Quick definition:An attack, spell or ability that affects everything within a certain region, rather than a single target, such as an explosion that damages every enemy standing close to its centre.
Meaning
Area of effect, usually abbreviated to AoE, describes any ability that works over a region rather than on one chosen target. Examples include grenades, healing auras, poison clouds and shockwaves, and the affected zone may be centred on the user, on a chosen point or on a target.
AoE abilities are valuable against groups, because one action can do the work of many. Designers usually balance this by making the damage lower than a focused attack, by giving the ability a long cooldown, the waiting time before it can be used again, or by making it cost more resource.
The term is also applied to enemy attacks, where players must learn to move out of marked areas to survive. Some games add friendly fire, so careless use can hurt teammates, and a few use the phrase to describe lingering effects, such as flames that burn on the ground for several seconds.
Origin:Area of effect is a descriptive phrase from tabletop role-playing games, where rules specified the size and shape of the region a spell would cover, such as a circle or cone. Computer role-playing games adopted both the idea and the abbreviation AoE. It has since spread to nearly every genre that includes abilities or explosives.
Example:Surrounded by a swarm of skeletons, Wei casts a spell that sends a ring of frost spreading outward from her feet. Every skeleton inside the circle is damaged and slowed, while her allies standing outside are untouched. A single-target arrow would have taken ten shots to do the same, so she celebrates the efficient move.
Did you know?Area attacks come in many shapes, such as circles, lines, cones and squares, and some also hurt allies or the user. Players often check the size of the area on the ground, which games show with a coloured marker, to avoid enemy blasts.
