Board Thread:Suggestions/@comment-31780004-20180802204640

It's been a while.

If anyone's wondering where I've been, I've been studying for my ACT's.

Healing Item Indicators
1. If you are holding a Medkit or Vitamins, arrows will appear above nearby players with low health. This will only occur if they have less health than you, and it is meant to encourage players to heal each other when they need it.

2. If you are holding a Medkit or Vitamins and you mouse over another player, they will be highlighted in yellow to signify that you can heal them or give them the item. This is simply for convenience and so that new players will learn about item sharing.

Why?
As almost anybody who's quit R2DA can tell you, the lack of teamwork is a massive issue. Although these are small things, they might compel players into healing each other a little bit more often. The simple fact that the indicator is there can make a huge difference.

If you don't understand how it works, it's a psychology thing. Because almost everything in life has a purpose, people naturally expect that there is a point to something. This often results in immediate compulsive reactions; for example, if you see a door, you don't need to stop and think to understand that doors can be opened and lead to other locations. These indicators are no different; while nothing is directly stated, anybody with basic knowledge of video games knows that something flashing or being highlighted when you look at it or mouse over it usually means that you can do something there. And naturally, because you can, you should. Especially in video games, avoiding the expected response to interactable moments may lead to a variety of feelings; slight agitation, guilt, or most commonly: heightened curiosity. These all increase a player's compulsion to eventually follow the implied command. The presence of these indicators will slightly urge players to attempt to heal the player or give them the vitamins because of this effect. 