The trainer and Zephyrveil side by side facing an incoming stone fist, with loose alternate outlines showing different shield and dodge poses layered over each other.
Pencil study. This question is still open, so its picture is still a sketch.

Q10 · Chapter 02 · Controls & party

Who takes the hit?

Who should take damage when an enemy reaches the party?

Open

Where it stands

Separate actor hitboxes are the starting idea, but companion damage must feel avoidable through skill. Shared health versus separate health is not settled. Direct control, two-stick movement, formations and AI commands were explored; advanced solutions are a version-two problem.

Recorded as: Open / later design

Still to decide in this chapter

Shared versus separate health, companion safety, aiming, exact bindings, carried-party capacity and switch penalties still need decisions. Several simultaneous companions remain a possible late-game unlock.

In this chapter