Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Chess Needs Balancing ... More than EVE

Balancing issues in EVE are getting a lot of attention from CCP. It has been several years since the last major re-balancing (the nano-nerf). Of course EVE is not the only game with significant balance issues that have gone unaddressed for a long time. I think that Chess needs to have some major re-balancing.

Yes Chess! Think about it. The last 'balancing' was when the Queen of Spain decided that the piece next to the King should be a Queen, and not a first minister, and that the Queen should be the ultimate piece, able to move like a Rook or a bishop. Nothing was done to fix the en-passant aggression mechanics that lead new players to abandon the game after accusing experienced players of haX. That was 500 years ago.

The first thing that should be looked at is the various tiers of the pieces. It is ridiculous that each bishop is restricted to only playing on half the board. Meanwhile rooks and knights can go anywhere. Why use a bishop or a rook when a Queen can do anything either of those pieces can do. Something needs to be done.

While we are at it, if the Queen is so powerful, how can a simple pawn defeat it. Queens should be immune to the effects of pawns.

We also need some better gear. I have been playing chess for thirty years. How come I can't put a faction hardener on my King. Just the other day I was playing against a no0b and I realized, I had no advantage from skill-points or equipment over the no0b. This is just silly. In EVE we have a system where we can get fair 1v1 where my skill makes my guns shoot farther hand harder than the new player. EVE like skills needs to be introduced into chess ASAP. Perhaps a rook should only move two squares per level of the Rook skill or something. Same for other pieces. This would really change things up and keep experienced players happy.

Chess also has way way too much alpha. It seems like every piece dies under the first shot. We need to introduce hit-points and damage. It should take a while to take down a queen. The idea that a single no0b with a pawn can take down my most powerful piece instantly.... just bad game design.

So, CCP, get on it. Chess is waiting. Go rebalanced it and stop messing about with my Rifter (which now sucks thank-you very much).

5 comments:

  1. Don't forget checkers! It is the other side of the issue, waaaaaay too much balance if you ask me.

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    Replies
    1. If MMO developers had invented classic board games -

      Blizzard: Checkers
      CCP: Chess
      ArenaNet: Candyland
      Wargaming.net: Battleship
      Riot games: Go

      Delete
  2. Use your Rooks to jam the Queen, bro. Really pisses the other guy off.

    /laughs

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  3. And incidentally - today's Nerf Now: http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/891

    ReplyDelete