Combat Effect Zone

The EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone component creates area-of-effect zones that periodically apply status effects or healing to agents within their radius. It supports cyclic activation, faction filtering, VFX/audio feedback, and animated radius visualization.

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Features

• Effect Modes: Apply status effects (buffs, debuffs, DoTs, CC) or instant healing

• Cyclic Activation: Configure active/inactive cycles for pulsing zones

• Faction Filtering: Target all factions, specific factions, or exclude factions

• VFX Integration: Spawn effects on activation, deactivation, while active, and on agent presence

• Audio Cues: One-shot sounds and looping audio for activation states

• Animated Radius Line: Optional LineRenderer with pulse animation and fade effects

• Editor Gizmos: Visual preview of zone radius with effect-based coloring

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Quick Setup

1. Create an empty GameObject in your scene

2. Add the EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone component (or use GameObject > Enemy Masses > Combat > Combat Effect Zone)

3. Set the Radius for the effect area

4. Choose your Effect Mode (StatusEffect or InstantHeal)

5. Configure the effect type and values

6. Play the scene!

By default, zones start automatically on scene start. Disable Start On Start for manual control via script.

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Settings Reference

Controller

Setting	Description	Default
Crowd Controller	Optional controller reference (uses Instance if empty)	-

Zone

Setting	Description	Default
Radius	Radius of the effect zone	6

Timing

Setting	Description	Default
Start On Start	Activate automatically on scene start	true
Start Delay	Seconds before first activation	0
Active Duration	How long the zone stays active (0 = always)	3
Inactive Duration	Time between activations	10
Apply Interval	How often to apply effects while active	1

Set Active Duration to 0 for a zone that's always active (no cycling).

Effect Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Effect Mode	StatusEffect or InstantHeal	StatusEffect
Effect Type	Status effect type to apply	Regeneration
Effect Duration	Duration of the status effect	5
Effect Value	Value (damage/heal per tick, or multiplier)	5
Effect Tick Interval	Tick interval for DoT/HoT effects	1
Instant Heal Amount	Heal amount (InstantHeal mode only)	5

Filtering

Setting	Description	Default
Faction Filter Mode	AllFactions, OnlyListedFactions, or ExcludeListedFactions	AllFactions
Faction Filter	List of EnemyCrowd factions for filtering	Empty

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Effect Modes

Status Effect Mode

Applies a status effect to all valid agents in the radius:

Zone Active → Find Agents in Radius → Apply Status Effect → Wait Apply Interval → Repeat

Status effects persist for their configured duration, even after the agent leaves the zone.

Effect Type	Category	Example Use
Regeneration	Buff	Healing shrine
Poison	DoT	Toxic swamp
Burn	DoT	Lava field
Slow	Crowd Control	Ice zone
Stun	Crowd Control	Lightning trap
Weaken	Debuff	Cursed ground
DamageBuff	Buff	War banner

Instant Heal Mode

Directly heals agents without applying a status effect:

Zone Active → Find Agents in Radius → Heal Instantly → Wait Apply Interval → Repeat

Instant healing is applied immediately each interval, making it useful for powerful but infrequent heals.

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Cyclic Activation

Zones can pulse on and off for interesting gameplay:

         ┌──Active──┐    ┌──Active──┐    ┌──Active──┐
─────────┤          ├────┤          ├────┤          ├────
         │ 3 sec    │    │ 3 sec    │    │ 3 sec    │
         └──────────┘    └──────────┘    └──────────┘
              ↑              ↑              ↑
         10 sec gap     10 sec gap     10 sec gap

Configuration	Behavior
Active Duration = 3, Inactive Duration = 10	Zone pulses: 3s on, 10s off
Active Duration = 0, Inactive Duration = any	Zone always active (no cycling)
Active Duration > 0, Inactive Duration = 0	Activates once, then stops

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Faction Filtering

Control which agents are affected by the zone:

AllFactions (Default)

All agents within radius are affected, regardless of faction.

OnlyListedFactions

Only agents from factions in the Faction Filter list are affected:

// Only affects Orcs and Goblins
factionFilterMode = CombatZoneFilterMode.OnlyListedFactions;
factionFilter.Add(orcEnemyCrowd);
factionFilter.Add(goblinEnemyCrowd);

ExcludeListedFactions

All agents EXCEPT those from factions in the list are affected:

// Affects everyone except the PlayerArmy
factionFilterMode = CombatZoneFilterMode.ExcludeListedFactions;
factionFilter.Add(playerArmyEnemyCrowd);

Use OnlyListedFactions with a player faction for friendly healing zones. Use ExcludeListedFactions with player factions for enemy-only hazards.

