The pace of a game is very important for balancing it. There are numerous games gone bad simply because the developer tried to change the pace to something the game was not meant to do in the beginning.

Generally there are two paces: A fast-paced game and a slow-paced game. A fast-paced game will feature units that have high attack and low health, and often high speed as well. In a fast-paced game, things die really fast, and if you are not paying attention you could lose the game in a matter of moments. Matches usually don’t last long either. Fast-paced games promote rushing, going on the offensive, and generally, it’s not a big problem if you lose units: As long as the opponent loses more units. Of course, this is a big generalization. Another fast-paced game is Counterstrike: However, because most players will die in one hit (or slightly more), the game is instead about being sneaky and camping.

Micro and Macro are both important in fast-paced games, though micro-management is more important. Because usually, if you can win a small skirmish, you will have a big advantage over the enemy as you can now keep attacking him. This does not mean the macro-game is to be neglected: If you are able to simply fend off enemy attacks, and build up a better economy, you might be able to steamroll him.
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