Edit:  "Winder"??!  I am an idiot.  I'd appreciate it if a mod could do me a solid an correct this.

Done.

With the button "Full Editor" right left of the save button you can edit your thread title.

 

In DAO, you enter a room full of NPC, you could just cast all your AOE abilities (even if on paper they got malus when combined) and watch every one die. Mana is restaured and you could proceed to next room.

 

In a way, this is easier to balance (not saying DA:O was balanced, which I can't because I haven't played it; also not saying Deadfire should employ the same system. I'm speaking in general.) Developers know you will always face enemies at your apex, so all encounters can be balanced expecting it.

 

In a game that has per-rest abilities, fights need to be challenging for people at their full power while still being generally feasiblefory those who aren't (in the sense they stand at least a chance to win if they play their cards right.) It becomes a very delicate balancing act where different players' skills are no longer the only variable; you also need to account for what resources they may or may not have by the time they get to each encounter.

 

In an open-world game you also can't tell which pieces of equipment the party will or will not have.

 

Hard to make it all work.

 

 

Just to note that encounters in DA Origins could not be balanced simply because players could bring unpredictable and hard to control number of resources into a fight, health and lyrium (mana) potions in particular. The developers, can't find the link atm, acknowledged this flaw and got control of possible damage inflicted/health restored/resources available by players in DA Inquisition. 

 

Indeed, in an open-world game, with many variables (character/party level, items, synergies, food, scrolls, potions)  the developers are simply unable to control resources so players with meta-knowledge and dedication can overcome any changes to the difficulty the developers can come up with. Developers just don't have the kind of control needed to balance the game in any meaningful way. In their effort to "balance" the game they focus on what they can control like Recovery bonus from items or figurine charges which make little to zero difference to dedicated players with meta-knowledge with regards to difficulty but have potential to make some, especially let's say the casual ones (without negative connotations),  players displeased. 

Edited July 26, 20187 yr by knownastherat