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  • Subject: "No Health Bar" Explanation by Bungie!
Subject: "No Health Bar" Explanation by Bungie!

My thumbsticks will be your Doom.... sorry 'bout that.
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I gotta note for ya
Posted by: Doom Sticks

If we just have to keep a mental note of how many hits we can take when our shields are down then it'll just be another distraction.

Posted by: Tiny
It doesn't really take a mental note. You die within seconds in Halo without your shields. In Halo 2, with the addition of dual wielding, you'll be dead within a half second once your shields pop. Make sure you're taking notes, okay?


Posted by: Shadow_WarriorX
Cant agree more ppl just need to accept it as it is jeez


think of something before you say it. Of course it'll take some sort of acknowledgment of what your health status is. I just don't say to myself

"oh my shields are down that means I only got seconds to live"

maybe if I'm in the red (health wise) and my shields deplete AND I'm in the middle of someone's line of fire then I'd say it but not otherwise. Now how would I know if I'm in the red or not? Why by an indicator of some sort or by taking note, of course.

[Edited on 6/10/2004 12:14:00 PM]

  • 06.10.2004 12:08 PM PDT
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Posted by: ash55
Posted by: Elazul
Ash man, the powerups are not gone... they just took them out of the E3 demo... if you watched it he says "they took them out of the demo"


maybe....but im sure bungie are cutting some aspects of the original game. leaving powerups out is just an idea I never said they would I just said they might. But obviously if bungie say theyre in, theyre in...


If they are in, I sure hope you have the option of turning them off.

And I really don't like the idea of not knowing exactly how much damage you can take when your shields are down. In single-player, I take risks with my health full that I would not when it was down to its last bar. It had an impact to how I played the game.

And if we can take "a few hits", do those hits recharge? If your shields drop, and you take two shots from the AR, and your shields recharge does your health recharge as well? The MC is wearing some wicked body armor - does that count for nothing?!

I have to say, this is the one change made to Halo 2's design over the original that I don't like.

  • 06.10.2004 12:16 PM PDT
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Well, in the multiplayer demo, the elite survived for some time after his sheilds were depleted, and I think it had something to do with the needles detonating after his shields were down.

  • 06.10.2004 12:19 PM PDT
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In the Ingame videos of the last E3 it is shown that the shield bar regenarates much quicker then the first time, so hiding isnt a big problem, and if you cant cut it without your Shield, then you need some serious training, because eventually in a game with 8v8 you'll run out of your shield for more then 6 out of 8 times, unless your brutal at the game and own everyone

  • 06.10.2004 12:25 PM PDT
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Posted by: Doom Sticks

think of something before you say it. Of course it'll take some sort of acknowledgment of what your health status is. I just don't say to myself

"oh my shields are down that means I only got seconds to live"

maybe if I'm in the red (health wise) and my shields deplete AND I'm in the middle of someone's line of fire then I'd say it but not otherwise. Now how would I know if I'm in the red or not? Why by an indicator of some sort or by taking note, of course.


Play a no shield game. See, this is why you need to play the different gametypes, so you could get an idea of why the health bars are useless.. At least in Halo. And since you're defending the importance of the health bars, then you obviously think they were useful in Halo.

So, I say to you - Play a no shield game.

Pistol - One shot to the head, and you die. (health bars useless in that sense)

Need I go on? And remember, you can dual wield in Halo 2.

  • 06.10.2004 12:34 PM PDT
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thats why its handy to pick up a jackal shield.

  • 06.10.2004 1:25 PM PDT
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You guys keep focusing on multiplayer only. In single player, the life bar made a huge impact to gameplay - see my post above for more on that.

I play single player much more than multi (that may change in Halo 2 when I get Live) - please consider the whole picture and not just the run'n gun of multiplayer.

  • 06.10.2004 1:59 PM PDT
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Well, I'm one step ahead of you.

Take a piece of tape and place it over your health bars and don't pick up health packs. Play on Legendary. Bye.

[Edited on 6/10/2004 2:03:12 PM]

  • 06.10.2004 2:02 PM PDT

Marty O’Donnel explained to me that this change was discussed and implemented because of the way so many of us played Halo 1.
Marty's a wind-up merchant. The health bar isn't visible because it hadn't been implemented - it's in a weekly update.

