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Post by Willy Wort on Nov 4, 2022 18:44:29 GMT -5
You can select up to two answers.
I think worrying about balance is silly. Some people seem to think that it is some uber-principle that be adhered to so that everyone is happy. Gygax (at least in OD&D) did not care all that much about balance. Hobbits are not balanced with the other races at all IMO. It has been said that Gygax wanted a human centric game and to encourage that he put in level limits and also limited what classes the demi-humans could take. If you do not care about a human centric game, then there is no reason to keep level limits or class limitations.
Balance is really overrated. It is the concept that if you are 1st level you will not run into anything you cannot defeat and so on for every level. That is so unrealistic a way to run a world, that you would think it would inspire cognitive dissonance for every one. Balance is the concept that challenges are a bad thing and the PCs should never be challenged or tested and that it is a good thing to coddle them and make sure no one ever dies or even comes close to it. In a game were balance is the rule, all the adrenaline junkies can just leave.
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Post by Willy Wort on Nov 4, 2022 18:44:57 GMT -5
Obviously, I took the 4th option.
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Post by Willy Wort on Nov 4, 2022 18:51:46 GMT -5
To continue, some people have the mistaken belief that if the game is not balanced then super powered characters will run amuck. I guess some people think game balance is what is standing between them and a Monty Haul campaign. While others think that the lack of game balance means there will be constant TPKs. Both of those cases have nothing to with game balance, both are DM problems and/or player problems.
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Post by Willy Wort on Nov 4, 2022 18:58:37 GMT -5
In my opinion encounter/campaign balance is unimportant. That means first level characters might run into an ancient dragon or a balrog. But if the DM runs it well and the players play well it does not have to be a TPK. Now if you have a player who immediately starts insulting the dragon or the balrog, you have a bad player and the other players should step aside and apologize saying we don't know him, we aren't like that. That player gets killed and they other players then go ahead and talk to the dragon or balrog. Or if they saw them at a distance, they hid until the monster was gone or something else. Ancient dragons if they are not hungry, might want to chat, tell a riddle, or send the players on a quest in return for not killing them for trespassing.
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Nov 5, 2022 9:47:28 GMT -5
I've never worried about game balance. In fact, I believe the idea of game balance is a myth. Heroes overcome great adversity. It's much more exciting when it's a challenge rather than everything being perfectly balanced against each other. Should a Dragon be balanced against a human? No! RIFTS has faced the same criticism and it makes absolutely no sense. The portals that open up to other worlds and dimensions allow adversaries such as Minotaurs, Xiticix aliens, Titans, etc. to arrive on Earth. Why should that be balanced against humans?
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Post by hengest on Nov 5, 2022 10:04:05 GMT -5
I've never worried about game balance. In fact, I believe the idea of game balance is a myth. Heroes overcome great adversity. It's much more exciting when it's a challenge rather than everything being perfectly balanced against each other. Should a Dragon be balanced against a human? No! RIFTS has faced the same criticism and it makes absolutely no sense. The portals that open up to other worlds and dimensions allow adversaries such as Minotaurs, Xiticix aliens, Titans, etc. to arrive on Earth. Why should that be balanced against humans? This idea of balance is all over the place now. Books have to be JUST right for a kid's reading level. Games have to be JUST SO. |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Nov 5, 2022 10:11:34 GMT -5
I've never worried about game balance. In fact, I believe the idea of game balance is a myth. Heroes overcome great adversity. It's much more exciting when it's a challenge rather than everything being perfectly balanced against each other. Should a Dragon be balanced against a human? No! RIFTS has faced the same criticism and it makes absolutely no sense. The portals that open up to other worlds and dimensions allow adversaries such as Minotaurs, Xiticix aliens, Titans, etc. to arrive on Earth. Why should that be balanced against humans? This idea of balance is all over the place now. Books have to be JUST right for a kid's reading level. Games have to be JUST SO. YES! Balance is often a fun killer. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Nov 5, 2022 10:17:30 GMT -5
I've never worried about game balance. In fact, I believe the idea of game balance is a myth. Heroes overcome great adversity. It's much more exciting when it's a challenge rather than everything being perfectly balanced against each other. Should a Dragon be balanced against a human? No! RIFTS has faced the same criticism and it makes absolutely no sense. The portals that open up to other worlds and dimensions allow adversaries such as Minotaurs, Xiticix aliens, Titans, etc. to arrive on Earth. Why should that be balanced against humans? This idea of balance is all over the place now. Books have to be JUST right for a kid's reading level. Games have to be JUST SO. I read a lot of adult reading level books as a kid, when I didn't know a word I went to the dictionary. I never understood dumbing down books for kids, it does them a disservice. |
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Post by Bartholmew Quarrels on Nov 5, 2022 13:32:55 GMT -5
Balance is an odd concept and why would it be attractive? Is anything about the real world balanced?
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Post by Bickler on Nov 5, 2022 22:21:37 GMT -5
I like Wild and Wooley for my games.
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Post by Feald on Nov 5, 2022 22:28:31 GMT -5
Balance is a module concept. They were afraid if people went through the module and there was a TPK, they would use future sales, so they started dumbing the modules down.
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Post by Feald on Nov 5, 2022 22:29:18 GMT -5
It falls under the "everyone gets a trophy" modern trope. Merit has no place where "balance" is a thing.
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Post by Tallyman on Nov 5, 2022 22:40:39 GMT -5
Balance is B.S.
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Post by Tallyman on Nov 5, 2022 22:41:35 GMT -5
It falls under the "everyone gets a trophy" modern trope. Merit has no place where "balance" is a thing. Not everyone deserves a trophy, no matter how hard they tried or how badly they want it, no trophy for you. |
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Post by Dark Tango on Nov 7, 2022 10:57:15 GMT -5
Trying to achieve balance is how the whole hours and hours of prep developed and then after you do hours and hours of prep, you fall into railroading the players, because of that time investment, instead of running the game more freeform and relying heavily on improv, which (IMO) is where the good stuff happens.
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Post by Bad to the Bone on Nov 7, 2022 19:16:37 GMT -5
Nothing about the modern idea of balance appeals to me at all.
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Post by Warrior Twin Two on Nov 8, 2022 22:50:28 GMT -5
I think our voters are overlooking option 2.
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Post by Warrior Twin One on Nov 9, 2022 2:53:32 GMT -5
I think our voters are overlooking option 2. Game balance is a new school thing that has nothing to do with real old school gaming. |
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Post by River Man on Nov 10, 2022 0:39:32 GMT -5
No balance for me, I like unpredictability.
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Nov 10, 2022 3:45:03 GMT -5
I think our voters are overlooking option 2. I think you are absolutely correct! |
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