Rulebook, page 10:
"A critical hit increases damage dealt by 1 to each successfully hit target."

Per the rulebook a critical hit will not deal additional damage to characters in the area of effect for Energy Explosion, because they weren't targeted.

Player's guide, page 3:
"A critical hit increases the damage dealt to any character hit by an attack that deals damage."

Per the Player's Guide a critical hit will deal additional damage to a character in the area of effect, because they were hit by the attack.

So, which is it?

Both,,, they aren't mutually exclusive.

Of course, there's the possibility it's supposed to be just the targets. Which would mean the PG entry should be removed.

My assumption has been that the PG entry is basically an expansion of the rulebook text, which I think is what you are saying. But there was an answer on this that makes me wonder if that's the case.

I saw an orange ruling on this just the other day, sorry don't have a link, that characters in the AoE are not delt critical hit damage only the ones targeted with the ranged combat attack.

I also think that the next PG needs a complete overhaul as there seems to be several things in it that conflicts with the 2013 rules and PAC

The 2012 critical hit rules said "target" as well. So, even prior to the introduction of Area of Effects, it appears there was acknowledgment through the PG entry that some attacked characters wouldn't have necessarily been targeted, and should have the damage dealt to them increased.

I don't see why having new characters that aren't targeted but are attacked in an Area of Effect changes any of these other rules that were already there.

It's also possible that under the 2012 rules there was no such thing as an un-targeted character that was just attacked,,, maybe.

Whatever it is, the PG entry still probably needs changing in some way, or just to be removed.

or,,, the rulebook needs a wording tweak.

Yes, that's the post that caused me to question this.

2012 EE had the adjacent characters attacked but not targeted. It was intended that they be effected by a critical, but the power itself specified that. Maybe the PG entry was to allow for untargeted characters to be effected when EE was not a no damage attack, or when Pulse Wave didn't target?
The "why is that there?" is an interesting question, but I can live with not knowing if I can just find out what the current intended result is.

I actually had enough old PGs saved that I was able to find when it was added. It was added with the May 2011 Player's Guide. Energy Explosion wasn't why, and the existence of No Damage attacks probably wasn't the reason either, since even the 2010 rules clearly said those didn't cause crits.

So is this even under discussion?

Some sherbet response please! Thanks!

This came up in my match tonight as an we question. Can a character who takes the splash damage role for super senses?

Splash damage role? That sounds like a really hard acting job

What's my motivation?
KABOOM!
Great! Thanks!

Edit: You can roll Super Senses on any attack roll unless specifically forbidden by a game effect (i.e. pink attack and anything that says "cannot be evaded")

Ok thank you. I thought that only the character being targeted by the attack could not the ones taking the splash damage. That's for clear on that up.

No, Super Senses can be rolled if the attack hits you: if you're comparing your defense and the attack roll result then Super Senses would trigger.

SUPER SENSES When this character is hit by an attack, you may roll a d6 before damage is dealt. On a result of 5 or 6, this character evades the attack.

Compare that language to Shape Change, where you have to actually be targeted:
SHAPE CHANGE When this character is chosen as the target of an attack, you may roll a d6. On a result of or , the attacker can’t target this character with an attack this turn and the attacker may choose another target character instead. The attacker then makes the attack unless there are no targets, in which case the action resolves without an attack.

Where was that post? Because I'm fairly certain that's wrong. The PG pretty clearly says that critical hits apply to all characters hit by the attack, not just ones that are targeted.

http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464912, post #10.