Do you know that feeling? A new weapon appears in your game, and it feels way too strong. A developer from Apex Legends recently offered an interesting insight into why that is.
For many players, it’s not an unusual situation: Due to numerous updates and patches, weapons, items, or even characters in live-service games undergo constant revisions.
Moreover, it often happens that completely new elements are introduced into the game – everything should remain fresh and exciting.
However, not every novelty or change is immediately well-received by players. Because often, new weapons simply feel way too strong and disrupt the usual gameplay. There are examples of this everywhere, from Destiny 2 to Fortnite to Apex Legends.
That sounds annoying at first, but it can certainly have its reasoning. On Reddit, John Larson, a live balance designer for the Battle Royale Apex Legends, commented on this topic and explained how this can happen.
“Better to release strong and nerf it than weak and buff it.”
This is the situation: In the Apex Legends subreddit, there was a general discussion about the C.A.R. SMG, which was introduced a few months ago and, among other things, became the first Apex weapon ever to have the ability to use multiple ammunition types at once. This gave it a certain flexibility and strength.
In the discussion, a user criticized that the SMG is a result of “power creep”, meaning the increasing strength of new weapons, and that it should have been better balanced. Thereupon, the developer responded under the username “RSPN_JayBiebs” with a more detailed insight (via reddit).
This is what the developer says: In his post, Larson explains that during the final tuning phase before the release of a new weapon, they often lean towards the strong side for two reasons:
- New things should be fun.
- If they are fun, players will use them more often.
The second point is important for developers: “This is very helpful in diagnosing the specific fun/strength/frustration factors that occur when the new gameplay element is tried by millions of players in live play,” Larson explains, referring to the SMG’s ability to use multiple ammunition types: “I would rather release it strong and nerf it than release it weak and buff it.”
Now, there are many possibilities – such as buffing the R99, nerfing the CAR, or even a complete overhaul of the SMG classes. But they also have to see how this will be received by the player base.
“Ultimately, we have to make balancing decisions with an eye on the long-term health of the game,” Larson explains: “As a live balance designer and daily player, I have to personally make concessions when thinking about what needs to be addressed now or in the next season or in three seasons. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I’m pretty satisfied with the development of the CAR.”
What do you think about the topic? Can you understand the “strong” new weapons – or would you prefer something different? Tell us in the comments.
In general, Apex Legends is a game that is often subject to changes. And apparently successfully: Recently, the shooter gathered a lot of players on Steam and reached a new record.
That makes sense because if a new element isn’t fun, players might ignore it – and then developers won’t get any new data.
New weapons need to convince players first: Larson emphasizes that it’s important that the new gameplay mechanic really makes sense – change for the sake of change is “blah”. He also addresses the issue of power creep, which is the problem that constantly introducing “better” new weapons raises the bar higher and higher:
When it comes to power creep, this is an endless “battle”, if you will. New legends/items need to be sexy and strong to disrupt the meta. The new has to be particularly attractive to make us break away from the familiar. In a competitive game, I naturally tend to stick with what I am familiar with and what offers me the greatest chances of success, which is often what I have played most often.
(via reddit)
This particular point – that players simply don’t have a reason to change their established gameplay – is something that developers want to prevent. They then observe the situation and watch how players warm up to the new features.
And then they ask the next questions. Larson relates this to the C.A.R. SMG and another SMG, the R99: “Now that players have become acquainted with the CAR, how is the best way to handle something like the R99? It is one of the main weapons in Apex and I agree that the CAR casts it in the shadow in some ways,” says the developer.
Now, there are many possibilities – such as buffing the R99, nerfing the CAR, or even a complete overhaul of the SMG classes. But they also have to see how this will be received by the player base.
“Ultimately, we have to make balancing decisions with an eye on the long-term health of the game,” Larson explains: “As a live balance designer and daily player, I have to personally make concessions when thinking about what needs to be addressed now or in the next season or in three seasons. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I’m pretty satisfied with the development of the CAR.”
What do you think about the topic? Can you understand the “strong” new weapons – or would you prefer something different? Tell us in the comments.
In general, Apex Legends is a game that is often subject to changes. And apparently successfully: Recently, the shooter gathered a lot of players on Steam and reached a new record.
