Current Events > Does landing in a roll reduce fall damage IRL?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Decades of vidja have taught me to leap before looking, and if it turns out to be a big drop, you just push the right button as soon as you hit the ground to tuck your head in and do a forward roll to reduce fall damage.

Question is, if you really were to jump down a decent drop, say of ten to fifteen feet, is it actually better to land in a roll like that, or should you absorb the fall with your legs instead? Seems to me you could really mess up your spine trying to drop into a roll.

It does, if you do it right.

In theory but 99% of people aren't flexible or athletic enough to actually do it the correct way so they roll an ankle on landing, bend their back wrong, or mess up a shoulder/hip/neck on the roll.

Never try to absorb big falls with your legs. You will destroy your knees.

Is this a serious question

As above, you have to have both the knowledge and skill to properly roll to break a fall.

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

Decades of vidja have taught me to leap before looking, and if it turns out to be a big drop, you just push the right button as soon as you hit the ground

Literally what game has a button to roll to avoid fall damage.

It spreads the force of the impact down the muscles of your shoulder and back instead of concentrating it in your feet and legs

NPC posted...

Is this a serious question

No, I'm a parkour expert and I'm posting on CE because I ran out of buildings to climb.

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

Question is, if you really were to jump down a decent drop, say of ten to fifteen feet,

10 feet maybe. 15 feet ehhhhhhhhh. Maybe on something soft like grass. Assuming you have perfect technique.

Most people will just hurt themselves more than if they curled up into a fetal position during the fall.

For the physics of it: it isn't the fall that hurts you, but the abrupt stop at the end. So, if you can successfully lengthen the time frame for the change of momentum, yes. It's the basic principle behind safety mats/nets. Rolls can do that too, given appropriate angles for the trajectory.

ArkhamOrigins posted...

Literally what game has a button to roll to avoid fall damage.

Mirror's Edge does, actually.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Mirror's Edge does, actually.

So...1.

He's been playing Mirrors Edge for decades then?

ArkhamOrigins posted...

Literally what game has a button to roll to avoid fall damage.

Two come to mind:

Mirror's Edge
Ass Creed Unity

Tyranthraxus posted...

Mirror's Edge does, actually.

I know other games have had features like that, but can't remember which ones at the moment. You basically cut fall damage in half if timed properly, IIRC.

Don't forget to put a couple skill points in jump. Not only can you lessen fall damage but can also jump higher and farther

ArkhamOrigins posted...

Literally what game has a button to roll to avoid fall damage.

Not a button but basically all Zelda games OoT and later. Hold forward, get the roll.

DuneMan posted...

I know other games have had features like that, but can't remember which ones at the moment. You basically cut fall damage in half if timed properly, IIRC.

The consequence of falling to roll in Mirror's Edge isn't losing health, it's losing your forward momentum

Accolon posted...

It does, if you do it right.

This. Its a basic thing taught in martial arts. Even if you dont know how to do a proper roll, landing on your feet is horrible. If I remember right, the best amateur method is with bent knees on the front of your feet and letting your body fall backwards with your arms and posterior being what you ultimately land on. It reduces the possibility of significant knee, ankle, hip, or head damage by displacing impact.

ArkhamOrigins posted...

So...1.

He's been playing Mirrors Edge for decades then?

I'm telling ya man, those time trials are brutal.

Unknown5uspect posted...

Not a button but basically all Zelda games OoT and later. Hold forward, get the roll.

What Zelda games had falling damage before BotW?

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

No, I'm a parkour expert and I'm posting on CE because I ran out of buildings to climb.

I'm not a parkour expert either but I do know how to Google search
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/90d6d185.jpg

NPC posted...

I'm not a parkour expert either but I do know how to Google search
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/90d6d185.jpg

Well, you wonder why I'm always making threads?
Why I don't just Google info for my head?
And why don't I just duck duck go or search for it on Bing?
Well, there's a reason for the way that I do things.

I do it for the lurkers on this board.
The ones who just don't ever say a word.
I do it for the ones who never stopped to wonder why
But would love to see discourse from you and I.

It's not like you're going to avoid injury entirely, but it is possible to negate serious injury with certain acrobatic maneuvers, like tumbling and rolling, and a paratroopers have a thing, too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_landing_fall

RetuenOfDevsman posted...

Well, you wonder why I'm always making threads?
Why I don't just Google info for my head?
And why don't I just duck duck go or search for it on Bing?
Well, there's a reason for the way that I do things.

I do it for the lurkers on this board.
The ones who just don't ever say a word.
I do it for the ones who never stopped to wonder why
But would love to see discourse from you and I.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f7a7f0bf.jpg

It does work, but you need training to do it correctly.

Tyranthraxus posted...

What Zelda games had falling damage before BotW?

Did you even read the post? OoT

Tyranthraxus posted...

What Zelda games had falling damage before BotW?

Every single 3D Zelda has had fall damage and the ability to mitigate that damage by rolling.

I did Aikido for a while in my teens and twenties, and one of the first things we learned is how to safely roll and to safely fall.

They do help quit a bit when falling short distances, at higher distances you will still get hurt, but breaking and arm is much preferable than breaking your spine

How could this be up for debate? Lol. Also people are taught to do this when landing with a parachute too.

Tyranthraxus posted...

What Zelda games had falling damage before BotW?

...All of them?

For the longest time I always said this was possible but people thought I was full of shit. I mean sure the possibility of pulling it off is minuscule but its still possible.

ArkhamOrigins posted...

Literally what game has a button to roll to avoid fall damage.

Not a roll so not really relevant to this topic but I was reminded of this
https://twitter.com/LithPyro/status/1735339326911717628

a game with a normal parry system in combat... that also lets you parry fall damage

Yes, I am an expert.

Zergrush80 posted...

For the longest time I always said this was possible but people thought I was full of shit. I mean sure the possibility of pulling it off is minuscule but its still possible.

Its not minuscule at all if you know what youre doing. You either know how to do it or you dont, its not a percent possibility.

"Parry the floor"... That reminds me of the Just Cause games where you could "Grapple the ground" while falling to land safely from any height.

Kaiser-Mazoku posted...

...All of them?

I think it was introduced in OoT.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


I had a motor accident about 20 years ago where I pretty much did the same thing. For me it was judo that gave me that muscle memory, but I got off with just a minor scraping on my hip and a ruined coat.

The cop that arrived first was beyond surprised I was on my feet and said I could have died judging by the speed it all went down