Competitive Balance: Difference between revisions

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Note that most of these tropes have uses outside the scope of [[Competitive Balance]]; they can accurately describe things outside the scope of video game balance. A related concept is [[Multiform Balance]], where the various forms of a [[Henshin Hero]] or [[Voluntary Shapeshifter]] are balanced against each other. When [[Competitive Balance]] fails, it results in [[Fake Balance]]. In cooperative context, where each member of a team is balanced in how they contribute to the group's success, see [[An Adventurer Is You]]. If you apply [[Competitive Balance]] to factions or countries instead of characters or units, then you get [[A Commander Is You]]. When a former boss is [[Promoted to Unlockable]], they will usually be retooled to fit one of the above. Games which need a [[Five-Man Band]] will usually have [[The Hero]] as the [[Jack of All Stats]], [[The Lancer]] as the [[Glass Cannon]], [[The Smart Guy]] as the [[Squishy Wizard]], [[The Big Guy]] as the [[Stone Wall]] or [[Mighty Glacier]], and [[The Chick]] as the [[Fragile Speedster]].
Note that most of these tropes have uses outside the scope of [[Competitive Balance]]; they can accurately describe things outside the scope of video game balance. A related concept is [[Multiform Balance]], where the various forms of a [[Henshin Hero]] or [[Voluntary Shapeshifter]] are balanced against each other. When [[Competitive Balance]] fails, it results in [[Fake Balance]]. In cooperative context, where each member of a team is balanced in how they contribute to the group's success, see [[An Adventurer Is You]]. If you apply [[Competitive Balance]] to factions or countries instead of characters or units, then you get [[A Commander Is You]]. When a former boss is [[Promoted to Unlockable]], they will usually be retooled to fit one of the above. Games which need a [[Five-Man Band]] will usually have [[The Hero]] as the [[Jack of All Stats]], [[The Lancer]] as the [[Glass Cannon]], [[The Smart Guy]] as the [[Squishy Wizard]], [[The Big Guy]] as the [[Stone Wall]] or [[Mighty Glacier]], and [[The Chick]] as the [[Fragile Speedster]].


This is especially important to encourage diversity in a game with loads of characters and different types to choose from without making all the characters just flat-out clones of each other. Not to mention from a development standpoint this is often hard to do and needs to be ''constantly'' readjusted to make sure players don't just spam the same character(s) and make almost every match a [[Mirror Match]].
This is especially important to encourage diversity in a game with loads of characters and different types to choose from without making all the characters just flat-out clones of each other. Not to mention from a development standpoint this is often hard to do and needs to be ''constantly'' readjusted to make sure players don't just spam the same character(s) and make almost every match a [[Mirror Match]].


