I believe you are "in error where the truth is involved." (Destiny)

by Ragashingo , Official DBO Cryptarch, Thursday, February 09, 2017, 17:59 (2890 days ago) @ Kahzgul
edited by Ragashingo, Thursday, February 09, 2017, 18:14

There's a third, sadder option, and that's that bungie is using a metrics-bases approach to game balance. This seems to be the case, since they LOVE to trot out the metrics and show us charts about which classes have the higher K/Ds etc.. The problem with a fully metrics-based approach is that if your metrics are off at all, you screw up the balance. For example, Bungie is showing us that Defenders have the lowest K/D and says "so they need a buff." No. No they don't. Your metrics aren't looking at how having a defender on the team improves the K/D of the surrounding players. K/D is not everything. If you pretend it is, then your balance will suck. This is, imo, the most likely scenario. Everyone means well, but the methodology they put in place to determine balance is fundamentally flawed and no one is going to bother to fix it at this stage in the game's life. Des2ny *might* go differently, but I have zero hope that D1 will. It's just too much work to fix with too little return.

We at least have an idea that Bungie looks at more than just the stats. Your (hypothetical?) example of the Defender, for instance, is exactly 100% opposite of what actually did happen. Bungie acknowledged that the Defender was getting a lower k/d in their subclass chart but then noted that teams with Defenders tended to fare better in terms of wins. That's why the only buffs the Defender got was an instant restock of grenades and melee when using Ward of Dawn instead of something more significant.

Another example was a refusal to do much to change the MIDA Multi-tool. They said that yes, it was pretty good and (at least at one point in time) was being widely used, but even though the chart showed it to be a gun that was getting used a lot they also recognized that it was actually a pretty well balanced gun that didn't need a nerf.

Totally agree though that they should update more frequently. This whole thing with the Clever Dragon being superior at any range for months really got on my nerves. But I don't think your sad third option is the way things actually work at Bungie. At all.