Hard to say cause it really depends on what actions player could take in the game. In a game in which player can only choose between multiple choices to progress and to play the game versus a game in which player have big freedom in their actions, the balancing would be different.
Viewing post in Difficulty balance
The game sits somewhere in between those two extremes...
The player has freedom to explore and interact with the environment, but progression is still driven by discrete narrative events and choices rather than fully systemic gameplay.
Because of that, I’m leaning toward balancing around player agency:
- If an action is clearly optional or risky, the negative impact can be higher.
- If an event is required to progress, its effects should be softer or at least partially offset elsewhere.
I’m thinking of adjusting the balance per context, depending on how much control and information the player has at that moment...