119 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
119 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: balance-check
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description: "Analyzes game balance data files, formulas, and configuration to identify outliers, broken progressions, degenerate strategies, and economy imbalances. Use after modifying any balance-related data or design. Use when user says 'balance report', 'check game balance', 'run a balance check'."
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argument-hint: "[system-name|path-to-data-file]"
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user-invocable: true
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allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep
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agent: economy-designer
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---
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## Phase 1: Identify Balance Domain
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Determine the balance domain from `$ARGUMENTS[0]`:
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- **Combat** → weapon/ability DPS, time-to-kill, damage type interactions
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- **Economy** → resource faucets/sinks, acquisition rates, item pricing
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- **Progression** → XP/power curves, dead zones, power spikes
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- **Loot** → rarity distribution, pity timers, inventory pressure
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- **File path given** → load that file directly and infer domain from content
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If no argument, ask the user which system to check.
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---
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## Phase 2: Read Data Files
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Read relevant files from `assets/data/` and `design/balance/` for the identified domain.
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Note every file read — they will appear in the Data Sources section of the report.
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---
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## Phase 3: Read Design Document
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Read the GDD for the system from `design/gdd/` to understand intended design targets,
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tuning knobs, and expected value ranges. This is the baseline for "correct" behaviour.
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---
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## Phase 4: Perform Analysis
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Run domain-specific checks:
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**Combat balance:**
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- Calculate DPS for all weapons/abilities at each power tier
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- Check time-to-kill at each tier
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- Identify any options that dominate all others (strictly better)
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- Check if defensive options can create unkillable states
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- Verify damage type/resistance interactions are balanced
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**Economy balance:**
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- Map all resource faucets and sinks with flow rates
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- Project resource accumulation over time
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- Check for infinite resource loops
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- Verify gold sinks scale with gold generation
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- Check if any items are never worth purchasing
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**Progression balance:**
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- Plot the XP curve and power curve
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- Check for dead zones (no meaningful progression for too long)
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- Check for power spikes (sudden jumps in capability)
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- Verify content gates align with expected player power
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- Check if skip/grind strategies break intended pacing
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**Loot balance:**
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- Calculate expected time to acquire each rarity tier
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- Check pity timer math
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- Verify no loot is strictly useless at any stage
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- Check inventory pressure vs acquisition rate
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---
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## Phase 5: Output the Analysis
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```
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## Balance Check: [System Name]
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### Data Sources Analyzed
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- [List of files read]
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### Health Summary: [HEALTHY / CONCERNS / CRITICAL ISSUES]
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### Outliers Detected
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| Item/Value | Expected Range | Actual | Issue |
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|-----------|---------------|--------|-------|
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### Degenerate Strategies Found
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- [Strategy description and why it is problematic]
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### Progression Analysis
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[Graph description or table showing progression curve health]
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### Recommendations
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| Priority | Issue | Suggested Fix | Impact |
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|----------|-------|--------------|--------|
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### Values That Need Attention
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[Specific values with suggested adjustments and rationale]
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```
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---
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## Phase 6: Fix & Verify Cycle
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After presenting the report, ask:
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> "Would you like to fix any of these balance issues now?"
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If yes:
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- Ask which issue to address first (refer to the Recommendations table by priority row)
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- Guide the user to update the relevant data file in `assets/data/` or formula in `design/balance/`
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- After each fix, offer to re-run the relevant balance checks to verify no new outliers were introduced
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- If the fix changes a tuning knob defined in a GDD or referenced by an ADR, remind the user:
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> "This value is defined in a design document. Run `/propagate-design-change [path]` on the affected GDD to find downstream impacts before committing."
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If no:
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- Summarize open issues and suggest saving the report to `design/balance/balance-check-[system]-[date].md` for later
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End with:
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> "Re-run `/balance-check` after fixes to verify."
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