“News travels fast in places where nothing much ever happens.”
Charles Bukowski
Cookie Cutter Builds — in the News.
There are several ways to get information about the World of Warcraft. When it comes time for a player to hone in on their skills, talents, gear and stats; they go look up a guide.
Guides are tricky. They are based on what is called a Sim. They run some simulation software with variables thousands of times to get results. The variables might be the list above (gear, talents etc) and it also might add “heavy movement” to the simulation.
Guide writers post their results sometimes before an expansion drops! To add to our injury, they don’t get updated to reflect new things in the game like Valor Points or the new heirloom trinkets.
What comes out of this is what is called a “cookie cutter” build. You base your talents, rotation, stat priority on what the guide tells you and you walk away knowing that you are informed, powerful and ready-to-play!
You know you are right. You are the best.
The only way to get more current information is to dredge through forums, blog comment sections and dark hallways with envelopes full of cash.
Occasionally, there will be a brilliant posting. It makes sense and it questions what we are doing. Vee Tegen of Ask Mr Robot wrote an article for Blizzard Watch. It is very smart. Soon many bloggers like the respected Thrill of the Hunt responded. Until, even Blizzard posted on Twitter asking for a discussion.
Read it: it is good stuff.
How cookie cutter builds discourage player customization by Vee Tegen (Zoopercat). This link will go to Blizzard Watch.
| Celestalon @Celestalon · Dec 10 Discussion Topic for the Day: What can we (Blizzard) do to help solve the problem described in this article?http://blizzardwatch.com/2015/12/09/cookie-cutter-builds-player-customization/ … |
Personally, I miss swapping Talents between boss fights like we did in Mists of Pandaria. Talents were designed, it seemed, to fit certain fights.
If some Talents are only 5% different, then I want to know information in a different light. I want to know if it is high or low maintenance. I understand that taking a ‘passive’ talent will typically give lower results.
And, I want to know the synergy between Talents. I think that this is the most important. On my healing Druid, I know the Incarnation talent with Tranquility gives a much stronger result: big Big BIG heals!
I appreciate Zoopercat shaming the guide writers for trying to be definitive when there is a lot more leeway. I think the Big Picture is our perception of what we are doing as we play when guided by independent writers.
Coffee Cakes and Crits 