MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes loves games like Monster Hunter Wilds or Diablo 4. Playing and experimenting with different builds is exactly his taste. He finds building his own boring. One genre, however, is the exception.
What is meant by building builds
? Games like Diablo 4, Monster Hunter Wilds, or even Borderlands may be different, but through skills and different weapons, you can build different builds. You can go for elemental damage or focus on specific weapons.
For so-called Theory-Crafters
, such titles are like a playground. There are many tools to let loose. Fans of deep character systems often spend hours trying to conceive new builds and strategies.
I want nothing to do with that. I enjoy playing endgame content in such games, but building my own builds does not interest me. I would rather look at ready-made builds in Monster Hunter Wilds, replicate them, and dive into battle without much thought. Why Skill A is better than Skill B doesn’t concern me in the game itself.
Even in games like League of Legends, I rely on ready-made builds and vary slightly depending on the opponent. I do not want to deal with numbers or hard-to-understand synergies. I find that boring. I want to dive right into the action.
However, there is one exception. One game genre awakens my urge to try out my own things, and those are rogue-lites and rogue-likes.
Rogue-Lites spark my experimental urge
Why are rogue-lites an exception? There are mainly 2 reasons why I have interest in my own builds in rogue-lites.
On one hand, these games are run-based. This means I usually start each run without a specific item and take what is presented to me. This eliminates the vast selection, and I have to enjoy the items and abilities that I randomly get. It awakens the thrill of randomness and additionally limits the selection significantly.
No game is as fun in this aspect as The Binding of Isaac. It’s usually about building a build with which you can finish the run. However, occasionally runs arise where you become so powerful that you set a new goal of breaking the game. Nothing is as much fun as lagging my Switch because Isaac spawns countless projectiles.
The second aspect is the abilities themselves. I am not a fan of mathematics or numbers, but when games like Hades explain that Ability A triggers when Action B is performed, I can understand that without having to read much.
In good rogue-lites, ability descriptions are usually directly understandable because it is random what you get in each run. With these simple explanations, even I as a noob can build small builds based on simple interactions. Of course, such games also have simple stat upgrades, but the great fun for me lies in the various combinations that only need to work for one run.
Nonetheless, I have to say: Theory-Crafters are impressive
Am I a bad gamer because I do not want to engage more closely with builds? I would say: no. Every game has different aspects that you can love or hate. I love the combat in games like Monster Hunter or Diablo, but building my own builds is not my strength. Likewise, there are people who prefer to interact with skill trees rather than other aspects like story or action.
Nevertheless, Theory-Crafters are impressive. The knowledge required to build these builds is enormous. Accordingly, you have to engage a lot with the one game, also outside of the game itself.
Ready-made builds are for me like quest boards. They give me a goal to pursue. Ready-made builds are also made up of items and equipment that I have to find or unlock.
In the end, I have to thank these heroes of the community as well, because without such ready-made builds, I would not have gotten far in many games. There is not one aspect that defines what makes a gamer. For MeinMMO demon Cortyn, one trait is the most important: What defines a good gamer has nothing to do with skill or aim
