Off, definietly.

I like them on when I play but I don't want them on when I'm watching a professional match - they're distracting and clunky and block everything. It's almost always obvious what's going on anyway, unless you're extremely anal or just a casual player you probably don't need them.

idonthinksobro

3138 Posts

February 19 2012 01:35 GMT

#24

i hate it when they turn the healthbars off, there is no reason to do it. None. But if you leave them on it is so much better, because even the best caster misses tons of stuff you could see on your own, you can judge micro, you can judge if the injects are spot on if the spellcasters were used efficiently and the list goes on forever.

FlamingTurd

United States1059 Posts

February 19 2012 01:36 GMT

#25

I understand the argument against health bars that only l33t ppl really need them... zzzz... but every poll I've EVER seen has been overwhelmingly agreeing that they should be on. Whenever streamers have asked in tournaments b4 if the audience wants them on or off it is a guaranteed response of ON. Just sayin, it is much easier to follow correctly what's going on and who is winning the fights more accurately. Every player plays with them on because it's easier to see the truth of the game.

Edit: If casters or cameramen could just select the units during the fight that mattered and select those to show everyone that would be the best option IMO, but we all know that actually happens .. well, almost never.

Rokevo

Finland1033 Posts

February 19 2012 01:36 GMT

#26

Always on

Just feels really "naked" when they are off, im just so used to playing with them on

llKenZyll

United States853 Posts

February 19 2012 01:38 GMT

#27

Especially in zergling vs zergling battles or something like that, it makes it hard to see the zerglings and the green health bars just take up the entire battle. I think it would be better if there was some kinda modification in order to make the health bars smaller based on the unit size. It would make it easier for the viewer to see whats going on and be benefical to the players so they can as well see what is happening.
Obviously im just spit balling here. I'm pretty sure its against the terms of use to even do that in the first place. It makes me wonder why blizzard would restrict such things that would be helpful to the tournament. I know that they support some mods, such as the stronger team color mod. So maybe it wouldn't be against the ToS to create a mod that would make the health bars look smaller based on which unit it is representing.

MafiaCheese

United States87 Posts

February 19 2012 01:39 GMT

#28

without hp bars, how can you tell what damage was done during an exchange in which everything hasnt died...
how can u feel the excitement as a race between killing a cc/nexus vs killing off the units targeting it
cloaked banshee running away from scan!!!! medivacs picking up and surviving by 1 stalker hit!!!!

so many other countless things id like to know when the hp bars are off i feel naked might as well have no production tab while youre at it

Captain Peabody

United States3136 Posts

February 19 2012 01:45 GMT

#29

I prefer to have the healthbars off but have the observer either select key units and buildings during/after battles, or else use alt for the same purpose. As far as I'm concerned, if you're not getting the information you need with the healthbars not always displayed, it's something the observer should be working on...just turning them on all the time adds unnecessary clutter imo and makes the game a lot uglier for newer viewers, and I don't think it's that necessary.

Obviously, this is a personal preference.

Highways

Australia6120 Posts

February 19 2012 01:46 GMT

#30

Off and only show it when required.

Mainly because health bars look so ugly, another Blizzard design fail.

GoldenH

1115 Posts

February 19 2012 01:55 GMT

#31

What really needs is a kind of 'glow' around units giving a rough idea of how damaged it is, yellow and red glowing units could be great.

Befree

695 Posts

February 19 2012 01:56 GMT

#32

There definitely is a third option which you don't seem to include. Which is that you should have health bars off by default, but show them when they are relevant. This includes things like battles, or just from time to time looking at the energy of a nexus, or units, or to check how the health/shields are on an idle army.

Turning on health bars ALL the time is just completely unnecessary, and just makes the stream very aesthetically displeasing. And turning off health bars ALL the time would obviously limit you very much on your understanding of what is going on.

Aside from laziness of the caster, I can't see why you'd accept either one of the extremes.

I know some of you have no appreciation of how things look, and seem content with viewing health bars, low graphics, stronger team colors on, but that is not very attractive to the more casual viewer. Especially not potential new viewers.

If the UI were improved and health bars were less extremely ugly, then maybe you could leave them on all game..

Zeon0

Austria2995 Posts

February 19 2012 01:57 GMT

#33

On February 19 2012 10:29 darkscream wrote:
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.

ty for expressing my thoughts in a better language than i could :D

hmunkey

United Kingdom1973 Posts

February 19 2012 01:59 GMT

#34

Off is preferable if the person controlling the camera is good (read: pro-gamers only) so they can do it selectively when it's important. If you don't have a dedicated cameraman who is extremely high level, leave them on.

So basically, only the GSL is allowed to leave them off for the most part.

Tachion

Canada8573 Posts

February 19 2012 02:03 GMT

#35

I like the way GSL does it. Healthbars off except for engagements where it's toggled on. It's the best of both worlds.

Xapti

Canada2473 Posts

February 19 2012 02:03 GMT

#36

I think casters should be skilled enough to always have the health bars on when it matters, but if they want to have it off sometimes, then that could be fine. All too often I think the casters are not providing the health bars enough though.

If it's just to be only on or only off, I'd much rather prefer only on.

GinDo

3327 Posts

February 19 2012 02:05 GMT

#37

I don't mind, when I'm playing. But I really hate especially when its all death-bally and I can see crap. I like GSL because they only show the health when the caster selects the unit.

Ballack

Norway821 Posts

February 19 2012 02:05 GMT

#38

I strongly prefer them on so I can for instance see how a pro player target fires low hp units.

Oboeman

Canada3980 Posts

February 19 2012 02:11 GMT

#39

I think we needcasters/observers to train to be as good as Legend.
He leaves health bars off, but because he always selects exactly the right units, you see the important health bars that matter at the specific moment, and the unimportant ones don't clutter.

turn health bars off and make all casters learn how to observe like legend!

even Tastosis misses stuff when they are joking around. I'd rather rely on my eyes.

but Legend misses nothing. You can watch GSL streams muted and he tells you everything with his cursor.

FeyFey

Germany10114 Posts

February 19 2012 02:11 GMT

#40

you forgot the, casters with healthbars on camera man with healthbars off option. Trusting in the casters that they tell you when weak units get sniped. But like other people mentioned saying hardcore players will get informations out of the healthbars, while casuals won't. Someone really into sc2 shouldn't need healtbars to see if weakened units get focus fired, someone even more into sc2 would notice that its not the ai that targets the weakest unit in range, but actually the player does it.

That being said i like the gsl method, the camera man really knows to show you the crucial infos and give you the whole vision of a battle. I don't want to see stats blocking my vision over a battle seeing the stats before the battle is enough. (its not like they randomly change all of a sudden)
Also as bonus show of zoom ins, pointing out that he has total map awareness.

So healthbars don't really show me something i don't already know (caster should show the health bars of the army when they are idle not when they are fighting), so healthbars on yes, permanently showing nope.

As for the person wanting glow , go on its not hard to mod this. Just have remodel the healthbars a bit, 2d effects can work in a 3d surrounding. (of course you could mod it onto the textures as well, but that would take effort). But i personally wouldn't like this, also don't like the teamcolor mod making lings look like they are made of play-doh.