#43
by Magustra
I have never professed any level of expertise so far as druids go, nor any other class for that matter, so I'll refrain from espousing the merits and virtues of one statistic over another.
That said, I do find that I tend somewhat more towards the opinions of Criminal and Zyz, and in terms of my general outlook on such things.
I think build diversity and attempts at innovation should be celebrated and commended rather than derided, and would imagine the game should become quite staid if everyone adopted, or yet tried to enforce, a one size fits all philosophy. Indeed, I'd have thought such an approach would run contrary to one of the main appeals of an RPG... That thing being freedom of choice and expression.
I would also find contradiction in the applying of absolutes to the subjective.
One persons perception of what it means to be the best, is likely to diverge from that of another.
The truth is simply that such concepts are relative, and that the right of judgement as pertains to them is reserved for the beholder's eye alone.
That is not to say that someone, or something, cannot commonly be regarded as the being the best in a particular field, or category, but to do so the term 'best' should first be qualified within an agreed framework or context. A framework which is also in some way quantifiable.
Back to topic, however, there are some principles that are commonly accepted as being standard guidelines so far as general builds go. The guidelines for principle stats are well established, as it the principle of stat plateaus for certain direct and isolated benefits.
Perl also makes the excellent point regarding scope of benefit being weighed and considered against those isolated instances.
At the end of the day though, what really matters is what you want from your build, and then exploring the many different avenues for achieving it.
Do you simply want to have the best skill damage? The best DPS? The best heal and / or support skills? Do you want to purely concentrate on a single pure ideal, and at the expense of all other considerations? Do you favour being a hybrid, or employing some other mix of principles? Do you want to solo level efficiently and / or economically? Do you want survivability? Do you have energy considerations? Is your present focus centred around bossing, farming, levelling, PVP, or all of the aforementioned? Do you want to be the druid equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, and to be adaptable to a vast array of situations?
Remember, even though it is oft said that a Jack of all trades is master of none, to the Jack it might seem that he is master of diversity and the environment at large.
In simple terms, the 'best' build for me, is the one one that best fits and satisfies my aims.
If someone has energy issues for example, then there exists a wide variety of solutions and builds according to one's tastes and resource. One might opt for sigils, lux, skills, consumables, or any mixture of the aforementioned. Where skills are concerned, a person might think about not only energy replenishing skills, but also how energy efficient their other skills would be. Some may also elect to consider melee in conjunction with certain other options, and in order to reduce their reliance on mana.
For some this latter option might run against the grain, but my point is that no one knows the individuals circumstances so well as the individual themselves. And none of these considerations even touch upon the subjective category of 'best entertainment'.
as I believe it is the best solo build so far.
). I just finished watching the Wicker Man so it was funny you mentioned that.
