Difference between revisions of "Health Globe"

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'''Health Globes''' are orbs of life energy that can drop from some slain monsters. Characters refill their hit points by walking over health globes. The benefit of health globes are shared to every player in the area. Health globes persist forever, and if not consumed after a battle will float in space indefinitely, allowing players to save them for later, if necessary.
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[[Image:Health Orbs1.jpg|left|thumb|120px|Two health orbs.]]
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Health Globes (AKA Orbs) are red, floating globes of life energy that "[[drop]]" from slain monsters or spawn in certain locations (including in the [[Arena]]). Health globes are "used" when a character passes through or near one, and grant the same full bonus of healing (hit points) to all friendly characters and minions in the immediate vicinity. Each orb refills a character's health globe for a set percentage of their maximum hit points, with the same bonus granted whether a character uses the orb themselves or shares the benefit from a friendly player activating it.
  
[[Image:Health Orbs1.jpg|right|thumb|Two health orbs after battle. [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1369&cat=546&size=big Full picture].]]
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Health globes are the main source of life replenishment in Diablo III. There are some hit point refilling bonuses on equipment (such as [[LAEK]]), but nothing like the omnipresent and overpowered life [[leech]] of Diablo II. There are also healing potions which grant instant life replenishment, but they are only for use in emergencies, since they have a considerable [[cool down]] time between uses.
In early builds of Diablo III there were also [[Mana Globe]]s, but these were removed in mid-2009, and Health Globes now provide [[mana]] bonuses to characters using mana.
 
  
The official Diablo III website includes a flavorful explanation of the [http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml health system].
+
During the early development of Diablo III there were blue [[Mana Globe]]s as well as red Health Globes, but these were removed in mid-2009, and the classes were given skills that could enable them to gain mana from health globes. As only the [[Witch Doctor]] still uses mana, that is the only class with such bonus, now granted by [[Witch Doctor traits|traits]].
  
==Why They Exist==
 
[[Image:Health Orb2.jpg|left|thumb|One health orb in the middle of a fray. [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1368&cat=546&size=big Full picture].]]
 
While there isn't a given reason in the lore (yet) for these power-ups floating in mid air like an arcade game, the reason for their existence in the gameplay is to increase speed of gameplay without relying so heavily on [[potion]]s. The development team wanted to keep Diablo III fast paced and filled with action, not waiting idly for [[health]] or [[mana]] to regenerate. [[Jay Wilson]] also said that they wanted to change the old potion-based combat (where potions were basically extensions of your health and mana pools) to a system that encouraged a more tactical play style.<div style="clear:both;"></div>
 
  
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==Game Mechanics==
 +
The health gain varies with the type of health globe, but it is always some percentage (25%, 33%, 40%, etc) of a character's maximum hit points. The hit points are not added on instantly, but fill up gradually, over a few seconds. Health globes are thus not an instant cure for death, and a character very low on hit points and in a battle should drink a potion for the instant life boost, since they could still die to an attack taken right after using a health orb.
 +
 +
Health globes only add hit points to a character's maximum life, and provide no benefit or bonus above that level. A health globe has no effect for them when used by a character with full health, though Witch Doctors can receive a boost to their mana from a health globe, if they have enabled one of the [[traits]] that grants this bonus. A character with full health can still grant the full bonus to other characters though, so if a companion is low on health and stuck in combat, it's wise to use a health orb to assist them.
 +
 +
The healing effect of a health orb is shared by all friendly players and pets in the immediate area (a radius of perhaps 10 yards; characters who are at the far corners may not be close enough to benefit). Health orbs are community drops, unlike item drops in Diablo III; all players in the game see all health orbs when they appear, and they can be used by anyone.
  
==Game Mechanics==
+
Each health orb is consumed completely when used, vanishing from the world. Health orbs can not be moved; they simply float where they spawned, but if no player uses one they will remain floating there for some time, and can be returned to for a later health boost.
Health globes work as you would expect. After stepping on them, you get an increase in health. The increase occurs over time (not instantaneous) and you can only activate them if you are lacking health. The interesting thing about multiplayer and orbs is that they heal all party members in the vicinity, enabling any player to become a makeshift healer. Even if the person picking up the orb is at full health, other members of the party will be healed.
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 +
Health orbs come in various quality levels. The ones dropped by normal monsters are lower quality and will refill just 25% of a character's hit points. Other orbs will refill more; the ones that spawned in the [[Arena]] demo at Blizzcon 2010 were worth 40% of a character or minion's hit points, and Blizzard has hinted that there may even be 100% health orbs out there, dropped only by the most powerful monsters.[http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml]
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 +
<blue>More powerful health globes, capable of completely restoring your health even at death's door, might exist somewhere in the world of Sanctuary. Of course, that's probably wishful thinking.</blue>
 +
<br><br>
 +
 
 +
==Gameplay and Challenge==
 +
[[Image:Health Orb2.jpg|Health orb.]]
 +
Health orbs are a major part of Diablo III's gameplay design. The [[D3 Team]] has worked to remove the easy ways of healing and escaping from trouble that were so common in Diablo II; no more can characters count life leech equipment, or belts full of potions that can be used instantly and repeatedly, or [[Town Portals]] for quick town returns. These changes allow the developers to make the game more consistently challenging; the only way things were hard in Diablo II was if a monster could kill a character in an instant, and that wasn't hard, it was cheesy.  
  
The [[drop rate]] is quite low, but with the sheer number of monsters coming at players, there should rarely be a lack of orbs. If health orb drops become few and far between, [[potion|health potions]] can still be used. However, health potions have a significant [[Cooldown|cooldown period]] between uses. Additional tweaks have also been promised.
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In Diablo III the goal is for a more consistently challenging play experience, and for players to have to stick it out in battles to earn a health globe, rather than just popping back to town. Jay Wilson spoke about this design philosophy in an interview from Blizzcon 2009. [http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html]
  
::''We're also playing around with some alternate functionality for when/how they're picked up while you're at full health, as well as some visual tweaks. Regardless we're going to make sure it's as fun and balanced as possible.'' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-health-orbs-and-pvp |title=Bashiok on Health Orbs and PvP |author=[[Flux]] |date=2008-08-28}}</ref>
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<blue>We changed the health model, so that players don't rely on potions. Instead they can pick up health power-ups from enemies. It doesn't change the basic way the game plays, but it gives it a little bit more depth. You don't have one answer to healing in combat – "I'm in trouble, I hit a potion." Instead, "I'm in trouble, there's a health globe over there, and there's a 20-foot demon standing between me and it." That's a really interesting situation for the player, but it works with the same complexity of interface and gameplay that we had.  
 +
<br>
 +
...We did put health potions back in, but they play a very different role. You can't spam them like you used to, you can only use them about once a map. The purpose of those is to take the edge off the loss of health. "I don't have health, or I've got half health, do I want to use a health potion, or do I want to risk it? Ooh, I've got 10% health, it's not even a decision." That's a really interesting decision, and it makes potion use a fun part of the game.</blue>
  
Health globes restore health on a percentage basis. If the globe is meant to fill 25% of a character's hit points, then a Barbarian would recover more health (in absolute terms) from one than a Witch Doctor would.  Regardless, both would see their health fill the same relative amount.
 
  
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==Boss Battles==
 +
Boss monsters drop health orbs during the battle, generally at set percentages of their hit points. For instance, once you knocked a monster down to 75% of its maximum life, it would drop a globe or globes. [[Jay Wilson]] said commented on this in 2009, [http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html] "[bosses] would drop health globes at percentages of their health. Rares in particular are almost guaranteed to drop about every 25%."
  
