550 The Dynamic Divided Meter

I love the dynamic divided meter.

Above is an example from the original Witcher: Enhanced Edition release from 2008. It can be found in many other games, I just chose this example because it was the most recent one I saw.

I love the function of these. As some of you may know, I’m in general averse to mechanics that are too “gamey” (at least, averse in the sense that I wouldn’t design my games that way, but will still play games that are designed that way). What I mean by that is typically really obscure and irrelevant measures of systems, like “hit points” and “magic bars” and the like. They certainly have their place in a lot of situations, but in my opinion, most non-fantasy games shouldn’t use made up metrics to measure things (especially not if they’re doing it just because it’s the norm of the genre!).

Rant aside, I like the divided meter that changes based on what you’re using. In this case, it’s a sort of “stamina” bar, which in my opinion is a totally real and measurable metric that raises and depletes. I like that this system takes something complex like having multiple abilities that are of varying strengths and usefulness, and applies them all to the same bar. It’s also visually easy to understand and quick to learn.

Meters aren’t always my favorite, but this one is a good one!

[ Today I Was Playing: Stories: The Path of Destinies and Borderlands 2 ]

#game-mechanic-system