Well this is silly. We are only looking at Blizzard when we should be looking at other companies and how they develop their games as well.
While there is no such thing as perfection we need to understand that the goal of balance is to get as close as possible to such a state. That is why it is neverending and always progressing. So perfect balance isn’t achievable but by god has many a company come close to it or made such a stride towards that goal.
Balance is also subjective. What may be fun and fair for one person isn’t going to be fun or fair to another. So balance derives on a lot of opinion here.
Though those points aside we have to be fair and say that balance is needed in terms of being compeitive amongst other players. As long as there is something performance base you can be sure that human nature will make it compeititive.
Now why is balance needed? Balance is to make sure that both ends of a spectrum, or multiple ends, of a competition are given the same fair chances to perform to their capabilities without restraint unless otherwise outskilled by an opponent.
This means everyone should have a fair game with no matter how they choose to perform. Unless of course a disadvantage was taken into account.
Now considering that we have a variety of 28 static characters that never change their skills, this game is limited on it’s changes to variety.
If we compare the variety of League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, or Something like Warframe the variables become so mind numbingly difficult to even fathom.
Yet many people in those communities can consider their complex game balanced due to the various ways they can handle other competitors.
Take any single situation and imagine the possible outcomes or counters to it in Overwatch. Now take a similar situation and apply to League of Legends?
The point is thr choices in which we can play or handle any one such situation becomes so straight forward that we are left with the choices of either “do this like this” or to suffer under the situation without much of a choice.
This is where the lack of balance comes into mind. We have 28 heros but there are only one or two true counters to any one such hero. Then only one or two counters for any such suppprting hero supporting said threat. And so on and so forth.
Making the rock paper and scissors style of experience we manage to find until someone gets outskilled and that one hero with high skill turns the game over.
This is not balance. This is called shuffling and denies the player any variety or choices in how to play the game simply because any one such hero can become opptessive without much restraint.
Now if TIme to Kill was longer the fights could last and bring about an equal fight of a duel giving chances to outskill a player through multiple uses of various skills. Such as aim coupled with positioning. Or the use of cover over ability management.
Overwatch does not bring these types of fights into mind and oftens times encourages solo behavior and instant killing your opponents through many ways. Coupled with mobility that can barely be matched with only very few choices you get players who can flank kill and get out in less than seconds. Leaving kost players feeling cheated without any struggled taking place.
The small window for TTK implores that Overwatch is considered an assassination type of game. Which is most prominent in shooters. One mistake and you’re dead.
But we are dealing with heros who have character are shown to put up struggles and make a show of things. Yet the show is canceled because of a single headshot.
There should be a conflict and a clear opposition against one and another. Not this steal a life lile a thief mentality. It does little to show balance when players get to play less because someone merely hovered a crosshair over their heads or because of constant random spam.
So it is with this case that I suggest that players should be able to play the game. Not play less due to constraints other players employee. It should be competitive meaning two sides need to engage against one another in a struggle. Not who shoots first.