  • 06.10.2004 2:05 PM PDT

My thumbsticks will be your Doom.... sorry 'bout that.
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Yeah Tiny you dont have to remind me that dual wielding is an option but thanks.
Obviously you vaven't read some of my posts under this week's update thread. I am king at Pistol-blam!- (a little gametype, no sheilds -50% health, Pistols, usually on Wizard). But sometimes we play no shields 100% health in which case the instant headshot kill still applies but instead of only 2 body shots to take you down it can take up to 4. In this case your health bar is VERY important. ("Snipies" is another, no shields, 200% health, Scopes, usually on Derelict, Hang 'em, heck even Wizard cause it could still end up as a human pistol game)

I think the headshot argument is kinda weak really; one headshot with a sniper riffle will kill ya even if you have shields. Obviously they shouldn't take away the shields too and make us guess at what our shield strength is at? Why do it with the health?

  • 06.10.2004 2:23 PM PDT
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i really hope the health bar stays.... for me, it's just another aspect of gameplay knowing when to go in and attack, or back-off defensively while searching for a med-kit. yes, i understand the shields going down, but they go back up- what is your health when they go back up? i want to see it. if i go into a fight, i want to see what my health is despite having a full shield. *** yes, i understand you (in halo2) can take a few hits after your shields pop... but what if you took one or two hits?! then when your shield goes back up are you again able to take three-ish hits again? (doesn't seem 'realistic' to me). or do you have to remember 'i was almost dead back there, i better play defense'*** - i don't like either one of those scenarios. i'll live and learn if they don't have the health bar, but i really hope they do- it's just...halo!

  • 06.10.2004 3:12 PM PDT
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instead of a health BAR , how about a little circle at the end of your shield bar that changes colour i.e. health 75-100%=blue, 30-75%=yellow, 1-30%= red. this would be a good indicator for when to pick up a health kit. Problem sorted, still know how healthy you are, with a nice refreshing Halo 2 twist!

[Edited on 6/10/2004 3:26:20 PM]

  • 06.10.2004 3:25 PM PDT
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Posted by: JAY132
instead of a health[u] BAR [u], how about a little circle at the end of your shield bar that changes colour i.e. health 75-100%=blue, 30-75%=yellow, 1-30%= red. this would be a good indicator for when to pick up a health kit. Problem sorted, still know how healthy you are, with a nice refreshing Halo 2 twist!


They have that in Halo. It's the health cross. It changes from blueishgreen to yellow to red.. Plus the heart beat for sound.

[Edited on 6/10/2004 3:27:36 PM]

  • 06.10.2004 3:27 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

well i understand with the plasma that the Covies use,seeing that the armor would melt and be destroyed easily. but what about bullets?? isnt the MJOLNIR armor like solid titanium A?? i read that in the books i think. please correct me if im wrong

  • 06.10.2004 3:28 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

and im pretty sure that health packs are gone.and powerups and teleporters. with powerups,theres probably an option to toggle them on/off(i hope so).and seeing that most of the game is on Earth,there probably wont be any teleporters.

  • 06.10.2004 3:30 PM PDT
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Yes, the Armour is solid titan-a, so it should be bulleproof. it should also be able to take quite a pounding before the plasma melts thru

  • 06.10.2004 3:31 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

yeah with the refractive coating it has too. but i guess it doesnt work that way. its good because it would make human weapons useless in MP. except the rocket launcher and maybe the sniper rifle

  • 06.10.2004 3:37 PM PDT
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Bungie wants to make H2 more realistic. You dont know how much health you have in REal LIFE, but you could check how powered your shield is through your battle armor. When your shield is gone, you are not supposed to get hit! Like in REAL LIFE. I think its an awesome idea by Bungie! [/quote]


You stupid idiot without a HEALTH BAR IT IS GOING TO RUIN THE WAY PEOPLE PLAY THE GAME U NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH HEALTH YOU HAVE LEFT SO IF YOU HAVE TO BE MORE CUATIOUS YOU ARE OR IF YOU DONT OYU DON"T BE MORE CUATIOUS WE NEED A HEALTH BAR

  • 06.10.2004 8:52 PM PDT
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Calm down Fire. No health bar isnt gonna ruin the game. If Bungie is implementing it, it's because it works, and NO ONE who has actually played the demo said anything bad about it, in fact they said it never changed how they played. I'm willing to bet there will still be indicators for health, i.e. the cross from Halo and the heartbeat when near death.

