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Removing health bars

Removing health bars

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Dec 29, 2020, 18:2012/29/20
04/18/19
46

Removing health bars

It seems kinda off putting that just about every game allows for the opponents to view your health bar. I think it could be a unique ability for the starter mech like lancer to make them viable but for me to run around in tournament with my killshot target just those i can 1 shot and run away racking up 15 kills kinda seems op to me. So pl nerf me make this game atleast challenging.

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Jan 4, 2021, 00:3101/04/21
12/14/20
34

bro a killshot/javilan wont get that many kills forever, and it absolutely sucks in most tournaments. The longer you play, the harder it will get to kill with that build

AnastasiaCommunity Manager
Jan 5, 2021, 14:1101/05/21
08/29/18
124

Hello, Pilot! Do you suggest to remove HP progress bar? 

RescueCommunity Manager
Jan 5, 2021, 14:4601/05/21
12/21/20
324

I don't think that is necessary as removing health bars will not prevent what the OP is decribing and as MrShrike states that build becomes obsolete mid to late development. 

Jan 6, 2021, 23:3501/06/21
04/18/19
46

Yes i am suggesting to remove it and it doesn't matter as much the setup you use later the same concept will still apply just with new weapons players will still go after that mech on his last legs and it would make the game better without health bars. The setup i discussed is just an example but it applies to mortors longarms that no the opponent is a 1 shot anything and everything essentially why not make the game better instead of saying something isnt so bad as the previous comments seem to suggest. Saying something isnt so bad is just conformation that it can be made better

RescueCommunity Manager
Jan 8, 2021, 18:1501/08/21
Jan 8, 2021, 18:18(edited)
12/21/20
324

 Fine, if you want the full detailed reason why it is a bad idea I will be happy to outline it for you. 

The first decent argument you could pose against health bars is they fly in the face of realism. They ruin the immersion of the game correct? I get it but then we should eliminate in-game music too right? It’s not like there is a full orchestra following you around the map.  So where do you draw the line between authenticity and immersion? This is a bottomless rabbit hole because it is effectively endless and unobtainable. The Devs have to make these decisions with other obtainable aspects in mind and not based around realism. 

The second argument for the removal of health bars is they promote strategy. Players will have to infer health information and make better decision right? Again I get it but you are promoting passive play versus aggressive play. Note sure how much health an enemy has, much easier to stay behind a wall and take pot shots hoping for a kill. For a mobile game, aggressive play is the intent. Not everyone has 20 minutes to play out a match taking sniper shots at each other around corners. 

Now let’s talk about the reasons why health bars promote better game play.  

Health bars help distinguish hit damage and player information. So whether you are using a longarm from a distance or shotgun up close how do you know that your shot hit the enemy? Specifically, what visual ques are available that let you know what you did was good and reinforces that behavior? Other than them falling over dead there really isn’t any in the game currently. So if you wanted to go this way you would have to add particle effects, hit sounds, damage visuals (ie smoke) to confirm that you actually hit and caused damage. 

But even with all those effects, sounds, and visual ques added in you still don’t know how successful you were. First, because there is no way to currently distinguish the player level in game. The difference between a 1-star guardian and a 6-star guardian is a ton of health. So you are getting headshots with longarms but some guardians go down with 2 shots and others go down with 10 shots. Were you shooting poorly or was it just a heavily leveled mech? No way to tell and this will add to player frustration levels. 

Secondly, you would have to eliminate critical damage in the game. For example, you happen to be
facing the same mech two matches in a row. You drop in with 3 body shots, Woot! Next round you shoot him 3 times and turn to face the next mech only to get blasted from behind. He didn’t die and you don’t know why. Well you happened to critically hit him in the previous match and not in this one so you didn’t do as much damage. 

Critical hits are one thing but now factor in weapon range. The closer you are the more damage you do but as distance increases damage decreases up to a set distance when it falls off entirely. In this case
you hit someone 3 times but from 3 different distances. How are you suppose gauge their damage? It might take 1 more shot or 10 more shots to bring them down. No way to know so you passively stay behind a wall. 

The reason registering damage and gauging player information matters is because it boosts feedback and decision making. Whether to be aggressive and commit to a 1 on 3 or to tactically fallback in a 2 on 1.  It adds excitement or panic. Overall it intensifies game play and makes it fun.   

Jan 9, 2021, 03:4201/09/21
04/18/19
46

I dont think the music is an issue so as laughable as  that is for a rebuttal ill get onto the better points of your argument.

How do you know you hit and did damage simple the game tells you exactly how much damage you did.

