LDG-Gaming

Of course, since games are often macrocalibrated well before they reach alpha stage, it is possible that they may have to be recalibrated as new lumps of functionality are added to the game. Erin Daly, lead designer of Homeworld, suggests that adding groups of related functionality at the same time, and doing a macrocalibration when they are added, is generally the most effective way to keep the game playable throughout development.
Allowing for a balanceable game system is obviously only the first step towards a balanced game. Even the most immaculate design must be implemented, and just as error can seep into implementations, slight errors are often made in the initial design. In addition, many game values really can't even be effectively guessed until the game is implemented. In these situations, which generally occur during the pre-alpha and alpha stages, designers must use macrocalibration techniques or "get the balance values in the right ballpark".

Macrocalibration should always be completed before microcalibration is begun; small balance changes will be washed away and made into useless work if the foundation that the game rests on is still in transition. While macrocalibrating, the goal is to "find" the target gameplay that is described in the design document. Obviously, you can't polish the gameplay with small tweaks when you aren't even sure you've gotten the core gameplay to manifest!

The biggest challenge in microcalibrating is simply identifying problems. Once a problem is identified, it is just a question of tweaking values slightly, and in such a way that one is not creating new problems. Good element modularity and pre-planning will really be a life-saver at this stage - without them, it may not be possible to balance the game in a reasonable time frame.

Finally, avoid "Over-solving" imbalances. "Over-solving" an imbalance is when a designer applies multiple different types of tweaks at once to fix one particular problem. Over-solving makes it very difficult to determine the effects of the changes simply because you are using multiple independent variables to affect one dependant variable. Over-solving is also a recipe for trouble in terms of accidentally affecting other game elements.