Hit points represent the amount of health in character of a game. This value is typically finite, but in many game, the maximum amount of hit points possible grows (often along with other stats) to aid a player in his quest to complete the game at hand. When your HP reaches zero (0), you tend to die.

There are many ways to depict health or hit points, but they can be summed up into two (2) groups: graphic and numerical. In some cases, these methods are paired to give a value and image for easy reading.

Graphic
Graphic depictions of hit points are images representing the amount of life a character has remaining. This system is typically used in non-RPG type video games. The graphic method often changes in color when power-ups are gained.
  • Symbol - This style uses icons to depict life. The more health you have, the more icons there are to depict the said health. Hearts, red crosses, and icons of your character are often used as the hit point unit. In many cases, after a certain point, your life represented by one (1) image and a number to save space on the screen. Games that use this form include Zelda with hearts, Virtual Cop with red crosses, and Pac-Man with pac-men.
  • Bar - A bar, in many cases stylized, visually displays your hit point by length. The bar can be horizontal, vertical, circular, or a depleting image (typically a human figure). The bar works much like a bar on a bar graph; the higher the value, the longer the bar. Often, the bar has a container. This can serve for two (2) reasons. It can be decorative, and also set a maximum level for your bar to reach. Games that use this system include Metal Gear, Halo, and Tribes.
  • Face / Condition - This shows the condition of a character. As a player sustains injury, the character will become more banged up and seem less happy. In many cases, extremely low levels of hit points cause the character to limp or hold their side in pain. Doom is an outstanding example. This style is often used to fortify another and make the game more graphically pleasing.
Numerical
Your hit points are displayed as a number. The number is in fraction form. It is read (current)/(maximum). This usually is displayed in white during normal health, yellow when health has become critically low, and red or black in death. Not often do you find a numerical value with no upper bound, but the lower bound seems to always be zero (0). This is used in most RPGs.
All information founded on CrAzE's personal findings in video games. If you find any information incorrect or would like to add to this, please /msg me!

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