I started out with a Wowhead build, then experimented and made adjustments based on preference (and the people I mostly play with). I take inspiration from what other resto shamans do, too.
I think my current talent loadouts are a little messy, but so far things work out most of the time. I think bigger meta deviations for me are that I don’t like Primordial Wave much (does anyone?), prefer Healing Stream Totem to Cloudburst Totem (this is something I need to get the hang of soon, especially for tyrannical weeks, I think), run Earthliving Weapon in M+ and I keep speccing out of Nature’s Swiftness, which I know I shouldn’t.
So I’m definitely not using a meta build, but I also don’t usually play with meta groups. I still have lots to learn, and that’ll impact my performance much more than a few unusual talent choices.
I like to have second wind on my warrior, so I always take that and as many movement abilities I can. I only swap to a meta build if I do content group, in that case I copy paste what wowhead or icy veins tell me
I despise skills that are mini-cooldowns (longer than 20s, shorter than 1,5 or 3min) and avoid them like the plague. My brain might remember to press the button every three minutes, but stuff like Mind Games? I will forget about them.
I can’t deviate too much on most classes because there is always a meta slave checking my talents and crying I don’t play this VERY IMPORTANT TALENT that would make my dps go up by 0,1%
On my mage I however pick blink + ice floes over shimmer in all content because it’s more convenient to me. PvP players will sometimes cry but they don’t know any better.
On my demo lock I can homecook a bit as it has like 10 viable builds but generally it’s like 1-2 points different - on alt I like to focus on passive dmg.
My biggest deviation from meta is on my brewmaster spec for monk - I picked most of the “passive” choice nodes to reduce the ridiculous button bloat. So like press the advantage etc. it works well enough but ofc True Monks will cry but I dont care here.
Other than that, some classes have it really limited to even change stuff or if you do - you lose A LOT of dps. I can sac small amount of dps for convenience and removing a button or two but if the sim shows 25k dps difference then ofc i cant really go with that for obvious reason.
I’ve played meme builds for years so even now when I’m trying to play seriously I still adjust the meta builds to be more or less closer to my preferred build. Like yes I play Orb Barrage now which I didn’t before, and I’ve given up on foresight which is a meme talent, but I still won’t pick Mana Gem, Arcane Familiar or Ice Cold.
Same on my prevoker. I have more green talents than I did before and it’s no longer a one build for all content so no Source of Magic in M+, but I’m not giving up on Recall or Time Spiral, and I’m not using Rescue or Renewing Blaze.
I think it’s the DF talent trees. The choice is to use 1 point for a single charge of torpedo, or 2 charges of roll, or spend a 2nd point for 2/3 charges respectively. The meta build says 2 charges of roll will get you out of any situation as effectively as torpedo and allocates the 2nd talent point somewhere else.
But it forgets that double torpedo charges is heckin good fun…
Most of the times, the “best” in “best build” means that’s it’s the “best go-to” build, rather than the perfect build for every situation. The key to deviate from the build is to understand how each talent works, compare its weight to the other talents that you can replace it with and understand what you gain and lose in each scenario.
my main deviation would be to go for as defensive builds / trinkets as possible on my tank alts
Although i may change cheat death trinket for 1 offensive one next week for Ruby +2 wyrm farm - but for progress ? Yeah that cheat death trinket till end of expansion it is even though IT lowers my itlv
As disc in m+ I usually play ultimate penitence instead of lenience (3% dmg reduction from atonement).
If the combination of key level, dungeon, affixes and group composition makes me think that oneshots will be a bigger issue, I’ll go lenience. But for most keys, having ultipen for big healing checks feels better to me.
I barely use fade in m+ so I skip the talent that gives you reduced damage when you fade. Instead I take Body and Soul for the 40% speedbuff when I shield someone (mostly myself).
It saved me more than I can count when running from stuff so it’s valuable to me.
Plus I’ve noticed that if you shield NPC’s during an escort quest/event they also get the speedbuff so you complete the escort faster.
