Why regenerating health is slowly killing gaming.

[01Boxer]

http://antiherogaming.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/why-regenerating-health-is-slowly-killing-gaming/

I agree with his point.

[Abram]

I also dislike it, over all. Soon as i read the title, I as thinking that i DO like the method Far Cry 2 uses; hurt a little, you regenerate. Get major damage, and you ahve to find health. I've seen a couple other games use this method, and I think i prefer it. ..so long as the regeneration amount isn't huge.

I never thought I'd see a 10 paragraph rant on it, though.

[Tanuki]

I don't think regenerating health is the problem as much as the design decisions that accompany it.

[scavvenjahh]

My thoughts exactly.
It's apparently a popular opinion among bloggers these days. Not that I disagree, but what about checkpoint saves or not being able to carry more than two weapons in your inventory ? What's "killing" games is the ubiquity of stuff that's convenient for console gameplay, not health regen in itself imho.

Although health regen and "imminent death filter" may appear like symptoms of consolitis in SC:Conviction for instance, they're not that bad. Health bars in Splinter Cell games didn't really make any sense - you're supposed not to be seen, let alone shot at. Then there's the case of games with overabundant medkits. So no, health regen is not necessarily a problem, even though I agree it can be.

[01Boxer]

I think it's part of a larger problem. FPS developpers are trying to make games that feel like a movie. AAA titles now require huge budgets, last six hours and constantly bombard you with stimulii like they are targeting the extreme ADD crowd.

This illustrates the (d)evolution of gaming design:

[Bruce Banner]

I think they should keep regenerating health for easy skill levels and make you use health packs for hard skill levels , problem solved . If someone doesn't want regenerating health then all they have to do is play the game at the hard skill level . And if someone is rubbish at games ( like me for instance :lol: ) they can choose the easy mode so that they too can get to the end of the game . I think gamers should only complain about the easiness of a game if the hardest difficulty level is too easy otherwise they've only got themselves to blame for playing the game on an easier difficulty level .

[thales100]

I think it's part of a larger problem. FPS developpers are trying to make games that feel like a movie. AAA titles now require huge budgets, last six hours and constantly bombard you with stimulii like they are targeting the extreme ADD crowd.

This illustrates the (d)evolution of gaming design:

qft :bowdown

[CptToffer]

Hello all, I would be the author of the above article. Thanks very much for any feedback or comments you've put. Appreciate it. Look out for further posts in the future. Thanks again!

CptToffer

[Tanuki]

And yet, I don't miss Wolfenstein 3D's level designs. :mrgreen:

[suiken_2mieu]

And yet, I don't miss Wolfenstein 3D's level designs. :mrgreen:

This + 1

I think what we need is a nice mix between a shooting gallery and a scripted illustration of the story. I guess that's almost like an open world shooter. *shrug*

[Skid]

I think it's part of a larger problem. FPS developpers are trying to make games that feel like a movie. AAA titles now require huge budgets, last six hours and constantly bombard you with stimulii like they are targeting the extreme ADD crowd.

This illustrates the (d)evolution of gaming design:

Come now, be fair, the lines in the 2010 side need to be a little wider. :P

[Paradigm Shifter]

Boxers pic is spot on.

About the only game that breaks that mould this year is Just Cause 2. I actually find it kind of embarrassing (for the gaming industry) that I keep holding that one game up as an example of how it should be done if you want an action game. Sure, it's got its flaws (top among them being the pitiful story and grappling-hook-beats-all-other-physics physics model) but there's a hell of a lot to do, a wide variety of weapons, cars, boats etc... its like GTA without being... well, dark and crappy. Although, to be fair, it also suffered from regenerating health... it's just that I hardly ever seem to really need it... if I get into a situation where my health goes down... I'm usually dead in short order so it doesn't get a chance to regen! :lol:

[ZafaZ]

Resistance on ps3 had a good model for health, a mix of old and new school.

It was in 4 quarters and you could only heal upto the the next quater depending on how much damage you take. i.e

Current Health Heals To
76-100 100
51-75 75
26-50 50
1-25 25

You could only heal past a quarter by finding a health pack.

I like it as nothing infuriates me more when I play an old game and am stuck on 1 health with no med packs aorund

[01Boxer]

Since where on the subject of FPS:
http://www.cracked.com/article_18973_why-modern-war-fps-games-all-look-same-5Bchart5D.html

It's funny because it's true!

[Anprionsa]

That made my day! How I despise the slow destruction of any good FPS!

[AussieTimmeh]

Heh very good, so very very true!