Types of Balance

Balance is a complex subject for any game, and it is especially so in strategy games where the space of possible strategies is (typically) so large.  However it is critical for any symmetric, competitive strategy game that the tools available are perfectly equal in utility.  Still, balance is perhaps the most discussed, and the most badly mangled, discussion topic for any strategy game.  I think we need to raise the quality of all balance discussions.  In this post I am going to attempt to separate the different principles of balance, which are sadly used interchangeably in most discussions of game “balance” to the detriment of the discussion.

Warning:  Wall of text inbound.  Brace yerselves ‘gainst the mast o’ yer ship, me hearties!

Scanning the blogosphere

“The Tangled Concept of Balance” – A superb article over at Gaming’s Alembic about balance, fairness, strategy and style with regards to RTS games. Excerpt:

The first concept generally associated with game balance is what I’m going to call fairness: an equal chance of victory given to all parties. A fair game is one in which no player begins at an inherent advantage or disadvantage, except due to intrinsic qualities of the particular players. Thus, a more experienced or skilled player may be more likely to win than a novice player, but there is no inherent advantage or disadvantage to being assigned a particular player slot (for example, we would say chess is fair if there were no inherent advantage in playing white or black).

Fairness, as I’m [defining] it, allows that players may make choices which are more or less advantageous to themselves, and that the game’s outcome may be affected by random events that favor one player or another. However, before the game starts, there is nothing about the game that will help you to predict the eventual winner…

Highly detailed and well written post if you ask me. Read more…

Also check out “Opportunity Cost” over at the cool Design.Wrong blog. Very interesting delve into how costs affect gameplay and quote “the traditional 3 early game strategies (expand, rush, defend)“.