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A status effect is a modification to a game character’s original set of properties that usually comes into play when special powers and abilities (such as spells) are used, often during combat. It appears in numerous computer and video games of many genres, most commonly in role-playing games. The term status effect can be applied both to changes that provide a character an advantage (boosted attributes, defensive barriers, regeneration), and those that hinder the character (decreased attributes, incapacitation, disease, loss of control). Especially in MMORPGs, beneficial effects are referred to as buffs, and hindering effects are called debuffs.
Definitions Although status effects vary widely from one game to another, certain effects appear in numerous games. Below is a partial listing of the most common status effects and descriptions of how they usually work. Positive Status Effects Negative Status Effects Note: Negative status effects usually have a success rate, or in other words they aren't guaranteed to work once the attack is launched. Unique Status Effects Note: The following status effects are not common, but rather unique to a particular series or game. Maybe creative, sometimes bizarre, but they do give a flavor that describes the game as a whole. Curing status effects This matter varies as widely as the effects themselves and the games in which they appear. Some status effects go away on their own after a certain amount of time has elapsed. Most games contain items capable of healing status effects. Often these items heal a specific status effect (such as Antidotes, which in many games cure Poison), though many games also include one or more universal status effect removing items (such as Full Heal from the Pokémon series, or Remedy in the Final Fantasy series). Many games also include magic spells that can eliminate status effects (such as the Esuna spell from the Final Fantasy series). Most of the time status effects are removed at the end of a battle, however in some games they continue to persist until either they are cured or until the character rests (such as at an inn, temple, or in a tent). In addition, many games have weapons, armor, or other equipment that can prevent a character from getting a status effect in the first place. One of the most famous of these is the Ribbon acessory from the Final Fantasy series, which nullifies all negative effects. Buffs and Debuffs In many MMORPGs, the terms Buff and Debuff are commonly used to describe status effects. Buffs Buff is the term generically used to describe a positive status effect (usually cast as a spell). Examples of buffs include: SoW (Spirit of Wolf above) has become somewhat of a generic term used in other MMORPGs populated by former EverQuest players, because of its popularity in game. Various peripheral merchandise such as mouse pads or T-shirts bearing reference to these spells is available. Other MMORPGs utilize buffs as well, including Kingdom of Loathing, Asheron's Call, City of Heroes, Anarchy Online, Lineage 2 and Dark Age of Camelot. Debuffs Debuffs are effects that may negatively impact a player character (PC) or a non-player character (NPC) in some way other than reducing their hit points. Some examples of debuffs are: There are other effects that are technically debuffs, but are primarily used in crowd control. These are roots (stop target movement, may in some games cause target to attack nearest PC instead of its intended target), stuns (interrupts spells, removes combat queues), and mezzes / sleeps (cause target to cease all activity for a fixed length of time, or until damaged). Buffs and Debuffs in MMORPG gameplay Buffs and Debuffs play a more significant role in MMORPGs than in most Single-Player games. This is due to the factor known as hate, or Aggro. Hate determines the target priority of monsters in instances and encounters, and a spellcaster that casts debuffs, especially early on in a fight, will suddenly find his or herself drawing a lot of unfriendly attention. Buffs tend to draw less Hate from mobs when compared to Debuffs, healing, or direct damage spells, but in a PvP battle may make the caster a target in order to deny the buff to the enemy force. Auras Many modern Real Time Strategy have Hero Units, single units that are powerful, but limited in number(usually only one of a single type allowed). In addition to their normally very high stats, many Heroes also have auras which confer beneficial status effects or attribute bonuses to any friendly units that enter within a certain radius of the hero. This makes the Hero unit an important factor in an engagement(not to mention a bigger target) as, in addition to their formidable combat skills and powerful spells, they also make the units around them more effective. Examples of auras include: Some heroes and spellcaster units can also confer or inflict buffs, debuffs, and other status effects to units as spells. | ||||||||
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