{{examples}}
{{examples}}
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== [[Fighting Game]] ==
== [[Fighting Game]] ==
* ''[[Super Smash Bros]], [[Street Fighter]]'', and every other [[Fighting Game]] ever.
* ''[[Super Smash Bros.]], [[Street Fighter]]'', and every other [[Fighting Game]] ever.
** ''[[Street Fighter]]'' has a pretty big power gap between the low-end and high-end characters too (Akuma is capable of sinking an entire island and sending people to Hell, for example), but at least the weakest characters in those games are still stronger than the average human!
** ''[[Street Fighter]]'' has a pretty big power gap between the low-end and high-end characters too (Akuma is capable of sinking an entire island and sending people to Hell, for example), but at least the weakest characters in those games are still stronger than the average human!
*** In game, however, there's really not all that much of a balance gap (though occasionally you get some accidentally broken characters, such as Guile in ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' and his mystical "Magic Throw" and "handcuffs" glitches, not to mention his insane range and priority; Zangief could also apply, with his extremely powerful throws). Akuma, for instance, is actually fairly fragile, taking the most damage of any of the characters in most of the games where he's a standard character. This is especially prevalent in games such as [[Tekken]], where tournament play is the general focus: In [[Tekken Tag Tournament]], while Ogre and True Ogre might be bosses of death, they're still balanced enough that you can generally beat them with anyone you know how to use correctly. The only exceptions to balance appear at the lower levels of skill, where certain characters are easier to use than others (try using Guile as a beginning player, without a good grasp of charging; and after THAT, you need to learn how to do jump in combos in order to really use him).
*** In game, however, there's really not all that much of a balance gap (though occasionally you get some accidentally broken characters, such as Guile in ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' and his mystical "Magic Throw" and "handcuffs" glitches, not to mention his insane range and priority; Zangief could also apply, with his extremely powerful throws). Akuma, for instance, is actually fairly fragile, taking the most damage of any of the characters in most of the games where he's a standard character. This is especially prevalent in games such as [[Tekken]], where tournament play is the general focus: In [[Tekken Tag Tournament]], while Ogre and True Ogre might be bosses of death, they're still balanced enough that you can generally beat them with anyone you know how to use correctly. The only exceptions to balance appear at the lower levels of skill, where certain characters are easier to use than others (try using Guile as a beginning player, without a good grasp of charging; and after THAT, you need to learn how to do jump in combos in order to really use him).
* The plots of Type Moon's ''[[Melty Blood]]'' [[Fighting Game|Fighting Games]] are driven by the reality-warping Night of Wallachia. This crazy phenomenon is used to justify Miyako's leap from martial arts student to prime ''[[Street Fighter]]'' candidate. More amusing is Kohaku and Hisui's transformation from simple maids into [[Martial Arts and Crafts]] masters capable of fighting [[Half-Human Hybrid|half-demons]] and ancient vampires.
* The plots of Type Moon's ''[[Melty Blood]]'' [[Fighting Game|Fighting Games]] are driven by the reality-warping Night of Wallachia. This crazy phenomenon is used to justify Miyako's leap from martial arts student to prime ''[[Street Fighter]]'' candidate. More amusing is Kohaku and Hisui's transformation from simple maids into [[Martial Arts and Crafts]] masters capable of fighting [[Half-Human Hybrid|half-demons]] and ancient vampires.
* ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom]]'': On one side, you have a [[Mega Man Legends|Servbot]], and on the other, you have [[The Hulk]]. Not to mention guys like Blackheart and Shuma-Gorath.
* ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom]]'': On one side, you have a [[Mega Man Legends|Servbot]], and on the other, you have [[The Hulk]]. Not to mention guys like Blackheart and Shuma-Gorath.
* In the ''[[Deadliest Warrior]]'' game, you have Guerillas (e.g. Ninja and Apache) who can't get into a direct fight and have to use their agility to survive, Berserkers (e.g. Pirate and Viking) who have a deadly offense, but less in the way of defense, and Balanced fighters (e.g. Knight and Spartan) who can dish out a lot of damage and take it, but won't move very quickly.
* In the ''[[Deadliest Warrior]]'' game, you have Guerillas (e.g. Ninja and Apache) who can't get into a direct fight and have to use their agility to survive, Berserkers (e.g. Pirate and Viking) who have a deadly offense, but less in the way of defense, and Balanced fighters (e.g. Knight and Spartan) who can dish out a lot of damage and take it, but won't move very quickly.


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== [[MMORPG|MMORPGs]] ==
== [[MMORPG|MMORPGs]] ==
* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' has ten character classes with three talent trees each, making for a total of 30 builds to balance against each other in small group PvE, large group PvE, arena PvP, and battleground PvP, across 85 levels and 12+ tiers of gear, and this doesn't even count variant builds and racial bonuses. That this task is impossible is mitigated only by Blizzard's determination to try, and balance has consistently improved over time despite the protests of the fanbase. Dueling, or one-on-one PvP, is the sole place they've disclaimed attempts to provide perfect balance, as that would inevitably lead to all classes being the same.
* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' has ten character classes with three talent trees each, making for a total of 30 builds to balance against each other in small group PvE, large group PvE, arena PvP, and battleground PvP, across 85 levels and 12+ tiers of gear, and this doesn't even count variant builds and racial bonuses. That this task is impossible is mitigated only by Blizzard's determination to try, and balance has consistently improved over time despite the protests of the fanbase. Dueling, or one-on-one PvP, is the sole place they've disclaimed attempts to provide perfect balance, as that would inevitably lead to all classes being the same.
* Scout [Ken/Nuri] and Hana [Erika/Hana] in ''[[Pangya]]'' - The Mario and The Ken (appropriately enough) as they are the starting characters for male and female players.
* Scout [Ken/Nuri] and Hana [Erika/Hana] in ''[[Pangya]]'' - The Mario and The Ken (appropriately enough) as they are the starting characters for male and female players.


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