Because there's always a temptation to make a faction stronger than others to make it more attractive to some players. This leads to others making similarly poweful things to keep up/fight the other factions, and eventually it leads to a new higher status quo.

Then the process repeats.

This is the essence of power creep.

Originally posted by TTFTCUTS:

Because there's always a temptation to make a faction stronger than others to make it more attractive to some players. This leads to others making similarly poweful things to keep up/fight the other factions, and eventually it leads to a new higher status quo.

Then the process repeats.

This is the essence of power creep.

also called being lame

The moral of the story is some people like to make factions stronger than others. Also from a modding standpoint making a faction "balanced" takes a lot more effort and can take a way some creativity.

Originally posted by Tankhusk:

(...) and can take a way some creativity.

I maintain that making a well-balanced faction that's also fully-featured requires the very essence of creativity. OTOH, any level-zero scrub can grab the (for example) Terran Proton Sword and quadruple its DPS before re-branding it as an "original" modder creation.

I remember my first weapon modification that I did for myself and just for shiggles and gits... I gave the proton sword of the Terrans 200k damage and 50 width, then just dashed around giddiliy with it flopping about like my wang.

Originally posted by Prof. von Calamity:

Originally posted by Tankhusk:

(...) and can take a way some creativity.

I maintain that making a well-balanced faction that's also fully-featured requires the very essence of creativity. OTOH, any level-zero scrub can grab the (for example) Terran Proton Sword and quadruple its DPS before re-branding it as an "original" modder creation.

have you seen zombiesrock's default faction copy mods?

I just uninstall mod factions that are too strong.
I like factions to have a greater strength in a catagory in exchange for something weaker in another, or missing altogether for other strengths. Using Terran as the "main" or "balanced" example (despite them having the ludicrous speed engine and some of the best sniper weapons).

I like things like the Meat faction, their early weapons are kind-of terrible if you can't land charged shots, and they have melee ramming spikes to somewhat make up for it. Their blocks are also either very durable and regenerate slowly, or super-fragile but regenerate super-fast (meat and bones).

The Salt is another neat example, though I seem to be having issues playing them (like, randomly dying when I'm a giant ship and I bump an asteroid slightly). But on paper they have a neat concept. Big durable blocks, absolutely terrible weapons, can't collect R until mid-game (they have to generate it slowly).. But they have a variety of advanced drones. Interesting movement blocks too.

it all depends on your idea of balanced, for example, i am currently making a modpack of four powerful factions, each with its own advantages and disadvantages but still being powerful, the factions are designed to counteract each other.

Originally posted by ironic Toblerone:

it all depends on your idea of balanced, for example, i am currently making a modpack of four powerful factions, each with its own advantages and disadvantages but still being powerful, the factions are designed to counteract each other.

My idea of balanced, in this case is "relative to vanilla factions".

Some factions I've tried have had these issues:
Hull parts take five times as much damage to break as vanilla factions, and regenerate almost instantly when no longer focus-fired.
Small ships (300-600p) able to melt vanilla faction 1,500-2000p ships like they're nothing.
Mod faction occupies a massive area and fills it with 40,000-120,000p ships (seriously..) that barely fit on the screen and lag the game to hell.
Mod faction has multiple super-durable cores on every ship.
Faction has ultra-powerful laser turrets, rendering "going anywhere near them" no longer an option.