|
Edit due to MLG Winter So,
I really have to update this post, due to what happened at MLG.
MLG has shown us, that not only ST_Legend is a good observer. The guy that does the observing on the central stream is doing a great job.
BUT: Any subscriber will notice, that the observer on the alternative streams are just terrible. A few points to prove my point :D :
1. Missing a ton of action (not really on the topic, but still obvious)
2. Camera centration is terrible, most of the action is happening in the corners
3. Healthbars are on when selected, but the observer is lacking game sense. i.e. we have seen a ton of TvP, in which almost always there's pressure on the gates of the terran base. These fights include bunkers. Why would you not show bunker hp? Why would you not show hp of battlecruisers? Why would you not show hp of Nexi being attacked by drops? Why would you not show energy of HT's?
I think the essence of this thread is, that if there's a good observer, Healthbars on selected is the optimum, but if the observer isn't as good as Legend, they should be always on!
Please MLG, activate Healthbars or get better observers!
EDIT: So my first conclusion to your reactions is, that most of the people see my point and it is annoying to not have the information that could easily delivered by turning Healthbars on.
Although there are some cons:
1. In Broodwar there werent Healthbars either...... OK, along time ago we used to play football with a brown leather ball on wooden goals
2. ST_Legend is doing a great job with Healthbars selected. I agree to this, he's doing an awesome job and everyone should observe like him, BUT most of the casters dont have a seperate observer and even if they had one he wouldn't be ST_Legend.
3. Most of the Viewers are casual viewers who would dislike to see healthbars rushing at each other in battle. My reply to this is, that people watch the games because of the competitive aspect of it. That is why people have followed sports since forever and i dont think that asthetics (which are important no doubt) are important enough to decline such a big load of information on who's winning.
Dear TL,
this is my first thread here, i'm lurking for a long time, but I really need to ask you a question.
Why on earth are most of the casters disabling healthbars?
There is one reason i can think off why you would choose healthbars off:
Looks better with healthbars off
but what the hell? Who cares, most of us are even playing Starcraft on low settings and i dont think that there are oh so many people watching the games because it looks so nice.
I just watched Sheth vs Killer in MLG NA qualifier, 28 Infestors vs 15 infestors, and the casters are only showing the energy on half of killers Infestors. Noone was able to say whos winning. Solution: Turn Healthbars on, it will help in any Mirrormatch to see whos winning micro wars.
Every lategame scenario involves highhp Units, you cant tell whos winning the fight unless you can see the hp bars.
I even started watching GOM.tv with korean commentators because they always have the healthbars displayed....... Cmon Tastosis i love you but i NEED MY HEALTHBARS, I just want the information!!!!
So why would you turn them off?
Final Question: What does TL think about this?
Poll: Do you prefer Healthbars off or Healthbars on in broadcasted games?Healthbars on (978) 79% Healthbars off (255) 21% 1233 total votes Your vote: Do you prefer Healthbars off or Healthbars on in broadcasted games? (Vote): Healthbars on
(Vote): Healthbars off
|
i like it when health bars are on, but i think for the more casual viewers they might want it off... idk O:
|
I have been thinking about making a thread like this for a while, guess I won't have to.
I voted for healthbars on, information is important. that's why we have production/unit tabs. Not being able to see the health or energy especially of the armies in a big fight is rather annoying.
|
Health bars set to selected is best if the observer is talented, a la ST Legend. If the observer is bad, then health bars on is the next best. Off completely is never good.
|
Definitely on, having the health bars of just denies me so much information I feel. If health bars are always on you can see how close a dropship was to getting away or not. For example.
|
I prefer it on, but some has argued that there's sometimes too much information on the screen.
Watching BW without healthbars (which is well, the only way to watch) is just fine and dandy with me.
|
Selected. If I want to watch a game for entertainment, I don't need to see health bars on everything since I'm not playing the game myself.
|
You need to have a Health Bars Selected option. For big battles, they can simply hold ALT (which displays/removes all health bars)
|
Always on!
I want to see everything that is possible in a micro battle.
|
I like them on as well, it is a lot better for more details on whos really winning and whos not. Say a terran player with a bunch of totally red stimmed out bio, you'd never know from viewer point he wasnt doing good.
|
On February 19 2012 10:15 Gheed wrote:
Health bars set to selected is best if the observer is talented, a la ST Legend. If the observer is bad, then health bars on is the next best. Off completely is never good.
I agree with this. ST Legend does a really good job of highlighting all of the important health bars but most observers won't do as well.
|
But outside of engagements, the health bars aren't really necessary and detract from the look of the game. I think that showing health bars should be a responsibility of the observer, he can decide when it's important to have that information displayed.
|
A LARGE LARGE LARGE part of any viewing audience and almost always the majority is the casual fan. The casual fan can not read the info given by that many health bars. Only higher level players or hardcore viewers will be able to pull info off of it.
Also mainly with Zerg you end up seeing a swarm of health bars, not units, which looks silly.
Edit: Just to clarify however, selected is the best. There is times where they should be flicked on, and a good observer will know what to select or in a pinch just just hit alt.
|
Always on please I hate it when it's off even in GSL and they have by far the best observer out of any tournament but there's still battles where I wish it was on and it isn't.
|
I prefer them whether I'm playing or watching. I would imagine having it set to Selected is best for the average viewer though.
|
Your poll should include "Healthbars selected" since some people (Including me) prefer that option.
|
On February 19 2012 10:19 Diamond wrote:
A LARGE LARGE LARGE part of any viewing audience and almost always the majority is the casual fan. The casual fan can not read the info given by that many health bars. Only higher level players or hardcore viewers will be able to pull info off of it.
Also mainly with Zerg you end up seeing a swarm of health bars, not units, which looks silly.
I'm not going to disagree that most people are stupid, but I think even stupid people can figure out that the side with more red bars is losing.
|
ON.
WTF.
So much happens in the early game, especially in mirror matchups. A lot of decision making by both players revolves around those HP bars. Which zergling took the first hit? That SCV building a bunker there - How much life does it have left? 4 stalkers vs 4 stalkers, which ones are damaged? How do the players choose to micro the damaged ones?
there is SO MUCH GOING ON THERE. To have healthbars off would leave us all either clueless, or totally reliant on caster commentary.... And lets face it, even Tastosis misses stuff when they are joking around. I'd rather rely on my eyes.
Besides the bars are so fucking tiny. they don't cover up anything at all, or else they wouldn't be useful while playing.
|
Not having the health bars or the info tabs on makes things more exciting for me. I never get that moment anymore where after 8-12 minutes of crazy, constant battle/harass there are suddenly 12 broodlords or carriers or BC's on the field like I did in BW when those typically took you by surprise.
|
I cant stand healthbars being off. One of the most frustrating things as a player, but i can see why casual viewers might prefer them off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
