Words to Know - What is Fog of War?

Fog of War is a game mechanic seen often in real-time or turn-based strategy and top-down role playing games where part of the play area is hidden from the players view. As the players character or units explore and move throughout the world more and more of the map is revealed, uncovering terrain, resources and enemies.

Once an area is uncovered the terrain and any resources in the explored area remain permanently visible to the player, but in order to see enemy units or changes in the environment such as new structures the player must have a unit in range. In strategy games this necessitates the use of scouts and outposts to protect ones borders and keep an eye on enemy movements and activities. The mechanic functions similarly in top-down RPG's, but with an added degree of risk since combat can begin immediately if you wander into a group of enemies you couldn’t previously see. For this reason it's often a good idea to move forward slowly and cautiously when exploring a new area, or utilize stealth mechanics to scout ahead and plan your attacks.

Fog of War was reportedly first used as early as 1977 in the computer strategy game Empire and has been a mainstay of the top-down genre ever since, appearing in games like Sid Meier's Civilization, Age of Empires, Massive Chalice and Baldur's Gate.

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