===Drop Rates===
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The [http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml Systems: Health page] on the official Diablo III site includes some hypothetical examples of how health globes might have to be utilized in a boss battle.  
During an [http://www.gamereactor.eu/grtv/?id=2936 interview] with Gamereactor (@2:45) at GC2008, [[Jay Wilson]] stated that they intend for health globes to drop at about a 25-35% frequency. He also added that health globe drops would not affect treasure/loot drops.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamereactor.eu/grtv/?id=2936 |title=GC08 Diablo III Interview |author=Gamereactor |date=2008-09-02}}</ref>
 
  
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<blue>When you do battle with stronger foes, like "[[rare]]" and "[[champion]]" monsters, you're likely to see medium-sized health globes emerge before these monsters are killed, as they reach certain health percentages or are stripped of their defenses. Medium globes restore a sizable percentage of your health, but you'll need the extra boost to survive when dealing with these formidable enemies.<br>
  
===Boss Battles===
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Major boss fights make unique use of health globes. Each boss battle includes a custom-designed means of utilizing these globes to regain health. For example, in one fight, you might have to split your attention between weakening a dangerous boss and slaying its irritating but ultimately less-dangerous minions in order to get enough health globes to stay standing. In another fight, the boss itself might drop health globes when it takes damage, or you might have to hunt for hidden caches of globes in the midst of battle.</blue>
During [[Boss]] battles, or battles with [[rare]]s and [[champion]]s, [[Jay Wilson]] said "they would drop health globes at percentages of their health. Rares in particular are almost guaranteed to drop about every 25%."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html |title=BlizzCon 09: Diablo III Q&A |author=Jeff Haynes and Gerald Villoria |date=2009-08-23}}</ref>
 
  
  
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That the health orb spawn points were right in the middle of the arena forced the action into the center of the level. Many rounds ended with the last survivor of one team dodging attacks around the perimeter of the level, and while this could extend a round for some time, it was very seldom a way to win, since the pursuers tended to be in the middle and would therefore score some health orbs, while the character running for it had no chance to heal up as they hid.
 
That the health orb spawn points were right in the middle of the arena forced the action into the center of the level. Many rounds ended with the last survivor of one team dodging attacks around the perimeter of the level, and while this could extend a round for some time, it was very seldom a way to win, since the pursuers tended to be in the middle and would therefore score some health orbs, while the character running for it had no chance to heal up as they hid.
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==Appearance==
 
==Appearance==
[[Image:newhealthglobe.png|left|thumb|100px]]
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[[Image:newhealthglobe.png|left|Freshly-dropped globe.]]
A new globe as seen in the Wizard gameplay trailer.]]
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The appearance of health globes has improved during development. They were initially just red orbs, like a huge drop of blood floating in the air. Over time this look was stylized, and health orbs now wear a golden frame, almost like a jewel setting or a crown on the top and bottom of the orb, a change that gives them a more oval shape.
In the [[BlizzCon 2008]] build, health globes experienced a slight visual change. Some sort of ornamental graphic on the top and bottom of the globes (like a small golden crown) were added.
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==Health Globes and Mana==
 
==Health Globes and Mana==
In the [[GamesCom 2009 demo]], [[Mana Globe]]s have been removed. At the end of one video, the [[Wizard]] regains a large amount of [[mana]] by picking up a Health Globe. This is because they now get mana - as well as health - from Health Globes if they invested in [[Stability Control]].
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[[Mana Globe]]s were removed in 2009, with some skills changed to give the Wizard and Witch Doctor mana from using health orbs. Once the Wizard's [[resource]] changed from mana, only the Witch Doctor continued to enjoy this benefit, which is triggered by points invested in the appropriate trait ([[Spirit Vessel]], as of early 2011).
 
 
[[Witch Doctor]]s also receive mana benefits from health globes if they have invested in certain mana recovery skills.
 
