---
id: wiki-2026-0508-combat-balance-buff
title: Combat Balance Buff
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [combat-buff, balance-patch, buff-design]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.88
verification_status: applied
tags: [game-design, balance, combat, patch-design, live-ops]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: design-doc
  framework: live-balance
---

# Combat Balance Buff

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 underperforming unit / ability 의 매 strength 의 increase"**. 매 nerf 의 opposite — 매 player frustration 의 minimal 한 buff 가 매 balance team 의 default tool. 매 telemetry-driven (winrate < 47%, pickrate < 5%) buff 의 매 modern live-ops standard.

## 매 핵심

### 매 buff 종류
- **Stat buff**: 매 damage / HP / speed 의 numeric.
- **Mechanic buff**: 매 cooldown 단축, range 증가.
- **Synergy buff**: 매 set bonus, faction bonus.
- **Quality-of-life**: 매 animation 단축, hitbox 확대.

### 매 결정 기준 (telemetry)
- **Winrate**: 매 baseline ±3%.
- **Pickrate**: 매 5-15% target.
- **Ban rate** (PvP): 매 < 30%.
- **Player sentiment**: 매 forum / Reddit weighted.

### 매 응용
1. 매 patch cadence (2-week, monthly).
2. 매 PTR (public test realm) testing.
3. 매 retro-buff 의 long-tail content.

## 💻 패턴

### Buff candidate selector
```typescript
type UnitTelemetry = {
  unit_id: string;
  winrate: number;       // 0-1
  pickrate: number;      // 0-1
  banrate: number;       // 0-1 (PvP)
  sample_size: number;
};

function bufCandidates(units: UnitTelemetry[]): UnitTelemetry[] {
  return units
    .filter(u => u.sample_size > 1000)
    .filter(u => u.winrate < 0.47 || u.pickrate < 0.05)
    .filter(u => u.banrate < 0.10) // not problem-banned
    .sort((a, b) => a.winrate - b.winrate);
}
```

### Buff magnitude calculator
```typescript
function suggestBuffPercent(current_winrate: number, target_winrate = 0.5): number {
  const gap = target_winrate - current_winrate;
  // Empirical: ~5% stat buff ≈ 1% winrate shift
  const raw = gap * 5 * 100;
  return Math.round(clamp(raw, 3, 15)); // bounded
}

// Example: winrate 0.42 → suggest +8% damage
```

### Multi-stat buff distribution
```typescript
function distributeBuff(
  total_buff_budget: number,  // e.g. 10 (%)
  stats: ("damage" | "hp" | "speed" | "cooldown")[]
): Record<string, number> {
  const weights = { damage: 0.4, hp: 0.3, speed: 0.15, cooldown: 0.15 };
  const out: Record<string, number> = {};
  let total_w = stats.reduce((a, s) => a + weights[s], 0);
  for (const s of stats) {
    out[s] = (weights[s] / total_w) * total_buff_budget;
  }
  return out;
}
```

### Patch-note generator
```typescript
function generatePatchNote(unit: string, changes: Change[]): string {
  const lines = [`## ${unit}`, ""];
  for (const c of changes) {
    const arrow = c.delta > 0 ? "↑" : "↓";
    lines.push(`- ${c.stat}: ${c.before} → ${c.after} (${arrow}${Math.abs(c.delta)}%)`);
  }
  lines.push("", `*Designer note: ${changes[0]?.rationale ?? ""}*`);
  return lines.join("\n");
}
```

### A/B buff validation (PTR)
```typescript
async function validateBuff(unit_id: string, ptr_data: TelemetryWindow) {
  const before = await getLiveTelemetry(unit_id, "30d");
  const after = ptr_data;

  const winrate_shift = after.winrate - before.winrate;
  const pickrate_shift = after.pickrate - before.pickrate;

  if (winrate_shift > 0.06) return { decision: "scale_back", reason: "overshoot" };
  if (winrate_shift < 0.01) return { decision: "increase", reason: "insufficient" };
  return { decision: "ship", winrate_shift, pickrate_shift };
}
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 상황 | Approach |
|---|---|
| 매 winrate 42-47% | +5-8% stat buff |
| 매 pickrate <3% | mechanic / QoL buff |
| 매 niche pick | synergy buff |
| 매 winrate >50% but low pickrate | accessibility buff (animation, range) |

**기본값**: 매 telemetry > 1000 sample + 매 conservative +5% first pass.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[게임 밸런싱|Game-Balance]] · [[Live-Ops]]
- 응용: [[Defense-Buildings]] · [[Damage-Resistance-Platforms]]
- Adjacent: [[Evolution-of-the-War-Commander-Combat-Ecosystem]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: 매 patch design, telemetry analysis, magnitude calibration.
**언제 X**: 매 launch tuning — 매 telemetry 부족.

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **Power creep**: 매 매번 buff — 매 이전 unit 의 obsolete.
- **Buff knee-jerk**: 매 forum 의 single voice 에 react.
- **Stack 무시**: 매 multiple buff 의 multiplicative 효과.
- **Sample 부족**: 매 < 1000 의 의미 없음.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified (Riot Games balance team blog, Blizzard patch notes 2024-2025).
- 신뢰도 A.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — combat balance buff telemetry + magnitude design. |