What do you do if your game design needs better balance?

Uma forma eficaz de aprimorar o balanceamento do jogo é realizar testes de gameplay e estar sempre atento ao feedback dos jogadores, ouvir a opinião de quem irá consumir o produto é essencial. Isso pode ser feito por meio de betas e contribuições da comunidade.

By applying principles of quantitative research and statistical analysis, you can systematically analyze gameplay metrics such as win rates, usage statistics, and player progression patterns to identify potential balance issues. Moreover, it is important to integrate player feedback into your iterative design process, prioritizing a user-centric approach that focuses on player satisfaction and engagement. Looking at the success of games like "Overwatch," which continuously fine-tuned its hero balance based on community feedback and data analytics, highlights the significance of incorporating both qualitative and quantitative feedback loops into your design process.

Having solid engagement with your community on forums, Discord, Reddit, etc can also be extremely helpful in giving you a general feel for where issues might lie. You might think that a lot of this will be general complaints; but in many cases, your players are going to identify (and often, abuse) imbalances in your game that you can't see, and describe them in ways that likely make them easy to isolate. Keep in mind that it's likely much easier for your community team to find these amid the other comments and more general complaints, and forward them to you (if possible, in a form that is phrased in a concise, useful way). Your community are often your best testers; and ultimately, they're the ones actually playing your game!

Hot tip: Understand cohorts and when to use averages or medians! Cohorts will ensure you're closer to balancing player journeys and not isolated events. Maybe you're dealing with a consequence and not a root cause. Lastly, when identifying central tendency, use averages only for smaller datasets and never forget to compensate for outliers. For large datasets with thousands of data points or more, medians are generally more accurate!

Employ statistical analysis to identify patterns in player behaviour. By drawing upon the principles of data science and machine learning, create predictive models that can anticipate potential balance issues before they arise in gameplay. Furthermore, incorporate qualitative feedback into your analysis, recognizing that player sentiments and experiences provide valuable context to complement quantitative findings. Looking at past successes, such as how "League of Legends" continuously balances its diverse roster of champions through a combination of data-driven insights and community feedback, emphasizes the importance of integrating both quantitative and qualitative data in game design analysis.

Don't fine tune before you draw boundaries! For example, assume a value is 20 but is low, and you think 40 is ideal. You should double your adjustment and try 60. If 60 is too high, then you'll be 100% sure that the correct value is between 20 and 60 - and you'll likely have a better feeling on how far you went overboard. If 60 is still low, at least you won't have spent hours trying numbers below that.

By drawing upon the principles of systems thinking and complexity theory, it is important to recognize the interconnected nature of game mechanics, understanding that altering one aspect can have far-reaching effects on the overall gameplay experience. Moreover, leveraging principles of game theory and decision analysis can help anticipate potential consequences of mechanic adjustments and mitigate any unintended outcomes. Reflecting on past successes, such as the delicate balance achieved in "Super Smash Bros. Melee" through iterative adjustments and community testing, highlights the significance of incremental changes and involving players in the balancing process.

Also keep in mind the Curse of Knowledge: you and your team know "how the game is supposed to work/be played", and how mechanics and UI elements are intended to function. It's important both to keep this in mind and, at a certain point, to consider closed testing in order to find the things you may have been blind to.

By monitoring player behavior and feedback, you can gain valuable insights. Utilize data analytics tools to track key performance indicators like win rates, player engagement metrics, and community sentiment. Additionally, it is important to foster an open dialogue with your player base. Actively seek feedback and engage in discussions to understand evolving player preferences and concerns. Looking at the success of games like "Fortnite," which regularly updates its gameplay based on player feedback and shifting meta-trends, highlights the significance of adaptability and responsiveness in game balancing.

Prioritize transparency and honesty in your communications to show your dedication to maintaining a fair and enjoyable gaming experience for all players. Additionally, consider incorporating gamification techniques, such as in-game tutorials or interactive tooltips, to help players adapt their strategies and comprehend how the balance adjustments affect their gameplay. Looking at successful examples like "World of Warcraft," which effectively communicates balance changes through patch notes and developer insights, highlights the significance of proactive and transparent communication with the player base.