The first problem here is that it takes a good long while to get enough skill points to be able to test out all the skills a given component class has and see how they handle. Second problem is which should take priority–the class as a gestalt, or specific skills in there?
This actually fits with whether I want Infiltrator or Vindicator. I specifically like Rune of Hagarrad most among the skills I’ve been able to test (basically anything to the third tier), and therefore looked for equipment that boosted it/Biting Cold/Chillsurge, to see what other classes were usually expected to accompany it. That resulted in Infiltrator and Mage Hunter, and the Infiltrator support just seemed better among the two (more cold damage focus, I think). Meanwhile, the classes that had the most skills (that I could test) that satisfied me were Inquisitor and Shaman, so that could suggest Vindicator.
Thing is, I worry I’m working on an only partial understanding of each component class (haven’t tested Rune of Kalastor, Ravenous Earth, Storm Totem, War Cry, etc.). I know there’s an equivalent to TQ Defiler out there, but I’m worried I’d trigger achievements at the wrong time. Thus, I’d like to see how the rest of you chose your primary class dyads. (Infiltrator is currently at L25, by the way.)
If it’s about exploring new skills then explore them, if it’s a concept build then make the concept. No one can really tell you how to choose your class. Infiltrator is amazing for cold rune so you will play it at full potential, that much I can tell you.
Don’t forget to invest in chillsurge. The frostburn dmg is huge
I don’t expect to try out every skill in the game. Some of them don’t appeal to me so I’m unlikely to try them out. For others it’s more how I see the mastery and also what build idea I have in mind. I have a couple of Apostates for example. One is a pet/ranged toon with pets doing main damage (I hope) with dual wield ranged backup. The other is a runcaster using Hagarrad, Kalastor, Bone Harvest and Ravenous Earth.
Same here more or less. I start making builds on a whim based on skills I want to try and what I feel like playing.
There’s a decent amount of skills that I have either never tried or have little experience with, not because they are inefficient or unviable but because they do not interest me so I have never made a character with them in mind.
What I do:
I think what damage type would be fun to try out or which skill I think is interesting.
If I don’t want a particular damage type, I search for an item to build around it.
I go to grimtools and check items for this particular skill, maybe sets, maybe modifiers.
If one of those above is true, I theorycraft that build.
If the theorycrafted build seems to focus on two damage types, I choose one and build around it.
If my OA/DA are low, no particular items are for such build, my resists are low or damage seems weak, I quit this build.
I think of what damage type, skill or set would be fun to play with.
I check items for this particular skill, sometimes sets.
If I found an interesting item, I check what build would be fun to support this item.
I check if damage types that this item or skill have are supported by other items.
I theorycraft a build.
If the theorycrafted build seems to focus on two damage types, I choose one and build around it.
If my OA/DA are low, no particular items are for such build, my resists are low or damage seems weak, I quit this build.
My last few builds were like “oh, I want a cold character!”, “oh, I want a poison character!”, “oh, I want a bleeding character!” so I made the cold one and poison one, theorycrafted a bleeding character and meanwhile made (totally for fun) a physical tank warder that has solid damage (solid here means acceptable, 30 - 40k DPS, forgot exact number) and then made this particular warder, then started a pet build for the 18 pets achievement, got it today and still play with this pet build because the theorycrafted build looks totally retarded and OP. Next will be the bleeding build I theorycrafted like 5 months ago and another will be a commando.
I theorycraft too much therefore I always have stuff to play.
I started playing when there were only 3 classes total, so that made the choice for my first character much easier. When I did choose, though, I chose based on the Gestalt. The specifics come later, but it’s hard to be interested in the specifics if you don’t like the overall theme of the class (for me at least)
Take soldier, for example. In every RPG I’ve played, I’ve generally disliked berserker/barbarian/fighter/warrior classes because the theme is generally uninteresting to me. Even though I know Forcewave is a nice, well-rounded skill, I just can’t develop an interest for it because of the theme it’s attached to. If it were recolored and named “Entropic wave” and given to the occultist, I’d play the crap out of it. I know it’s not logical, but if you know yourself to be a big-picture person like me, it just “feels” right to pick based on the theme versus the nitty-gritty details. The question comes down to: what sort of player are you?
I guess as a new player it is best to just pick your first mastery and push it to its limits. Then you will see what weakneses you got and can choose a 2nd mastery to cover that. Don´t try to create the perfect build just yet, just play and learn the classes. GD takes time. Don´t rush.
Personally often times I find a cool item/set and want to see if I can conjure up a build that works with that. More often than not, I gimp the character. Then I bury it and move on. Yes, I guess that makes me a serial killer of sorts.
I have a general concept of what I want for a given character, and that usually makes the class choices obvious. To use your example, you like Rune of Hagarrad, so the choice would be Infiltrator to get more cold support for it. The fact that you also like Shaman means your second character should be Shaman plus whatever class supports what you like about Shaman (for me, Soldier, because I like Shaman’s focus on 2-handed melee combat).
There can be cases where you use both masteries almost equally (my Spellbreaker is like that), but in general one tends to focus on one of them and pick out a handful of key skills from the other. Occultist seems to be a common example in the latter role - in some cases it looks like people take it solely for Blood of Dreeg & Aspect of the Guardian.
Also note that combining the two masteries with the most skills you like is a bad idea - there aren’t nearly enough skill points for that.
When it came to the skill-gestalt idea, the conceit was that it would be the most likely to have a skill formation I’d be comfortable with, or three. Matter of flexibility.
Nonetheless, I finally gave in and used the GD Defiler (and activated the L35 achievement early…{grumble}). Looks like I won’t have to start fresh again; the winners for the gestalt plan were Nightblade and Inquisitor, so my Infiltrator will definitely be my lead. (Second character will be an Elementalist, for the record…unless whatever new masteries Forgotten Gods implements really catch my eye.)
Almost the same here, just playing self found it’s a case of partway through playing one char the thought of “I wonder how build xyz would do?” keeps popping into my head, start that build and partway through that one… the same thought again, eventually delete the entire folder of 30+ chars and start with an empty char list.
Same here I guess then
@ Skyknight. I’d say very simply, don’t worry too much to start with, play what seems like fun and if that char doesn’t work out… it’s still fun and experience about how the game works and there’s a lot to learn as the game mechanics can get very deep if you really get into it, so it’s going to take some time / chars to learn how everything works together best to suit your playstyle.
The only real general basic guide to help not gimp your early chars too much is to stick 2 points per level up into your mastery bar and the other to a skill as it’s the mastery bar that’s your only real source of boosting your health/energy.
