Poll: A "Healthy" Discussion

[somerandomguy76]

First-person shooters are stuck in a rut. While there are many things in the genre that this statement could pertain to, I'm talking about the antiquated health systems employed by FPS'.

Most games these days boil down to either a standard health bar with health packs lying around on the ground (highly improbable in a warzone), or a regenerating mutant- solider-dude-guy-man who can crouch behind a rock and heal the damage caused by a grenade being stuffed down his throat. If I am missing some insight that makes either of these systems more realistic or more fun please enlighten me, but I think the genre would significantly benefit from a revamped look at health systems.

Personally, I liked Far-Cry 2's system better than the others. The player's health bar is divided into sections with each section being able to regenerate itself. If the player took too much damage, however, he could no longer regenerate higher sections and needed to use a "health pack", injection in this case, to restore full health.

While a game's health system may not seem like it would have a huge impact on gameplay outside of the "run and hide to regenerate" thingy, a game could be built around a completely new system. Say, for an example off the top of my head, a game where your health is predicated on movement and the longer you stay stationary, the lower it goes. Just a thought.

Share your original health systems or die of the plague. Mmm... the irony.



And I apologize for the terrible and completely un-called for pun. I'm only human after all...

 

[NeutralDrow]

So healthy, it's <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.111473>been <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.106151?page=1>done <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.57823>thrice.

 

[somerandomguy76]

Ah, but I want completely new ideas from Escapists. The poll may be out of place.

 

[Major_Sam]

It doesn't really bother me. I find the less HUD, the better. Too much ruins it.

 

[crudus]

I liked MGS3's way of doing it. There are health packs everywhere but you have to catch them. You may get hurt by them you may not heal from them at all.

 

[Jandau]

I don't see why there should be one or the other. It entirely depends on the game. In some games an old-fashioned health system makes more sense, while at some times regenerating health is better.

My first encounter with regenerating health was in Gears of War. It was a pleasant experience and actually improved my game experience. If the game had a fixed health system the only change would be health packs between fights. Also, this allows the main character to be fragile and go down easily without making the game too punishing. This forced the player to use cover, otherwise he'd be dead in a few seconds.

If I had to settle for one mode of health, I'd go for a mix. A certain amount of non-regenerating health covered by a regenerating health bar. Health packs for the non-regenerating health would be very rare or non-existant (healing between levels).

However, if only regenerating health is used, then the player character should be fairly squishy. Likewise, fixed health better represents a game where the main character doesn't have to worry about death at every corner.

 

[bjj hero]

I like action quake. Health points and you bleed out unless you bandage up, unless wearing a kevlar vest. Also leg shots make people limp. There were no health packs and no regeneration, it could be brutal.

 

[Vjam]

I like regeneration, but i don't like it when you're getting damaged and a big massive red mark starts to appear in the middle of your screen and you can't seee a thing! (Like in gears of war).

 

[Mr_spamamam]

Maybe they should just tone down the whole regeneration thing, like in Rainbow 6 vegas. You didn't have a health bar but you couldnt take an entire machinegun magazine and seven grenades before you died, in fact you were very susceptable to bullets and nades were one hit kills, even if you wern't hit directly

 

[Same River New Water]

It depends on the game. Some games are about experimenting with tactics and seeing what works, so regenerating health is good because it doesn't penalise the player for trying new things. Other games are about tension and survival, so a health meter is good because it imposes a real cost for failing to defend yourself.

 

[Gamer137]

Regeneration if its not overpowered. It just keeps the game flowing better without having to run around for first aid kits. Health bars are fine if you get a large amount, like Metroid.

 

[Chaosut]

I like a combination, because health bar can be a pain in the arse when you get close to the end of a level and die, and pure regen can force you just to sit behind a wall or cover and wait, which is not really that much fun.