How to find a good example AA build

Discussion in 'Tips, Tricks, FAQs, and New Player Discussion' started by Khieran, Aug 15, 2018.

  1. Khieran Active Member

    I have several (read that as 'too many'!) characters, and as I level I want to have a decent AA build planned out for them that they can use so I don't have to worry about it every time they get a new AA point.

    I've looked around on EQ2Wire and I looked for max level players in good raiding guilds, figuring they'd have decent builds, but when I see all these different builds, how can I evaluate which build is better compared to another?

    For instance, how can I tell which is a better DPS build for my monk or bruiser, or a better Tanking build for my Guardian, or a better Healing build for my Templar or Inquisitor? Or whatever character I'm looking at.

    There are so many options that it's a bit mind-boggling at times, especially as more expansions add more AAs (I play on Fallen Gate, and we're getting TSO soon). Is there a guide or some tips on how to pick a good AA build? Or is it just a matter of finding the right character's build to look at and hope for the best?
  2. CoLD MeTaL Well-Known Member

    I understand what you are trying to do, and it failed miserably for me.

    Those people are basing their AA build around their gear.

    First, the game wants you to give up all alts.

    Second, when you pick a real one, read all the AA and make a guess, the descriptions are indeed horrible.

    I'm sure some other people will chime in with 'help', good luck.
  3. Kuulei Well-Known Member

    Well CoLD MeTaL chimed in with their "help" so I will with mine;
    It's hard to try and use builds you look up, when you don't have all the available AA's as of yet.
    One thing CoLD MeTaL got right, was it depends on current gear and role in raid / group and play style.
    Trial and error is the best teacher.
  4. Khieran Active Member

    I was afraid of that LOL
  5. Meneltel Well-Known Member

    Khieran, I suggest you set up your aa template how you want to help you to level. Once at max level and AA, redo it how you want then as many of the AA are better for leveling than at max power. Just my suggestion.
  6. Arjwen New Member

    Err, even more of a newb question, how does one get rid of the AA points you are given and re-spend them. The path for assassin seems to have lots of bows in it.....

    Thanks in advance (and haven't even got into tradeskills yet!!)
    Saw-Lau likes this.
  7. Khieran Active Member

    In "build mode" you can click on an AA icon in the right hand side bar and either remove it or roll back to it.

    When not in build mode, the only way I've found is to select a different profile from the dropdown list, then make your changes, and save it back over the top of the first one to replace it.
    Saw-Lau likes this.
  8. Dude Well-Known Member

    Before I say anything else, I will say this: Do what you find fun. If you want to be that min/max person that gets the most possible out of your builds, then work at that. If you're just a casual player (like me) then maybe look for some little tweaks, but don't worry too much about the perfect build.

    That said, I think you're on the right track, but what I suggest is that you do a bit of research. This is a complex game. with many complex systems. As others have said, people build based on the interactions of their AAs with their gear, adornments, infusions, skill level of their personal buffs, skill level of the buffs given to them by the people they normally group with, and other factors that are probably too numerous to mention. In other games identifying and achieving the META may be fairly straight forward. EQ2 isn't like that, so what I'm going to suggest isn't how to find the META, but how to analyze what others have done to better inform your decisions. Ok here we go:
    • You might start with a little "light" reading. This link is for current content and builds, but it also has good explanations of what things do and how they interact with other things. If nothing else, it will be helpful later on, but I think it could help inform your decisions now. http://eq2library.com/pop/class-optimization/.
    • On EQ2U, only look at Fallen Gate AA builds. Players on other servers will have trees you don't have and that dramatically impacts where you want to spend points.
    • Take a look at several other player's builds. By looking at how 3-5 people allocate their points, you should see some commonalities and some differences. This will help you compare and contrast what they've done and should give you a pretty solid starting point to begin assessing how you should spend your points.
    • Try out different builds to see the impact. If you're really into this (I freely admit that I am not) then you can download ACT and see what changes when you make a change in your build. Training dummies are a good start, but you'll probably need to actually go out and adventure to see the best results.
    • Talk to other people in your class. That could be in game or it could be here. When you have a build that you think is good, post it here and ask for feedback. It really is a complex game, so there is no need to figure it all out on your own. People tend to give more specific advice when they see you've put in some effort and aren't just asking for a cookie cutter build.
    • Wash, rinse, and repeat as you gain more AAs and as more AAs open up on FG. What works now may totally miss the mark as new trees open.
    Again, just have fun your way. If this helps, awesome. If this all seems overwhelming, then totally ignore it and just have fun.
    Saw-Lau, Beee, Rosyposy and 1 other person like this.
  9. Khieran Active Member

    Thanks, Dude! :)

    I've got what I feel is a good leveling build for each of my characters now, so I'll go with that for the time being. One question - is it possible to change a build after it's done without making a new one and saving over it? (Goes along with Arjwen's question above too). I can see how to remove AA points while in build mode, but not after you committed it.
    Dude likes this.
  10. Beee Well-Known Member

    You can save 3 AA Settings in the Server (+3 instant local) and as much as you want local on your Harddisc.

    Changing to build mode you can reedit a configuration

    In build mode there is a selection box for the 3+3+disc AA-settings
    Dude likes this.
  11. Meneltel Well-Known Member

    I suggest take what you want to REACH max level and AAs and then redo and take what you want FOR max level and AAs. Many of them don't scale well and so wont really be needed at max level though they were a help to reach there. Remember, this game is for fun, so have fun!
    Rosyposy, Saw-Lau and Khieran like this.