Projectile fan

Three questions for the mechanic

• Can the player read the whole spread?

  Show the center direction, both outer limits, and every occupied ray before release. The cue should explain the fan as one formation, not six unrelated shots.

• Does the full player fit through a gap?

  Measure clearance perpendicular to the adjacent projectile paths at the intended crossing distance, including both projectile and player collision radii.

• Does the fan clear before the next decision?

  Let the final projectile leave the playable route before the boss aims again, so residual danger cannot contradict the next telegraph.

Design mistakes

• The outer rays appear only at release

  If the preview shows only the center, the true width of the attack arrives too late and edge escapes become guesses.

• A visible gap is smaller than the colliders

  A corridor may look open while the combined player and projectile radii make it impossible. Test geometry at the actual crossing point.

Tune the attack

• Lock angles at release

  Aim during the signal, then keep every ray fixed. Late homing changes the mechanic from spacing to pursuit and invalidates the chosen route.

• Tune distance with angular spacing

  Diverging lanes widen as they travel. The same fan can be dense near the boss and generous near the arena edge, so define where the decision should happen.

• Use speed to set response time

  Projectile speed should preserve enough time to reach a declared gap after the formation becomes legible, including camera motion and animation latency.

• Escalate by rotating the formation

  Offset or rotate later fans only after the base spacing is learned. Keep the new center and outer limits visible before each release.

Arena

• Give the fan a readable backdrop

  Keep the emitter and outer rays on camera, and reduce particles or floor detail where projectile silhouettes and gaps must be judged.

Player upgrades

• Preserve an ordinary movement answer

  Verify that walking or the game's baseline dodge can reach at least one announced gap. Special defenses may add options, but should not hide an impossible base pattern.

Do not confuse this with

• Separate a fan from a gap volley

  A projectile fan creates angular lanes that widen from one origin. A gap volley moves a broader formation through the arena with a deliberately empty segment.