Stamina

A player with low Stamina.

Stamina is a gameplay mechanic in Halo 3: ODST, replacing the energy shielding of the other first-person shooter Halo titles. This change was made due to ODST's focus on playing as a regular human instead of a Spartan; as the player is not using MJOLNIR armor, there is no shielding. Stamina works similarly to shielding in practice; when a player takes damage their stamina takes the hit. After a few hits, the stamina is depleted and the player instead takes permanent damage to their health. If the player is able to find cover and not be hit for a short time, stamina will automatically replenish.

The biggest change from energy shields to stamina are in their visual presentation, with stamina not represented by a bar on the HUD like shields, but instead the screen gradually growing redder and more blood-stained as the player is more hurt.

Many of the mechanical strengths and weaknesses from prior Halo games are retained with stamina; plasma weaponry is generally more damaging than projectile weapons, and the power drain will also drain stamina.

Production notes

The sound files that are heard when your stamina is changing (regenerating, low, etc.) are actually replacements for the energy shield sound effects and not dialogue. These include panting (stamina low), a deep breath (stamina recharging), etc. These appear to be similar to what would happen if you run out of stamina. The sound effects pertaining to the player's current health are different, since they will hear a beeping sound (presumably representing a pulse) increasing in tempo as their health goes down.