while(!gameover) //loops until gameover
  {
    if(first_player) //what happens if the player or eggman is chosen first
    {
      players[r] = 0; //eggman's turn
   
     //attack damages
      int E_attack1 = 5;
      int E_attack2 = 10;
      int E_attack3 = 15;
       
      //attacks in an array
      int[] attacks = { E_attack1, E_attack2, E_attack3 };
      int A = attacks.length;
      int p = (int) (Math.random() * A); //makes the attacks random
 
      //the effects of what the damages will do to the Player's Life Points
      if(attacks == E_attack1)
     {
       
      Player_LP -=E_attack1;
       
      }
      else
      if(attacks == E_attack2)
      {
       
      Player_LP -=E_attack2;
 
      }
      else
      if(attacks == E_attack3)
      {
       
      Player_LP -=E_attack3;
       
       }
       text.append("Eggman does "+ attacks + " damage." + "\n"); //the print out of the attack and damage
     
       }
       //players turn
       else
      {
         
        //players attack damages
        int attack1 = 5;
        int attack2 = 10;
        int attack3 = 15;
        text.append( "Choose attack1 , attack2, or attack3: "  + "\n"); //gives player a choice of attacks
        inputField.getText(); //gets the text
        text.getText(); //gets the text from the text area
 
        //what happens when one of the attacks is chose
        if(text.equals("attack1"))
       {
    //the effect of the attack on Eggman's life points
        Eggman_LP -=attack1;
        text.append( "\n" + "You attack with attack1 causing " + attack1 + " damage to Eggman."+"\n"); //the print out of the attack and the damage
        }
        else
 
       if (text.equals("attack2"))
      {
        Eggman_LP -=attack2;
        text.append( "\n" + "You attack with attack2 causing " + attack2 + " damage to Eggman."+"\n");
      }
      else
      if(text.equals("attack3"))
     {
     Eggman_LP -=attack3;
     text.append( "\n" + "You attack with attack3 causing " + attack3 + " damage to Eggman."+"\n");
     }
     }
     first_player = !first_player; //make it turn base
   
     //how to determine gameover
     if (Player_LP <=0)  
    {
        gameover = true;
        text.append("Eggman Wins");
    }
    else
    if (Eggman_LP <=0)
   {
    gameover = true;
    text.append("You Win");  
   
   }
  } 

inputField.getText(); //gets the texttext.getText(); //gets the text from the text areawon't do anything useful. Also, for debugging, try adding an else clause to that big series of ifs so you can see when text (I think you should have inputField.getText() there?) isn't any of the "legal" inputs.

import javax.swing.*;import java.awt.event.*;public class ActionGrabber extends JFrame implements Runnable{	private JTextField inputField;	private boolean inputEntered, gameOver;	public ActionGrabber()	{		setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);		inputField = new JTextField();		getContentPane().add(inputField);		getContentPane().setLayout(null);		inputField.setBounds(50,50, 100, 20);		inputField.addActionListener(new TextListener());		setSize(256,256);		setVisible(true);		inputEntered = false;		new Thread(this).start();	}	public void run()	{		while(!gameOver)		{			if (inputEntered)			{				//Do whatever you want to do with the text here				inputEntered = false;			}		Thread.sleep(1);		}	}	private class TextListener extends ActionListener	{		public void ActionPerformed(ActionEvent e)		{			inputEntered = true;		}	}	public static void main(String[] args)	{		ActionGrabber me = new ActionGrabber();	}}