Poll: Healthpacks vs. Regenerating Health

[DustyDrB]

I like the Mass Effect model: Medigel with a cooldown. I'll admit I was annoyed when I started playing Mass Effect 2 and saw it was a straight up regenerating health system. Regenerating health was a reward in the first game. You played the game long enough and you started to get the Medical Exoskeleton armor upgrades that would constantly regenerate your health a bit at a time. Not being a FPS player, that change was all the more jarring for me.


The worst part of regenerating health is how it affects level design. You get more corridor-like levels with chest-high walls that act like sign posts, saying "Bad guys are about to arrive". It's pretty uninspired, to say the least. That gameplay mechanic needs to die. Kill it before it hides behind a wall!

 

[Whispering Cynic]

I dislike health regeneration because sucking your thumb for seven or eight seconds behind a chest high wall is just lame (in my opinion). Sure, if the game justifies it somehow (you are a vampire, cybernetic implants, magical suit and whatnot) it's more bearable than playing a normal human soldier with the ability to regenerate blasted off limbs in the matter of seconds.

Both systems have their flaws of course, so some sort of a hybrid system is probably the best choice. I still have fond memories of the system in SW: Republic Commando. You have weak shields that regenerate, and your health can be replenished from reusable stationary health stations. Just right.

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

Singleplayer games, healthpacks no doubt. Multiplayer I am more lenient.

Multiplayer I'd like a hybrid system. You get hurt and heal a certain bit from that point over time. There could be healthpacks spread about a map, but it'd be better to have a perk or class dedicated to healing yourself/others.

 

[Dastardly]

Now, what's your take on this?

A hybrid system is nice as a compromise. As an added bit, I'd like to see more health packs that heal over time.

I think the biggest problem with health packs is the massive, instantaneous difference in the middle of fights. The biggest problem with regenerating health is the lack of consequence and continuity between fights.

Hybrid health systems, with heal-over-time packs, gives you more of a realistic picture.

 

[ultimateownage]

The hybrid idea was quite clever, so I chose that. I don't like Regenerating Health, but Health Packs aren't that great either.
I think Duke Nukem should have used a proper 'ego' system; it regenerates by doing ego refilling stuff such as finding items (health packs), doing something cool (ties in with all those ingame interactive things), and shoot/ killing stuff.

 

[kortin]

Which do I prefer? All depends on the game. Games like CoD should have health regen. Games like Serious Sam should have health pack systems.

 

[cgentero]

I like hybrids usually but I also thought InFamous had an interesting way of healing by absorbing anything electrical in the area.

 

[UltraXan]

I'm thinking a hybrid system would be best, but one that follows something like prototype where health regenerates to a certain point, but you need health packs to increase it any further. Although, unlike prototype, those health packs probably shouldn't be random pedestrians.

 

[imnot]

I like the Halo ce,ODST,Reach way where you have recharging shields, but also normal health that you need health packs to heal.

 

[Nightvalien]

regenerating means you suck at the game and can suck your thump every so often, it's just a mechanic to sell more to a broader more stupid crowd that wouldn't be able to play a game unless they are led.

I apologise if a game's mechanics mean people suck at the game. So, everyone on the planet sucks at CoD? Even the people at the top of the leaderboards? News to me.

Hope you haven't received too many warnings, mate. Congratulations on insulting the intelligence of every single person who has indulged, even for a second, in a game with regenerating health. I assume you're included in this since you must have at least experienced it in this day and age. Your 'arguement' is pretty indicative of that.

Everyone's intelligence is insulted when it comes to regenerating health, how challenging is something that makes you sit in a corner for 10 seconds looking at crate textures if you make a mistake, if you make a mistake you should be either dead or suffering a penalty you can't just walk it off like a pansy, and no i haven't played cod my kind of fps are the ones like old school painkiller.

 

[Bigsmith]

Half life 1 and 2, Health packs and energy. It worked great in those games.

So I vote for Health packs.

 

[Fearzone]

Regenerating health is weak and takes an element of strategy away from a genre that isn't known for having much strategy.

 

[veloper]

For multiplayer: regeneration.

For single player shooters I'd prefer it if devs cut the unnecessary crap and just set health to 100% in between discreet encounters/corridors/levels.
That way any part of the game can be balanced for 100% health and be as hard as possible, without forcing the the player wait everytime.

A designer can do this with health packs or health stations that cannot be carried.

 

[Woodsey]

If health packs win, we have some liars amongst us; regenerating health wouldn't be in video games if people didn't like it and therefor by into it.

Not really. From a design standpoint, its easier to implement for most shooters (regenerating health that is), and just because people buy the games doesn't meant they prefer the system. I don't like that I can reload in virtually every shooter and retain all my ammo from the previous clip, that doesn't mean I refuse to buy the games on that premise - I'd be pretty stuck to buy any shooters if I did let that get in the away.

OT: Personally, I prefer the Assassin's Creed/Riddick/Far Cry 2 method.

 

[xorinite]

Personally I liked the system employed in Fallout New Vegas. You have healthpacks which cause you to regenerate health. Its not much use while being shot at, but if you can win the fight or get away you can lick your wounds after.

 

[Oliver Pink]

If we're talking purely in the context of the Duke... I don't mind the regenerating health - it's the TWO WEAPON MAX WTF that infuriates me beyond belief. Duke Nukem doesn't adhere to your puny 'reality', he carries TWELVE rocket launchers at once because he's Duke Freakin' Nukem!

 

[similar.squirrel]

The hybrid approach that Halo:Reach used was perfect, in my opinion. Generally, I'm more in favor of regenerating health because I'm not great at shooters. I hated those panicked, futile moments in Bioshock when I ran out of first-aid kits. Ditto Half Life 2. It's just not fun.

 

[LiberalSquirrel]

I'm one of those strange people who plays campaign/single-player modes for the stories. So, I like it when the health recovery system, be it health packs or regenerating health, is given some reason within the story. The Master Chief has uber armor- so give him regenerating health. No uber armor in Bioshock- so have health recovery stations.

But that's just my two cents.