Build and Spec Library on Our Forums

[Draegan]

You might have realized that there have almost been no guides on souls or how to level them. This was because we observed that the souls have been going through an ongoing process where they have been changing quite a bit from patch notes to patch notes. Now that release is around the corner, Rift Junkies is going to try to build a library of builds created and maintained by you the community. Here is how it works.

Each portion of the Soul Theory and Build Guides will be under strict moderation. New threads will have to adhere to new forum rules and guidelines. We hope players who love coming up with new builds will participate. After release arrives, players will be able to post their builds and the community will be able to rate them via the thread rating tool on the forums. Over time we hope to create many 5 star rated builds scored by everyone reading and testing them. Eventually what we'd like to do is elevate those builds that have been around for a while to our Official Library (yet to be implemented). Essentially Rift Junkies will spotlight those builds that are time tested and community approved.

In the end we hope that each subsection, one for each calling, will be able to host a collection of the best builds on the internet where players will be able to sort through them based on their rating.

If you are interested in this idea, please step forward and submit your own builds. You can find the forums rules here. Our Builds and Guides subforum is open for business.

Here is the first build I've put up for this project: Leveling Rogue Build

[SilverDragn]

I don't like this idea as once people start voting on the "best" souls and specs everyone who doesn't play with it will be considered a newb and not know how to play.

I like that there is no cookie cutter specs and roles in the game right now. I play another game where everyone playing a certain class all has the same spec and stats and its really boring and unoriginal now.

[Skalikas]

This is a bad idea that would ruin the game soul system quite a bit. If you are really thinking of implementing this library then atleast dont add such thing as rating. Etc. atm there are around 196 ways of building warrior tank (excluding the different ways to buil branches) and this library would decrease this number to like 3-4 "best" builds and all those who cant think with theirs own heads would follow em.

Soz if english isnt that good, still the idea is that creating such library = ruining the game

[Kal-Torak]

As much as I know the one you have posted is only for leveling, that wont be what this is used for.

I cant see this helping rifts dynamic soul design system when people can just grab a cookie cutter spec. Especially when a rotation is given!

[Draegan]

I'd like to point people to the direction of the DDO build forums. (Down for maintenance right now apparently)

The idea is for people to post their builds they like on the forums, post why they are they think they're awesome, then allow the community to rate them for their usefulness.

[Draegan]

As much as I know the one you have posted is only for leveling, that wont be what this is used for.

I cant see this helping rifts dynamic soul design system when people can just grab a cookie cutter spec. Especially when a rotation is given!

The soul system isn't dynamic though. It's just more diverse than other game's class systems. Everything is still based on math and there will always ultimately be the best build for different situations.

[Sariena]

I believe you'll have several top rated threads about the same soul combination. This won't be as 'wowpopular' where you'll see a spec miles above the others.

creating such library = ruining the game

There will always be sites featuring what they think is "the-best-build" - why not be this one? It's up to the community to give the players a lot of choices.

[Draegan]

Here's my motivation: http://forums.ddo.com/forumdisplay.php?f=175

I'm trying to formalize the format, but that forum is what I'd love to see. Sort the thread by rating and you'll get the idea.

[Gore]

I don't like this idea as once people start voting on the "best" souls and specs everyone who doesn't play with it will be considered a newb and not know how to play.

I like that there is no cookie cutter specs and roles in the game right now. I play another game where everyone playing a certain class all has the same spec and stats and its really boring and unoriginal now.

I'd have to agree. The thing is though, riftjunkies is a website and everything they do is for traffic to their site. Good for the game or not, they will do what gives them hits and money in the end.

[Bikini]

Alot of people will probably struggle getting into a game like rift that tends to be a little "Hi friend, and welcome, here's 16 various spells and buffs for you to read up on". For them a feature like this can be a great help to not choose totally hopeless soul combos.

I get what ya'll saying about the cookie cutter thing, but as some other dude said somewhere, this is not WoW and the mechanics cannot be compared just because they ring similar.

[Hopdevil]

The soul system isn't dynamic though. It's just more diverse than other game's class systems. Everything is still based on math and there will always ultimately be the best build for different situations.

Agreed. The "cookie-cutter" or optimal builds are inevitable. Discussing them - or "utility" builds or whatever - can only help players in my view. (with the caveat that it's a constructive discussion and doesn't degenerate into an epeen measuring contest, or an elitist-trash-the-moron-that-made-that-build type of thread)

[mdrummer5]

Agreed. The "cookie-cutter" or optimal builds are inevitable. Discussing them - or "utility" builds or whatever - can only help players in my view. (with the caveat that it's a constructive discussion and doesn't degenerate into an epeen measuring contest, or an elitist-trash-the-moron-that-made-that-build type of thread)

Optimal builds aren't inevitable, they already exist even if we don't know what they are yet. The question is, has Trion made it a point to make sure that they are balanced enough that someone doesn't have to play a certain spec to be considered "good enough" for an instance?

When playing WoW I loved playing my arcane spec, then it came to pass that fire was the end all be all and if you were playing anything else you were laughed at and in some cases kicked from a raid (rare but it happened). As long as this doesn't end up being the case I'm fine with optimal builds as it's impossible for however many dps builds/combos to have the exact same damage output, one is obviously going to be #1. As long as they're close I could care less.

