Diablo vs. Darkest Dungeon: RPG devs on balancing punishment and power
1 min read
Summary
The question of why people play video games is a longstanding one, and particularly relevant to the role-playing game (RPG) genre, where players thrive on the power fantasy of seeing their characters grow in power and capability.
However, this requires a careful balancing act on the part of developers, who must provide a sense of challenge to keep players engaged, but also reward them to ensure they feel empowered.
To explore this issue, Ars Technica spoke to developers from two very different RPGs: Diablo IV, a sprawling live service game that requires constant updates and balancing, and Darkest Dungeon II, an ultra-challenging indie sequel.
Both developers must walk a fine line between difficulty and reward to please their players, and each approaches the issue differently, illustrating the creative licence that developers have when designing RPGs.
