# Persistent death and post-death Auto Target pseudocode

Sources: Sept 2013 EoR named retail client.

- `ClientCombatSystem::AutoTarget` (`0x0056BC80`)
- `ClientCombatSystem::RecvNotice_SelectionChanged` (`0x0056BD80`)
- `CPlayerSystem::SelectNext` (`0x0055F9A0`)
- `MovementManager::unpack_movement` (`0x00524440`)
- `CPhysicsObj::MoveOrTeleport` (`0x00516330`)

## Animation authority

```text
on UpdateMotion(interpretedState):
    pass the state through MovementManager and CMotionInterp
    Dead is a persistent substate selected by the motion table

on UpdatePosition(position, velocity):
    update the physics pose and velocity
    do not select Ready, Walk, Run, or any other animation
```

acdream retains a documented AP-80 adaptation for ACE actors that move only
through position snapshots: velocity may choose a visible locomotion cycle.
That adaptation is now restricted to replacing only Ready/Walk/Run-family
states. An authoritative action or substate such as attack, hit reaction, or
Dead always wins. This preserves the adaptation without allowing a late
position delta to make a corpse stand again.

## Auto Target after the selected creature dies

```text
when authoritative Dead motion is applied to the selected object:
    clear selected object
    publish SelectionChanged

RecvNotice_SelectionChanged():
    update target tracking
    if selected object is zero
       and combat mode is Melee or Missile
       and Auto Target is enabled:
        AutoTarget()

AutoTarget():
    if a recent valid last-attacked object exists:
        select it
    else:
        SelectNext(forward=true, includeCurrent=true, COMPASS_ITEM)

SelectNext(... COMPASS_ITEM) while in Melee/Missile:
    reject non-attackable, fellowship, hidden, and out-of-radar candidates
    rank eligible candidates by the retail weighted spatial distance
    select the best candidate
```

The current M2 world-state projection has no retail `lastAttacked` instance-id
quality, so its existing closest eligible creature scan implements the
fallback branch. The important lifecycle behavior is exact: authoritative
death clears selection, and the SelectionChanged consumer reacquires only
when Auto Target is enabled in Melee/Missile combat.