  
  
 
==Controversy==
 
==Controversy==
There has been some small level of controversy about these Health Orbs as some players do not like the idea of "power-ups" in a [[RPG]] game. It is nowhere near the levels of the [[art controversy]], but some people are genuinely upset.
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If the developers have sketched out some lore for health orbs, they have not made it public. An in-game explanation for health orbs isn't essential, but after all, there were no such things in Diablo I or Diablo II.
  
In either way, it is highly unlikely that [[Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard]] will change Health Orbs significantly at this point.
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There were some player complaints shortly after health globes were revealed, as some players felt they were cheesy; too reminiscent of "power-ups" as found in fighting games or other RPGs. The developers never wavered in their support of this gameplay mechanic though, and this issue seems to have been put to bed, in terms of player complaints.
  
  
==Development==
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==Development History==
 
The first Health Globe was shown at [[WWI 2008]] with the announcement of [[Diablo III]] and the [[Barbarian]]/[[Witch Doctor]]. It was originally just a floating red "blob", but has since received a graphics update (as of [[BlizzCon 2008]]) with a little golden crown on the top and bottom.
 
The first Health Globe was shown at [[WWI 2008]] with the announcement of [[Diablo III]] and the [[Barbarian]]/[[Witch Doctor]]. It was originally just a floating red "blob", but has since received a graphics update (as of [[BlizzCon 2008]]) with a little golden crown on the top and bottom.
  
By [[BlizzCon 2009]], the mechanics of the globe had been changed slightly as well (with the disappearance of [[Mana Globe]]s). In the [[BlizzCon 2009]] build, health globes gave [[mana]] to [[Wizard]]s using the [[Stability Control]] skill. [[Stability Control]] was removed from the game prior to Blizzcon 2010.
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Health Globes as well as [[Mana globe]]s were present in the Blizzcon 2008 demo, where fans first got a chance to play the game.
 +
 
 +
By [[BlizzCon 2009]], the Mana Globes had been removed and the function of Health Globes had been modified a bit, with a few [[Wizard skills]] (such as  [[Stability Control]]) and [[Witch Doctor skills]] (such as [[Spirit Vessel]]) modified to allow mana gains from the consumption of health globes.
 +
 
 +
This changed further in early 2010, when the Wizard's new resource, [[Instability]] was revealed. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/monk-resource-system-complete/] This resource, later changed to [[Arcane Power]], was not effected by health globes. The Witch Doctor, on the other hand, continued to gain mana from health globes.
  
In January 2010, the Wizard got a confirmed new [[resource pool]] known only as [[instability]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/monk-resource-system-complete/ |title=Monk Mana Resource System Progressing |author=[[Flux]] |date=2010-01-05}}</ref> [[Instability]] has since been removed and replaced with [[Arcane Power]]. The [[Witch Doctor]], however, might still be able to benefit from Health Globes when recuperating mana.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 +
<font size="-3">
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
 
+
* [[Wizard Gameplay Blizzcon 2008]]
:Additional resources:
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* [[GamesCom 2009 demo]]
::* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ Full Wizard Skill Trees]
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* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ Full Wizard Skill Trees, Blizzcon 2009]
::* [[GamesCom 2009 demo]]
+
* [http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml Health Systems: Diablo3.com]
::* [[Wizard Gameplay Blizzcon 2008]]
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* [[Witch Doctor traits]]
 
+
</font>
  
 
[[Category:Basics]]
 
[[Category:Basics]]

Revision as of 14:23, 5 February 2011

Two health orbs.

Health Globes (AKA Orbs) are red, floating globes of life energy that "drop" from slain monsters or spawn in certain locations (including in the Arena). Health globes are "used" when a character passes through or near one, and grant the same full bonus of healing (hit points) to all friendly characters and minions in the immediate vicinity. Each orb refills a character's health globe for a set percentage of their maximum hit points, with the same bonus granted whether a character uses the orb themselves or shares the benefit from a friendly player activating it.

Health globes are the main source of life replenishment in Diablo III. There are some hit point refilling bonuses on equipment (such as LAEK), but nothing like the omnipresent and overpowered life leech of Diablo II. There are also healing potions which grant instant life replenishment, but they are only for use in emergencies, since they have a considerable cool down time between uses.

