Balancing of a strategy game (RTS)

Game Play & Game Design
#21

While this sounds goo theoretically, it has the problem that it does not cover the very basic aspects of the so-far designed game (ie there should be three races doing different, already defined, things).
Also it does not work with our warfare model, because we certainly will have fortified bases which have a huge impact on the way they must be conquered compared to the open field combat.

But we will proceed like you proposed, we now have the small base which now must be balanced and looked closer on. If we have gained enough experience, we will move on.

#22

So chess and go are not very interesting?

While you maybe be unable to prove a game is balanced but you can limit the level of uncertainty to an amount that can easily be overcome by some skill. At which the imbalance becomes insignificant.

#23

Aside from who plays first, the initial conditions for the two players in chess completely mirror each other, so the comparison isn’t relevant.

The kind of game the OP is discussing involves unalterable differences in the initial condition, like the race choice and placement on the map.

In a game like Chess, the player begins the game with all the resources they’ll ever have. Modern RTS games involve investing in distinct, divergent paths. If this content isn’t relatively balanced, the “best path” will be quickly solved reducing the amount of playable competitive content to that subset. If the differences between the paths are simple enough for their balance to be provable on paper, they’re not complex or divergent enough to be interesting.

#24

It’s always tricky to balance a game.

IMO all units (or structures) should have some specially designed purpose, they should all have a balancing purpose against other type of units (or structures).

When you design a unit (or structure) you need to think about what other units (or structures) it is designed to destroy, and also what other units (or structures) can destroy it.

#25

Two tips I’ve seen that might help with balancing.

  1. It’s easier to balance independent variables. Take for example a simple damage stat versus a strength stat that affects both how much you can carry and how much damage you do. Adjusting the former is easier than the latter.

  2. a 10% tweak can make a big difference to a somewhat balanced statistic. A 25% adjustment is enough to overpower or gut whatever you’re trying to balance.

#26

FYI:
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72725
:-*