So, I read and commented on KG's article, 'Can CCP Break the Cycle,' and promptly decided to dedicate a full article to the medic. Or just the people who want to be the prototypical medic aka heal people and get them back into the fight. Here's to the FPS healers (as oppposed to RPG healers in MMO's).
"People don't yell, "MEDIC!" because they're having a great day." - Rapp, CMC Corpsman
In Battlefield 2 I was revived 5 times. I was shot in the head by a sniper 6 times. The medic was kind enough to leave me alone after the 5th time. The day of "Oh, you were just shot with a rocket/50 cal. round/whatever heavy munition, and just got up after that medic clicked a button," should be over. Don't get me wrong, I know this is a video game (wait... it is?) and some things should be over looked. Cool, I'm ok with that. I don't want actual military training given to a person who plays video games anyway - bad idea written all over it. However, how about actually making a person who plays a medic worth something more?
For instance - you and your squad mates are in a fire fight (think Boondock Saints). Bob the Tool goes down after running out into the open for some unknown reason. Say a shot to the chest and leg. He's not doing too well, and can't really move fast. However, Sam the Super (good names so far?), runs over to Bob, picks him up (or drags him) into cover where, you, the medic are waiting to apply Dust First Aid (DFA - I don't mean pixie dust). You click a button, the HUD goes into a real time mini-game, and you try to save jackasses 'life.' Start your job.
This could go a couple ways. Like Mass Effect, where if you want to open that safe or hack that computer, you have to complete the mini-game in a certain amount of time, or you don't get the goods. Apply it to Dust, and you may lose/'revive' a squad mate. Not a big deal if he dies? Well, he was carrying the explosives (Star Trek), and he's all the way back at spawn. Anyway, you can do it the ME way, but connecting veins and bloods vessels together while applying fake skin/bio-foam (Halo) instead of wires. This carries on for about 30 seconds (long time, I know - better have a good team) or so. Bob the Tool gets up and carries on until you have to fix him again 2 minutes later. Another way is like Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. Apply the right medical equipment in the correct order to heal your mate (timed, of course). Or perhaps some combination of these two methods.
The kicker for all this? It's all in real time. As you are in your game - the fight is still going on around you. Pressure? Pfft, this is Dust 514, not some other bullshit game. Challenge is the middle word in all this. Plus with multiple wounds - yup, multiple mini games. Perhaps as a helpful way to help your medic, there would be armor upgrades that help the medic when he/she tries to heal you. Increases mini-game time or if the medic messes up the order of buttons, for example.
As for the 'for instance' above - back to that. Bob the Tool was shot and actually couldn't move as fast. Sam the Super had to help him. Now that's some damn super teamwork. However, back to the point- the round affected the Bob's movement. This is soooo something that should be added. Think Army of Two - buddy goes down, you help him get to cover, while he shoots (if he can use his hands and they were not shot or other)
That would be some interesting stuff. Will it be added? Ha, the hit boxes would have to be super precise/accurate, and beta isn't even being talked about. So, we have a long time to go (next year), but hey, we can guess about stuff, right?
Next Posts: (In no particular order)
- "Is the Medic Obsolete?"
- "Slower is better... I'm not that old."
- "Are EVE players psychopaths or sociopaths?"
- Dust Mythos - Continuing with my spy; it's more fun.
- Got something I should address? Post it. Below.
PS: Please make up a fake gmail account with a user name so we can address people properly - @Anon1, Anon2, is super anonying - we are not the Government. Thank you.
good read. is the medic obsolete sounds good.
ReplyDeletelike this one. do one on how the games need to have 64 players and up.
ReplyDeletegood ideas. rez needs to have balance.
ReplyDeleteInteresting read, though I don't really see why doing things that help your team, like being a medic needs to be so challenging. This is not to say I am against this, but I also don't see why a long animation time for revivals wouldn't be enough. The minigame idea for reviving is the most original idea I've heard of in a long time though.
ReplyDelete-I can't picture medics being obsolete in games with large maps (long travel to objectives makes death really annoying), especially when respawning essentially cost money. So I don't think this needs to be addressed.
-Not sure what "Slower is better" would be specifically about, but I would be interested to read it.
-Psychopaths and sociopaths are pretty much the same things, there are just differences in cause. Sociopaths are more of a result of environments than genetics, and psychopaths are more genetic then environmental (some suggest they are products of frequency dependent natural selection). I suppose you could make the case that behavior of EVE players would fall largely in one of those categories, but capitalism without proper limits is inherently psycho/sociopathic; personal gain is the driving motive, even at the cost of others.
-Dust mythos are always fun, I'd be interested in reading one from you.
@ drew, Anon1 - Thanks for the comments!
ReplyDelete@ Metatron, tajai - Interesting. Not saying for sure, but some good ideas. We'll see (but not in the parents, "We'll see.")
@ KAGEHOSHI - Yea, instead of just screaming at your computer animation for your guy the HTFU, you get a chance to help your guy HTFU. Plus mini games seem to be a big thing nowadays on social networking sites (Facebook, Renren, QQ, Sina, crap ton of smaller sites, etc), so it might be a nice allure for those players - especially since CCP needs to attract players that will pay. However, these type of players are super flaky, and will run to the next best thing at the drop of hat. However-to-the-however, if you make sure that next best thing is your next game...
The future article on, "Is the medic obsolete?" will cover the larger map and the need of medic thought. Plus the money issue - something I really want to hear about. Money runs everything.
"Slower is better" is an idea I've had for a while. Stay tuned.
We should collaborate on this. Diving into the minds of EVE players. Dark? Boring? Typical? New? And excellent thoughts on it.
Ha, mythos is f'in hard to write man. At least for me. Although, I do enjoy a good spy novel - let's see if I can write my own.
hmm... i like the sniper rifle but I LOVE the rocket launcher
ReplyDeletei know compleatly off topic
solid job m8. do one on how the game needs to be land and air like BF3.
ReplyDelete