Poll: Regenerating health

[ToysforGuns]

Hey guys,
Last night me and my friend were in a heated discussion about Regenerating health. I personally think its BS. it suits games like Call of Duty and Halo I suppose, but I'm starting to see nearly every game adopting it now. I know this is the new "thing", like people might've hated the transition from Lives to health bar. His argument is that he plays games to escape life (which we all do). I can agree with him that games are trying to be too realistic, but regenerating health is too easy and.. I don't know. Could you imagine games like Fallout or Half-life with regenerating health? It'd be too easy. Anyways, that's my really lousy opinion, so I put this post out there to see if I'm really the only one who doesn't like it...

Edit: Well, I'm already seeing everyone's going to disagree with me So I'll explain my reasoning more. I can understand the situation of being stuck at the checkpoint, I guess I have no counter for that. Maybe player better? lol, nah. But a game like Left 4 Dead where more health packs are added when players are doing badly is perfect. I Don't know, I'll live. I'm not totally against it, just... wouldn't suit a game like Fallout or half-life

 

[WrongSprite]

Suits gameplay much better than a health bar ever did. Hitting a checkpoint with low health sucked, for example, because you'd have to restart the level if you wanted an advantageous position again.

 

[thiosk]

If you feel that regenerating health is stupid, how do you feel about picking up random food bits or medpacks? Its just as silly.

Games with regen. health are encounter-based games. The game is designed such that each encounter is its own mini battle with a beginning and end and a subsequent fresh start. you treat each encounter equally. In single player at least. Multiplayer is just dumb. (tee hee)

Duke Nukem's upcoming Ego meter is going to be the greatest thing ever, if just for novelty.

 

[Jordi]

What's the alternative? Stuff like potions and health packs aren't exactly realistic either. It depends on the game what works best.

Personally, I think a system where you have multiple health bars works the best. You can regenerate all of the health in one bar over time, but when a bar is completely depleted, you need some sort of health item to get it back.

 

[Thaluikhain]

It's rather silly, and therefore suits silly games well, IMHO. More serious games, not so much.

 

[Sansha]

What's the alternative? Stuff like potions and health packs aren't exactly realistic either. It depends on the game what works best.

Personally, I think a system where you have multiple health bars works the best. You can regenerate all of the health in one bar over time, but when a bar is completely depleted, you need some sort of health item to get it back.

This is an interesting idea. A regenerating bar, and when that depletes you take damage from the solid bar, which must be refilled with health items.

I really like that idea. You should publicize this, maybe mail it in to some devs.

 

[Zhukov]

On the whole, I like it. Makes for better balance and you don't get screwed because you hit a checkpoint with just 1hp left.

I don't see how it's any more or less silly then stepping on instant-effect first aid kits.

 

[GundamSentinel]

For a fast paced game like Call of Duty or Halo it's an absolute must. A game like Demon's Souls would be utterly ruined by it. It just depends on the focus of the game.

 

[Realitycrash]

Duke Nukem's upcoming Ego meter is going to be the greatest thing ever, if just for novelty.

Haha what is this?

 

[Trippin tacos]

i loved far cry 2's health system it worked just like this

What's the alternative? Stuff like potions and health packs aren't exactly realistic either. It depends on the game what works best.

Personally, I think a system where you have multiple health bars works the best. You can regenerate all of the health in one bar over time, but when a bar is completely depleted, you need some sort of health item to get it back.

 

[Shoelip]

I think Halo 1 did it best. At least the least sillily. All those CoD games since 2 with their magical regenerating health are just kind of silly. I mean yeah it works, but there's got to be a less stupid way.

It's kinda funny how people complained about the regenerating health in The Getaway, but now it's commonly accepting in all action games.

 

[merman]

The original Call of Duty got it right. Take a major hit or a direct headshot and you were dead. Take a minor wound, back off to cover and you recovered.

In a sci-fi setting, I can understand a shield type system. But even that should not be never-ending.

 

[Dys]

It is rage inducing bollocks in multiplayer games. It's fine for some games, I mean, I never had an issue with it in halo, but when COD2 started doing it I Was very, very disappoint.

 

[Randomspike]

Regenerating health suits fast paced games such as Call of Duty and Halo, as you don't really want to be scavenging for health because you are rarely ever out of the action.
But in games such as Half-Life and Fallout 3/ New Vegas, where there are regular breaks in the action, you can spend more time looking for health kits.

 

[kurokenshi]

A mixed approach works for some games. Take AC2's system lose some bars and then regen a few if you lose to much you need to use a health potion. Can't say I'm completely against the regen system. Works well in some games but not all.

 

[Rayne870]

its actually one of the best things to happen to games since it allows developers to not worry about health when it comes to difficulty balancing, and are able to focus on combat, encounters and tactics more. Instead of guessing how many health packs a person may have on them or where to place health packs, developers now can start every fight sequence assuming that the player is ready for it.

Edit: For multi-player though I would like to see a bleed out system say at 30% health you lose 1% health every second and have your speed reduced by 2% every second or something until the player is able to recover via some sort of health pack or co-op mechanic.
Bloodloss mutator for UT2004 handled this nicely, minus the health pack/co-op.

 

[odBilal]

What's the alternative? Stuff like potions and health packs aren't exactly realistic either. It depends on the game what works best.

Personally, I think a system where you have multiple health bars works the best. You can regenerate all of the health in one bar over time, but when a bar is completely depleted, you need some sort of health item to get it back.

I think thats the best system how to do it. Resistance 1 did this and it worked well.
Which game started the regen. health thing anyway? The oldest game I can remember that did that was The Gateway for PS2. But you couldnt just stand there and wait. You had to lean against a wall, which was a nice idea imo.

 

[Mistermixmaster]

What's the alternative? Stuff like potions and health packs aren't exactly realistic either. It depends on the game what works best.

Personally, I think a system where you have multiple health bars works the best. You can regenerate all of the health in one bar over time, but when a bar is completely depleted, you need some sort of health item to get it back.

This is an interesting idea. A regenerating bar, and when that depletes you take damage from the solid bar, which must be refilled with health items.

I really like that idea. You should publicize this, maybe mail it in to some devs.

Medal of Honor: Airborne had this. You have 4 squares/rectangles of life, and if you get hit but it doesn't take off the whole square/rectangle it regens. Loose a square/rectangle and you need a medkit. Loose one and a half square/rectangle and you can regen the half-lost square/rectangle, but need a medkit for the completely lost one. It's a nice system, but not a new one.