The term Area of Effect Damage indicates the area that a spell or attack can affect. The larger the Area of Effect, the higher the number of affected players. This term is specific to strategy games and MMORPGs.
As the damage area spreads out, its potency decreases. In other words, the closer your characters are to the AoE source, the harder they’ll get hit.
In video games, all the weapons and spells have an area of effect that can damage anyone within a given radius of where the attack started.
Types of Area of Effect Damage
There are different types of AoE depending on how they propagate. For example, the Chain Area of Effect affects all the game characters standing behind the target.
As its name suggests, the Conic Area of Effect propagates itself in a cone shape. The apex or vertex of the cone starts at the feet of the spell caster or the attacker.
A Circular Area of Effect Damage radiates outwards in a circle shape. The caster or the attacker remains at the center of the circle. The downside of this type of AoE is that sometimes the main target is not affected.
Non-Damaging Area of Effect
Area of Effect does not only refer to damaging capabilities or spells. It can also refer to spells and abilities that can heal or restore the health of your team members. For example, healers can cast powerful healing spells that can affect all the characters located within a certain range of the caster.
Many strategy and tactical first-person shooters have special healers or heroes that can instantly restore the health of other players.
The Area of Effect Damage and Overall Game Strategy
The AoE mechanics force players to pay more attention to the game strategy they’re using. Placing all your characters in a dense formation makes them more vulnerable to AoE damage.
So, place your game characters wisely. In case you’re hit by an AoE attack, you’ll still have some team members left.