Unimportant A17 feature: The HP Bar!

[Damocles]

Using words instead of numbers

 

As an indicator of enemy health, I would rather have a textual feedback. Something Like "strong" "struggeling" "dazed" "limping" "barely alive" "enraged" "knocked out"

(Basically being a relative percentage and not an absolute value of the enemies HP)

A numeric healthbar would make the player just concentrate on that bar. Its a numbers game at one point then...

[Minandreas]

I just hope it can be modded out. Better if it were an option in the menu, but that's a given for almost everything UI related really, so it's a bit of a slippery slope. As long as it can be removed via a mod I'll be happy.

[Guerthal]

It should stay but be able to be toggled in the options menu AND offer the following added options:

 

only appear after an enemy is damaged

 

only appear on bosses

 

only show if you buy it as a perk.

[Fyrdrinc]

I much prefer that the method be visual cues, sort of like Ark. For those who don't know, in Ark, as something gets hurt, it gets bloodier and bloodier. You can tell just by looking at an opponent what general condition they're in, without lots of popup display items. I'm not saying that the exact same method needs to be used, but something similar to that approach would be great.

[itsatrap]

The perk idea is great, I'm hoping perks will eventually become more about customizing the experience and less about +10 guns, +10 wellness, +10 stamina etc. Perks should be more than just stat boosts.

[Roland]

Who would buy a perk to get the minimap back on the main screen?

 

I wouldn't but someone would-- complete with zombie radar blips and animal pips...

[eidobunny]

I don't think running around the countryside for a great enough period of time is going to give you 360 degree sonar and terrain visualization technology. At least you can explain away seeing zombie HP bars as being perceptive enough to see how ♥♥♥♥ed up they are and making a determination from there lmao

 

Also I would definitely buy a minimap perk if our evil overlords locked it behind one

[fragtzack]

Who would buy a perk to get the minimap back on the main screen?

 

I wouldn't but someone would-- complete with zombie radar blips and animal pips...

 

I would like the option to totally remove the current map and then only with a perk or better a special rare item does the map functionality come back.

[Bubo]

[Damocles]

Or have the map be some lootable item, revealing only the area close to where it was found.

[Gazz]

Who would buy a perk to get the minimap back on the main screen?

 

I wouldn't but someone would-- complete with zombie radar blips and animal pips...

And we would speed through loopings and jump to collect the golden rings!

We are talking about the same game, right?

[Laz Man]

I think another reason for the hp bar was for the zeds who regenerate hp.

 

I agree, visual model changes would be a better indicator but i would guess that would have a massive resource hit to the game.

 

If i had to choose more zombies in game vs less zombies with pretty dmg indicators id pick more zombies.

 

Edit: heres a compromise....

 

Option 1: HP bars for bosses and radiated zeds.

Option 2: No HP bars, make green glow of radiated mobs turn off when at 25% health?

[Bolo_Nike]

The only real "that's too bad" aspect of the bars is that the devs finally have implemented ragdoll physics on zombies that are stunned. So the way it has been in A16 and previous is that you know exactly when the zombie is really dead because it ragdolls when it's really dead and it looks different than when it is just stunned and knocked back. So you know exactly when it is down for the count and when it isn't in A16.

 

So in A17 without the bar it won't be obvious when a zombie is dead dead or just knocked down because they fall down in exactly the same manner but with the bar you will still always know....and that's too bad. The not knowing adds a bit of spice to combat with the undead.

 

Must admit that while I think the HP bar will break the immersion, I will more miss the ragdoll effects. With that I did have some where i was like "WHY DONT YOU DIE!!!!!" after the 6th crossbow shot to the head area (might have missed a few). But most of the time I could tell even sniping a few city blocks over whether or not i dropped him with that shot. Though if they do ragdoll melee may be easier (more stun time from falling).

[Pico]

I was thinking about how stupid a pack of dogs would look with these bars dancing over their heads, then realised that a horde pack would just be a sea of red bars.

 

And if a player is looking down on a horde, are all those red bars still going to be over the Z's heads, partially blocking the view of the enemy?

[Gazz]

Nah, they would be accumulated into one giant bar that fills the entire screen just so you can't miss this important information.

[RuttedLightning]

And we would speed through loopings and jump to collect the golden rings!

We are talking about the same game, right?

 

lol, what a game that was back in the day....perhaps after everything is near completion.....add things like that for easter eggs

[KeiraR]

Voted It should stay but have a toggle thingy in options.

 

I won't use it but maybe others want to.

For me it would break immersion and I kind of like not knowing exactly when it's the last hit or last bullet that kills a zombie.

Someone also mentioned this but, in A17 preview videos i noticed the bars with the names of the zombies, which are obviously on raycast, pop up so as soon as you point at a zombie.

You could sniper "blind" from far far away and know exactly what you are aiming at.

meh...

[Buggi]

Usually when their head explodes, I know they're dead.

[Scyris]

I'm all for the one where it should be togglable in options at the players choice. This way people who want it can turn it on, and people who don't can shut it off, both sides win. There is actually alot of things i'd like to see in that modded options setting that aren't there right now.

[RestInPieces]

This way people who want it can turn it on, and people who don't can shut it off, both sides win.

 

If only it was like that...

 

It is not clever at all to give players an option that will give them an edge in combat/survival/gameplay and take away from immersion at the same time.

[Vomkat]

I'll quit playing as long as see the HP bar.

[Morloc]

I'll hold breath until demands are met.

 

I demand rainbow spectrum hit point bars. Ones that pulse to a heartbeat sound that gets louder and louder the closer a zombie is to death. The bar should also grow larger....or "puffy" in its animation style. If the zombie has any effects on it the rainbow spectrum hit point bars should leave "trails" on the screen to signify what the zombie would be feeling. If the zombie is burning, then there should be a fiery trail behind the moving rainbow spectrum hit point bar. If the zombie is stunned, then perhaps a twitchy bar would be in order.

 

Horde night image below you can clearly see exactly what's wrong with each zombie....

 

 

 

-Morloc

[OzHawkeye]

I'll quit playing as long as see the HP bar.

 

Personally, I'll actually wait till I see it in action. I'd like an option to turn 'em off though, in case I don't end up liking them.

[Roland]

Okay, Kinyajuu messaged me the other day because I was complaining about the HP bar and I think he felt a bit fed up. Here is what he told me:

 

The HP bar is still being developed and refined because it is intended for boss zombies only. It has been enabled for all zombies to help with testing and balancing. The bar will not show for every enemy in the final release and because it still isn't ready for bosses it will most likely be removed for A17.

 

So basically what they've been saying all along is what they still intend and from the sound of it nobody will have to quit playing for A17 if they don't like the bar...

 

It also sounds like if you do like the bar for every enemy you will probably have to mod it in using the boss zombies as a guide.

[Kam R.]

Hehe, unimportant feature, yet already on page 5 discussing it. I pick different form, only appear when target is damaged and toggle via game menu.

 

Not completely offtopic and possible design inspirations for the pimps: