Chapter 1: Blunt / Edge / Puncture / Projectile / Energy / Area-of-Effect — Visual Grammar

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Blunt / Edge / Puncture / Projectile / Energy / Area‑of‑Effect — Visual Grammar

Function & Mechanics 101 (Depiction Only) — equally for concept and production artists

Why damage modality matters to the picture

Even when mechanics are not simulated, players read how a weapon means to work from its silhouette, massing, and surface cues. That read—blunt, edge, puncture, projectile, energy, or area‑of‑effect (AoE)—must be unmistakable at thumbnail size and across first‑ and third‑person cameras. This article builds a shared visual grammar so concept chooses the right “verbs” and production preserves them through modeling, rigging, and materials. We are not prescribing real physics; we’re depicting intent in a way that survives gameplay, skins, and LODs.

A common template: vector, locus, medium, and aftermath

Every modality can be described with four visual components: Vector (where force travels), Locus (where it concentrates), Medium (what delivers it: mass, edge, gas, light), and Aftermath (what trace it leaves: dents, cuts, scorches, shock). If a design makes those four legible, players grasp function in under a second.

Blunt — mass and momentum

Promise. Crush, shove, stun, break structure.

Vector. Along a short arc from the handline into a broad face.

Locus. Large, planar or lightly convex impact surfaces with proud corners; chamfers for survivability but not sharpness.

Medium. Density and leverage: thick cheeks, collars, and sockets; heavy fasteners aligned with load paths.

Silhouette & proportion. Square or blocky hulls with step‑downs; mass biased away from the hand by 10–25% to imply momentum. Heads larger than grips by two or more ratio steps. Keep at least one flat normal at the business end to read “face.”

Perspective notes. Avoid excessive chamfer cascades that dissolve at distance. Use planar breaks that remain visible in foreshortened views; a crisp shoulder between neck and head preserves the strike face.

Surface logic. Dark cores, compressed value range, abrasion maps on corners; rubberized or banded grips to imply recoil damping.

Animation/VFX hooks. Wide swing arcs, slower follow‑through. VFX spawns oriented normal to the face (dust puffs, screen shake), not along an edge line.

Production concerns. Generous bevel radii for LOD robustness; collision proxies that anticipate large arcs. Interior fillets to avoid razor edges on “soft” shapes.

Edge — shearing and slicing

Promise. Cut fibers and surfaces cleanly; favor precision and flow.

Vector. Along the blade’s tangent; force glides rather than strikes.

Locus. A continuous, thin edge; choils and fuller lines that direct flow.

Medium. Geometry: taper, bevel, and edge continuity. Lightweight spines with hardened edge zones.

Silhouette & proportion. Long, clear blade‑to‑handle contrast; two‑to‑three stage taper (thick at spine → thin at edge). Preserve a negative‑space notch (choil/ricasso) that reads even at 64 px to advertise “edge present.”

Perspective notes. Build subtle plan‑view kinks or chamfers so the edge rhythm survives foreshortening. Show the blade’s thickness near the guard to avoid paper‑thin reads.

Surface logic. Controlled specular bands along the bevel; brushed direction follows stroke path. Avoid busy decals near the edge that create shimmer.

Animation/VFX hooks. Fast, wrist‑led arcs; thin, trailing slice streaks; hit sparks aligned along the edge rather than outward bursts.

Production concerns. Minimum thickness for game scale; continuous edge loops for clean shading; holster/clearance checks so the edge daylight doesn’t vanish in stow.

Puncture — penetration and focus

Promise. Pierce armor, find gaps, pin targets.

Vector. Linear thrust along a narrow axis, sometimes with rotational aid.

Locus. Small, reinforced tip geometry (cones, pyramids, needles) with collars to prevent over‑penetration.

Medium. Stiff spines, tangs, or shafts; guide fins and guards that keep the axis true.

Silhouette & proportion. Dominant line with a proud, point‑forward termination. Minimal side protrusions that would snag; a protective guard that frames the axis. Ratio favors length over breadth; taper is gradual to advertise stiffness.

Perspective notes. Keep the axis dead straight across views; use control rings to maintain coaxiality at sockets. In first‑person, ensure the point doesn’t flatten to a blunt trapezoid—add plan‑view facets.

Surface logic. Polished or ceramic tips with darker support structure; wear concentrated at the apex and guard rim.

Animation/VFX hooks. Short, direct stabs, micro‑retractions, and “set” poses. VFX prefers tight, forward‑biased streaks and small particulate bursts.

Production concerns. Tip radii safe for LOD; sockets reinforced with internal collars; ensure collision capsules align with axis for grab/aim blends.

Projectile — launch and feed

Promise. Throw mass at range with repeatability.

Vector. Bore axis: chamber → barrel → muzzle device; magazine/feeding path perpendicular or angled in.

Locus. Muzzle cluster and ejection/port geometry; magazine toe; bolt and charging elements.

Medium. Mechanical energy: springs, gas, recoil systems; for bows/slings, stored elastic energy.

Silhouette & proportion. Clear bar‑and‑stock proportion for rifles; belly plus tube for shotguns; compact receiver mass for SMGs. Protect daylight gaps that signify class (trigger tunnel, optic‑receiver notch). For bows, limb arcs and string line must be clean and symmetrical.

Perspective notes. Parallelism between bore and sight axes; consistent rail vanishing directions. Muzzle and ejection ports remain visible in dominant cameras.

Surface logic. Heat discoloration near muzzle, carbon staining around ports; knurling aligned to axis on grips and knobs.

