1.) They don't know what they are doing.
The above notion should be dispelled. Maybe some designers don't know what they are doing, but many of them have been in their industry for a while, some have formal education in design, and they are constantly learning new things by networking at conventions.
2.) They don't care.
Perhaps there are people in design who do things like "quiet quitting," but I think designers usually are deeply invested in their work and even want to make a name for themselves by coming up with the next renound game. I also see them as the type who view themselves as making a genuine impact on their field.
3.) They are doing it for the money.
Maybe there is something to say for money pushing design decsision in a certain direction. Out of these 3 bad reasons that I could think of, this one probably is closest. But close only counts in horseshoes. One would think that it is in the best interest of capital for something to be well-balanced, so though it may push games down certain paths, it isn't a sufficient explanation.
Now that those reasons have been discarded, what might be the real reason that causes bad design?
I think that it is about fundamentals.
There are forces at work that we are beholden to. These fundamental forces ultimately guide the thinking of many down this path that has been tread on many of times.
Like Thoreau noticing the path that his footsteps made by trudging through the same space again and again, we would be keen to see the facets of life which we participate in which follow the same pattern year in and year out.
No matter how egregious balance may become, no matter how many players are incensed by that imbalance, design is very consistent at going in a foul direction regarding balance. If ever one step forward, then inevitibly two steps back. From the small perspective of the years that I've been alive, there seems to be something inexorable about poor balance
Edited by ZOS_Kevin on November 7, 2024 10:35AM Don't tank
"In future content we will probably adjust this model somewhat (The BOP model). It's definitely nice to be able to find a cool item that you don't need and trade it to someone who can't wait to get their hands on it." - Wrobel