I think it makes sense in a multiplayer context, where you want to encourage more “organic” builds instead of people chasing the meta. I don’t think they should paywall them though, just ban it and force people to start over, or have it be limited (i.e. lose a level to be able to move half of the stats over), so you’re punishing with a bit of time instead of a completely restart.
Paying for any form of reroll is stupid though. Either allow it or don’t, and account for it in mechanics so you reward the behavior you’re going for.
You don’t balance it with tedium, in a live service game, the tedium gives time to balance it properly. By the time people adapt to the meta, it has already been nerfed.
Live service games are not only balanced around tedium, they are designed around tedium. Without it people wouldn’t buy boosters etc.
Adapting the meta faster than people can catch up and letting people pay to keep up simply switches the game from balance by tedium to straight up pay to win. Or pay to play optionally, at least, which live service games heavily push you towards doing.
That’s what I’m specifically giving an alternative to. If you’re trying to discourage keeping up with the meta, you make it take long enough to adapt to the meta that you can patch out the meta.
I think it makes sense in a multiplayer context, where you want to encourage more “organic” builds instead of people chasing the meta. I don’t think they should paywall them though, just ban it and force people to start over, or have it be limited (i.e. lose a level to be able to move half of the stats over), so you’re punishing with a bit of time instead of a completely restart.
Paying for any form of reroll is stupid though. Either allow it or don’t, and account for it in mechanics so you reward the behavior you’re going for.
People will chase the meta regardless. Balancing a game by introducing tedium often results in people merely finding the game tedious.
You don’t balance it with tedium, in a live service game, the tedium gives time to balance it properly. By the time people adapt to the meta, it has already been nerfed.
Live service games are not only balanced around tedium, they are designed around tedium. Without it people wouldn’t buy boosters etc.
Adapting the meta faster than people can catch up and letting people pay to keep up simply switches the game from balance by tedium to straight up pay to win. Or pay to play optionally, at least, which live service games heavily push you towards doing.
That’s what I’m specifically giving an alternative to. If you’re trying to discourage keeping up with the meta, you make it take long enough to adapt to the meta that you can patch out the meta.