tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post2245772966182013275..comments2024-01-02T23:18:18.412-08:00Comments on Yeebo Fernbottom's MMO Blog: On hit pointsYeebohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08028940396189544294noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-13111522114543479412011-11-22T21:17:13.740-08:002011-11-22T21:17:13.740-08:00@Tesh: I owned Bushido blade for a while. And hon...@Tesh: I owned Bushido blade for a while. And honestly it was next to unplayable, which I say with pain because I really found what they were trying to do pretty neat. I agree with you that that fudge factors make games a heck of a lot more fun. There is a very good reason why even modern platformers and rail shooters generally let you mess up a few times before you die.<br /><br />Quite honestly, the only games that I can handle "Do perfect or die" without getting pissed in are arcade style games. Games where getting as far as you can without dying is the obvious primary challenge. That's about as far from typical MMO gameplay as I can imagine.Yeebohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08028940396189544294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-57221852146903969412011-11-22T10:19:54.574-08:002011-11-22T10:19:54.574-08:00HP is a mechanical abstraction, sure, but it also ...HP is a mechanical abstraction, sure, but it also serves as a fudge factor, a margin for error. Take Bushido Blade, a game with realistic combat (take a sword to an artery, and you're dead), but a brutal learning curve. If you screw up, you're dead.<br /><br />HP allows players to make some bad decisions but still keep playing. Healing mechanics are yet another fudge factor. There's certainly room for hardcore games, but for most of us, most of the time, we like the ability to hang in there with a more forgiving experience.<br /><br />...that's not to say that it couldn't be dressed up better, just that it's not purely mechanical, it's also psychological.Teshhttp://tishtoshtesh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-68761388868510413302011-11-19T21:04:19.408-08:002011-11-19T21:04:19.408-08:00Mmogamerchick,
Adrenaline is wonderful stuff. The...Mmogamerchick,<br /><br />Adrenaline is wonderful stuff. There are a bunch of reliable records about people who got seriously shot and didnt realise it till combat was over.<br /><br />Yeebo,<br /><br />Yeah. A "real" system will have your active attacks degrade as well, and have you "burn willpower" for just one more good clean shot ...Ian Whitchurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14896497136190817451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-77420919995234859302011-11-19T14:36:38.317-08:002011-11-19T14:36:38.317-08:00@Mmmogamerchick: That's a good point, actuall...@Mmmogamerchick: That's a good point, actually. I wasn't thinking more broadly than RPGs. Now that you mention it, my guy in Doom had to get gnawed on quite a bit before he went down and it generally takes at least a couple of combos that look like they could flatten a house to take someone down in a fighting game. HPs really are ingrained into our games.Yeebohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08028940396189544294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-73631858167770306882011-11-19T11:19:14.200-08:002011-11-19T11:19:14.200-08:00I think hit points are one of those things that mi...I think hit points are one of those things that might possibly never go away. It's become so ingrained in our video games and that sacrifice for realism in favor of fun is in play everywhere, not just in our RPGs but in our fighting games and to an extent even shooters (like, come on, you're being shot at, even a flesh wound should be making you keel over in pain).<br /><br />It definitely wouldn't be very fun, playing a game where it's so realistic you are dismembered or are immediately killed from a well swung sword slash. Even Batman wouldn't be able to take that kind of abuse for long! <br /><br />Another thing for RPGs...if you want to keep upgrading for nicer weapons and use them, then your enemies better be able to withstand more than a couple slashes too. What fun would wielding an epic sword be, if you poke your enemy once with it and he immediately slumps over and dies? :PAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-40518862641676820312011-11-19T08:18:12.523-08:002011-11-19T08:18:12.523-08:00@Anton: I really like the idea of active defenses ...@Anton: I really like the idea of active defenses that start out reliable but get weaker as you use up "fatigue." If I were still running PnP games I'd probably try it out for a session.Yeebohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08028940396189544294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711156850879162685.post-42770676950842158922011-11-18T23:50:52.492-08:002011-11-18T23:50:52.492-08:00I used to disagree with it, but now I actually buy...I used to disagree with it, but now I actually buy Gary's explanation.<br /><br />The difference is Ive now done a couple of years of reasonably serious sword work, and in a lot of fights I literally get worn down as I run out of adrenaline and my fatigue builds up higher and higher, causing my defense to get sloppier and sloppier ...<br /><br />Sure, replacing "hit points" with "fatigue" and having critical hits - any hit once you're out of fatigue - go straight off your CON score makes more sense ... but I can deal with hit points.<br /><br />But yeah, this is no excuse for the 18th level fighter being able to fall an unlimited distance.Ian Whitchurchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14896497136190817451noreply@blogger.com