STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION (i will update this topic continuously)
1)
Definition of Single player problem
Look at the graph. At the horizontal line, there is game progress, at vertical, there is Character combat ability. The single player (like Fallout 1 or 2) is designed in that way. If you are making proggres in the game, you are awarded by bigger Character combat ability.
Game progress= ingame time, levels, finished quests, killed enemies,...
Character combat ability = HP + weapons skill + weapons + ammo + (player skill) + ...
Everything under the line in the graph, are enemies that can player destroy, because he has ability to do it. Everything above the line are the stronger enemies, so player is unable to kill them. If you want balance, you must put enemies under the line. If you want easy game, make vertical distance from line longer. If you want it harder, make it shorter. If you put enemies over the line, difficulty of the game is so big, that finish of the game is impossible.
This system works well in the single player game. If you meet enemy over the line, you have to load your game. More balanced, well designed game, less crossing over the line => less save/loads because of death. Even in fonline this works well, with NPC enemies. Until you reach adequate level, you have to avoid contact with better enemies.
Problem is multi player. You can meet enemy 21 lvl players at start of your progress. You are unable to avoid contact with stronger player enemies -> they are over the line.
Possible solutions:
* divide locations for players in special stage of progress => this exist right now (guarded nad not guarded cities)
* add the player (not char) fight skill ability more importance => create game more tactical
2)
How to balance the game across all fireamrs skills? It is very difficult task. If we want to balance weapons. In point 1) i descibed how is Fallout constucted. If you reach progress, you are able to use new, better weapon, there is no need to use your old weapon. It is naturaly, because the weapons was created for single player.
So we need to create differences among guns not depending on game progress. But there is one major problem.
How to hold balancing under control? There are dozens of weapons. We need to create one thin line connecting all (most) of the weapons. And i found it.
Its name is Mr. Bullet
In real world, the bullet is making damage, not the gun itself. The damage is made by weight of the bullet and speed of the bullet. I.e.: 7.62x51mm NATO, bullet weight 9.50g, velocity 840 m/s, energy 3,352 J.
The weapon inself only determines on how long distance you will shoot the bullet, how many times per minute, accuracy, manoeuvreability,.. Yes, it can little reduce or increase the speed of bullet, only little.
So i suggest, lets set that
bullet will be the major factor in calculating damage. Weapons will have other atrributes (fire rate, distance, clips, needed strenght,..) and only little possibility to modify the damage (to make nuances among guns, i.e.: 1,1 multiplier, 1,2, 1,3 max). So if we set enough level of ammo damage, we can balance all other weapons only by setting their own multiplier.
So
damage your gun will do is equal to
bullet dmg * number of shooted bullets * gun multiplier. (Reducement of dmg will be another chapter).
So, what will be the difference among guns, only damage? Damage and distance!! If we set the distance and damage on correct level, each weapon could have its own purpose. The problem i see, is to set distance of crossing lines correctly. This will determine the use of weapon (interior, streets, city squares, free planes,...). Than we can make minor changes in each weapon class (i.e. magazine, total distance, price, AP needed, dmg multiplier)
I.E.:
