tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553938.post7602601081866805551..comments2023-10-21T05:28:05.763-06:00Comments on Roll for Initiative: What's wrong with game balance?Rognarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16325723561313536356noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553938.post-69614234397269465012009-12-22T09:07:28.425-07:002009-12-22T09:07:28.425-07:00When game systems like 4E start to hold your hand ...<i>When game systems like 4E start to hold your hand and ballance everything between races and classes, you start to lose imagination and ingenuity- the very attributes that make D&D so appealing to me in the first place.</i><br /><br />Hear, hear.<br /><br />I think the opposition to game balance is a reaction to the way games have become more focused on balance, a method that I think is epitomized by 4e.<br /><br />In my experience, while some people are saying there's something wrong with game balance, more people are saying that there nothing wrong with imbalance, and I am of the latter. I think that way, because the stuff on the sheet is just the beginning of the character IMO, and the player should be allowed to 'play the game' and use their noodle.<br /><br />I've had plenty of PCs who made up for their statistical shortcomings with a healthy dose of cleverness.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973301663176412762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553938.post-92083203206125341432009-12-17T19:37:23.977-07:002009-12-17T19:37:23.977-07:00I'm probably one of those who derides game bal...I'm probably one of those who derides game balance, for exactly the reasons you mention.<br /><br />Game balance is important in a competitive game. For example, i'm not interested in playing a boardgame where one player has an unfair advantage over the others. Who wants to play the germans in a WWI game, if the game is designed so that the Americans always win? But I don't understand why game balance is all-important in an cooperative game like an RPG. Doesn't the DM has some responsibility to make sure everyone gets her/his moment in the spotlight?<br /><br />As for 3e and 3.5, I tried them a couple of times, but they never seemed to scratch my role-playing itch. I don't particularly dislike 3e/3.5, but they never really wowed me.Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16553938.post-2302932574757116612009-12-10T18:14:32.416-07:002009-12-10T18:14:32.416-07:00The lack of so-called ballance is exactly why I lo...The lack of so-called ballance is exactly why I love the 3.x/ Pathfinder stuff. I personally love the challange of playing a PC that is not maximized for combat. It seems more 'real' to me if things are out of ballance.<br /><br />When game systems like 4E start to hold your hand and ballance everything between races and classes, you start to lose imagination and ingenuity- the very attributes that make D&D so appealing to me in the first place. In the old days, if your PC was terrible at combat, you did something about it. You got creative and compensated for weaknesses in one way or another.Derobane-banehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06363797058654452082noreply@blogger.com