Poll: Balance and Single-Player

[Asita]

that came up while I was typing this post. The same as above: nobody claimed that the two were incompatible. At most, there is the fact that freedom makes balance difficult - it doesn't invalidate it.

Well to be perfectly pedantic, there was a strong implication of such a sentiment in the OP. To elaborate:

They went on to say that if they were forced to choose between player freedom and balance they would choose to keep the freedom.

To me, that's great. I've always said that it's better to let players police themselves in single-player. If something (a skill, an item, etc.) breaks the game and makes it stop being fun, the simple response is not to use it.

However, this seems (on the surface at least) to be a minority opinion. Numerous times I've seen games lambasted for having a broken something.

By "broken" in this instance I mean Over-powered, not non-functioning, of course.

Now, as I read it, the above (particularly the bolded sections) seemed a rather overt statement that as per the definitions used for this discussion at least 'freedom' entailed a lack of balance. Indeed, that's about the only qualifier regarding it that I could see in the post, which in turn is implicitly restated when he specifies single-player and that 'nobody would ever know'. I'm really not sure how else to read that other than the inclusion of things that break the balance of a given game.


Additionally, I found the question itself flawed, so my only other answer to the question would be "Mu"

 

[DoPo]

-snip-

Dude, why so pedantic? OP clearly sets the context of choosing one or the other with the very first paragraph

So, with Dishonored coming out soon, I want to visit something that was said during an early interview with the devs. During the interview the developers said they wanted to give the player as much freedom as possible. They went on to say that if they were forced to choose between player freedom and balance they would choose to keep the freedom.

Furthermore, there is the poll which asks about one or the other. Your whole overanalysis is meaningless, since you disregard the intended message for nitpicking at wording that doesn't even matter. It's basically "These developers would choose freedom over balance, if needed ... what would you choose?" - that's how you could and should read it, however you focused on the ellipsis.

 

[Zantos]

All, all depends on the game in question. Games like, I dunno, Skyrim and Just Cause 2 where a lot of the fun is fun you make yourself then freedom is fun, go nuts, and if that freedom involves being the elitest warrior the 41st millennium has to offer then go nuts. Something like Dragon Age, maybe a little more balance is required, though not really completely. I've never really seen the necessity to completely balance player classes in single player games anyway. Does it make one of the dev team cry if the class he likes doesn't get used as often?

 

[WoW Killer]

Having freedom without balance is being given a choice between a +1 Mutilating Sword of Ass-Kicking and a +2 Mutilating Sword of Ass-Kicking. Choices are not free unless they have unique benefits. Balance exists to allow freedom.

 

[Asita]

Dude, why so pedantic? OP clearly sets the context of choosing one or the other with the very first paragraph

Suffice to say that the mindset is a pet peeve of mine and I don't like to humor it (indeed, as my oldest post in this thread elaborated on, I find it near impossible to do so because I view the two as directly proportional to at least a degree)

 

[mrdude2010]

It depends on the specific case. If it means maxing a certain skill early will get you super rich and damagey then I don't mind because I don't plan on doing that, so it never presents itself in the game as an issue. If it was an entire op class, and the other options made the game really difficult, or if all the classes were too strong, so there was no challenge, then I wouldn't approve.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Meh. Balance is more an issue with multiplayer. I have no qualms about it in single-player. Most of it takes work to get to use anyway.