We can agree on that, but I wouldn’t limit the meaning of “meta” to “meta builds”. I did start with those meta builds matching this definition, but only to explain what techniques they use to deal more damage than your average build.
I asked, if “meta” in itself sounds negative to you for it’s a term that’s been around for ages and doesn’t deserve this negative attitude. I guess my latest definition is one of the earliest and that definition applies to everything Heavy has suggested OP to do, which I found funny for he also kinda argued against conforming to meta
Min-maxing and theorycrafting are other words to say the same thing. So I don’t get these negative vibes against meta.
It’s mostly that saying “If you want to survive you should focus on different layers” doesn’t require a build change, whereas “you should use explosive trap to trigger EA” does.
One only requires affix changes in gear and doesn’t change the playstyle at all, the other is a totally different build that plays very differently.
If you had suggested something like “you should focus on stacking ailments” or "you should focus on <damage type> or crits, those don’t require changes in playstyle.
What you suggested is akin to: “you should just respec to dive bomb”, because you’re suggesting changing the skills he’s using in a way that the build feels very different to play.
You assume too much regarding OP’s intention. We don’t know to which degree he wants help. We don’t know which parts of his build are build-defining to him.
If he must attack in melee using Detonating Arrow directly, then your assessment makes sense, but he never specified that. So maybe he found a pair of Jelkhors and wants to make the most of them without knowing that you can trigger Detonating Arrow from Explosive Traps.
This is sad though I agree with much of the rest. I don’t see optimization and competitiveness as evil. But then again I’m one of the 0.01% that are into gaming and sports
I think what you truly despise is copying builds or “netdecking” in MtGA, where people copy stuff they don’t understand. But that’s only a fraction of the term meta.
Wow - didn’t expect to see this much activity when I got up this morning. I did try using Explosive Trap, not like in meta builds, but to at least get used to the skill. And it just doesn’t feel right to me. Stopping to throw a bunch of traps is way too slow, don’t really want to rebuild that much to add bonuses to Throwing.
The only auto-proc I like on this character is Shadow Cascade at the end of Shift. I have no plans to auto-proc anything else; shattering enemies with DA directly is just too fun.
I meant no offense, that’s only a joke. I have observed that players who avoid the meta behave very similar to those who avoid meat in that they feel an urge to point that out.
I would recommend looking at the number of non-damaging points invested in your Detonating Arrow tree.
3 points adding shock chance (converted to chill)
4 points adding freeze rate
you could also argue the extra 3 points in Quick Detonation are a waste since you are stacking crit vuln anyway (and obviously the arming time is not adding anything with instant detonations)
I just came back here after hitting L81 (and beating the Emperor of Corpses) to compare where I was to today. I had already added the Shock/Freeze points that you suggested. I am respeccing the Quick Detonation points to max out the aforementioned skills.
I was recommending you to drop those chill/freeze nodes as they don’t offer any damage.
you probably want to spend those points getting as much ‘more damage’ multiplier as possible; Well Crafted, Beastslayer, Concentration nodes. (The few attack speed nodes you have are probably giving less dps value than those as well)