[Draegan]

Well as long as your dps spec can pull the numbers that the raid needs to succeed who cares? But if you want to roll with a spec that is sub-optimal just because you want to be special, you probably shouldn't be in that raid if having that spec causes 19 other people to fail.

Play the game and have fun, but when you work in groups with other people, you need to bring your best tools.

This is why your character has four different build slots.

[joho0]

Here's my problem. There are 196 different ways to spec your soul. I have a job, a wife and 3 kids. I don't have 20 spare hours to spend researching the best spec for my warrior. Give me a couple of specs to start with and I'll worry about tinkering with them when I have the time.

[karajix]

I think this is a great idea, by no means is anyone suggesting that the most popular should turn into cookie cutter builds, it would be great reference to look into if you are hard pressed to figure something out if you are not into theorycrafting but still want to help your group progress.

I feel people need to get past the little things like this, there will never be a game that is as complex as rift that is 100% balanced in terms of everything can do the same exact dps no matter the conditions. There will always be a better build and there will always be one that isn't so great. I think it is important to point these out for the sake of balance though. Look at it this way, no matter how many people are playing, there will always be people spec'ed like you.

[MCU2Papa]

Here's my problem. There are 196 different ways to spec your soul. I have a job, a wife and 3 kids. I don't have 20 spare hours to spend researching the best spec for my warrior. Give me a couple of specs to start with and I'll worry about tinkering with them when I have the time.

I agree and feel you. I also look back at when I was running around with a Justicar, Cabalist, Inquisitor build because the idea was cool but I had no idea what I was doing. Had a difficult time enjoying my character and leveling until I found some "Builds" forums (Thank you Rift Junkies) and actually started learning that oil and water don't mix but blood and water do! If the moderation could maybe limit a "Top 3 build" for each class and purpose (Top three cleric tank builds, top three cleric group healers, top three cleric pvp, etc) then it would make picking through the nonsense easier.

If you want to see what kind of a melee it can turn into if its not moderated properly then look at the forum http://www.riftjunkies.com/forums/sh...cussion-Inside I still don't know whats a great build from this debate.

[Cevo]

If the moderation could maybe limit a "Top 3 build" for each class and purpose (Top three cleric tank builds, top three cleric group healers, top three cleric pvp, etc) then it would make picking through the nonsense easier.

Only problem with that is, who are we to say what the "Top 3" builds are? Everybody plays different and enjoys different ways of leveling. This way let's everybody put their own input in

[MCU2Papa]

Only problem with that is, who are we to say what the "Top 3" builds are? Everybody plays different and enjoys different ways of leveling. This way let's everybody put their own input in

Verdad. There would need to be some outlining criteria. I think it could be fairly easy to accomplish though. It wouldn't need to be an end all exhuastive list. Just something maybe the people can vote on (makes more sense to do the stat math imo) that gives the casual gamer an idea of what direction to go. I think some of the important aspects of my Justicar is my survivability (tanking/mitigation, endurance, block, parry, dodge skills), longevity (mana consumption and down time between pulls), and ability to keep aggro. If someone can put together three top builds (again based on stats imo) that give a functional display of a Tank with these criteria in mind (versus other class tanks if desired), then we would be headed in the right direction.

Side note: "who are we to say what the "Top 3" builds are?"- We are the players, the consumers, the ones who decide in the end if the product sticks around Trion made the game for us (and their wallets of course) but it still plays in our favor. Look at PS3's MAG and what the players did to that title lol. Great idea, decent design, bad job on the players. I am deffinatly not smart enough to figure out the stat math or know the enticasies of the game but, I know several people here at Rift Junkies who are... yourself included!

P.S. No spell check sorry.

[Cevo]

Side note: "who are we to say what the "Top 3" builds are?"- We are the players, the consumers, the ones who decide in the end if the product sticks around

Well, when I said this I was referring to the admins/mods of RJ. I play mage, Indi plays warrior, Draegan plays rogue, no clue what Teljair plays. In no way are we the experts in our classes, but that would be the first question people would ask us if we did a Top specs.

"What makes you guys the experts?"

Voting is a good idea, but we would have to have another vote everytime someone came up with a new spec.

[MCU2Papa]

Well, when I said this I was referring to the admins/mods of RJ. I play mage, Indi plays warrior, Draegan plays rogue, no clue what Teljair plays. In no way are we the experts in our classes, but that would be the first question people would ask us if we did a Top specs.

"What makes you guys the experts?"

Voting is a good idea, but we would have to have another vote everytime someone came up with a new spec.

Ya, I could see where the "Voting" idea could be hell on earth. The thought of all the arguments gives me shivers. Maybe start by finding out what the players think are the three most important attributes per role. That gives a baseline measurement and criteria to examine, some frame work to start with. I would say for tanks it is the ability to take and mitigate damage, what would that be called? Survivability? Tank factor? Endurance? Second would be effectiveness in battle such as being able to stay in a long fight with out running out of mana/energy (again name?), and third their ability to keep aggro. My opinion only.