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VFX Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Start VFX	Played when zone activates	None
End VFX	Played when zone deactivates	None
Active VFX	Played while zone is active	None
Active VFX Interval	Seconds between active VFX spawns (0 = once)	0
Presence VFX	Played when agents are in radius	None
Presence VFX Interval	Seconds between presence VFX spawns	0
VFX Scale	Scale multiplier for all zone VFX	1
VFX Offset	Position offset for VFX spawns	(0, 0, 0)

VFX Timing

Zone Activates:
  └─> Spawn Start VFX
  └─> Spawn Active VFX
  └─> (every Active VFX Interval) Spawn Active VFX again

Agent Enters Radius:
  └─> Spawn Presence VFX
  └─> (every Presence VFX Interval) Spawn Presence VFX again

Zone Deactivates:
  └─> Spawn End VFX

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Audio Settings

Audio Cue Properties

Each audio cue has these settings:

Property	Description	Default
Clip	AudioClip to play	-
Volume	Playback volume	1
Pitch Variation	Random pitch variation	0.05
Spatial Blend	2D (0) to 3D (1) blend	1
Min Distance	Full volume distance	1
Max Distance	Audible range	50
Max Concurrent	Limit simultaneous plays	0 (unlimited)

Available Cues

Cue	Trigger
Start Sound	One-shot when zone activates
End Sound	One-shot when zone deactivates
Active Loop Sound	Looping while zone is active
Presence Loop Sound	Looping while agents are in radius

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Radius Line Renderer

Visualize the zone radius with an animated LineRenderer:

Basic Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Radius Line Renderer	LineRenderer component to use	-
Radius Line Segments	Circle approximation segments	64
Radius Line Height	Vertical offset	0.02
Update Line Renderer In Editor	Update in edit mode	true
Update Line Renderer Every Frame	Update during play	true

Animation Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Animate Radius Line	Enable pulse animation	true
Animate Radius Line In Editor	Animate in edit mode	false
Radius Line Pulse Speed	Animation speed	1.2
Radius Line Alpha Pulse	Alpha pulse intensity	0.2
Radius Line Width Pulse	Width pulse intensity	0.15
Radius Line Fade Duration	Fade in/out time	0.25

Setting Up the Line Renderer

1. Add a LineRenderer component to the zone GameObject (or a child)

2. Configure the line material and width

3. Assign the LineRenderer to Radius Line Renderer

4. The component will automatically:

   • Draw a circle matching the zone radius

   • Animate alpha and width with a pulsing effect

   • Fade in when the zone activates

   • Fade out when the zone deactivates

Use an additive or transparent material for the LineRenderer for best visual results.

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Runtime Control

Properties

Property	Type	Description
IsActive	bool	True if zone is currently in active phase
IsRunning	bool	True if zone has been started

Methods

// Start the zone (respects Start Delay)
combatZone.StartZone();

// Stop the zone (plays end VFX/audio)
combatZone.StopZone();

// Stop and restart the zone
combatZone.RestartZone();

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Scripting Examples

Basic Damage Zone

using Arawn.EnemyMasses.Runtime;
using UnityEngine;

public class DamageZoneController : MonoBehaviour
{
    public EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone damageZone;

    void Start()
    {
        // Configure a poison zone
        damageZone.effectMode = EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone.CombatZoneEffectMode.StatusEffect;
        damageZone.effectType = StatusEffectType.Poison;
        damageZone.effectDuration = 3f;
        damageZone.effectValue = 10f; // Damage per tick
        damageZone.effectTickInterval = 0.5f;
        
        damageZone.StartZone();
    }
}

Healing Zone for Player Faction Only

using Arawn.EnemyMasses.Runtime;
using UnityEngine;

public class HealingShrine : MonoBehaviour
{
    public EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone healZone;
    public EnemyCrowd playerFaction;

    void Start()
    {
        // Only heal player faction
        healZone.factionFilterMode = EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone.CombatZoneFilterMode.OnlyListedFactions;
        healZone.factionFilter.Clear();
        healZone.factionFilter.Add(playerFaction);
        
