Automatic Job Balance System

[Mystrum]

Would it be possible to implement a system that collects data from all encounters and changes the base damage of the Job automatically everyday differently for each relevant duty?

For now, I see that FFlogs is used by the players to judge if a Job has unbalanced numbers. Isn't this process the same for every time a Job Balance patch is implemented? And if it's always the same... Program it!

By adding a Trait (or invisible trait) to every Job that has a variable number that adds or subtract primary stats (INT/STR...) based on the data collected for each encounter, the dev team could put their time into other things and only focus on balancing Job internal potencies.

It would surely take time. But once it's done, it would be rewarding for everyone.

Disclaimer: Obviously, it is my humble example of implementation, and I'm aware of the level of spaghetti code FFXIV has. But even with spaghetti code FFXIV has some of the best systems of any MMO, and this could be another one. Since the game tend to follow the same formula for everything combat-wise, this system is imaginable, and I believe if anyone can imagine it, it can to be programmed.

Let's discuss.

Such a system as you describes would in its very essence create imbalance rather than correct it, I would also make the counter the comment on spaghetti code with the more your over complicate the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain.

From the perspectives of business, technical application, and design philosophy I would also say no to create this. Such a system could be described as an extreme form of homogenization in its worst application, and I put for that statement on a purely philosophical level. Never under any circumstances underestimate human will, nor a gamer’s ability to find ways to exploit and or use a system their advantage. Imperfection in job design in video games is by its very nature is as close to balance as game developers are going to get. However there is no “balance” only “imperfect application” in a purely balanced game everyone would have one button to press and the game would push it for you.

There is a rough target that SE sets for encounter design to both allow for completion of that content, and to allow for players to learn and grow their characters something critically vital to player investment. To all the players who actively work to better their characters spending their game time working out best in slot, materias, rotations, and fight optimization such a system would render that all moot on a daily basis. The system would require machine learning and adaptive AI to calibrate every job main stat due in no small part that invariably the same players are not going to be doing the same content every day. How would such a system account for the disparity between different players skill level across all of the jobs? How would it account for the varying item levels between each player and their jobs? How would it account for internet connection latency? It cannot simply be coded unless you set it so that everyone does the same outputs all of the time regardless of gear or effort which is completely opposite of what the suggested system to be for. The system you describe to fulfill the underlying objective of an “auto balancing system” would have to be able to adjust per encounter, during that encounter with a massive amount of variables in play for 4, 8, and 24 players in mind numbing number of server instances. OP you are asking for quantum levels of computing in a video game, and while I can empathize I have to say while your hearts in the right place, its beat is all wrong in this regard.

In conclusion FFXIV is not the world of Harrison Bergeron, and I am diametrically opposed to even the slightest application of an auto balancing system. It leads to nothing but stagnation and lazy design. If Murphy’s Law and Moore's Law have taught us anything it’s that one day we will have this system, and it will go horribly wrong but at least not for a good decade or two.