History Main / DamageIsFire

[[caption-width-right:254:Who knew [[RammingAlwaysWorks ramming]] could set [[FridgeLogic stones]] [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]]?]]

** Some of the buildings are obviously made out of ''stone''. The most likely scenario for fire destroying a stone building is that the fire would burn down wooden supports; the unsupported stone would then collapse. However, in Age of Empires, it just looks like the stone ''itself'' is on fire. In some cases it can be [[JustifiedTrope justified]] as the fire sprites are positioned on top of things such as windows, the implication being that the fire is coming out of them. But one look at the page image reveals a lot of places where this doesn't work, enforcing the trope.

%%* ''VideoGame/AztecWars''

* ''Constructor'' has tenants of houses politely inform you that their abode is filled with smoke and burning to the ground, complete with 40 foot flames shooting out of said domicile.

See also ShowsDamage.

** Justified for Terrans. Due to NoOSHACompliance, their buildings are haphazardly constructed and tanks or lines for volatile chemicals are easily damaged. Combat can easily cause said damage.

Whenever structures in RealTimeStrategy games are damaged, the damage is usually represented by a tiny flame that burns perpetually in the corner of the building, which grows as the damage increases. The fire represents the damage, but does not ([[VideoGame/StarCraft usually]]) damage the building further. Many games also do not to show non-fire indication animations, damaged models or death types, on infantry or vehicles, resulting in CriticalExistenceFailure.

* A non-video game example: ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'' has the Orphnoch, who, when damaged, will burn blue flames. This is more telling when they are mortally wounded, as they are almost full of blue flames as they break down into dust.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', Terran and Protoss buildings display this, with Terran buildings burning orange and Protoss buildings burning blue-white, [[ArtisticLicensePhysics even in a vacuum]]. Unusually, Terran buildings ''will'' take additional damage if their health bars are red, and will eventually burn down if not repaired. Zerg buildings bleed instead of burn because they are OrganicTechnology, and will slowly repair themselves over time.

* ''VideoGame/TotalAnnihilationKingdoms'' - however, a burning building will be further damaged by the fire.

** ''Warcraft III'' has buildings that will explode and leave a pile of cinders...from being whacked by steel axes. Bonus points for structures made entirely of carved stone and steel. All buildings will also catch fire as they are damaged (Human and Orc buildings burn orange, Night Elf buildings and Ancients burn purple and Undead buildings burn green). [[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', the flames are bigger than the building.
** Some of the buildings are obviously made out of ''stone''. The most likely scenario for fire destroying a stone building is that the fire would burn down wooden supports; the unsupported stone would then collapse. However, in Age of Empires, it just looks like the stone ''itself'' is on fire. In some cases it can be [[JustifiedTrope justified]] as the fire sprites are positioned on top of things such as windows, the implication being that the fire is coming out of them. But one look at the page image reveals a lot of places where this doesn't work, enforcing the trope.
** Partly justified in ''Age of Empires III'', where melee units will use flaming projectiles against buildings. Still doesn't explain stone burning, though. Also, ranged units continue to use their normal attacks.
%%* ''VideoGame/AztecWars''
* Averted in ''VideoGame/BattleRealms''. Buildings just get more broken when damaged by normal attacks. It's possible to set buildings on fire with certain units to deal damage over time, with the size of the flames is proportional to how much damage its taking per second, not by how much it has already taken.
** Stone buildings can catch on fire, but they go out almost instantly.
* The ''VideoGame/BioShock'' turrets and security bots get a little fire and sparks, full out exploding when they die.

