Ever play a game where all you need to use is one strategy to win? Say "Put all your research into this area, get this spell/technology, win"?

Those games are far too common. And yes, you can play them even if that flaw exists, and many do, but if you ever really get in a bind you can fall back on that. That's where balance comes into play.

It may not be *for* SP, but it in no way hurts it, other than you using exploitive strategies vs the computer instead of people and your 'fun' by winning easy is gone. Whereas MP (the OTHER half of the people playing the game) is dramatically hurt by it.

I'm all for SP and I'm all for helping out the SP games, but Mod Tools exist for you to make whatever kind of game you want and play them SP until you drool. In the near future they will add to them the ability to make spells, items, and whatever else they intend. So you can make the game how you want it to and unbalance the game as much as you need to enjoy it.