        // Configure healing
        healZone.effectMode = EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone.CombatZoneEffectMode.InstantHeal;
        healZone.instantHealAmount = 15f;
        healZone.applyInterval = 2f; // Heal every 2 seconds
        
        healZone.StartZone();
    }
}

Trap Zone with Trigger

using Arawn.EnemyMasses.Runtime;
using UnityEngine;

public class TrapZone : MonoBehaviour
{
    public EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone trapZone;

    void Start()
    {
        trapZone.startOnStart = false; // Don't auto-start
    }

    void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other)
    {
        if (other.CompareTag("Player"))
        {
            trapZone.StartZone();
        }
    }

    void OnTriggerExit(Collider other)
    {
        if (other.CompareTag("Player"))
        {
            trapZone.StopZone();
        }
    }
}

Dynamic Zone Radius

using Arawn.EnemyMasses.Runtime;
using UnityEngine;

public class ExpandingZone : MonoBehaviour
{
    public EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone zone;
    public float startRadius = 2f;
    public float maxRadius = 15f;
    public float expandSpeed = 1f;

    void Start()
    {
        zone.radius = startRadius;
        zone.StartZone();
    }

    void Update()
    {
        if (zone.IsActive && zone.radius < maxRadius)
        {
            zone.radius += expandSpeed * Time.deltaTime;
        }
    }
}

Cyclic Buff Zone

using Arawn.EnemyMasses.Runtime;
using UnityEngine;

public class WarBanner : MonoBehaviour
{
    public EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone buffZone;
    public EnemyCrowd[] friendlyFactions;

    void Start()
    {
        // Only buff friendlies
        buffZone.factionFilterMode = EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone.CombatZoneFilterMode.OnlyListedFactions;
        buffZone.factionFilter.Clear();
        foreach (var faction in friendlyFactions)
        {
            buffZone.factionFilter.Add(faction);
        }
        
        // Configure damage buff
        buffZone.effectMode = EnemyMassesCombatEffectZone.CombatZoneEffectMode.StatusEffect;
        buffZone.effectType = StatusEffectType.DamageBuff;
        buffZone.effectDuration = 8f;
        buffZone.effectValue = 1.5f; // 50% damage increase
        
        // Pulse every 5 seconds
        buffZone.activeDuration = 2f;
        buffZone.inactiveDuration = 5f;
        
        buffZone.StartZone();
    }
}

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Editor Gizmos

The component displays visual feedback in the Scene view:

Visual	Description
Wire Sphere	Zone radius outline
Filled Sphere	Semi-transparent fill showing zone area

Automatic Gizmo Colors

Colors are automatically chosen based on effect type:

Effect Category	Color
Buff / Instant Heal	Green
Debuff / DoT	Red
Crowd Control	Yellow

Use Gizmo Color to override with a custom color.

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Common Use Cases

Poison Swamp

Effect Mode: StatusEffect
Effect Type: Poison
Effect Duration: 3
Effect Value: 8
Apply Interval: 1
Active Duration: 0 (always active)

Healing Fountain

Effect Mode: InstantHeal
Instant Heal Amount: 20
Apply Interval: 2
Faction Filter: OnlyListedFactions (player faction)
Active Duration: 0 (always active)

Fire Trap (Pulsing)

Effect Mode: StatusEffect
Effect Type: Burn
Effect Duration: 4
Effect Value: 15
Active Duration: 2
Inactive Duration: 8
Start VFX: Fire burst
Active VFX: Flames

Slow Field

Effect Mode: StatusEffect
Effect Type: Slow
Effect Duration: 2
Effect Value: 0.5 (50% speed)
Apply Interval: 0.5
Active Duration: 0 (always active)

Stun Trap (Single Activation)

Effect Mode: StatusEffect
Effect Type: Stun
Effect Duration: 3
Start On Start: false
Active Duration: 1
Inactive Duration: 0
[Trigger via script when player enters]

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Performance Tips

1. Apply Interval: Increase for large zones or many agents (0.5s - 2s)

2. VFX Intervals: Don't spawn VFX every frame; use intervals of 0.5s or more

3. Radius Line Segments: Lower values (16-32) are fine for smaller zones

4. Update Every Frame: Disable if zone position never changes

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Related Components

• EnemyMassesCrowdController - Core crowd management

• Status Effect System - Status effect types and categories

• RTS UI Components - Status effect display UI