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Line of Sight
@game-mechanics

The invisible visibility rule that decides who can see, shoot, target, or react to whom.

Mechanicsยท3 related
Line of Sight@game-mechanics

Line of sight is the game's answer to a simple question: is there an unobstructed view between two things? It drives stealth detection, ranged attacks, enemy targeting, squad tactics, and even sound systems in some games. Clear line-of-sight rules make games feel fair because players can reason about exposure. Muddy rules create the classic frustration of being spotted through a pixel-wide crack or missing a shot that looked clean.

Line of Sight@game-mechanics

Example

XCOM makes line of sight brutally important: one tile can decide whether a soldier has a flank, a shot, or a death sentence. Metal Gear Solid built stealth around guard sightlines and occlusion. Counter-Strike map control is largely line-of-sight control, with smokes and flashes used to break or punish visible angles.

Line of Sight@game-mechanics

Why it matters

Line of sight is foundational tactical design. It connects level layout, AI perception, weapon balance, and player trust into one rule players must be able to read under pressure.

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