Animation/VFX hooks. Muzzle flash windows, brass ejection, bolt travel lanes, limb flex (bows). VFX anchored to muzzle device geometry; shell trajectories clear the silhouette.

Production concerns. Model concentric cylinders for shrouds/suppressors; maintain wall thickness around ports; LOD protection for thin rails.

Energy — emitters, coils, fields

Promise. Deliver force as light, plasma, magnetics, sound—non‑kinetic in look, but with convincing endpoints.

Vector. Beam or cone along an emitter axis; sometimes a short arc from capacitor to focus ring.

Locus. Apertures, coils, vanes, crystals, or diaphragms that visually tune output; heat sinks and capacitors read as reservoirs.

Medium. Visual circuitry: cables, bus bars, vents. Rhythm signals charging and discharge cycles.

Silhouette & proportion. A clear emitter mouth distinct from body; spaced focusing elements that create a layered “optics” read. Keep a few bold negative spaces where energy can “live” (between coil cages, within fins).

Perspective notes. Concentricity sells precision—coils and apertures must share centers. Add slight step‑backs so inner rings remain visible when foreshortened.

Surface logic. Glow‑friendly recesses, heat tinting on fins, dielectric materials near apertures. Avoid high‑frequency greebles at edges that fight bloom.

Animation/VFX hooks. Charge‑up color ramps, lens flares from recesses, distortion cones. Provide vents/exhausts for cooldown FX; leave unobstructed sightlines for beams.

Production concerns. Transparent meshes need interior caps; emissive masks kept off silhouette edges to reduce shimmer; LOD swaps that preserve emitter mouth geometry.

Area‑of‑Effect — volume and influence

Promise. Affect space rather than a single target: knockback, burn, freeze, poison, suppress.

Vector. Radiating arcs or lobbed trajectories; detonation centers and propagation shells.

Locus. Canisters, drums, arrays, or rune circles that imply volume creation; timed fuses and indicator bands.

Medium. Gas, fire, foam, shards, sound, EMP; visually represented as containers + release mechanisms.

Silhouette & proportion. Bulky reservoirs and proud vents; perimeter standoffs so the effect has “daylight” to emerge. For lobbers, fat noses with stabilizing tails; for deployables, strong stands or clips that read as placeable.

Perspective notes. Ensure vents/ports are visible from top‑down and 3/4 views; radiators should not align perfectly with the hull edge or they disappear.

Surface logic. Hazard stripes, perforated grills, pressure dials; residue and staining around outlets.

Animation/VFX hooks. Clear arming gestures, countdown lights, expanding rings, lingering volumes with readable boundaries. Provide anchor points for decals (scorch, frost) away from class‑critical edges.

Production concerns. Collision volumes sized for the promised radius; detachable pins/handles need robust pivots; LODs must retain outlet geometry so FX scale correctly.

Mixed modalities and hybrids

Many fantasy or sci‑fi weapons combine verbs. The key is sequence clarity: show a primary and a secondary modality by staging their loci and media in a readable order. Example: an energy lance (puncture + energy) leads with a proud tip axis and nests coils behind it; a brutal shotgun with dragon’s‑breath (projectile + AoE) keeps the belly/tube read and adds a flared muzzle with vent slots that cue spread. In handoff, name the hierarchy: “Primary Puncture, Secondary Energy (charge on thrust).”

Camera survival: FPV/TPV and icon scale

At 64–96 px longest dimension, only the hull and two or three voids survive. Place your modality locus among those surviving features: the blunt face, the cutting notch, the puncture tip, the muzzle device, the emitter mouth, or the vent array. For first‑person, validate that foreshortening doesn’t hide the locus (e.g., a flat‑faced hammer turning to a sliver). Add subtle plan‑view steps or silhouette kinks to keep the read.

Color and graphic language (supporting, not substituting)

Color can reinforce modality but must not be the only signal. Reserve high‑chroma glows for energy and status states; use hazard graphic conventions (chevrons, dotted spread cones, reticle rings) sparingly and on interior planes. For blunt/edge/puncture, keep outer contours clean and graphic‑light.

Cross‑discipline handoff

Provide a silhouette‑only ortho with the modality loci circled, a perspective sheet demonstrating the vectors, and a small table that lists: center of gravity target, attachment safe zones (that won’t mask the locus), and VFX anchor points. Production should confirm wall thickness around loci (e.g., near muzzles or vents) and protect them in LOD rules. Animation needs clear hand clearance around the locus so hands don’t occlude the storytelling moment.

Common pitfalls and quiet fixes

  • Ambiguous modality. Two equally loud loci compete. Reduce one, enlarge the other, or stagger them in sequence.
  • Edge noise kills read. Micro‑greebles near the silhouette turn modalities into glitter. Collapse mid‑scale detail; move decals inboard.
  • Camera betrayal. Locus disappears in key pose. Introduce a small step, notch, or chamfer that survives rotation.
  • Skin breaks function. Cosmetic shells fill the critical void (e.g., covering an emitter mouth). Mark do‑not‑occlude zones and push skin storytelling to interior planes.

Practice prompts

Design a single hull and iterate it through the six modalities by changing only the locus and medium cues. Then run a 64‑px test and a first‑person foreshortening pass. You’ll learn how little needs to change to swap the “verb,” and how easy it is to over‑spec.

Final checklist

Before you ship an iteration, ask: Is the modality’s vector obvious? Is the locus bold and protected across attachments and skins? Does the medium read in silhouette and survive camera? Does the aftermath have VFX/material hooks? If yes, your depiction will communicate damage type instantly—even when the underlying mechanics are abstracted.