Synchronization

Synchronization (or, for short, Synch) is Assassin's Creed's equivalent of a health meter. Since the events experienced by Desmond in the Animus have already taken place in the past, Synchronization is a measure of how synchronized Desmond's actions in the Animus are with the actual events in the past. If all Synchronization is lost, the simulation restarts from an earlier point.

The Synch meter

File:Synchronization Bar 2.png

This meter has nine bars, its capacity. Note the DNA effect, symbolizing that the meter is full.

Synchronization is measured by a bar in the top left corner of the HUD, dubbed the "Synch meter" or "Synch bar". This bar will display the current level of synchronization.

The Synch meter can be turned off in the Options menu, as well as all other HUD elements.

Loss of Synchronization

File:Synchronization Bar.png

This Synch Meter has a capacity of 13, but there is only one bar available.

If Synchronization reaches a critically low level, the screen will begin to flash blue and red to warn the player. If all Synchronization is lost, then the simulation will restart from an earlier point.

Synchronization can be lost for several reasons:

• killing of innocent civilians (breaks the First Tenet of the Assassins' Order)
• being hurt in battle
• drowning (always instant death)
• jumping or falling from a great height (an extremely long fall may prove fatal, less extreme falls may hurt Altaïr but not kill him)

Any lost Synchronization will recover over time.

Synch Meter Capacity

The capacity of the Synchronization meter is not static. It varies from 4 to 20. Synchronization capacity is determined by two components- base Synchronization (up to 13) and additional Synchronization (up to 7). Base Synchronization bars have no benefits over additional Synchronization bars- 8 bars of base Synchronization, 4 bars additional has no benefit over 7 bars base, 5 bars additional or 9 bars base, 3 bars additional. If the two add up to the same number, it's always exactly the same.

Base Synchronization

Altaïr's Base Synchronization is determined by his rank in the Assassins' Order. At the beginning of the game, his base Synchronization is 13. Once he is demoted to Novice, it falls to 4.

A full table:

Rank	Base Synchronization
1	4
2	5
3	6
4	7
5	8
6	9
7	10
8	11
9	12
10	13

Additional Synchronization

Additional Synchronization is Synchronization that the player earns by completing additional memories, such as saving Citizens and Synchronizing on View Points. Once the player completes enough of these additional memories, the words "DNA Synchronization Augmented" will be displayed on the screen, and there will be another bar available on the Synch meter.

There can be from zero to seven bars of additional Synchronization.