There are numerous item sets in Elder Scrolls Online, all of which need to be well balanced. The developers now explain how they tackle this mammoth task.
Elder Scrolls Online, one of the best MMORPGs of 2024, boasts an impressive number of different item sets. There are now over 650 pieces. This requires a lot of dedication and detailed work on the part of the developers in balancing.
The sets have to be changed and adjusted during development, but also after their release, so that the overall balance does not become unstable. The developers explain exactly how this works in a blog entry on the official website.
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The key is mathematics
How do the developers proceed? Nadav Pechthold, who works as a combat designer at ESO, talks about the complex work in the blog. An important factor in every set is the set bonus efficiency, or SBE for short. This refers to the average power of a set per equipment slot. It shouldn’t differ too much from others.
To calculate all of this, the developers use mathematical formulas and summarize it as follows:
We use a series of mathematical formulas to determine the SBE using positive numbers to increase the value and negative numbers to decrease the value. Granting attributes and increasing damage or duration are examples of how to increase SBE, while complex proc requirements, cooldowns, and “curses” reduce SBE. In short, we compare the good stuff a set brings you with how difficult it is to use, and divide that by the number of pieces it takes to complete it.
Nadav Pechtold via elderscrollsonline.com
It is always important to test all sets during the ongoing game. Theory is all well and good, but practice shows whether the balance is really right. That’s why each set is put through its paces in PvE and PvP with different play styles.
So is the balance perfect? Nadav Pechtold admits that perfect balance is difficult to achieve. There are cases where it just doesn’t work. This makes it all the more important to adapt older sets afterwards. Apart from that, Elder Scrolls Online will soon receive an important update: One of the most successful MMORPGs is getting a major update, the community criticizes PvP focus and paid companions