Game Balance. Leveling matters.

#0 - Oct. 19, 2010, 7:46 p.m.

So I see blizzard saying over and over that the game is balanced for 85, don't worry about your low damage or your inability to function, it's all balanced at 85. We nod and say ok and wait for the patch to race to 85 and experience this balance.

But I am pretty sure you don't start at 85. Correct me if I am wrong, but everyone starts at level 1 (DKs excluded...) and has to level. For some people, leveling is great fun. It's a time to explore your class and get used to playing the game. What I don't understand is why has the entire balance below 85 been scrapped?

Before the patch, classes were mostly balanced at any given level. I have leveled up a lot of characters over the past year because I enjoy the experience, and have done quite a few random dungeons on the way. Apart from the lack of aoe by some classes (rogues most notably), people's power was relatively equal. I won't get into examples and situations any further, because I am sure it's not difficult for you to discover this information first hand.

Leveling matters. If people are underpowered until they get to 85, how is that fun? If they are overpowered until they get to content that matters, how is that fun? It's not fun at all. In fact it's negligent. You are so focused on changing things for the sake of changing them that you have ignored a HUGE section of the game.

I will be the first to admit rolling into a random group and doing 80% of the damage is fun for me, but what about the rest of the group who can't do anything? How is this in any way a representation of how the game plays at end game? Since that is the whole focus apparently, things need to be more balanced for people leveling so they know what to expect.

Zarhym

#14 - Oct. 19, 2010, 9:26 p.m.

When we say our balance focus is at the endgame, I think you're stretching the idea of that design goal a little too far, Erutaron. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to find a Blizzard employee stating on the forums that balance pre-85 doesn't matter. By saying we're primarily focused on making sure classes are tuned according to the highest levels of play, we're talking about very precise fine-tuning. We don't think it's acceptable to leave the other 84 levels a complete mess.

Q u o t e:
Leveling matters. If people are underpowered until they get to 85, how is that fun? If they are overpowered until they get to content that matters, how is that fun? It's not fun at all. In fact it's negligent. You are so focused on changing things for the sake of changing them that you have ignored a HUGE section of the game.

The problem with this paragraph is that you're pulling meaning out of things we've said recently that just isn't there, and then claiming we've created a big problem for those leveling characters right now. The issue is that you don't even seem to be drawing on your own post-patch 4.0.1 leveling experience.

We happen to be very focused in Cataclysm on providing updated content for new players, or existing players creating new characters. We absolutely wouldn't focus so much on revitalizing the leveling experience if we didn't care how it felt to level a particular class. In fact, we've gone to great lengths to ensure all classes are more equally enjoyable to play as they increase in power and gain new abilities.

The larger point is that balance at the endgame can be tipped on the point of a needle. Balance at all other levels still matters, but balance concerns aren't nearly as glaring, or scrutinized by players, as they are in the endgame.

Zarhym

#57 - Oct. 19, 2010, 11:11 p.m.

Q u o t e:

Then you've gone to great lengths only to fail miserably.

If this is the kind of stuff you feel needs to be added to a thread to enhance the discussion, you need to check your priorities at the forum login screen.

Zarhym

#91 - Oct. 20, 2010, 1:26 a.m.

Q u o t e:
Q u o t e:
The larger point is that balance at the endgame can be tipped on the point of a needle. Balance at all other levels still matters, but balance concerns aren't nearly as glaring, or scrutinized by players, as they are in the endgame.

I guess all the threads complaining about balance dont matter then, since players dont seem to scrutinize lower level balance. LOL TWINKS.

Was the entire sentence you bolded really so long that you forgot what the first half said by the time you finished reading the rest?

There are plenty of people raising legitimate concerns and we're listening, but when so many arguments on these forums are boiled down to their black/white, least common denominator, it makes it pretty difficult to keep any sort of meaningful dialog open.

No, it's not okay that rogues are one-shotting people in low-level Battlegrounds. If you need to shout from on top of a mountain that a blue admitted this, you go ahead and get along. Now, I suggest we get to a place where you come here to tell us things that concern you, and we take your thoughts into consideration.

If you'd prefer to shout over the sound of ripping tinfoil and play "gotcha" every time you see the color blue, well... there are plenty of black holes on the internet for you to explore.