In the corporate world people measure tasks and labor in terms of man hours. The same principle can be used in Starcraft 2. A single unit of measure, which I will call labor seconds, can be used to measure both time and cost of a unit or structure. Thus we can create a single unit of measurement on which to balance units. This analysis does not take into account abilities that have to be microed, such as the Nexus' Chrono Boost or the Orbital Command's Call Down Mule. A balanced game should have units that are equal without player interference and its the player's ability to control those units and structures that give them the edge during a game. Now, how to calculate labor seconds: The time it takes to build units and structures converts directly into labor seconds since it is a measurement of time. That being the case we must convert mineral and vespene production into a time. The gathering process is identical for all races. In Starcraft 2 a single harvester delivers 5 minerals. Not all mineral patches are equal distance from the main structure, however it takes 5 seconds, on average, for a harvester to walk to a mineral patch, harvest the minerals, and finally deliver them. Therefore, when we round down, gathering 1 mineral equals 1 second of labor. So, for example, a building that takes 45 seconds to build and costs 100 minerals can be said to take 145 labor seconds or LS for short. We can measure vespene gas in much the same way. In Starcraft 2 a single harvester delivers 4 vespene gas and the gathering process takes 4 seconds. Therefore gathering 1 vespene gas also equals 1 second of labor. However, we must also take into account the minerals and time spent to build the refinery/assimilator/extractor. The build time is 30 seconds added to our 75 mineral cost which gives us a total of 105 LS which we must add as a base LS for each vespene gas collected. Therefore, 1 vespene gas equals 106 LS and 2 vespene gas equals107 LS, etc... We now have a system of measurement that we can compare all units on an equal ground. Let's take a look at the first military units each race is able to build, also known as the tier 1 units. Terran Marine: Barracks: 150 minerals + 60 build time = 210 LS Marine: 50 minerals + 20 build time = 70 LS 1 marine = 280 LS 2 marines = 350 LS 3 marines = 420 LS 4 marines = 490 LS 5 marines = 560 LS 6 marines = 630 LS Protoss Zealot: Gateway: 150 minerals + 65 build time = 215 LS Zealot: 100 minerals + 33 build time = 133 LS 1 zealot = 348 LS 2 zealots = 481 LS 3 zealots = 614 LS Zerg Zergling: Spawning Pool: 200 minerals + 65 build time = 265 LS 2 Zerglings: 50 minerals + 24 build time = 74 LS 2 zerglings = 339 LS 4 zerglings = 413 LS 6 zerglings = 487 LS 8 zerglings = 561 LS 10 zerglings = 635 LS Now to put this measurement into practice you take 2 sets of units that are of relatively equal LS and let them fight each other without player interference. Let's take 10 zerglings, which equal 635 LS, and 6 marines, equalling 630 LS, and start them a good space apart in open ground and let them run towards each other on auto attack. Since they are of relatively equal LS it should be a roughly 50/50 chance as to who will win. Since fights rarely, if ever, come out as a tie where both sides are destroyed usually it will end up where there is 1 unit left from either side that is 1 or 2 hits away from death. That would be an acceptable margin of error for equality. Since the 10 zerglings have a slightly higher LS than the marines they should come out on top slightly more often than the marines if given enough test runs. For example, if you ran the above test 1000 times then zerg would have 1 unit left, granted very close to death, on approximately 510 of the attempts where terrain would have 1unit left, also 1 or 2 hits away form death, on 490 of the attempts. That would prove that those units are completely balanced. If that's not the case then something must be done to balance then, whether it be raise their damage, lower life, increase attack speed, etc... I'm not here to say what the exact changes should be, but to prove that changes should be made. The system can also be used on higher level units and units with upgrades just making sure to add the base LS cost of the upgrade when counting the unit. Micro elements of units and buildings are not taken into effect at this time, because those are strictly as strong or as weak as the player controlling them and have very little to do with the base balance of the unit.