* Appears in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'' whenever a city is besieged or a tile is pillaged. Arguably justified in most cases by the animations- melee units attacking a city appear to throw flaming projectiles, burning is a great way to destroy a farm, etc.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer''
** Slightly averted: Flames left behind as the result of a building or vehicle's ''destruction'' '''will''' damage anything placed on top of them until they burn out.
*** Also, the buildings usually have different graphics displayed, depending on how damaged the buildings are, in addition to the fires. So the damage is not only represented by the flames.
** Also averted with units, particularly infantry, and their many, ''many'' different ways to die: shot to death, squished, exploded, set ablaze, electrocuted, disintegrated, poisoned/gassed, irradiated... and in most games all of those do have unique animations, though this practice all but disappeared for ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars'' and after, where even infantry burned to death just fall over, which removed a lot of the cause-and-effect draw and drama of war that many earlier titles had.
* ''Constructor'' has tenants of houses politely inform you that their abode is filled with smoke and burning to the ground, complete with 40 foot flames shooting out of said domicile.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/CossacksEuropeanWars'' and its' expansions. Building damage is displayed as fire like in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', but beyond a certain point, it also causes the building's remaining health to deteriorate similar to ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', eventually destroying it completely unless workers are assigned to repair it (how burning can be stopped by hammering away at the building is anyone's guess).
* In ''Crazy Cars III'', your Lamborghini will start emitting smoke when the damage meter goes high enough.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'', both of your offensive spells, Hurt and Hurtmore, are fire spells. When ''VideoGame/DragonQuestII'' came out, the English translation turned one of the new offensive spells, [[BlowYouAway Woosh]], into another fire spell called "Infernos." Starting in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'', more varied forms of magical attacks appeared.
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem 10'' technically plays this straight, but usually it's directly stated that the bandits or other enemies ARE burning down the structures in question.
* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' - Your vehicle, though since the health in the game is the [[RegeneratingHealth walk-it-off type]], your mechanic is repairing the thing.

* Taken to [[MadeOfExplodium its logical conclusion]] in ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997''. If you shoot a box - or, really, anything - enough, it explodes and is partially deformed. Shoot it more and it'll explode again and look like it's falling apart. Shoot it even more and it will explode '''again''', finally being reduced to a few blackened remains.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' and up implement the vehicular version, where the car begins to smoke as it is damaged. However, once it catches on fire it becomes a time bomb with a very short fuse. The same was true of many other GTA style games, like ''Franchise/SaintsRow'' and ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}''.
* ''VideoGame/HogsOfWar'' has this, and it extends as far as to your flesh-and-blood characters, who explode upon losing all their hit points (even from ''drowning'') and leave a pair of SmolderingShoes‎ behind.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'', when ships are damaged below about half health, they start shooting flames. Presumably this is due to the damage control teams desperately trying to keep the fire from spreading by venting the flaming compartments' atmospheres into space, so it's a [[JustifiedTrope justified example.]]
* ''VideoGame/JeffWaynesWarOfTheWorlds'' uses varying amounts of smoke and flame to indicate damage, not only to faction units and structures but to literally everything destructible, which includes civilian buildings, bridges, trees, ''lamp posts''...

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfHonor'': When pillaging, laying a siege, or battling enemy forces, the units/structures/castles are replaced with burning flames.
%%* ''{{VideoGame/Majesty}}''

* Critically damaged components in some ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' games will smoke and burn.
* ''{{VideoGame/Netstorm}}'' has buildings burning after some damage threshold. They don't get worse, but you can't repair anything either.
* In ''Videogame/PlanetSide 2'', damaged vehicles will spew out smoke which gets thicker the more damaged it becomes. At critical levels, the vehicle's engine begins to fail and begins to spew fire from the exhaust and nearby body panels, slowly burning the vehicle up and crippling its top speed, or in the case of heavy aircraft, all but killing its ability to stay airborne.

%%* ''VideoGame/RiseOfNations''
%%* ''Robot Wars''

* Played amusingly straight in ''Singles 2: Triple Trouble'', a [[FollowTheLeader cheap knockoff]] of VideoGame/TheSims. It makes sense that a stove would belch smoke if it needed repairs... But can anyone explain why the ''bathroom sink'' does the same?
%%* ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}''
* In ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', Terran and Protoss buildings display this, with Terran buildings burning orange and Protoss buildings burning blue-white, [[ArtisticLicensePhysics even in a vacuum]]. Unusually, Terran buildings ''will'' take additional damage if their health bars are red, and will eventually burn down if not repaired. Zerg buildings bleed instead of burn because they are OrganicTechnology, and will slowly repair themselves over time.
** Justified for Terrans. Due to NoOSHACompliance, their buildings are haphazardly constructed and tanks or lines for volatile chemicals are easily damaged. Combat can easily cause said damage.
** {{Averted|Trope}} with ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' units. Killing a biological unit with a Roach or Baneling (which have an [[HollywoodAcid Acid attack]]) will cause that unit to literally melt away. [[KillItWithFire Killing a unit with fire]] (Hellion, Firebat, and Battlecruiser) will cause them to burn to death.
%%* ''Star Wars: VideoGame/EmpireAtWar''
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsGalacticBattlegrounds'' did this, as to be expected from something on the ''Age of Empires'' engine. The Rebel Fortress structure in particular produces a flame approximately the size of an Imperial AT-AT walker when it's being torched.
%%* ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander''

