In this workshop, participants will learn from Heroes of Might & Magic 3 director David Mullich the techniques that were used to create and balance combat units in that game, as well as learn more advanced techniques for balancing units with special abilities and intranstive (rock-paper-scissor) relationships.

Activities

Participants will create Heroes 3-like combat units using balancing techniques described in class and then battle armies created by other participants using dice and graph paper. Activities will be done in 3 phases:

• Units with basic attributes
• Units with special abilities
• Units with intransitive relationships

Target groups

Strategy game designers

Main Take-Aways

After taking this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Determine costs and benefits of game units
• Create and analyze a cost curve for game units
• Determine whether units are overpowers, underpowered, undercosted, or overcosted
• Use Monte Carlo spreadsheet simulations to test balancing
• Use a payoff table for balancing units with intransitive mechanics

Length

6 hours

Required items

Only a laptop - you can bring your own, if that would be a problem please let us know