Making games last longer? There is a timer like it or not players who camp will camp and those who dont wont. Its the same for any game but lets take that player who is almost dead. Would the oppositions side knowing that make him more or less likely to attack. knowing that the opposing side can see your health bar would make you less likely to put your mech in the frey because you know any experienced player will target you first since you take 1 shot to get rid of 2 weapons. 

RescueCommunity Manager
Jan 9, 2021, 14:2701/09/21
12/21/20
324

The point had nothing to do with music but with what metric you should use to define the game play experience.  Realism is not a great metric but I appreciate you supporting this point with how easily you thought it laughable.

So you are okay with the game telling you how much damage you did but not how much health they have.  Seems like kind of a half hearted stance.  You are for information feedback but only certain information feedback.  The point still stands though.  Even if you know the damage amount you don't know if it was 10% or 90% of their health which places you in the same position.  I will concede there is a strategy to approach this such as playing BlackJack where the more you get dealt cards (hit for damage) the closer you get to 21 (getting a kill) so you can to some extent calculate risk here.

I don't really disagree with your last statement because it is part of the feedback decision making by seeing health.  But lets not confuse seeing someone at low health with being able to kill them.  The odds are definetly in your favor but it is a risk that is weighed based on your own skill, ammo (reload level), health, and mech ability.  The point is to force these types of decisions more often and under many different circumstances to allow for play and counter play.  That is not to say the game is 100% completely balanced but there are counters that exist.

I just would rather expand the playing options then reduce or limit them down to a few.


For example, why not introduce a mech that has an ability similar to Shadow's.  However, instead of being untargetable and not being able to see health you can make nearby ally mechs health invisible but they are still targetable and last for 4-10 seconds depending upon rank (star level).

Jan 10, 2021, 14:0401/10/21
11/14/20
5

We need a small hp 

Jan 11, 2021, 02:3701/11/21
04/18/19
46

I dont support the removal of a health bar for realism i support removal for simple reasons making a player think about how its going to take down an opposing player not do the simple calculation based on hp and yes its a simple calculation (i have shot hes a 1 shot). Its simple to see if a player is half dead and charge him it takes more strategy without the extra information and the damage dealt indicator does a variety of things such as display if you are getting a damage boost based on point in which an oppent was hit and if the player actually wanted to add up and approximatethe life left more power to him would take alot of forethought. Its is simple to me the health bars hinder the game and im sure the majority of players who want to jump in others kills wont like this suggestion but those serious about making this game unique and a little harder will.

Jan 17, 2021, 16:3001/17/21
11/09/20
3

Status bars are an integral part of gameplay, not only in MA but in all of the robot games I've played and they should remain.  

I agree with Rescue.  Seeing the red's remaining hp enhances the game and the input determines both sides' strategy.  Its either hide or focus fire no matter which side.  Entirely appropriate and fair. 

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." -Helmuth von Moltke

Jan 20, 2021, 05:1901/20/21
Jan 20, 2021, 12:17(edited)
04/18/19
46

I dont care if ma is in line with other games in fact i think it should be vastly different from those games as to separate itself as the more skill to play game this will be its niche and ensure its survival over those pay to win games. I would enjoy any change that makes this game harder to play and thus requiring more skill. There is no skill in attacking a mech with no health or jumping someone elses kill or playing the mortors from a backfield and cycling through opponents until you find that one whos already crippled. 

Jan 21, 2021, 06:0801/21/21
01/19/21
37

OK  theres  lots of  reasons  to  remove  the  health  bars.  here  are  a  few  reasons  to  keep  them.  Ammunition  and  reload  times  are  a  key  element  in  game  play.  If  you  see  a  Juggie  who  has  no  shield  and  a  quarter  health  you  should  be  aware  that  you  can  finish  him/her  off  with  half  a  javelin  rack  instead  of  firing  both.  Sides.  You  should  probably  save  the  other  half  for  that  pesky  paragon  with  the  shotguns  you  can  trash  with  the  other  half  while  you're   still  out  of  his  range.  Having  your  information  floating  above  your  mech  also  should  keep  you  on  your  toes.  Everyone sees  youre damaged  and  if  youre  not  careful  youwill  soon  be  a  pile  of  smoldering wreckage.  If  you  think  this  detracts  from  the  realism  I  can  agree  with  that  but,  until  the  game  progresses  to  the  point  where  an  injured mech  smokes  or  the  graphics  allow  for  missing  limbs  and  weapons  hanging  akimbo  its  a  viable  alternative.