** In the ''Warcraft'' RealTimeStrategy series, hitting a building with cold or water elementals will ''still'' set it on fire.
** ''Warcraft III'' has buildings that will explode and leave a pile of cinders...from being whacked by steel axes. Bonus points for structures made entirely of carved stone and steel. All buildings will also catch fire as they are damaged (Human and Orc buildings burn orange, Night Elf buildings and Ancients burn purple and Undead buildings burn green).
* In ''VideoGame/YuGiOhReshefOfDestruction'', all card battles end with destroyed cards bursting into flames, no matter what element destroyed it. Yes, even water will end in the card burning up.

* In ''Videogame/YuGiOhReshefOfDestruction'', all card battles end with destroyed cards bursting into flames, no matter what element destroyed it. Yes, even water will end in the card burning up.

* Critically damaged components in some ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' games will smoke and burn.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', Terran and Protoss buildings display this, with Terran buildings burning orange and Protoss buildings burning blue-white, [[ArtisticLicensePhysics even in a vacuum]]. Unusually, Terran buildings ''will'' take additional damage if their health bars are red, and will eventually burn down if not repaired. Zerg buildings bleed instead of burn because they are OrganicTechnology, and will slowly repair themselves over time.
** Justified for Terrans. Due to NoOSHACompliance, their buildings are haphazardly constructed and tanks or lines for volatile chemicals are easily damaged. Combat can easily cause said damage.
** {{Averted|Trope}} with ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' units. Killing a biological unit with a Roach or Baneling (which have an [[HollywoodAcid Acid attack]]) will cause that unit to literally melt away. [[KillItWithFire Killing a unit with fire]] (Hellion, Firebat, and Battlecruiser) will cause them to burn to death.
* ''VideoGame/RiseOfNations''
* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}''. Particularly noticeable in ''Warcraft II'', as a growing flame in the middle is the ''only'' visible effect of damage to a building.
** This could get funny when you set a gold mine on fire by shooting arrows at it. ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' comes around, and suddenly [[ReverseFunnyAneurysm it turns out]] that all of those rocks that weren't gold were actually MadeOfExplodium.
** In the ''Warcraft'' RealTimeStrategy series, hitting a building with cold or water elementals will ''still'' set it on fire.
** ''Warcraft III'' has buildings that will explode and leave a pile of cinders...from being whacked by steel axes. Bonus points for structures made entirely of carved stone and steel. All buildings will also catch fire as they are damaged (Human and Orc buildings burn orange, Night Elf buildings and Ancients burn purple and Undead buildings burn green)
* ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}''
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsGalacticBattlegrounds'' did this, as to be expected from something on the ''Age of Empires'' engine. The Rebel Fortress structure in particular produces a flame approximately the size of an Imperial AT-AT walker when it's being torched.
** ''Star Wars: VideoGame/EmpireAtWar'' did this as well, though not as noticeably (and not for everything).

