Game Balance Across Functional Differences
Rezzing is only one of the aspects that can differentiate a group from another in a SIK game, although a poor implementation of a rezzing mechanic can lead to an overwhelming advantage to certain groups. GMs need to spend time looking at “game balance,� which is a vague assessment of the probabilities that groups and players have of succeeding or failing in their goals in a game. By adjusting various parameters of competitive mechanics, GMs can improve the game balance by bringing the probabilities of success within reach of all the players.
When balancing the combat abilities of multiple groups in a SIK game, GMs take into account the number of times that characters can rez, the amount of damage that a character can receive before dying (often quantified as “hit points�), and the kinds of toy weaponry available to the players. The issue of balance eventually comes down to a single question: as far as the GMs can predict, when opposing groups meet in the game and engage in combat, will it be a fair fight?
A group of weak characters that can rez will usually return to combat after a short time delay. They might win a war of attrition but would also have difficulty holding a territorial line of defense. A group of characters with a large number of hit points would be able to push through considerable opposition before falling, and medical abilities or hit point regeneration would sustain the group through multiple engagements. Players holding rapid-fire weapons might be able to take down a charging mob of opponents before losing a single ally. The number of different toy guns and homemade foam and cloth substitutes used by the Guild in its SIK games is considerable, giving GMs a respectable range of choices for providing different kinds of firepower for different players.
That was just a glimpse into the possibilities for balancing different combat capabilities in games that largely focus on ranged combat. Of course, it is always possible to have an equal mix of different kinds of characters in a single group, thus making the groups functionally identical, relying on the prose descriptions of the groups to differentiate the groups. Guild GMs use the word “paint� when referring to descriptive elaborations that do not translate into significant operational decisions. The color of the teams or the game may be different but their basic mechanics and strategies are the same.
There is a strong case for keeping competing groups functionally different. Guild players are notoriously quick to dismiss “paint� if there is little reason to sustain the descriptive differences of the groups. Conversely, it is much easier for a player to pretend to be a member of the toughest gang on the planet if the character has the hit points to prove it. Even though it may be complicated, experienced GMs are capable of balancing quantifiable properties such as hit points and limited rezzes against qualitative factors such as weapon type and player skill to even the odds for players and provide a level competitive playing field. All these factors accommodate groups that are uniquely limited in their range of competitive abilities, thus influencing the strategies available to the groups. Players need to anticipate the actions of other groups during the course of the game to secure victory, and when facing functionally different groups, players are challenged to outguess their opponents without full knowledge of their capabilities or their strategic options. Finally, the identification of the player with the group can be heightened when the unique qualities of the character are congruent with the unique qualities of the group, thus providing a better incentive for a player to care about the success of the group.
Of course, the casting of players and the objectives of groups will also influence the game balance. A group might be trying to eradicate another group, or it might merely be attempting to fight its way to the limits of game space. Groups may be contesting for control of relatively even territory. The range of abilities of a group could change over the course of the game with the development of technologies or the loss of characters. In games with more roleplaying, “paint� will significantly influence the attitude that players will have towards the carriage of their characters. Bluster and pre-assigned respect can go a long way in a game that focuses less on competition based on quantifiable advantages. However, one may find similar challenges in balancing other forms of competition resolution that have very little to do with combat.
