Balancing Effects

Rules and effects in games that lessen the differences of value used to measure competition between players.

Although players may win or lose games, or fail to complete them, the designers of these games may wish to steer when this occurs. One way of doing so is introducing Balancing Effects - giving those that have an advantageous position disadvantages and vice versa.

Relations

Can Instantiate

Challenging Gameplay

with Multiplayer Games

Player Balance, Team Balance

Can Modulate

Asymmetric Starting Conditions, Character Development, Drop-In/Drop-Out, Late Arriving Players, Multiplayer Games

Can Be Instantiated By

Collaborative Actions, Cooldown, Decreased Abilities, Dedicated Game Facilitators, Delayed Effects, Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment, Evolving Rule Sets, Extended Actions, Game Masters, Handicap Systems, Randomness, Resource Caps, Tradeoffs

Power-Ups together with Randomness

Can Be Modulated By

Randomness

Potentially Conflicting With

Exaggerated Perception of Influence

History

An updated version of the pattern Balancing Effects that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.

Acknowledgements

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