** Also averted with units, particularly infantry, and their many, ''many'' different ways to die: shot to death, squished, exploded, set ablaze, electrocuted, desintegrated, poisoned/gassed, irradiated... and in most games all of those do have unique animations, though this practice all but disappeared for ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars'' and after, where even infantry burned to death just fall over, which removed a lot of the cause-and-effect draw and drama of war that many earlier titles had.
* ''VideoGame/JustCause'' does this with vehicles, combining it with EveryCarIsAPinto. After taking enough damage from any source, a vehicle will start emitting flames; a few seconds later, it explodes, killing the driver and/or passengers (but only doing moderate damage to anyone standing right next to it).
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': Sentry guns smoke and spark if damaged; at higher damage levels, the smoke becomes fire.
* The ''VideoGame/BioShock'' turrets and security bots get a little fire and sparks, full out exploding when they die.
* The Mako from ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' emits more smoke and fire the more damage it takes.
* ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander''
* ''Robot Wars''
* ''VideoGame/TotalAnnihilationKingdoms'' - however, a burning building will be further damaged by the fire.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' and up implement the vehicular version, where the car begins to smoke as it is damaged. However, once it catches on fire it becomes a time bomb with a very short fuse. The same was true of many other GTA style games, like ''Franchise/SaintsRow'' and ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}''.
* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' - Your vehicle, though since the health in the game is the [[RegeneratingHealth walk-it-off type]], your mechanic is repairing the thing.
* In ''VideoGame/TheGodfather'' game, vehicles will catch fire once they have taken enough damage, while a bombed building will be on fire.

* ''VideoGame/HogsOfWar'' has this, and it extends as far as to your flesh-and-blood characters, who explode upon losing all their hitpoints (even from ''drowning'') and leave a pair of SmolderingShoes‎ behind.
* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' uses this trope for vehicular damage but averts it for buildings.
* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' uses this.
* Taken to [[MadeOfExplodium its logical conclusion]] in ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997''. If you shoot a box - or, really, anything - enough, it explodes and is partially deformed. Shoot it more and it'll explode again and look like it's falling apart. Shoot it even more and it will explode '''again''', finally being reduced to a few blackened remains.
* Most shmups, such as ''VideoGame/{{Raiden}}'', use this for large enemies and bosses, as well as destroyable scenery.
* Played amusingly straight in ''Singles 2: Triple Trouble'', a [[FollowTheLeader cheap knockoff]] of VideoGame/TheSims. It makes sense that a stove would belch smoke if it needed repairs... But can anyone explain why the ''bathroom sink'' does the same?

* ''VideoGame/AztecWars''
* Averted in ''VideoGame/BattleRealms''. Buildings just get more broken when damaged by normal attacks. It's possible to set buildings on fire with certain units to deal damage over time, with the size of the flames is proportional to how much damage its taking per second, not by how much it has already taken.
** Stone buildings can catch on fire, but they go out almost instantly.
* ''VideoGame/SimCity''. This city simulation has no combat and thus no hitpoints. Fires in this game will destroy buildings if they are left burning too long.
* ''{{VideoGame/Netstorm}}'' has buildings burning after some damage threshold. They don't get worse, but you can't repair anything either.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/TheSettlers II'', where buildings can't be damaged at all, but are destroyed or razed on occasion. This results in a fire and smoking ruins afterwards, indicating that razing actually happens ''through'' burning.
* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfHonor'': When pillaging, laying a siege, or battling enemy forces, the units/structures/castles are replaced with burning flames.
* ''{{VideoGame/Majesty}}''

* In ''Videogame/YuGiOhReshefOfDestruction'', all card battles end with destroyed cards bursting into flames, no matter what element destroyed it. Yes, even water will end in the card burning up.
* Appears in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V'' whenever a city is besieged or a tile is pillaged. Arguably justified in most cases by the animations- melee units attacking a city appear to throw flaming projectiles, burning is a great way to destroy a farm, etc.

* In ''Crazy Cars III'', your Lamborghini will start emitting smoke when the damage meter goes high enough.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/CossacksEuropeanWars'' and its' expansions. Building damage is displayed as fire like in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', but beyond a certain point, it also causes the building's remaining health to deteriorate similar to ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', eventually destroying it completely unless workers are assigned to repair it (how burning can be stopped by hammering away at the building is anyone's guess).

Whenever structures in RealTimeStrategy games are damaged, the damage is usually represented by a tiny flame that burns perpetually in the corner of the building, which grows as the damage increases. The fire represents the damage, but does not ([[Franchise/{{Starcraft}} usually]]) damage the building further. Many games also do not to show non-fire indication animations, damaged models or death types, on infantry or vehicles, resulting in CriticalExistenceFailure.

* ''VideoGame/JustCause'' does this with vehicles. If it's on fire, you'd better jump out quick.