During the early development of Diablo III there were blue Mana Globes as well as red Health Globes, but these were removed in mid-2009, and the classes were given skills that could enable them to gain mana from health globes. As only the Witch Doctor still uses mana, that is the only class with such bonus, now granted by traits.


Game Mechanics

The health gain varies with the type of health globe, but it is always some percentage (25%, 33%, 40%, etc) of a character's maximum hit points. The hit points are not added on instantly, but fill up gradually, over a few seconds. Health globes are thus not an instant cure for death, and a character very low on hit points and in a battle should drink a potion for the instant life boost, since they could still die to an attack taken right after using a health orb.

Health globes only add hit points to a character's maximum life, and provide no benefit or bonus above that level. A health globe has no effect for them when used by a character with full health, though Witch Doctors can receive a boost to their mana from a health globe, if they have enabled one of the traits that grants this bonus. A character with full health can still grant the full bonus to other characters though, so if a companion is low on health and stuck in combat, it's wise to use a health orb to assist them.

The healing effect of a health orb is shared by all friendly players and pets in the immediate area (a radius of perhaps 10 yards; characters who are at the far corners may not be close enough to benefit). Health orbs are community drops, unlike item drops in Diablo III; all players in the game see all health orbs when they appear, and they can be used by anyone.

Each health orb is consumed completely when used, vanishing from the world. Health orbs can not be moved; they simply float where they spawned, but if no player uses one they will remain floating there for some time, and can be returned to for a later health boost.

Health orbs come in various quality levels. The ones dropped by normal monsters are lower quality and will refill just 25% of a character's hit points. Other orbs will refill more; the ones that spawned in the Arena demo at Blizzcon 2010 were worth 40% of a character or minion's hit points, and Blizzard has hinted that there may even be 100% health orbs out there, dropped only by the most powerful monsters.[1]

More powerful health globes, capable of completely restoring your health even at death's door, might exist somewhere in the world of Sanctuary. Of course, that's probably wishful thinking.



Gameplay and Challenge

Health orb. Health orbs are a major part of Diablo III's gameplay design. The D3 Team has worked to remove the easy ways of healing and escaping from trouble that were so common in Diablo II; no more can characters count life leech equipment, or belts full of potions that can be used instantly and repeatedly, or Town Portals for quick town returns. These changes allow the developers to make the game more consistently challenging; the only way things were hard in Diablo II was if a monster could kill a character in an instant, and that wasn't hard, it was cheesy.

In Diablo III the goal is for a more consistently challenging play experience, and for players to have to stick it out in battles to earn a health globe, rather than just popping back to town. Jay Wilson spoke about this design philosophy in an interview from Blizzcon 2009. [2]

We changed the health model, so that players don't rely on potions. Instead they can pick up health power-ups from enemies. It doesn't change the basic way the game plays, but it gives it a little bit more depth. You don't have one answer to healing in combat – "I'm in trouble, I hit a potion." Instead, "I'm in trouble, there's a health globe over there, and there's a 20-foot demon standing between me and it." That's a really interesting situation for the player, but it works with the same complexity of interface and gameplay that we had.


...We did put health potions back in, but they play a very different role. You can't spam them like you used to, you can only use them about once a map. The purpose of those is to take the edge off the loss of health. "I don't have health, or I've got half health, do I want to use a health potion, or do I want to risk it? Ooh, I've got 10% health, it's not even a decision." That's a really interesting decision, and it makes potion use a fun part of the game.


Boss Battles

Boss monsters drop health orbs during the battle, generally at set percentages of their hit points. For instance, once you knocked a monster down to 75% of its maximum life, it would drop a globe or globes. Jay Wilson said commented on this in 2009, [3] "[bosses] would drop health globes at percentages of their health. Rares in particular are almost guaranteed to drop about every 25%."

