When's the last time you tried a character build outside your norm?

[ObsidianJones]

So, I just got back into Diablo 3 on my Nintendo Switch. Loving it. But I decided to do something I've never done before.

I made a Seasonal Character.

It's weird being dependent on online for fun, but literally all it needs is just signing in and you can play it offline. It saves your progress and will connect with the servers when you can and update all you did.

But in Season 22nd, the Crusader's gear is all about Fist of Heavens and Heaven's Fury. If you get the complete set, you do 20,000% damage for the skills.

Not a typo.

But the gear is so underpowered. I'm taking damage. I wasn't before, but now if I get hit with an Elite's skill in a Torment V dungeon, I'm literally dead before I realize it.

I usually play a Jack of All Trades character. For the first time, I'm playing a Glass Cannon.

And I freaking love it.

This is such a different way of going through a game. I usually grind until I'm uber in all aspects. And then, I actually get bored of the game. Now? Diablo 3 is a freaking bullet hell game. I'm dodging, I'm rolling, and I'm laying down traps to mow everyone else down. I think I'm going to try more experimentation. Because hell, that's what ARPG Looters are for, right?

So when's the last time you switched Character Types?

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Oki, Demon's Souls I went for a royal magic user, both of which is never a class/subclass that interests me cause magic usually feels so unsatisfying in other games.

But this time it's different. A reason, if I wanted to sound like I have a clue what I'm doing, is that it's overpowered and doesn't cost stamina.

Another reason, if I wanted to sound like mind-numbingly shallow, is that it's pretty graphics and I want to feel like I got my goddamn money's worth.

Another reason, if I wanted to sound mildly creepy, is the rumble effects are quite stimulating! They should put that in vibrators for more choices and therefore more satisfacfion?

Another reason is...nah, that's probably all of them.

 

[happyninja42]

Hmmm, trying to think. Well, I made a serial killer in a playthrough of Skyrim many many years ago. I specifically built him to be as such, and he joined the Dark Brotherhood, worshipped the goddess of murder or whoever she was. His whole thing was, ok well, to explain his background.

I love Babylon 5, it's probably my favorite scifi show of all time. In that show, there is a telepath focused episode, where there is a serial killer, who his whole thing was, he had this religious fixation on music and the celestial choir. He believed, that those he killed, were bound to him in the afterlife, and that he needed to be sung into heaven. Literally, so he needed a "chorus" of voices, to sing him heavenward. So, that's why he killed. And I found that a fascinating delusion, given some of humanities real beliefs about death and how you die, impacting what heaven/hell you go to. So, I decided to make this guy, who worshipped one of the evil daedric, i think whichever one was tied to murder, but I forget. And I would have him always kills humanoids, but only if he had a black soul gem, so he could collect their souls for his goddess. I tried to play him "Hitman" style, like one of my targets was a miner in a little village, and so I found some peasant/miner clothes, and put them on to "infiltrate" the mine to get him. It was all for show, but it did help me stomach playing a murderer for the short run I did of him. I did most of the DB plot I think, and had like 20 or so gems, and I felt "ok, his story is done" I piled up all the gems on an altar to that murder goddess, and called it quits.

Another time I played against type, was when I played the first Dishonored. I decided to do a High Chaos route, and did a "Kill Everything" run. And I used nothing but Swarm of Rats. Like, everyone, EVERYONE that the game allowed to die, I killed with rats. It was not a fun experience. I remember being in the brothel, and killing one of the prostitutes. Just, a lady trying to survive in a shitty city during a fucking plague. And I killed her, for no reason. She died screaming while plague rats feasted on her flesh.....but, hey, player choice right? ....yay....*un-enthusiastic finger twirl* I had a physical reaction to doing it, like being forced to watch a video of someone being injured. It wasn't fun. And that's when I pretty much confirmed that I don't enjoy "indulging my bad boy side", which is the reason I see most give for playing bad guys in games. So, I don't do it.

Let's see, other examples of playing out of type. It's honestly hard to think of them, as I don't usually do it. I guess playing my AC: Odyssey protagonist as a "Yesexual" character? Aside from the very final boss (who you can apparently bang, for some bizarre reason), if there was a "choose this for sexy times" option, I took it. Male, female, goat, didn't matter. He banged them. It was pretty fun, given his responses.

Oh! I played a Norde Warrior type in Skyrim, instead of my usual "Sneaky stealth boy, with sneakiness!" He was fun. I basically made Thor. 2 handed hammer, lightning magic, heavy armor. He never looted the dead, so the tomb runs were very loot lite. And I had him use his Fus Ro Dah shout at the beginning of every dungeon crawl, to declare his presence. He fought honorably. This worked surprisingly well actually, as it would call lots of badguys together, and he would just smash them with hammer and lightning, and Shouts. And in a single combat that took like 60 seconds, he had cleared several rooms (everyone in hearing range) of badguys. Then he'd just tromp down deeper, Shout again to see if anyone was close enough to hear him. If not, move deeper, repeat. Dungeon runs were like 10 minutes max, compared to like an hour or more with my sneaky sneak boy. He would also, whenever he killed a dragon, and claimed their soul, he would lift his head to the sky, and Shout his victory to his ancestors. He was a lot of fun.

 

[FakeSympathy]

In souls games, I usually NEVER do a hybrid build. They take way too long to get good for me. I also never do any strength builds because I prefer the faster attack speeds.

So imagine my surprise when I played Dark Souls 2 a few weeks ago, decided to build a str/hex build, and come to really liking it? The feeling of dark lord channeling is dark and raw strength to decimate his enemies was awesome!

 

[Chimpzy]

Well, I'm playing Disco Elysium and my character is basically McNulty from The Wire which is rather from the sneaky backstabber or blasty utility caster I usually play.

 

[Xprimentyl]

In souls games, I usually NEVER do a hybrid build. They take way too long to get good for me. I also never do any strength builds because I prefer the faster attack speeds.

So imagine my surprise when I played Dark Souls 2 a few weeks ago, decided to build a str/hex build, and come to really liking it? The feeling of dark lord channeling is dark and raw strength to decimate his enemies was awesome!

In dozens of playthroughs of DS1, a singular playthrough of DS2 and my current/1st playthrough of DS3, I've never once done a Strength build because despite the satisfying damage output of the heavy weapons, I can't find a consistent groove getting used to the slower attack speeds when the games pride themselves on punishing improper timing. I was going to try in DS3, but it threw the Uchigatana at me almost immediately, and I was like "fuck it, going DEX like always, baby!" I really do want to try a STR build, though; I bought the DS1 remaster, maybe I'll give it a go in a game I know most intimately.

 

[sXeth]

After much pestering through our myriad co-op playthroughs, I did eventually get pressured to actually use a shield in Dark Souls Remastered.


Still think its throwing yourself at the mercy of a poorly documented system (poise), and you end up having to roll various attacks anyways, so kind of pointless.


Ironically, thats only a departure in the Souls sense. In ESO, Warframe, Monster Hunter, PoE, et al I usually play the tanky dudes.

 

[09philj]

Can't really remember. I like builds that enable me to bypass challenges, and the builds that can achieve that wildly from game to game. If I can summon things to attack for me, I will. If I can talk my way out of problems, I'll go for it. If the easiest way to avoid death is to tank hits, I'll do that.