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What does balance mean to you?
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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7155070" data-attributes="member: 996"><p>The best definition of game balance I've heard so far is that a game is better balanced the more choices it presents to players, so long as those choices are both meaningful and viable. </p><p></p><p>Non-viable "trap" choices imbalance a game; meaningless "chaff" choices imbalance a game; lack of choice imbalances a game. </p><p></p><p>RPGs offer a lot of choices, and thus a lot of opportunity for (im)balance. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>D&D, specifically, as a class-based game, offers a choice of character-defining classes, it's a very significant choice so 'class balance' really matters in D&D.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Doesn't matter. The question isn't whether an encounter is hard or easy high-level or low, it's whether you get what you intend out of it. If an encounter can be counted on to provide the intended level of challenge, it's a 'viable' encounter to use. Whether it adds to the story/campaign/play-experience or is just 'filler' speaks to how meaningful it was...</p><p></p><p>It's still a matter of choices, just the player making them is the DM. Can you choose to have an easy or hard encounter, or might an encounter designed to be easy turn out deadly? Can you greatly vary the number, pacing, type, & challenge of encounters or does the game break down when you do so?</p><p></p><p></p><p> A combat design is viable on the encounter and, under D&D attrition tradition, the adventuring day level. It may be meaningful at all three levels.</p><p></p><p> Symptoms of imbalance that might manifest at the player level could include one player consuming disproportionate play time, one character dominating in effectiveness, one player seeming left out of many situations, players evincing obvious boredom or disengagement, players making bizarre decisions...</p><p></p><p> As a player, you avoid 'trap' and 'chaff' choices and focus on the portion of the game that's viable and means something to you. As a DM, you can try to modify mechanics to build balance back into a poor system, or you can manage imbalances at the player level. One when character seems unable to contribute too often, introduce more situations in his area of expertise, or place a magic item that will improve his options, for instance.</p><p></p><p> RPGs are played out over campaigns, so a 50% win rate would be half of campaigns being successful, not half of encounters. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> </p><p></p><p>If you were running PvP, classes or builds having 50% win rates might be something to shoot for.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 7155070, member: 996"] The best definition of game balance I've heard so far is that a game is better balanced the more choices it presents to players, so long as those choices are both meaningful and viable. Non-viable "trap" choices imbalance a game; meaningless "chaff" choices imbalance a game; lack of choice imbalances a game. RPGs offer a lot of choices, and thus a lot of opportunity for (im)balance. ;) D&D, specifically, as a class-based game, offers a choice of character-defining classes, it's a very significant choice so 'class balance' really matters in D&D. Doesn't matter. The question isn't whether an encounter is hard or easy high-level or low, it's whether you get what you intend out of it. If an encounter can be counted on to provide the intended level of challenge, it's a 'viable' encounter to use. Whether it adds to the story/campaign/play-experience or is just 'filler' speaks to how meaningful it was... It's still a matter of choices, just the player making them is the DM. Can you choose to have an easy or hard encounter, or might an encounter designed to be easy turn out deadly? Can you greatly vary the number, pacing, type, & challenge of encounters or does the game break down when you do so? A combat design is viable on the encounter and, under D&D attrition tradition, the adventuring day level. It may be meaningful at all three levels. Symptoms of imbalance that might manifest at the player level could include one player consuming disproportionate play time, one character dominating in effectiveness, one player seeming left out of many situations, players evincing obvious boredom or disengagement, players making bizarre decisions... As a player, you avoid 'trap' and 'chaff' choices and focus on the portion of the game that's viable and means something to you. As a DM, you can try to modify mechanics to build balance back into a poor system, or you can manage imbalances at the player level. One when character seems unable to contribute too often, introduce more situations in his area of expertise, or place a magic item that will improve his options, for instance. RPGs are played out over campaigns, so a 50% win rate would be half of campaigns being successful, not half of encounters. ;) If you were running PvP, classes or builds having 50% win rates might be something to shoot for. [/QUOTE]
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