Whether fans of Guild Wars 2 are curious about what ArenaNet is thinking when it makes balance changes or are looking for a cherry-picked quote to swing like a weapon in the forums when a nerf comes (please don’t do that), everyone might want to take a moment to read a dev blog all about the MMORPG’s balance philosophy.
The post is a fairly substantial one, taking a look at the player roles for its PvE or PvP activities, the guidelines for skill and trait adjustments, how the studio absorbs feedback, and the team’s overall goals for balance that include encouraging build diversity and allowing players to express their mechanics mastery.
The devs note at the beginning of the post that it’s a “living document,” with changes for “the health of the game” always possible but communicated early. Additionally, the post admits that not everything in the guidelines align with the reality of the game, but it also promises that changes will come incrementally. For those invested in all of ANet’s knob turning, the blog is likely worth your time.
