How-To: Debug Combos (Dev Tools)
Goal: see live combo state - current node, window open/closed, what is in the input buffer and how old it is - instead of guessing from print statements.
Prerequisites
How-To: Get the Building Blocks step 7, and a running PIE session.
1. Open the window
Tools -> Crimson Ability Dev Tools, then select the Combo tab. The tab only exists when the combo system is enabled.
Sections are dock tabs
Every titled section of a tab is a real dock tab: drag one to reorder it, drop it onto another to stack them as tabs, drag it to a window edge to split them side by side, or drag the divider between two to resize. Drag a section out to tear it off into its own window, or right-click it for Dock to Sidebar - sections that are reference-only start in the sidebar. The arrangement is saved per window and comes back after you switch tabs, close the window, or restart the editor. Reset layout (top of the window) restores the default arrangement.
Verify
The tab lists your pawn in the net-context picker while PIE is running.
2. Read the live state
| Panel | Shows |
|---|---|
| Live State Tracker | Current combo, current node, and whether the transition window is open. |
| Active Step Timeline | Elapsed time against the step's Startup / Active / Recovery / Transition bands, plus a Phase readout beside Combo / Node / Rate carrying the live phase. It reads (node authored no phases) for a step that opted out, and stays Recovery while the playhead is on the dark tail past Recovery End - the step is still alive there. |
| Root Watchers | Which rooting abilities are armed and their remaining window. |
| Input Buffer | Every buffered press with its age - the fastest way to diagnose a dropped input. |
| Transition Inspector | The candidate transitions out of the current node and why each did or did not match. |
| History Log | A rolling log of entries, transitions, resets and rejections. |
Check the net context first
Pick the right pawn in the net-context selector. Combo state on a simulated proxy is deliberately empty - remote players run no combo logic, they only see the replicated montages.
Verify
Press an attack input and watch the buffer entry appear, then be consumed as the transition fires.
3. Inject input and force state
The lower panels drive the controller directly so you can reproduce a case without fighting the timing yourself.
- Grants Manager - unlock, lock, grant or revoke a combo live.
- Input Injection - fire a specific action and direction without touching the keyboard.
- Move Override - force a
ECrimsonComboDirectionso directional handshakes can be tested without moving. - Quick Diagnostics - reports the resolved input-buffer TTL, the server leniency value, and whether the ASC bound.
Verify
Use Input Injection to fire the starting handshake. The combo begins exactly as if you had pressed the key.
See also
- How-To: Author a Combo
- Concept: Multiplayer and Prediction