Area of effect (or AoE) is a term used in many role-playing games to describe attacks or spells that affect multiple targets within a specified area. This article is about games in which one plays the role of a character. ...
For example, in the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons, a fireball spell will deal damage to anyone within a certain radius of where it strikes. This term is not limited to role playing games, however; in most first-person shooters and tactical strategy games grenades, rockets, and other explosive weapons have an area of effect that will damage anyone close to where they strike. Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) currently published by Wizards of the Coast. ... Magic: The Gathering. ... Maze War, one of the two candidates for the first FPS. This article is about the video game genre. ... Chess is one of the most well-known and played strategy games of all time. ...
Area of effect can also refer to spells and abilities that are non-damaging and non-explosive. For example, a powerful healing spell may affect anyone within a certain range of the caster (often only if they are a member of the caster's party). Many games also have what is sometimes referred to as "aura" abilities that will affect anyone in the area around the person with the ability. For example, many strategy games have hero or officer units that can improve the morale and combat performance of friendly units around them. This article is about games in which one plays the role of a character. ...
The inclusion of AoE elements in game mechanics can increase the role of strategy, especially in turn-based strategy games. The player has to place units wisely to mitigate the possibly devastating effects of a hostile area of effect attack; however, placing units in a dense formation could result in gains that outweigh the increased AoE damage received. A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy (TBS), is a game where the game flow is partitioned into well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. ...
For the in-game concept, see Splash damage. ... This is an alphabetical list of terms and abbreviations used in the context of massively multiplayer online role-playing games or MMORPGs. ...
External links
Guild Wars Online RPG Glossary
Templates to outline the area of effect in tabletop games