Balancing in Diablo

[gekko]

Finally, the game should be balanced in terms of the character versus the monsters.  Achieving high level should be difficult because the monsters are difficult even for an optimal character with ideal gear played by an excellent player.  Even better would be to have the monsters be difficult for a party of such characters.  And that is a balance that Buzzard has consistently failed to achieve.

Ahh, but it's more challenging and intricate than you seem to believe. Personally, I think blizzard put too much emphasis on a few elements: equipment, as was mentioned already, is one, character level vs monster level is another. One hit kill monsters is yet another. The worst part is these problems virtually ALL hurt melee characters much worse than ranged characters.

The clvl/mlvl curve is the worst in this regard. A ranged character has flavours: physical or magical. A magical ranged attacker has no need to worry about AR or % to hit, and thus, the curve barely affects them. Physical attackers also get off easy because of the uber-weapons they can get. With even decent gear, a bowazon can sweep through hell with -50% resist all without dying a single time - probably without being hit, if she's careful. The bowazon avoids the curve because she can pump dexterity with little regard for other stats. Melee characters do not have this luxury. They must invest in vitality, strength and dexterity. Now, weapon masteries and good AR bonuses on most combat skills gives the barb a fairly easy time hitting enemies, but other melee characters don't always have the stacking AR bonuses. The real reason the curve is a problem, however, is because it is impossible to avoid running into it without tedious leveling. A straight run throug the game WILL leave you far behind the monster curve. And for 1.10, blizz plans on making lvling past 70 much harder. Ouch for melee characters in hell.

The one-hit kill combinations are similar in that they are far more of a problem for melee than for ranged characters. It should be obvious to anyone that requiring some characters to go toe-to-toe with a bad guy who can turn their screen dark with a single hit puts those characters at a disadvantage.

And, finally, the equipment. I truly wonder what blizzard is thinking when it comes to the new elite weapons. The problem, of course, is how to "balance" the game when one character has these items and another doesn't. How does the game remain challenging for the character who has the new elite lightsaber while still possible or the one with the old, normal lightsaber?

The balance issue has been beaten to death -- "balance" in a game is a myth. As was mentioned, the only way to balance the game is to have each and every character play the same.

gekko