pdenton on 25/10/2008 at 21:11
If you're a fan, like me, of Zero Punctuation, then you've not his references to the lack of health bars in games. For most of us, who grew up on Doom, Half Life, etc, the health bar was staple of sorts. Now it seems to be almost all but gone from current games. I was wondering what you guys thought?
Having a health bar means you've got to replenish it somehow, so the absence of the bar or meter means that there are no health power ups, a little more realistic. But any more realistic than being shot 5 times and recovering by standing still for a moment?
Ostriig on 25/10/2008 at 21:48
I'm with you. I prefer some sort of system where damage is actually sustained, not just shrugged off ten seconds later. Whether it's a bar, or a number, or a glowy light thingie like the aliens had in AVP (IIRC), etc. - that depends on the context. But unless you're doing some modern-day, pseudo-realistic game (which usually don't really interest me) it's not too difficult to find a reasonably excuse for having health power-ups.
Actually, even in said pseudo-realistic games, health packs can still be much more reasonable than auto-heal. Thinking of Max Payne, for instance, with medkits being replaced by painkillers. Sure, you feel no pain, but you're running around with a kilogram of bullets lodged in your stomach, you'll say. I do still find that to be more acceptable than taking two or three 7.62 rounds to the chest and them just magically transforming into healing fairy dust after you've had a breather.
Jeshibu on 26/10/2008 at 00:15
I actually like either when they're well done. I'm playing through The Darkness (again) and Dead Space, and I think they both handle their health systems fine.
The Darkness actually has an excuse for its lack of permanent damage short of death though, because as far as I remember from the comics Jackie is immune to bullets. But yeah, it can get a bit odd in a Call of Duty game.
The health system I liked best so far was the one in Chronicles of Riddick, which is the middle ground between the health bar and shrugging off damage after a few seconds. The health bar is divided into segments, and health only regenerates within segments where there's still a bit of health left. Allows you to shrug off minor injuries, but not major wounds.
pdenton on 26/10/2008 at 06:59
I had forgotten Vietcong had that kind of health system. What I wouldn't do for those discs back...
I did find in COD4 that the recovery system kind of worked if you looked it as your kevlar was absorbing the enemy rounds and you weren't actually "hurt" as much as winded. It helps take a little of the absurdity off.
Painkillers worked perfectly for Max Payne. In Alone In the Dark (only played the demo and enjoyed it, hear the full version is rubbish), you had the health spray the player had to apply to the wound directly which was ridiculously awesome, it just didn't pause the game.
Whoops.
Volitions Advocate on 26/10/2008 at 10:46
Pariah and Escape from Butcher Bay.
You had X number of health Blocks. Once you got hurt enough a health block would disappear. But if you dont sustain enough damage to make the health block disappear it regenerates.
So if you start with 5. you get hurt enough that 2 1/2 of them are gone. the 3rd one will regenerate but the 2 that were used up do not come back. Unless you find a health station or a healing tool.
That one made playing fun.
catbarf on 26/10/2008 at 14:33
Quote Posted by Volitions Advocate
Pariah and Escape from Butcher Bay.
You had X number of health Blocks. Once you got hurt enough a health block would disappear. But if you dont sustain enough damage to make the health block disappear it regenerates.
So if you start with 5. you get hurt enough that 2 1/2 of them are gone. the 3rd one will regenerate but the 2 that were used up do not come back. Unless you find a health station or a healing tool.
That one made playing fun.
The same system was used in MoH:Airborne. It's a very good system.
CCCToad on 26/10/2008 at 15:36
And resistance.
It maintains health packs as a game mechanic, but also prevents you from getting into the sitaution where you have so little health left after a checkpoint that the game is unwinnable without restarting the level.
Chuck on 26/10/2008 at 16:29
Though it was a bit too micro-manageable (!?), MG3 had a pretty cool way of healing. It really set up a feeling of being wounded and having to Rambo your way back to a reasonable level of discomfort.
EvaUnit02 on 26/10/2008 at 17:49
What is MG3?
