Focus Shield in real-life?

OompaMyLoompaa

We all know that Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is a video-game, but all movements (rolling, wall-running, jumping) can be done in real-life.

When Faith gains enough speed and her flow, she develops a Focus Shield in the game that prevents her from getting hurt by bullets.

Is there some kind of explanation for this? No matter how fast and "in the flow" you are in your running, a bullet is still going to hurt you. I just like to think of it as the bullets missing but nearly hitting her because she's so fast.

GeoffreyOmega

The first game made quite more sense in that respect, when you run, you dodge more easily bullets. It wasn't very clear how the system worked though and at what speed for how much time you would reach your maximum capabilities and how many bullets can you dodge. I guess with Catalyst, they tried to make something a bit more understandable for the casual gamer and added a focus shield and health bar that were absent in the first game.
Then the fact she can take bullet is a complete mystery and an abnormally with no name. It's not possible, whatever your "human speed" is, you'll never be fast enough by running to resist a short range bullet.

OompaMyLoompaa

GeoffreyOmega wrote: »

The first game made quite more sense in that respect, when you run, you dodge more easily bullets. It wasn't very clear how the system worked though and at what speed for how much time you would reach your maximum capabilities and how many bullets can you dodge. I guess with Catalyst, they tried to make something a bit more understandable for the casual gamer and added a focus shield and health bar that were absent in the first game.
Then the fact she can take bullet is a complete mystery and an abnormally with no name. It's not possible, whatever your "human speed" is, you'll never be fast enough by running to resist a short range bullet.

When bullets hit your Focus Shield, they make a strange "toom-toom" sound.

I guess we'll have to simply dismiss the Focus Shield as a game mechanic that has no fictional explanation in it's basis.

FaithConnors

In the game it's just to encourage you to keep moving and not stand there like this is kick boxing simulator 2016. In real life, I'm sure dodging and running would help a little from a distance, but not if you are running straight at them or are at short distance. Even from longer distance there is still a chance you would get hit.

GeoffreyOmega

FaithConnors wrote: »

In the game it's just to encourage you to keep moving and not stand there like this is kick boxing simulator 2016. In real life, I'm sure dodging and running would help a little from a distance, but not if you are running straight at them or are at short distance. Even from longer distance there is still a chance you would get hit.

I think it produces the precise opposite thing. The focus shield is kind of a "health bar" before the actual health bar and the good thing is: It's way too easy to regain life, you just have to run or hit K-Sec.
You're basically an invincible machine.
The first game on the opposite would give you lethal hit everytime you would stop moving (when you're down) or when you slow down, come too close or run in a straight line. The mechanic was much more challenging and you wouldn't engage a heavy armed guy straight or you would die.
In catalyst, there's no problem at all to run toward someone since you have more than enough shield and then engaging in a fight will automatically make all AI stop fighting you beside the one you're close to and when you hit you regain focus shield while the only AI able to attack you is down.
I think they made the player way too overpowered. The combat plays very little and aren't very fun in the game, it's definitely a speedrunner and free roaming simulation game.

Flylken

Could be adrenaline. Usually in intense moments, adrenaline rises, which would explain how Faith won't feel the bullets as painful as when she has no focus shield.

tinypanmilk

There isn't supposed to be a match in reality to the focus shield. I think, because the game is primarily a parkour game, it's there to encourage players to build up speed and momentum and to just keep running.

Topballer

The focus is a nice helps alot.

OompaMyLoompaa

Flylken wrote: »

Could be adrenaline. Usually in intense moments, adrenaline rises, which would explain how Faith won't feel the bullets as painful as when she has no focus shield.

That might be true but KSEC guards are equipped to brutally take down those who oppose the Conglomerate. They have top-tier weapons. A single bullet, let alone several, would stop Faith in her tracks. Faith might try to regain speed and keep running, but during this time more bullets would hit and it would kill any human being.

Flylken

OompaMyLoompaa wrote: »

That might be true but KSEC guards are equipped to brutally take down those who oppose the Conglomerate. They have top-tier weapons. A single bullet, let alone several, would stop Faith in her tracks. Faith might try to regain speed and keep running, but during this time more bullets would hit and it would kill any human being.

Is it actually normal bullets though? It looks to me like some sort of electric stun type of bullets.

GreyHawk

It's a game! In the real life a simple bullet can kill you and never respawn

GeoffreyOmega

GreyHawk wrote: »

It's a game! In the real life a simple bullet can kill you and never respawn

Doesn't change the fact the system is broken and is not very challenging.
The first game had it right, there was no reason to change it.

Imaproshaman

Yep!