On the Ludology podcast this week, they said that game balance depends in one respect on how easy it is to switch strategies mid-game. If it is too hard to switch strategies, the endgame becomes meaningless, because there is no point in playing further once a strategy becomes dominant. But if it is too easy to switch strategies, the beginning of the game is meaningless, because you can switch at the end to win without regard for the rest of the game. So the key to making the whole game meaningful is to balance how easy or hard it is to switch strategies.
