Delsanab14_ESO wrote: »

Spell Strategist and Maelstrom as requirements on Alcast is just silly, most will never have either of those especially the latter.

He also lists alternative sets. Of course not everyone will be able to get a maelstrom staff, so just double bar both sets. Spell strategist is something that can be purchased at guild traders, so literally everyone has access to it. Sure, the price is a little high, but save gold and anyone can get it. But again, he lists many alternative sets, mother’s sorrow, burning spell weave, even julianos. Of course he is going to showcase the best representation of his build and rotation. Maybe the problem is that people are only watching the videos and not actually looking at the website. The website gives much more information, alternate sets and skills, why certain skills are needed for passives, etc. Very informative, even if you do not use the build.

Lab3360 wrote: »

Tasear

Here is the other problem. Why should anyone have to explain a build to a group simply because the group of youtube builds majority (who really dont know how to design a build) simply because its not Youtube Build?

Legit Builders dont ask Youtube Build Users about theyre build or to explain it.

This doesnt sit right with me. Which is one of the reasons I dont run with people like that.

This seems so 1 sided

The only times Ive ever seen somebody ask about a build is when they admired how well someone was doing, and wondered what they were running, skills they were using, etc. The other reason is when someone is underperforming to the point where it was an obvious detriment to the group. Not holding aggro if tank, the obvious-dieing all the time, whatever. I think that any serious player should be open to constructive criticism as long as it is respectful.

Don't blame youtube lol. My advice is post your builds on youtube and cash in. You are not gonna turn around a trend with a forum post however, it is nice to vent. Cannot beat them join them and then if your build is popular people will have the special opportunity to shut up lol.

DanteYoda wrote: »

Which is all great and all but many of the Balance devs seem to be taking these "youtube builds" serious as well..

Its really disheartening..

Ofcourse they are, otherwise they would actually have to play their own game on live servers and what does that say if even a chef is turned off by his own cooking lol, so to put it.

Enemy-of-Coldharbour wrote: »

Alcast's builds are for noobs and lazy players who don't want to do a little bit of research. Even he does not use them. There is a reason why Alcast and Hodor don't post their 'personal' builds.

eso isn't that complicated, they use the builds posted, for the most part. gear can change a bit depending on the trial but it's between a few sets and that's it.

YouTube is good for ideas, somewhere to start. If they're max cp and still relying on youtube builds then that's their problem.

If anything, Alcast and others are providing a service to the community by putting thier content up. I shows players where they want to be aiming for with their builds, it's not set I stone you have to use that build, players can make their own mind up then what sets to switch out and try.

In fairness to Alcast I’ve heard him say on many occasions “don’t copy and paste, use as a guide”, there are other youtubers that seem to suggest that the way they are showing is the only way. There are others that share their own builds to show diversity without dropping too far away from a dps perspective. The ones that promote that “this is the best, do it this way”, yeah wish they would do one, it spreads toxicity into wider communities. Vote diversity.

Some build videos are just awesome to watch, even if I am not interested in the build itself, like the videos by Kevduit. His videos are the best, I've watched them all, some several times. Furthermore when I watch his videos I think that he is really having a lot of FUN playing those characters.

However, strangely when it comes to players telling other players how they have to play and that their way of playing is wrong it's always the same 1-3 sources cited. But that is not a problem of the Youtubers, but of the players and in my experience its also often wannabe elitist (like a 300 cp player who told me my vma build was wrong, athough I was stormproof and supposedly giving advice to HIM on defeating vma on stam dk).

Also it often ignores the human factor. I don't enjoy every class in the same way and I don't play every class with the same level of proficiency ("skill"). Thus it would in my opinion stupid to tell me to play class B, just because it's meta, instead of class A, which I play way better AND enjoy more (this might be related). Class B would have to be so OP that it's even better in a raid with a lesser skilled player. And if that is the case, this is neither a youtuber problem, but a problem which has to be adressed by ZOS.

Also there are relations between builds. That is a huge problem, too. Many builds fit very well together, for example a mag dk isn't needed, because its buffs are provided by a dk tank. However, when you are running with a warden tank it might be a wise choice to take a mag dk with you. Even if you have a dk, but a dk tank who isn't running engulfing flames, it might be wise to take a mag dk with you. (I don't know if it is worth it, but it seems to me that a Mag DK in a raid like vAA would be more worth it than one more magblade - however, if you are running with 9 stamblades... but that's the point, in my raid groups there is luckily one stamblade, or two magblades, and we often have a mag dk in our group in addition to dk tank and stam dk dps.)
It all depends on what you want, what you expect. If you want to have progress, those youtube builds might be something like a good starting point, an understanding: this how we roll, because it works, and from there on we can discuss how we can optimize in our own way. If your goal is to enjoy the game with good friends who can just play the characters they have the most fun with, that's a whole other story. I will be a problem if one of those friends says "i have the most fun, when we have fully optimized groups".
When you are running off-meta builds, they might not be worse on itself, but group dynamics might change. So one player running his figure completely differently might need changes from other characters, too. A tank not running engulfing flames is a good example, a tank not giving the minor slayer passive, too (which might make a stam dk dps part of the new optimization, although in a standard meta it wouldn't be valid because stam dk dps are poor and he normally wouldn't add any buffs not given by the tank).

