Does Balance Kill Fun in Strategy Games? (Ep. 105)

Does balance kill fun in strategy games? Al, Drexy and new co-host Rob, the former founder of eXplorminate, try to settle it. It starts with William Harms, who wrote the story for Supreme Commander and Forged Alliance, explaining why the factions’ lore differences never made it into the gameplay. From there the conversation takes in single player versus multiplayer, patch culture, comeback mechanics, why tanks can’t kill infantry in Command & Conquer, and whether a game needs asymmetry at all. Drexy and Rob say yes. Al isn’t so sure.

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Critical Moves examines strategy games through weekly Friday episodes and the occasional video essay. Six hosts across multiple continents analyze recent releases, forgotten classics, and industry developments without the typical podcast theatrics. We cover real-time strategy, 4X civilization builders, turn-based tactics, and hybrid games that blur genre boundaries.