What's the point of talents if meta exists?

Hi,
as the title says, why are we given the choice, when using suboptimal builds is detrimental to performance of the party? What is the point of talents if choosing wrong ones is a good way to get yourself bullied?

Do not get me wrong, I really like the talent system itself and the dopamine rush coming from getting rewarded every time I level up. Also, I really enjoy planning my own build throughout the leveling process and the endgame.
However, what is the point if using my, potentialy suboptimal, build may result in strangers suggesting me to quit the game or end my life.

4 Likes

It gives blizzard the device to be able to change up classes between seasons vis changing up best talents etc etc.

Thus meaning you dont burn out a singular design due to having ti use it for 2 years straight.

This is what they were trying to achieve with borrowed power, but we hated it, so theyre doing it with talents.

3 Likes

Meta builds are for people who want to be some of the best in the server they’re on, if you don’t care for that and are not in a hardcore guild it shouldn’t really matter.

8 Likes

I have my personal build for solo content and adjust it as I please and I have my meta builds for group content and I like that tbh.

1 Like

It allows for a more wide meta where you can tailor your builds for different bosses or dungeons.

2 Likes

Unless ur pushing mythic raids or hardcore myth+ or over 2k arena

I”m sure u can play more diverse and change some things and be fine with it.

Its a lot less restrictive than old talents

My 2 cents

1 Like

Any game where there’s a character build mechanic will always have a “meta” build, this doesn’t mean we should never see talents / choices in character building ever again

4 Likes

If there is a choice there will always be a best build aka “meta”. Your question does not make any sense at all.

3 Likes

Break the meta!
Just like in League of Legends.

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Because I don’t play with toxic people and can choose whatever I damn well please, especially since I main solo content.

3 Likes

its a matter of dicothomy between fun and meta. my pally ret shouldnt take divine toll to be meta. but i dont give a crap and i talented it.
This is the way

6 Likes

And yet, judging by my pug experience, they do. The output difference between meta and non-meta builds can still be noticed in difficulties power than high m+ and mythic raiding. It cannot be said that people in m2-10 or normal raids do not expect top performance, especially in the playerbase that expects newbies to known all dungeons right from the start.

I did not think about it this way. That’s a valid point.

Stop playing with people like that and you don’t have to worry about having the “wrong” talents. Yes, people out there expect meta because they think something machine calculated is always going to be the best. Well I’ve always performed better with my own build than following meta and that is because meta doesn’t take into account things like arthritis which makes my fingers slower and reaching keybinds harder. If meta makes me reach for keys I’ll end up messing up my rotation constantly which is a bigger dps loss than having simpler rotation and more passive talents.

But what about people in random groups? Block, report and move on.

I’ve pretty much never played a meta build in any game. Sure, I’ll try the meta and then change the things I don’t like about it whether it is rotation or something like taking a talents that I find useless and replacing them with something I’ll get more use out of.

4 Likes

Dont let those few pebbles that act that way get into your head.
Just build the build you wanna build😁

It’s not only WoW, even in path of exile with it’s massive talent tree, 99% of playerbase copies the same build (source: poe ninja)

There’s no way you can stop it, if build 1 does more dps than the build 2, it’s stupid to choose build 2 unless you theorycrafting some new meta.

1 Like

No it isn’t.

The prot paladin tree has a talent that allows you to take 25% less damage for 9 seconds on a one minute CD.

It’s not on the “meta” tree because they chose a talent that increases dps by a tiny amount. If I’m pushing content a little ungeared as a tank, is it stupid to not follow the meta?

or you prefer a different style of playin. i stopped watching talent meta an my wow life is better

Meta isn’t always the same for every ladder, pull, dungeon or even healer. Meta doesn’t matter and it shouldn’t matter for low tier dungeons with low gear. Just play what you like

Well if you go Obliterate 2H with all ST talents into a M+, unless you completely delete bosses why would people not question your build choice?
That is like idk, going into a ST boss and casting only whirlwind because the animation is fun.

Like, when you do group content you should always build with the idea to have appropriate builds for the content you are doing.

Fun and experimentation should kinda be followed by logic, or personal preferences on some choices.

Imo when you build you should go like this:

You hate a talent because reasons and wanna swap it? Yes?

Then before swapping it out you should evaluate how much of a build enabler that talent is, if there are other talent that synergize with the rest of your spent points.

I dont care about min maxing.