Adam's Game Balancing

Learning to balance between a game that is too difficult to play, is too unbelievable and one that is too easy and too unrealistic is the key theme within Adam's piece, Game Balancing. There is the difficulty level to consider, for example, for it must be difficult enough that it serves the situation of the game by addressing the character, the player, and then constraints appropriately. Within every game, the mechanics guide the balance within play. The action and procedure lead to a satisfied interaction within the game.

Consider space, the environment which the player is interacting. There is the physical and the digital space, depending on the type of game play. From this environment, you learn what to expect from the boundaries that are constricting your space. For example, if you were playing on a football field you wouldn't consider that catching/throwing the football across the field into the stands would be acceptable play.

The objects, attributes, and states are anything that interacts with the player. These can be the visible objects as well as the characteristics of the items in play. There's the ball, but then there's the items in your way or items that prevent/enable you to play within their context.

The actions and interactions between the players and the objects are the oprative moves and the resultants of those moves. So in the beginning, there is the action, and after that action has been made there is the resultant. What action you decide to make has a consequence leading to a better understanding and mastering of the mechanics within the game.

The rules, overall, are the foundational, behavioral and social constructs in the game. There are the rules made by the game, but then there are also the social dynamics within the participants that lead to mutual agreements or disagreements. Behavioral rules tie well within the social dynamics in the sense of a maturity with how other rules are being handled. Each player becomes aware of how other players are abiding by the rules. This could reflect well with the idea of 'cheating' or just finding 'loopholes' within the structure that allow a player to have an advantage from considering and acting upon and idea another player didn't consider. (I believe that might be Bogost...)