Healing is a core mechanic in game design. It's most often used when a character has a health "bar" or "percentage".
When health goes down, typically a character will either die or be taken back to a certain spawn point, the beginning of the level or suffer some kind of consequence such as losing their points. Each game is different though.
Why is there healing?
Health damage in most games is either caused by enemies or players fighting your character. This may be with weapons, movement or objects. In some games health damage can be caused by the environment. Falling off an object for example or jumping too high and bumping your characters head on something.
Healing is included in a game for a few reasons. One being the player doesn't get constantly frustrated as they're unable to get past a certain point or every time an enemy attacks they are met with a quick death. Healing also helps combat to last longer. In an RPG game a character could potentially get through a chunk of the narrative without dying and having to replay any chapters with the ability to heal themselves. Healing can be very satisfying to the player. Many games revolve around players living the longest and keeping their health up.
Let's break down the core mechanic of healing
If we take away all the fancy dynamics and aesthetics of game play how does healing really affect the game and why is it needed?
Healing is a mechanic which is normally a visual representation of a bar or percentage, when that percentage or bar gets to zero - your character dies. Items and time are often used for health to regenerate. Games include healing as a mechanic as the game would be too easy if no damage was ever done to health but too hard if one bullet or hit killed you. Healing is the compromise which allows you to be challenged but still able to beat the game.
Team Play
Healing can encourage team play in multiplayer games. Team mates will rely on the "medic" or their companion to quickly heal them before their character dies. A consequence for not getting to your team mate in time to heal can be your team or player loses points or are re-spawned somewhere inconvenient on the map.
Healing Items
Many games have items or objects which allow healing. Some items may regenerate health fully and same may only bump up the percentage a little bit. Healing items are genuinely found within the games environment or bought with in game currency or points. It is typically a 'perk' in the game.
Regenerating Health
Some games allow health to regenerate fully over time. The character may have to hide somewhere in the environment to avoid enemies and wait until their health is restored or continue battling/fighting but avoiding taking any damage.
Games that use healing
Title: DayZ(mod) Arma 2
Creator: Dean "Rocket" Hall
DayZ is a very popular mod for Arma 2. It's a first person zombie survival game. The game is based around survival and team play in a realistic scenario The objective is not to kill enemies as there are no divided teams.
A character may receive bone fractures from damage to their legs, go into shock from unexpected ambushes, receive infections from zombies or diseased players, or even faint due to low blood pressure.
Blood is essentially the health of a player. Blood begins at 12000 units for a newly spawned player. If a player's blood reaches 0, they will die.
As a player's blood level decreases, color saturation in the game decreases. Complete saturation loss usually occurs around 4000 to 3000 blood. At this point a player will occasionally shake, and a player character's heartbeat may be heard by the player. Hearing becomes impaired as blood loss increases as well. At less than 3000 blood, a player will start to randomly fall Unconscious.
Players must go into either cities or the wilderness in search for supplies such as food and water as hunger and thirst are real dangers. Basic human needs is an important theme in DayZ.
So, to break these into the categories discussed above
Team Play
Team play is an extremely important aspect of DayZ as it's very easy to become injured. Jumping at a great height, fulling off an abandoned motorbike or one swipe from a zombie claw and the player becomes seriously injured with possible fractured legs which renders them unable to walk resulting to having to crawl instead. If their health dramatically decreases the screen becomes monochromatic. In this case, the player is unable to heal themselves and needs another player to give them a blood transfusion. Without teaming up with another player, your character will die.
When a character dies on DayZ they lose all of their belongings (food, water, medical supplies, weapons) which they've spent hours scavenging for while managing to survive and are re spawned somewhere very inconvenient on a very large map. This is a very frustrating thing for the player. Other players on the server cannot always be trusted as they may wish to steal all of your belongings after your character has died.
Healing Items
Morphine is used when you break a leg, painkillers are for when your character is shaking and bandages stop bleeding. Meat and beans will help to refill blood but another healthy player with a blood bag will refill your blood in one hit.
Your character will also suffer from the elements so they must build a fire to keep warm.
Hunger and thirst will kill your character also so food and water act as healing to your character in a way.
Regenerating Health
Bleeding will occasionally stop on it's own but usually requires a bandage to stop. Other than that, health will not regenerate on its own as survival is the real challenge in DayZ (not the zombies surprisingly.)
Title: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Creator: Bethesda Game Studios
Over view
Healing is a Novice level restoration spell in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that heals the caster 10 points per second. All races begin the game with this spell. Dual-casting the spell causes the player's health to restore more quickly.
Even though all characters begin the game already equipped with this spell, the spell tome is available for purchase from merchants. The player can play strategically, having a weapon in one hand and the restoration spell in the other, healing themselves throughout combat.
Before purchasing the restoration spell, the player must find, steal or purchase health potions which increase health 20 points for 60 seconds. Food items will also restore health but not significantly.
Team playSkyrim is not a multiplayer game. However you have the option of having a companion who also have health and can die. You can go back to your last saved point or continue without them. You are able to heal your companion by using the "Healing Hands" spell. This will cost you in game money to purchase the spell.
Healing Items
In Skyrim it's crucial to carry some type of healing item in your inventory at all times as you never know when someone may attack you (sometimes thugs are hired to kill you and will run into you at most unexpected times) or when an animal may also attack you (dragons, wolves). Healing items can be purchased, stolen or found in places such as the dungeons.
Regenerating Health
Health regenerates on it's own, about 1% per second. This means that if able, a character can hide and wait until their health regenerates.
This is so it's not impossible for a player to fight or kill another character as their health goes down too quickly.
Title: Battlefield 3
Creator: EA Digital Illusions CE
In Battlefield 3 Multiplayer you're able to play as a Medic in the Assault Class (which is available from the start). This means you're able to heal yourself quickly and are responsible for healing your team mates when playing as a Medic. The aim of Bf3 is to essentially get your opponents health down enough so they die. The more kills you get, the more you level up. The aim is also to die as little as possible. Players are able to regenerate health without the health pack but it usually takes about 40 seconds without being hit. Players are also able to revive other teammates.
Team Play
When playing as a Medic in the Assault class you need to throw a health pack to a player within 5 meters of them, any teammates close to it will heal much faster than their regular health regeneration. Players can also revive their teammates but it must be within a 10 second time frame. When this happens, the kill still counts for the enemy team but the death doesn't count for you. This can be risky as when choosing to revive a teammate you must make sure the enemy isn't still watching as they may kill both you and your revived teammate, counting more kills for them and wasted time for you and your teammate.
Healing Items
The only healing item in BF3 is the medic kit which the Medic throws out. The medic kit will affect players within 5 meters of it. Teammates close to it will heal much faster than their regular health regeneration
Regenerating Health
After a player is hit, 20 seconds later their health will begin to escalate up at a rate of 2% per second. If the player is hit again the regeneration will stop.
This is so the game is challenging. If a player had 90% health due to an enemy shooting them, without health regenerating another enemy may later shoot them once and claim that kill.
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