Do you create your build or watch it?

Oreyn_Bearclaw

Yeah, few people are going to admit they just youtube stuff. I think the truthful answer for anyone that is actually competitive is that they adapt Meta Builds to suit their individual needs. For example, I use people like Alcast or StreakOne's youtube pages as guidance, but I dont copy and paste their stuff. I make adjustments here and there.

From a PVE standpoint, Meta is Meta for a reason. People figure out what pulls the most DPS. If that is your goal, than deviation from the Meta is self defeating.

From a PVP standpoint, there are certainly FOTM builds, but generally, there is much more build diversity as there are more ways to accomplish your goal. Again, most good players are going to be aware of what the popular kids are doing and adapt to fit their playstyle.

WillhelmBlack

I like to create builds by myself

Always myself but sometimes I just end up using something meta ish because it just works well and it gives exactly what I was after.

I'm really proud of my latest Stamblade build. Yeah it uses Black Rose but has some extra Magicka recovery and uses Sword and Shield. It's not really a tank either it's a brawler type character that will use Power Extraction.

Waffennacht

I like to create builds by myself

Rohamad_Ali wrote: »

And not to be critical of everyone but this one finds it amazing that all these independent people have relatively the same builds in PvP . What an amazing coincidence .

Well once you get the math down, some sets are just superior. You'll find yourself being similar when you're good. Personally I make my own, from my mtg experience meta builds are usually countered by something strange.

Example: the Japanese always come up with these out of the box combo decks that end up winning

Lucky28

I do a bit of both. i like to create my owns builds, but honestly rather i can or not depends on how much gold i have at the time

Rohamad_Ali

Youtube

I'm not being critical of anyone just an observation . Maybe instead of a YouTube option on the poll , word of mouth should have been posted . I think it's the most common to see what works and make a personalized version .

Takes-No-Prisoner

I like to create builds by myself

Rohamad_Ali wrote: »

....see what works and make a personalized version .

These things are really skewed when we enter PvP though. We have no way of putting a magnifying glass up to an enemies armor and checking out what glyphs he has on his boxers. Changes/New Abilities and Passives can also play a big part in FOTM builds that people will ride on. Doesn't mean that person is a bad, but they are probably trying out the next new thing to see how it changes their playstyle. Like... I didn't even use Heavy Armor until the past couple of days ago for PVP. I can already see what's so hot about it. But I wouldn't call my dude invincible at all. The changes to Heavy Armor passives gives me the extra tankyness I always wished he had more of.

Baconlad

I like to create builds by myself

i tend to like creating my own builds...but i do watch manymanymany youtube videos for inspiration. for example i had never thought of a hybrid WW build untill i watched one on youtube. i made my own twists to it, such as using five piece fury instead of five piece leki's, and also i used medium instead of heavy. all decisions made by me to try to make the build that much more awe-inspiring. when it comes to my blazing shield build, i think there are so little options for blazing shieldplars that i have noticed many youtubers using an identical build to mine...like...spot on identical. and i did not watch a video on how to build a blazing shield tank, although synozeer helped me get the inspiration for it...there need to be an option to vote for youtube and creating your own.

on second thought i guess most of my builds are close enough to youtubers you might as well give me a different vote XD

Sigtric

I like to create builds by myself

I will take note of what works from other players but ultimately my character builds are things that work for me, for my purpose, and for the way I like to play.

Sometimes these may closely resemble what other people are doing, other times, not so much.

Tonnopesce

I like to create builds by myself

I create my builds Based on what kills me, unfortunatly i finish always to have a cookie cutter build doing so.
Last one was a viper+tava's + velidreth for my stam dk.

itehache

I always watch youtube guides and blogs/forums and take a lot of tips from there, but I am used to play in a way and changing the whole thing would not be fun. I use some skills that I am aware there are better options but I have fun using those so...

Nyghthowler

I like to create builds by myself

I do what I want, when I want, how I want! ...
unless some popular poster on YouTube or a fan site says otherwise; then I fall into line like a sheep at a feeding trough

J/K

jedtb16_ESO

I like to create builds by myself

empiric approach... try it out.

if it doesn't work try something else.

FrostFallFox

I just do me, and lots of things happen to be "BiS" because I don't mess with that peasant stuff.

"Oh, you're running that set? You're totally copying that person's build!"

No, I'm just wearing a set in the game available to everybody because it's swaggy Af (Winterborn) (And no I don't mean Winterborn is BiS)

EZgoin76

I use builds from other people then change them to suit my needs and play style. I also have builds of my own.

