What is HAM?[]
HAM stands for Health, Action and Mind. The abbreviation HAM is still in common usage, although the Mind bar was removed in Publish 27.9, but still exists while targeting in space even it's useless. The HAM bar is the pair of bars shown at the upper left corner of the HUD in the default arrangement.
In addition to the primary pools, there are regeneration stats for each of the pools. They determine how quickly the primary pools regenerate. These stats are not shown on the HAM or in the Character Sheet, but can be altered by buffs and debuffs..
Health[]
Health represents the general condition of your character, and is the only bar for taking damage. When a MOB hits you, you will take damage to this pool. When your health reaches zero, you will be incapacitated. The level of the action pool does not have a direct impact on being incapacitated.
Several things can modify your health. The health bar can be healed by you if you have the appropriate abilities or Instant Stimpacks, or by other players. Medics have healing abilities. The size of the health bar can be increased temporarily by buffs and permanently as you gain combat levels.
Health has a slow regeneration rate. This rate can be buffed and debuffed, but generally does not get as fast as the action regeneration rate.
Action[]
Action represents your character's physical energy to do abilities. Most combat specials use a fair amount of the action pool. Some combat abilities use only action pool points, such as state recovery abilities. Non-combat abilities, such as surveying, will also use the action pool.
The action pool has a fast regeneration rate. If there are not enough points in the action pool to use an ability when it tries to execute, it will be canceled, and you'll hear an error sound.
Officer's Inspiration and action heal packs can are the only things that can heal the action pool although unlike the Health bar it recharges during combat.