grid_size": [4, 4],
  "units": [
    { "id": 1, "team": "red", "x": 2, "y": 1 }
  ],
  "walls": [
    [1, 0], [1, 2]
  ],
  "status": "ok",
  "version": 1.0
}

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Dependencies

• nlohmann/json — single-header JSON parser (external/json.hpp)

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Planned Features

• Turn-based movement system (tick() loop)
• Basic AI behavior trees
• Combat resolution mechanics (e.g., facing direction, vision cone)
• CSV or live visual output (Python tool)
• Logging and replay support

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Author

Built and maintained by Colin Haskins as a warm-up for low-level simulation tooling in C++.

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License

MIT License — see LICENSE for details.