Health (game terminology)
Health is a video game or
Mechanics
In video games, as in tabletop role-playing games, an object usually loses health as a result of being attacked.[3][4] Protection points or armor help them to reduce the damage taken.[3] Characters acting as tanks usually have more health and armor.[2][5] In many games, particularly role-playing video games, the player starts with a small number of health and defense points,[6] but can increase them by gaining the required number of experience points and raising the character's level.[7][8]
In
The use of health points simplifies the game development process (since developers do not need to create complex damage systems), allows computers to simplify calculations associated with the game, and makes it easier for the player to understand the game.[10] However, more complex and realistic damage systems are used in a number of games. In Dwarf Fortress, instead of health points, dwarves have separate body parts, each of which can be damaged.[11] The Fallout games use health points, but allow characters to inflict damage to different parts of the enemy's body, which affects gameplay.[12][13] For example, if a leg is injured, the character can get a fracture, which will reduce their movement speed,[14] and if their arm is injured, the character can drop their weapon.[12] Health can also serve as a plot element. In Assassin's Creed, if the protagonist takes too much damage, thus departing from the "correct" route, the game ends and returns the player to the nearest checkpoint.[15]
In some games such as The Legend of Zelda and Monster Hunter, only the player's health points are visible. This is done so that the player does not know how many blows still need to be delivered, which makes the game less predictable.[16] Contrariwise, other games such as the Street Fighter series have both the player's and the opponent's health meters clearly visible, which allows the player to understand how successful their combat strategy is and how many remaining blows need to be inflicted on the enemy.[17]
Regeneration
Players can often restore a character's health by using various
A number of games incorporate a regeneration system that automatically replenishes health if the character does not take damage. This makes the game easier to play by giving the player the opportunity to restore the character's health after a difficult battle. This system may allow the player to safely run through dangerous parts of the game without consequence.[27]
Tag team games often regenerate part of the health of a resting character.[28]
Armor class
In some role-playing games, armor class (abbreviated AC; also known as defense) is a
Presentation
The health indicator can be represented in various ways.[15] The most basic forms are fractions and health bars,[33] as well as various icons such as hearts or shields.[34] More recent games can use a nonlinear health bar, where earlier hits take off more damage than later ones, in order to make the game appear more exciting.[35]
The indicator can be combined with other elements of the game interface.
The player character's health point indicator often occupies a significant position in the game's
History
Hit points
The term "hit points" was coined by
Some of the first
Health meter
Before the introduction of health meters,
Health meters also began being used to represent hit points in
Regeneration
The 1982 Apple II platform game Crisis Mountain displays health as a number from 3 (full) to 0 (dead), and health gradually regenerates over time.[60] In Hydlide (1984) and the Ys series,[61][62] the character's health (represented as both hit points and a health meter) are restored when the character does not move.[63][64] Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) is credited with popularizing the use of regeneration in first-person shooters.[65] However, according to GamesRadar+'s Jeff Dunn, regeneration in its current form was introduced in The Getaway (2002), as Halo: Combat Evolved only used shield regeneration.[61]
Defense
Arneson is also credited for the term "armor class" which was used in Chainmail and then Dungeons & Dragons;[66][67] "although armor class might have been inspired by the rules in Don't Give Up the Ship!, there is not an explicit attribute with that name in the game's rules. [...] It seems more likely that Arneson's house rules for armor class never made it into the final published version of the wargame".[48] However, many role-playing games that followed Dungeons & Dragons moved away from the term "armor class" and simply replaced the term with "defense".[48]
See also
- Magic (game terminology)
- Experience point
- Medical state, a real-world indicator of health status for hospital patients
References
- ^ Fullerton 2014, pp. 79, 130.
- ^ a b Moore 2011, p. 91.
- ^ a b Fullerton 2014, p. 130.
- ^ Brathwaite & Schreiber 2009, p. 225.
- ^ Schwab 2009, p. 85.
- ^ Adams 2010, p. 408.
- ^ Kremers 2009, p. 378.
- ^ Moore 2011, p. 142.
- ^ Rogers 2010, pp. 276–277.
- ^ Adams & Dormans 2012, p. 290.
- ^ Adams, Tarn (27 February 2008). "Interview: The Making Of Dwarf Fortress". Gamasutra (Interview). Interviewed by Josh Harris. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ a b Burford, GB (August 21, 2015). "Fallout 3 Isn't Really an RPG". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Stapleton, Dan (July 2, 2010). "Exclusive Fallout: New Vegas trait revealed". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Hernandez, Patricia (January 4, 2016). "Fallout 3 Beaten in Under 15 Minutes, A New World Record". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Rogers 2010, p. 172.