Well, what I wanted to say is, when players are telling you how to play, you always have to ask yourself why. Also I think many players should really learn that even there is only one Best in slot (which is best in slot by definition - there can only be one, else it's not best), but there is many "valid in slot"... Especially with non meta classes like mag dk I see strangely much more different builds and variation, maybe because the whole class is not best in slot in the first places players are more brave.
I am sometimes playing my mag dk with Grothdar + Silks of the Sun + BSW together with another mag dk who uses Elfbane, I don't know the other sets, and we are both pulling nearly the same dps, although I plan to change to Zaan, because I find the grothdar range to small. On my magblade, which I am kinda average with I guess, it doesn't matter at a self-buffed dps parse if I wear Julianos, Siroria, Mother's sorrow or spell strategist, it's all between 36-39k dps, so I go for versatility and secondary aspects. On my stam dk it's easy, I have tried soooo many things, but except I am not slotting noxious breath because I find death cloak in 90% of the content more useful (I slot noxious breath only, when the tank isn't able to apply to his debuff because of ranged tanking, like at vaa mage or hel ra welwa boss), I am running 99% Alcast's pve stam dk build, I just don't find some better build, maybe only through race change. As I am running a for my level of skill very strong khajiit stam sorc I don't believe in the redguard meta for stam dps. That is anyway something missing in many builds, even Alcast gives many alternatives like beginner gear, he explains which races are valid, too and why and so on. But in my opinion when you change one thing, you have to change other things, too. My khajiit stam sorc gets his racial crit chance modifier, so I found at that adding Berserking Warrior to that isn't very impressive, so I run with Strength of the Automaton, which gives me very solid dps, I think right now it's even my highest parsing dps char - in group content, self-buffed dps is garbage.

@Kel

Kel wrote: »

I agree. I was looking for ideas for a stam dk pvp build. I was blown away as 99% of stam dk builds came down to two variations....fury/bone pirate, or 7th legion/fury.
That's it...no diversity at all. I went through channel after channel..same sets. It was unreal.
I can't believe every single DK in pvp are running these two sets. But according to youtube, no other sets exsist for stam dk.

Good thing I come up with my own builds, but as far as garnering ideas...none were to be had.

I made the same observation, however, then I started reading into sets separately and watching those dk pvp builds only to see which skills they were using how. Also there are some discussions in the forums on stam dk pvp with interesting insights, although it is dominated by heavy armor meta. Then I made my own build - DW front bar, Master 2H/Bow depending on content, group and situation, 5 medium, tri stat food, no bone pirate, I really like that additional magicka for my wings! I might even drop my proc monster set to go for Mighty Chudan, freeing up more magicka for wings I would have to use on volatile armor else, also freeing up a skill slot I could use on a damage skill to compensate for the missing monster set proc... hm... I really should try that mighty chudan next time possible.

You really have to cater pvp builds to your own needs. I haven't found any pvp build yet I could copy and play.

Do you have found a heavy armor solution which is not fury/7th legion/Shacklebreaker? In that case I would be interested to hear about it. I always think the medium armor passives are way more worth than any 5th piece heavy armor set could be.

as a tank:

-i am not responsible for their max health. build your guy correctly and stop whining. (i am not required to wear ebon)
-i am not responsible for the “l33t deeps” damage output. if they were as “leet” as they think they are, they dont need the alkosh buff. build your guy correctly and stop whining. (i refuse to wear alkosh)
-i will hold aggro on bosses no problem but i will not taunt trash mobs. those leet/fake deeps have a job to do. stop whining and kill it faster while i hold the bigger enemies. DO YOUR JOB TOO!

i refuse to cater to meta chasing dps player sheep.
all these entitled children and punks want it all handed to them.
i am however a diva tank and i dont do that.
everyone has a job, so go do it.
you want to play silly meta nonsense, go join a guild.

if some dps punk runs off i let him die and tell the group not to res him. usually vote to kick the punk. depends on my mood.
if healers dont do their job, i drop aggro and let them get demolished.
it is very satisfying too.

tanks are essential.
dps punks need US more than WE need THEM.

mattaeus01b16_ESO wrote: »

If I have to hear "Why arnt you wearing Ebon and Alkosh" One more time. Im gonna, IM GONNA ... probably do nothing, cause I really couldnt care less.

I run Ebon & Imperium. Wrote many times, that Alkosh doesn't worth the grind since it gets Minor Fracture soon.
Pointless for me as a Templar Tank who can cast and maintain the debuff all the time. (alongside Major Fracture from S&B).

Also is matter of synergies. In trials you can barely pull 1 every blue moon as the DDs use them first while you try to block the next heavy attack from the boss, or bashing it to rupt.

Same applies to my Templar Healer. The Extended Ritual procs Spell Power Cure all time.
And I see no reason to grind Infallible Mage for Minor Vulnerability debuff, as I am using lightning staff and with wall + enchantment is applies it 90% of the time, per tick...