Trying to understand how people go about making builds in this game. It seems like every single melee build I’ve seen just holds left click and pops defensive/cc/debuff, is that all there is? How do I go about looking into character defining components and gear with conversion that enables builds, etc? Are there any viable melee/caster hybrid characters that actually have a reason to cast damaging spells? Thanks.
Focused characters work best, because they are focused. Hence the most builds will try to aim for that. There should be quite a few who manage to do a bit of both.
Also it depends on what your aim is, single player or multiplayer. I play singleplayer and focus on certain builds, then I play multiplayer with 1 friend and there I play a vitality caster and he plays some kinda blademaster, we have different aims on what we target and do (im aoe and healer more while he’s the singletarget dps). And in yet another group I have 2 players besides me so I play a full support, demo with flashbangs and blackwater cocktails and so on. There I have lot’s to do but need to stay alive as well.
In singleplayer, if I die my bloodypox build sometime, I will go for hybrid summoner build, if it works i’ll be posting it here 
But I’m sure there are similar things for melee/caster hybrids as well…
I’m not sure if it counts but I played a dualwielding saboteur that died on lvl 70 in elite swarming hive. (it’s easy, all you do is look at the TV after you click the entrance and you’re dead when you turn your head back apparently) that worked very well and had meteor shower on flashbang and thermite mines and so on… Bit spellcasting at least, it worked VERY well, I’m sure I would’ve done ultimate if I hadn’t messed up. It was also very fun to cast stuff now and then 