[[caption-width-right:254:Who knew [[RammingAlwaysWorks ramming]] put [[FridgeLogic stones]] [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]]?]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}''. Particularly noticeable in ''VideoGame/WarcraftII'', as a growing flame in the middle is the ''only'' visible effect of damage to a building.

** ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' has buildings that will explode and leave a pile of cinders...from being whacked by steel axes. Bonus points for structures made entirely of carved stone and steel. All buildings will also catch fire as they are damaged (Human and Orc buildings burn orange, Night Elf buildings and Ancients burn purple and Undead buildings burn green)

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsGalacticBattlegrounds'' (then again, it runs on the AOE engine...)
** and ''Star Wars: Empire at War'', though not that noticeable (or for everything).
** The Rebel Fortress structure in ''Galactic Battlegrounds'' produces a flame approximately the size of an Imperial AT-AT walker when it's being torched.

* ''TotalAnnihilationKingdoms'' - however, a burning building will be further damaged by the fire.

* ''GearsOfWar'' - Your vehicle, though since the health in the game is the WalkItOff type your mechanic is repairing the thing.

* Taken to its logical conclusion in ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997''. If you shoot a box enough, it Explodes and is partially deformed. Shoot it more and It'll explode again and look like it's falling apart. Shoot it MORE and it will explode AGAIN! finally being reduced to a few blackened remains.

* Critically damaged components in some ''MechWarrior'' games will smoke and burn.

Whenever structures in RealTimeStrategy games are damaged, the damage is usually represented by a tiny flame that burns perpetually in the corner of the building, which grows as the damage increases. The fire represents the damage, but does not ([[Franchise/{{Starcraft}} usually]]) damage the building further.

** Also slightly averted: Flames left behind as the result of a building or vehicle's ''destruction'' '''will''' damage anything placed on top of them until they burn out.
*** Also, the buildings usually have different graphics displayed depending on how damaged the buildings are, in addition to the fires. So the damage is not only represented by the flames.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto3'' and up implement the vehicular version, where the car begins to smoke as it is damaged. However, once it catches on fire it becomes a time bomb with a very short fuse. The same was true of many other GTA style games, like ''Franchise/SaintsRow'' and ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}''.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/{{Cossacks}}: European Wars'' and its' expansions. Building damage is displayed as fire like in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', but beyond a certain point, it also causes the building's remaining health to deteriorate similar to ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', eventually destroying it completely unless workers are assigned to repair it (how burning can be stopped by hammering away at the building is anyone's guess).

* Played with in ''VideoGame/{{Cossacks}}: European Wars'' and its' expansions. Building damage is displayed as fire like in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', but beyond a certain point, it also causes the building's remaining health to deteriorate similar to ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', eventually destroying it completely unless workers are assigned to repair it (how burning can be stopped by hammering away at the building is beyond this troper).

* Played with in Cossacks: European Wars and its' expansions. Building damage is displayed as fire like in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', but beyond a certain point, it also causes the building's remaining health to deteriorate similar to ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}}'', eventually destroying it completely unless workers are assigned to repair it (how burning can be stopped by hammering away at the building is beyond this troper).

Whenever structures in RTS games are damaged, the damage is usually represented by a tiny flame that burns perpetually in the corner of the building, which grows as the damage increases. The fire represents the damage, but does not ([[Franchise/{{Starcraft}} usually]]) damage the building further. Sometimes this trope will also apply to vehicles, which start smoking and sparking when damaged.

** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' units. Killing a biological unit with a Roach or Baneling (which have an [[HollywoodAcid Acid attack]]) will cause that unit to literally melt away. [[KillItWithFire Killing a unit with fire]] (Hellion, Firebat, and Battlecruiser) will cause them to burn to death.
* ''RiseOfNations''

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' does this with your vehicle.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto 3'' and up implement the vehicular version, where the car begins to smoke as it is damaged. However, once it catches on fire it becomes a time bomb with a very short fuse. The same was true of many other GTA style games, like ''Franchise/SaintsRow'' and ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}''.

* ''FireEmblem 10'' technically plays this straight, but usually it's directly stated that the bandits or other enemies ARE burning down the structures in question.