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<blockquote data-quote="kenmarable" data-source="post: 5142287" data-attributes="member: 40359"><p>If I understand the original questions (and it's one that has occurred to me) is that say, just to use some simple numbers, at level 1, I need to roll a 15 to hit a challenging enemy, a 10 to hit a moderate enemy, and a 5 to hit an easy enemy. Then, 10 levels later, I have all sorts of bonuses added on (the "bigger numbers") but the enemy's AC/saves have also increased so that for a difficult enemy I need to roll a 15, roll a 10 for a moderate, and a 5 for an easy. At the highest epic levels of the game, all of the numbers get bigger, but ultimately (in the idealized "perfectly balanced" game that hasn't occurred but does seem to be a trend towards), I will still need the exact same rolls to hit the same levels of challenge. </p><p></p><p>The only different isn't in what I need to roll but the fact that at level 1 an elite guard is a challenge, and at level 10, it's easy. So the only relevant change isn't my numbers at all, but the difference between my level and the enemy's level.</p><p></p><p>Now, I don't think any game system has achieved this "perfect balance" but I do think that sometimes the mentality of "balance is king" can sometimes swing too far, and if it goes too far astray then your individual numbers matter less and less. </p><p></p><p>As for why the numbers get bigger, I think:</p><p></p><p>a) No game has been perfectly balanced this way yet, and I don't think anyone would like one if it were.</p><p></p><p>b) Allowing advancement, creates the ability to advance at different rates in different areas. Not only is one PC better at some tasks than other PCs (who hopefully in turn excel at tasks that the first doesn't), but you can have a range of choices of what you excel at as well as shifting over time as you level.</p><p></p><p>c) Psychologically, it feels more like progress to raise my numbers as I level as opposed to just know that Bob Captain of the Guard was hard last level, but the DM will treat him as somewhat easier this level.</p><p></p><p>d) Potentially less work on the DM. Although a system could be designed so that every level X challenge has these exact numbers, any FUN system would still have some variation and it would be up to the DM to adjust every encounter (including Bob, Captain of the Guard changing stats depending on the PCs' levels). PC leveling offloads that work to the players as they level. Bob, Captain of the Guard, can have the same stats no matter what, saving the DM some work.</p><p></p><p></p><p>So, in an abstract sense, if the game is perfectly balanced, then, I agree, the numbers don't matter at all. However, no game has hit that level and I don't think anyone would actually enjoy it nearly as much.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kenmarable, post: 5142287, member: 40359"] If I understand the original questions (and it's one that has occurred to me) is that say, just to use some simple numbers, at level 1, I need to roll a 15 to hit a challenging enemy, a 10 to hit a moderate enemy, and a 5 to hit an easy enemy. Then, 10 levels later, I have all sorts of bonuses added on (the "bigger numbers") but the enemy's AC/saves have also increased so that for a difficult enemy I need to roll a 15, roll a 10 for a moderate, and a 5 for an easy. At the highest epic levels of the game, all of the numbers get bigger, but ultimately (in the idealized "perfectly balanced" game that hasn't occurred but does seem to be a trend towards), I will still need the exact same rolls to hit the same levels of challenge. The only different isn't in what I need to roll but the fact that at level 1 an elite guard is a challenge, and at level 10, it's easy. So the only relevant change isn't my numbers at all, but the difference between my level and the enemy's level. Now, I don't think any game system has achieved this "perfect balance" but I do think that sometimes the mentality of "balance is king" can sometimes swing too far, and if it goes too far astray then your individual numbers matter less and less. As for why the numbers get bigger, I think: a) No game has been perfectly balanced this way yet, and I don't think anyone would like one if it were. b) Allowing advancement, creates the ability to advance at different rates in different areas. Not only is one PC better at some tasks than other PCs (who hopefully in turn excel at tasks that the first doesn't), but you can have a range of choices of what you excel at as well as shifting over time as you level. c) Psychologically, it feels more like progress to raise my numbers as I level as opposed to just know that Bob Captain of the Guard was hard last level, but the DM will treat him as somewhat easier this level. d) Potentially less work on the DM. Although a system could be designed so that every level X challenge has these exact numbers, any FUN system would still have some variation and it would be up to the DM to adjust every encounter (including Bob, Captain of the Guard changing stats depending on the PCs' levels). PC leveling offloads that work to the players as they level. Bob, Captain of the Guard, can have the same stats no matter what, saving the DM some work. So, in an abstract sense, if the game is perfectly balanced, then, I agree, the numbers don't matter at all. However, no game has hit that level and I don't think anyone would actually enjoy it nearly as much. [/QUOTE]
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