Tandor

If by "create your build" you mean planning it out in advance, then I don't create my build at all, never have done. I choose the starting setup then develop the skills and attributes I find most useful and commonly used. I've never followed anyone else's build, I don't play competitively and the chances are they don't play the same way that I do. Besides, following a set template takes half the fun out of character progression!

Waffennacht

I like to create builds by myself

Tandor wrote: »

If by "create your build" you mean planning it out in advance, then I don't create my build at all, never have done. I choose the starting setup then develop the skills and attributes I find most useful and commonly used. I've never followed anyone else's build, I don't play competitively and the chances are they don't play the same way that I do. Besides, following a set template takes half the fun out of character progression!

Nailed it, I also have found making my character to be at least half the fun

seebra

@Tandor by "create your build" i mean that, you do some things by yourself and don't copy build 100%.

menedhyn

Somewhere else

My characters are all created for role-play and PvE, and all are kind of unorthodox, deliberately weaker builds. Apart from some help from the good folk over in the Combat and Character Mechanics forum, i've tried to stick with the rough ideas I had in my head. I haven't yet found any videos mirroring how I like to play.

icontrive

Youtube

Dont have enough time or gold to try out different builds so YouTube is my best friend.

I_killed_Vivec

I like to create builds by myself

I'm the one at fault, nobody else

LordIllidan84

I like to create builds by myself

If I'm playing a class for the first time, I'll likely search for a vMA build, look at their numbers, then try and beat it. I just want a good idea of where the numbers should be, then go and use the skills I like with the sets I know.

Granted, I've spent a lot of time on the esoacademy's site in the set item bonus portion studying the sets like crazy so I've got a decent idea of what I can get that's good for what I'm building. But straight up copying someone else's build? Sounds like a terrible idea unless you play exactly like that person plays. Being a filithy casual, I find that rarely to be the case.-

Prof_Bawbag

I used to watch my builds, then a few months later I realised I didn't really have a clue about the mechanisms at all, even though i had been playing the toon for months on end. Now i build my own and understand why I opt for skill 'A' rather than skill 'B'. Before I was just opting for skill 'A' because someone said i should.

SolarCat02

I like to create builds by myself

I start my builds on my own, researching skills as I go. Then when I am comfortable I start some research online of other people's builds, and try out some of the skills or sets or strategies to see how they feel incorporated into my character. Some changes I keep, some I let go and decide not to use because they don't fit with my playstyle.

The exception to this is my Stamplar. I am good at grasping what I need to do with healing and tanking... Heck, my DK healer is one of the guild favorites. But damage dealing isn't my forte, and I will readily admit that I am not good at it. So my Stamplar is morphing into one of the FotM builds with a recommended rotation just so I can get a feel for what DPS is supposed to feel like according to the streamers and whatnot. Then I will customize her from there (so she will be backwards to my usual process).

Afafrenferr

I like to create builds by myself

I like to tinker with the toons. My main is fairly meta, but you kinda wind up that way as those builds are producing good numbers, and I try to min/max where possible and where I'm capable. I'm currently messing with a stamblade that isn't a meta build and it's working, but I can't stam worth a flip. I'm magicka at heart. Feels better running around on a build you made yourself, copy and paste isn't for me.

Tandor

seebra wrote: »

@Tandor by "create your build" i mean that, you do some things by yourself and don't copy build 100%.

Ah, right. I don't look at builds, let alone copy them even 1%.

EsoRecon

Youtube

I won't lie... unlike some people here

vyndral13preub18_ESO

Somewhere else

Both. I pick stuff up from other sources, then over time bend it into something that fits me.

Curtdogg47

I like to create builds by myself

I like to study builds, look for tips and then customize something to my play style.

Danikat

I like to create builds by myself

I'm a casual PvE player, I don't have any interest in playing what someone else has decided should be popular this week, and I very, very rarely do content that might need it. When I do dungeons it's always with friends or guild mates and I always tell them I have no idea what meta-builds are currently popular or if my character has anything in common with them. I'm confident I can fulfil my role but that's all I can offer. (Fortunately even when I was brand new and was telling them my low level character didn't really have a build and couldn't conform to a role they still told me to come along.)

This might seem contradictory but I also enjoy making my own builds, learning through trial and error what works and what doesn't and how to combine and use skills effectively. I'm usually not aiming for the best possible build, more to suit a theme, so it's more fun for me to make one than copy one.

UltimaJoe777

I like to create builds by myself

My builds may resemble others' in certain ways, but I ALWAYS come up with them on my own with no help from anything except data sites to peruse through to help me plan.