What does it mean to cleave?

Pelanora · January 2023

to divide
transitive verb. : to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : split. The blow cleaved the victim's skull. : to separate into distinct parts

intransitive, transitive (old-fashioned or literary) to move quickly through something
a ship cleaving through the water;
the huge boat cleaved the darkness;
to cleave a path through the traffic.

Just saying....

OBJnoob · January 2023

The specialized definition as used in this game is basically just AoE damage. If you have a dungeon boss surrounded by 10 additional enemies a common tactic is for the tank to gather everything together and the dps stay focused on the boss. The "extra" AoE damage, secondary effects and synergies accompanying many ultimates and abilities is often enough to take down lesser enemies. This is known as cleaving.

Doesn't fit the literal definition but I don't think it's the worst slang either. If you prefer just say "AoE them down," and everybody will know what you mean.

Pelanora · January 2023

'Splash damage' is better than cleave, sounds like it means and means what it sounds like.

CP5 · January 2023

"to cleave a path through the traffic a group of enemies," plus it's a simpler term to say than splash damage all the time.

Pelanora · January 2023

Cleave damage vs splash damage seems same to me.
Cleave a path thru traffic/enemies means split a path thru them, it doesnt mean AoE damage as you pass thru.

Thecompton73 · January 2023

Here's the thing if you've spent enough time on the forums you come to realize at least one person if not more on the Dev team gets a kick out of coining phrases for different aspects of the game rather than using those already in common use. Kiss-curse instead of saying trade-off comes immediately to mind.

MudcrabAttack · January 2023

Devs planted the seed

And content creators helped spread the idea. If it wasn't in their guides to describe AOE damage then the most used term would probably just be something like AOE damage.

ArctosCethlenn · January 2023

Thecompton73 wrote: »

Here's the thing if you've spent enough time on the forums you come to realize at least one person if not more on the Dev team gets a kick out of coining phrases for different aspects of the game rather than using those already in common use. Kiss-curse instead of saying trade-off comes immediately to mind.

Cleave meaning aoe has been a fairly standard term in gaming lexicon (both tabletop and computer) for decades, it's not something zos coined.

notyuu · January 2023

I get what you are going for, but to hit more than one target with an attack, would you not have to CLEAVE through the inital target so that the weapon can hit more?

OBJnoob · January 2023

Who decided "cool," means "cool?" And what resemblance to the actual definition does the slang one have? And does "fire," somehow mean the same thing as "cool?"

I wouldn't think too hard about it if I were you OP.

I_killed_Vivec · January 2023

If you are bothered by cleave being used in similar but not precisely the same ways to that definition, then please don't read any further...

"cleave to" means to stay close to, or cling on to something/someone.

It's just the way English is, innit!

Pelanora · January 2023

Goshddam devs.

notyuu wrote: »

I get what you are going for, but to hit more than one target with an attack, would you not have to CLEAVE through the inital target so that the weapon can hit more?

Yes i think a weapon or an ability cleaving through many, fits with the idea of passing quickly through, splitting or parting. It's just odd people use it to mean only 'i did a lot of aoe damage' 'i was cleaving my way thru'. It's a weird use of it.

There were two different old English words, one meaning to part, one to stick, they've merged into the one 'cleave'.