The Systems: Health page on the official Diablo III site includes some hypothetical examples of how health globes might have to be utilized in a boss battle.

When you do battle with stronger foes, like "[[rare]]" and "[[champion]]" monsters, you're likely to see medium-sized health globes emerge before these monsters are killed, as they reach certain health percentages or are stripped of their defenses. Medium globes restore a sizable percentage of your health, but you'll need the extra boost to survive when dealing with these formidable enemies.
Major boss fights make unique use of health globes. Each boss battle includes a custom-designed means of utilizing these globes to regain health. For example, in one fight, you might have to split your attention between weakening a dangerous boss and slaying its irritating but ultimately less-dangerous minions in order to get enough health globes to stay standing. In another fight, the boss itself might drop health globes when it takes damage, or you might have to hunt for hidden caches of globes in the midst of battle.


Arena Health Orbs

Health orb Arena sequence.

Health orbs appear in the Arena every so often, on pre-set points. There were four such points in the arena map seen at Blizzcon 2010, all located around the center of the arena. Orbs appeared there, always on all 4 spots, 30 seconds after the start of each round. (Assuming the round wasn't already over.)

Health orbs grabbed in the arena grant their full benefit (40% of max hit points) to all nearby members of the team, as well as minions. This dynamic can be seen in the three shot series to the right, where the blue team Witch Doctor gets an orb which grants a health bonus to his Mongrels, as well as the blue team Barbarian.

Characters and minions need to be nearby to share in this health bonus; a character off the visible screen will not partake of the healing bonus.

Health Orbs were a strategic factor in the Arena matches; getting them was obviously a benefit, but it was also helpful to grab them simply to deny the heal to the enemy team.

That the health orb spawn points were right in the middle of the arena forced the action into the center of the level. Many rounds ended with the last survivor of one team dodging attacks around the perimeter of the level, and while this could extend a round for some time, it was very seldom a way to win, since the pursuers tended to be in the middle and would therefore score some health orbs, while the character running for it had no chance to heal up as they hid.


Appearance

Freshly-dropped globe.

The appearance of health globes has improved during development. They were initially just red orbs, like a huge drop of blood floating in the air. Over time this look was stylized, and health orbs now wear a golden frame, almost like a jewel setting or a crown on the top and bottom of the orb, a change that gives them a more oval shape.


Health Globes and Mana

Mana Globes were removed in 2009, with some skills changed to give the Wizard and Witch Doctor mana from using health orbs. Once the Wizard's resource changed from mana, only the Witch Doctor continued to enjoy this benefit, which is triggered by points invested in the appropriate trait (Spirit Vessel, as of early 2011).


Controversy

If the developers have sketched out some lore for health orbs, they have not made it public. An in-game explanation for health orbs isn't essential, but after all, there were no such things in Diablo I or Diablo II.

There were some player complaints shortly after health globes were revealed, as some players felt they were cheesy; too reminiscent of "power-ups" as found in fighting games or other RPGs. The developers never wavered in their support of this gameplay mechanic though, and this issue seems to have been put to bed, in terms of player complaints.


Development History

The first Health Globe was shown at WWI 2008 with the announcement of Diablo III and the Barbarian/Witch Doctor. It was originally just a floating red "blob", but has since received a graphics update (as of BlizzCon 2008) with a little golden crown on the top and bottom.

Health Globes as well as Mana globes were present in the Blizzcon 2008 demo, where fans first got a chance to play the game.

By BlizzCon 2009, the Mana Globes had been removed and the function of Health Globes had been modified a bit, with a few Wizard skills (such as Stability Control) and Witch Doctor skills (such as Spirit Vessel) modified to allow mana gains from the consumption of health globes.

This changed further in early 2010, when the Wizard's new resource, Instability was revealed. [4] This resource, later changed to Arcane Power, was not effected by health globes. The Witch Doctor, on the other hand, continued to gain mana from health globes.


References