Balance? A pipe dream at best

Posted by Logain on 10/10

All this talk about "balancing" the mud would be hilarious, if it wasn't for the fact that everyone seem to take it so seriously.

Balancing the mud is a pipe dream, pure and simple. Someone smoked entirely too much kind bud one night and had a brainfart.

There is one, and ONLY one, way to "balance" the mud.

1 chartype for everyone. Anything else is wishfull thinking and a waste of code. Each existing chartype has its own unique advantages over every other type, which is , in my not-so-humble opinion, the reason for having/using differing types of character.

The trick is learning the character and using its strengths to cover the weaknesses inherent. High-mind mage gets wfw's and kicks your butt? Bash him next time. I guarantee he wont be casting stun spells while sitting on his can. Create mage pops roots and heals? Steal the roots and use them yourself. Same with poultices. (Yes I know too many poeple whined about healing and there are no more roo ts)

Take the time to learn your character's strengths, instead of expecting instant gratification, and whining about the weaknesses.

And if changes are the only way to fix GROSS differences, remember this: It is always better to GIVE than to take away. Rather than lowering everyone else to make the lowest common denominator feel better, RAISE that lowlife to a higher status, as it were.

-climbs down off his soapbox- -flee-

Logain Faust

From: Chaykin Saturday, October 06 2001, 11:58PM

Couldn't agree with you less, Logain. While it may be true that "perfect" balance will never be obtained on Legend, that doesn't mean it can't be a lot -better- balanced than it is now. Play any commercial RPG, and even a lot of other muds, and you'll find many classes or chartypes have a set of strengths and weaknesses that form a sort of "ring" where everyone has one other chartype they're especially strong against, and another they are especially weak against.

What we're shooting for is a Mensa version of rock/paper/scissors. What we have currently is a situation where a few chartypes are strong against almost everybody, while others are especially weak against almost everyone. That's not a good situation, and I don't need any "kind bud" to tell me that.

Chay

From: Zafira Sunday, October 07 2001, 12:04AM

I disagree. There are still aspects of the game and char types that are out of balance. Bringing them into balance requires a constant shifting and realigning--imagine a chemical reaction in equilibrium. That goal isn't for everyone to be the same, that would make the mud stagnant. Rather, it is to give everyone an equal footing.

The reason for having different chartypes is because they will have different experiences of the game. A pure healer designed to assist large groups will not have the same experience as a create mage that can solo anything with his charmy army. Different players will want different experiences, or may want them all with different alts.

Balance gives them these options, without making one chartype inferior.

From: Rufus Sunday, October 07 2001, 02:25AM

Yep, we throw the word 'balance' around a lot.

I think I'm still looking for the perfect definition.

If you want rock paper scissors, remember one very important thing... no matter what abilities you give rock, paper will always beat rock.

Just something to chew on =)

-Ruf

From: Ruby Tuesday, October 09 2001, 03:56PM

Well spoken Rufus. In fact I think that last line is the best I have ever herd come from any imm

Ruby

-wants to be Paper when everyone else is rock-

From: Darla Tuesday, October 09 2001, 07:02PM

If you are going to use the rock paper scissors analogy, I'd say the problem is that some classes can be rock, paper or scissors, while some have no fingers and have to always be rock.

From: Chaykin Wednesday, October 10 2001, 10:39PM

Whoops, hehe, I guess rock paper scissors wasn't the best analogy. I was comparing the two in terms of the ring-like construction of the strengths and weaknesses, not in the fact that the outcomes are always the same. Naturally anybody should be able to beat anybody with enough luck, skill and determination. But when you have a game where chartypes have advantages and disadvantages against other chartypes, those advantages and disadvantages should be evenly distributed. Currently they are not.

Chay