- ^ Martindale, Jon (October 3, 2012). "Let's Kill off Health Bars". Kit Guru Gaming. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ Novak 2013, p. 31.
- ^ Moore 2011, pp. 151, 194.
- ^ Duggan 2011, pp. 109, 141.
- ^ Tan, Maurice (January 13, 2012). "A starter's guide to Robot Entertainment's Hero Academy". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
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- ^ Carter, Chris (June 17, 2013). "Impressions: League of Legends: Aatrox". Destructoid. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (September 14, 2012). "Diablo III Reducing Inferno Difficulty". IGN. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Hancock, Patrick (June 27, 2013). "Review: Rogue Legacy". Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ Carter, Chris (March 14, 2013). "God of War: Ascension single and multiplayer guide". Destructoid. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Fullerton 2014, p. 79.
- ^ Moriarty, Jonathan (December 2, 2010). "Video Game Basics: The Health Bar". Baltimoregamer.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ "CAPCOM: STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN | Official Web Manual".
- ^ a b Adams 2010, p. 466.
- ^ Howley, Greg (2019-04-26). "Beyond Hit Points: The Evolution of RPG Combat Mechanics". GeekDad. Archived from the original on 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
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- ^ Moore 2011, p. 46.
- ^ Rogers 2010, pp. 172, 276.
- ^ "Guilty Gear Strive: Damage Scaling Explained". 17 June 2021.
- ^ Zwiezen, Zack (4 February 2019). "The Weird Story Behind Doom's Rare "Ouch Face"". Kotaku Australia. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ Antista, Chris (August 17, 2010). "The 10 most creative life bars". GamesRadar+. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014.
- ^ Pearson, Craig (May 16, 2007). "PC Feature Long Play: Trespasser". PC Gamer UK. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on September 9, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ "Half-Life: Alyx Wiki Guide, Chapter 2: The Quarantine Zone". IGN. 2020-03-26. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08.
- ^ a b Barton, Matt (February 23, 2007). "The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (1980–1983)". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on April 19, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ Rogers 2010, pp. 166–167.
- ^ Schell 2008, p. 237.
- ^ Saunders & Novak 2012, p. 231.
- ^ Rogers 2010, p. 173.
- ^ a b c Rausch, Allen (August 19, 2004). "Dave Arneson Interview". GameSpy. Archived from the original on August 22, 2004. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ Carreker 2012, p. 334.
- ^ a b Fannon 1999, p. 249.
- ^ a b c Tresca 2010, p. 53-54.
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Like Thomas, the end bosses all had health meters, so the game would momentarily become a one-on-one fighter
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- ^ "Crisis Mountain Apple II Manual" (PDF). 1982. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
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- ^ Greene, Robert (August 1, 2017). "Hydlide". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Szczepaniak, John (July 7, 2011). "Falcom: Legacy of Ys". GamesTM (111): 152–159 [153]. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.(cf. Szczepaniak, John (July 8, 2011). "History of Ys interviews". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2011.)
- ^ Rogers 2010, p. 277.
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- ^ "Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax". Kotaku. August 26, 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
Bibliography
- Adams, Ernest (2010). Fundamentals of Game Design. ISBN 978-0132104753.
- Adams, Ernest; Dormans, Joris (2012). Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design. ISBN 978-0132946681.
- Brathwaite, Brenda; Schreiber, Ian (2009). Challenges for Game Designers. ISBN 978-1584505808.
- Carreker, Dan (2012). The Game Developer's Dictionary: A Multidisciplinary Lexicon for Professionals and Students. ISBN 978-1435460829.
- Costikyan, Greg (2013). Uncertainty in Games. ISBN 978-0262018968.
- Duggan, Michael (2011). RPG Maker for Teens. ISBN 978-1435459670.
- Fannon, Sean Patrick (1999). Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible. Obsidian Studios Corporation. ISBN 0967442907.
- Fullerton, Tracy (2014). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games. ISBN 978-1482217179.
- Kremers, Rudolph (2009). Level Design: Concept, Theory, and Practice. ISBN 978-1439876954.
- Moore, Michael (2011). Basics of Game Design. ISBN 978-1568814339.
- Novak, Jeannie (2013). The Official GameSalad Guide to Game Development. ISBN 978-1285712666.
- Rogers, Scott (2010). Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design. ISBN 978-0470970928.
- Saunders, Kevin; Novak, Jeannie (2012). Game Development Essentials: Game Interface Design. ISBN 978-1285401379.
- Schell, Jesse (2008). The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. ISBN 978-0123694966.
- Schwab, Brian (2009). AI Game Engine Programming. ISBN 978-1584506287.
- Tresca, Michael (2010). The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games. ISBN 978-0786460090.
External links
- Media related to HP bar at Wikimedia Commons