Also, the armor melts pretty quickly under plasma fire, but it still stays effective. As for the human weaponry, for the sake of gameplay it does more damage than it would, even in Halo.

I would bet my copy of Halo 2 (once I get it) that once you sit down and play, if the health bar isnt there, you wont even notice after a few minutes, so stop freaking out

  • 06.10.2004 11:02 PM PDT
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all i know is that no health bar would suck cuase you could go charging into battle with one health bar left and thing you have more

  • 06.10.2004 11:08 PM PDT
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they obvioiusly just messin around with different ideas in halo2 they might still have health bars

  • 06.10.2004 11:10 PM PDT
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Posted by: Ckrpoint1
Posted by: Brute Killer
I think that the no health bar thing is strange, yet if it plays like Halo 1 then i'm happy. But what about a plasma pistol charge? Does it still take your whole shield? In that case you could dual wield a plasma pistol and SMG, fully charge pistol, let go and then put two bullets in them with the SMG. Sounds over-powering.


Bungie wants to make H2 more realistic. You dont know how much health you have in REal LIFE, but you could check how powered your shield is through your battle armor. When your shield is gone, you are not supposed to get hit! Like in REAL LIFE. I think its an awesome idea by Bungie!


You make a good point, but have you read The Fall of Reach? It mentions that the Spartans could see both their shields AND their health status on their HUDs. Bungie might as well continue the health bar being shown.

  • 06.10.2004 11:26 PM PDT
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Posted by: Brute Killer
I think that the no health bar thing is strange, yet if it plays like Halo 1 then i'm happy. But what about a plasma pistol charge? Does it still take your whole shield? In that case you could dual wield a plasma pistol and SMG, fully charge pistol, let go and then put two bullets in them with the SMG. Sounds over-powering.


Thats a damn good idea!

  • 06.10.2004 11:28 PM PDT
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The health bar was cool and i don't want to see it go

  • 06.10.2004 11:36 PM PDT
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I've been referecing these impression forever about the health. I also emailed the guy who made that quote, Zonardo. Here is the bulk of his response.

I don't want to put Marty on record given that A) I wasn't talking to him in an official interview manner, but rather as a fan who was enjoying just being in the room for the moment. B) I did not record, or write down what he said exactly. As such what I wrote in my half of the hands-on article is my best memory. Not exact wording.

 

From the brief conversation we had, it seemed like they were leaning in the direction of no health on the hud based on feedback they'd gotten previously, and based on what people at the show were saying. He said the reason they dropped it to begin with is because of how they saw people playing Halo 1. When you got hurt, you'd stop, pausing to wait for the shields, and then go at it again. Health wasn't as important as shields.

 

That said, he asked me what I thought of the current (e3 2004) system. I told him I loved it. That I hadn't been able to notice any difference in how I played, and that I hoped they kept it like this. Upon hearing this he told me the HUD was still a work in progress, (as they were toying with having elite huds be purple) and no health on hud was still being debated.

 

If you check out the pictures from Tedd's post you'll not only see me (big red) but Marty as well. In fact the picture of him we have shows him looking at my screen in awe of my ass-kicking skills.

 

Having actually played Halo 2 at E3 (for a full -blam!- hour baby!) I would have to tell you and your friends not to worry about no health on hud, and if anything to beg them to keep it like this. It streamlines the game, quickens the pace and lets you focus all your attention on other things... such as managing two guns. If you watch some of the videos (all of me playing) you'll note that in one I have a needler and a SMG. I emptied the SMG clip, but didn't start firing the needler right away because I was still used to "reload no shoot." Thinking of the guns as two separate entities is going to take some getting used to.


So there you have it. Take it as you will.

  • 06.11.2004 12:49 AM PDT