# Request: Better indicator for Stunned state **URL:** \ **Category:** Wicked Feedback\ **Created:** [June 25, 2024, 4:02am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861 "2024-06-25T04:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kadecgos](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/kadecgos/32/6399_2.png) [@Kadecgos](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/Kadecgos)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:02am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/1 "2024-06-25T04:02:00Z")
I generally like attacks that check poise as part of the combat systems, but I think how the state of stun is communicated to the player could be improved a lot. That is to say, it’s not really communicated at all. An example: A monster hits me with a move that puts me in stun. There is no obvious indication that my character is now in stun and so I try to move and maybe roll away after getting hit. I notice that my character is not taking actions, so I start spamming for dodge, but it’s too late and I get hit by the follow up attack. This is quite frustrating and I feel like I’m being cheated by the game in these situations. To be very clear it is not that I feel ‘stun’ is bad, rather that I feel that the state is not being well communicated to the player. My recommendation is to add an audio queue of some kind in addition to maybe a viewport border effect to indicate, ‘You have been stunned!’ Trying to see the PC’s animation in a stunned state is not adequate. I do think there is an argument to be made that learning what attacks stun your character and which ones don’t is part of learning the scenarios, but I’m unconvinced that is a net good for the game. ---
**Author:** ![death\_the\_kid](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/death_the_kid/32/1176_2.png) [@death\_the\_kid](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/death_the_kid)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:14am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/2 "2024-06-25T04:14:52Z")
I agree with the viewport border idea, similar to how when you’re low on health in shooters they tinge the edges of your screen with red/blood, the edges of our screen could be clouded or blurred ---
**Author:** ![Chemile0n](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/chemile0n/32/5788_2.png) [@Chemile0n](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/Chemile0n)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 7:17am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/3 "2024-06-25T07:17:05Z")
i am not a huge fan of “screen” effects, but i can agree with a sound effect or maybe give us some sort of indication on the tiny “wheel thing” where we see stamina and HP next to our character. ---
**Author:** ![Azuresh](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/azuresh/32/6353_2.png) [@Azuresh](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/Azuresh)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 2:33am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/4 "2024-06-27T02:33:44Z")
there could really just be some sound effect ---
**Author:** ![death\_the\_kid](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/death_the_kid/32/1176_2.png) [@death\_the\_kid](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/death_the_kid)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/6 "2024-06-28T16:10:20Z")
I don’t think they want too many immersion breaking elements on-screen though unless it’s optional. The only bars that appear are health, stamina, enemy health after all everything else is an option ---
**Author:** ![Chemile0n](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/chemile0n/32/5788_2.png) [@Chemile0n](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/Chemile0n)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/7 "2024-06-28T18:33:55Z")
yes, but i would love the option for a status bar, for enemies too, not only the players character. like fire build up, plague etc. on bosses/enemies. yes we have a poise bar, but then there is no icon or whatever. it would be enough to show a little symbol next to your HP like for plague (once it has built up), plus having a sound effect once the stun is triggered. i don’t know, make it two little stars below the players HP bar or whatever. just nothing that clutters the screen too much. ---
**Author:** ![Puma1712](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Puma1712](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/Puma1712)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 11:02pm UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/8 "2024-06-28T23:02:43Z")
I mean in other games when people get stunned, it appears a white light that circling around above the head. That would be enough in my opinion. Greetings Puma ---
**Author:** ![xiuling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/51bf81/32.png) [@xiuling](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/xiuling)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 3:35am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/9 "2024-07-01T03:35:07Z")
It’s true that there should be a status indicator. Sometimes, when the character falls from a high place and luckily survives, they just stand there dazed for a while. I know that the character should be in a stunned state during this time, but there is no visual feedback to convey this—no animation or special effect to indicate what’s happening. ---
**Author:** ![Kadecgos](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex003/user_avatar/forum.norestforthewicked.com/kadecgos/32/6399_2.png) [@Kadecgos](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/u/Kadecgos)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 5:51am UTC](https://forum.norestforthewicked.com/t/request-better-indicator-for-stunned-state/12861/10 "2024-07-01T05:51:44Z")
Thinking about this some more ~ I think given how the rest of the UI is setup, and the general aesthetic of the game, I would pitch the following: • By default, there is no UI indicator either on the UI layer itself or on the character. • By default, upon getting stunned, a short tone plays that is consistent across all stuns that quickly fades. Think of a brief brass bell ring at a constant pitch for about 1 second. • As an option, you can can turn on a setting that briefly lights the edge of the viewport with a bright white splash and quickly fades to away. I think this would be enough to indicate the status without invading the viewport at all by default, and an option exists to provide a visual for those that may want it for some reason. I think this would also integrate nicely with what’s actually happening: you are literally getting your ‘bell rung’ as it were when getting stunned. It’s doing double duty of being a clear indicator of state while also being a thematic add to the effect in game.