Ways A Casual Player Can Use Build Templates?

[Chichimec.9364]

Build templates will be arriving soon. A number of hardcore gamers who run alts across the various game modes (open world pve, pvp, wvw, raids, fractals) have already been using third-party templates. They know why they need them and how they want to use them. The build templates may be a new thing for more casual players though. So several of us have been brainstorming ways we casual types may find them useful. One minor caution before we begin. All this is tentative at this point as the templates won't actually be introduced in the game for several weeks yet. There will inevitably be adjustments, bug fixes and the like once we all start using the templates. So the following is just some preliminary thinking, subject to future modification.

Easy AdaptabilityThis may be one of the most essential benefit of the new templates. Each profession offers a wide range of options for skills, abilities, and gear while the game offers a wide variety of situations where the various builds may be more or less effective. In some situations a power build is better. In others, a condition oriented build may be more effective. Some professions offer signets and traits that increase movement speed. At times that can be really helpful. At other times, movement speed may not be a priority and other signets or traits may be more important. With build templates and key binding, one can quickly swap various builds in and out by hitting the designated key.

ExperimentationThis will likely be another really helpful use of the templates. There are a number of build guides out there, including youtube videos. It's one thing to read about or watch a video discussing various builds. It's another thing entirely to test play those builds for yourself. With the templates one can readily try out the various skill builds and weapon options of your chosen profession to see which ones fit you best. With cheaper gear used on lower level maps, one can easily test drive as many options as one wants.

Different Builds For Different Game ModesThis is a variant on the adaptability theme but an important one. Builds that work for pve roaming may not be suited for pvp or fractals. Raids often require very specific builds depending on which raid one is going on. In wvw, a solo roaming build may not work as well for running with zergs. As you try the different game modes and experiment with different builds, you'll find what works best for you in which situations. Be warned though - this is where hardcore, multi-mode players end up with 30+ builds. ?

Freeing Up Inventory SpaceAll of the above can be done now by carrying different equipment loads in one's inventory. Even the most casual players often end up carting around some extra weapons and armor for use when needed. With the build templates one will be able to put all that in a different storage bin freeing up that inventory space.Tracking Future Equipment Needs While Leveling UpAs you run through the game you will pick up all kinds of equipment including some pretty nice stuff which you may not need on that particular character. Right now that often gets tossed into bank storage against future need. Keeping track of what you have on hand as well as who can use what can be a pain. The equipment templates will allow you to put gear in an alt's storage even if that alt can't use it yet. Thus you can pull that gear out of your bank storage and put it on a lower level alt who will need it in the future.

Extra Weapon SlotsWhile each profession can use a variety of weapons, the game only allows you to equip two weapon sets at a time. One very basic but helpful use of the build templates will be to have more weapon options readily available. Sadly, you cannot switch templates in mid-battle. If you know what's coming though, you can swap as needed before the fighting starts. If worse comes to worse, you can always try to pull back from the battle long enough to get clear and switch the template before wading back into the fray.

That's it for now. Additions, suggestions, and corrections are of course welcome. Thanks to all the posters below for sharing their thinking.

[Cyninja.2954]

Try not to pay attention to the forum drama, people are once again drama queens. This will pass over just as most past forum dramas have and if the system works and is enjoyable, people will use it.

As far as use for more casual players, here are some ideas:A.) Ask yourself: Do you pvp or WvW? Depending on how many yes or nos, you now have up to 3 templates available for pve (in case of not playing any competative game mode). Knowing how many build templates you will have available will help in deciding what to do with them.

B.) What gear do you have available? Remember, build templates will allow you to store items in them, thus freeing up inventory space for characters.

C.) Maybe make a build template for 1 elite specialization and 1 for the other elite specialization of your classes.

D.) Use the opportunity to make a build for power damage and one for condition damage.

E.) Also good to have a solo build and a group/meta event build. You can also use metabattle and check the open world builds and use one of those (also Woodenpotatoes currently is doing a series on best open world builds and story per class, quite useful to check out).

F.) For WvW, definately make a roaming and zerg build if the class you play allows it.

[mindcircus.1506]

@"Chichimec.9364" said:What Else?That's what I've thought of so far. What other uses for casual players are people thinking about?

1. I've seen a very high number of self-professed casuals over the past several years who struggle with Story Content and argue that they should not have to adapt their build to any specific encounter.Build Templates are going to be of high value to these players because they will be able to adapt to an encounter and then switch back to their usual build without much problem.
2. Equipment Loadouts will at the very least offer every player a spot to store a second Armor set if only for cosmetic reasons.
3. Just because a player is "casual" does not mean they have zero interest in buildcraft.

[Chichimec.9364]

@Cyninja.2954 and @mindcircus.1506 Thank you both. A common theme highlighted in your comments is adaptability. So that might go something like this...

AdaptabilityThe build templates should allow players a greater degree of flexibility in dealing with different in-game situations. Story content may require adjusting one's build and gear according to what one will be facing. In open world pve, power builds may be more effective in quick, short battles encountered while roaming. Condition builds may be more helpful in meta events with longer boss battles and such. Different builds for solo roaming or zerging could be useful in WvW. Similarly, if an alt has both elite specializations maxed, being able to switch back and forth between them can be helpful in dealing with different situations.

So far we've got build templates as being good for extra weapon slots, experimentation, and overall adaptability. Other thoughts?

[ars.8416]

I plan to use one of the templates for a mobility/jump puzzle build which includes swiftness skills, teleports/warps, fall damage reduction trait, and anything else that could be useful to run fast instead of fight.

[whoeverxwins.1279]

It would definitely free up some bag space for me, since most of my characters carry different weapons, depending on what I am doing, and I'm definitely a casual player. My guardian will use it most, since I switch between dragonhunter and firebrand quite often, and use a healbrand setup for dungeons and metas.

[Infusion.7149]

At the very least : 1 power, 1 condi build.For WvW players the third build template can be the WvW build ; others can use it for support classes in PvE.

[Danikat.8537]

When I found a guild that would take me for raids I converted my ranger's ascended armour to viper's and got a set of viper's trinkets to go with it. I didn't want to carry around two full sets of equipment so I started using that armour in the open-world as well (with rabid trinkets for the toughness). Now that's not going to be an issue I'm going to try the sinsister armour/weapons & rabid trinkets set up I wanted before but never quite finished.

Also if it's possible to put equipment a character can't wear yet into one of their equipment templates I'm going to use them on my sub-80 characters to keep track of what equipment they've got for when they reach level 80 and what they still need, instead of keeping it all together in my bank where I can never remember which pieces are for who and which I don't actually need at all. (Except when I realised I had something like 20 exotic backpacks. I only have 11 character slots and many of them already had ascended/exotic backpacks, so I definitely didn't need all of those!)

[Chichimec.9364]

@ars.8416 @whoeverxwins.1279 @Infusion.7149 @Danikat.8537 thanks for all of your input. I'm going to try to re-edit the op as a summary of our brainstorming here.