I think that anything that can comfortably clear up to 10+ levels higher than self is plenty viable. Most builds you can do/think of in the game can actually do that so I’d say that the game is more balanced than people give it credit for. There is little point going past that after XP nerf as it caps at 10 levels. Sure you can get more bragging rights or whatever but practically there isn’t much difference.
Some would say that clearing the campaign is viable (and I’d guess that a large percentage of people stop after the campaign). Others would say if you can’t kill uber lilith your build sucks because you can’t experience all content. So this is all super subjective. Just play what you want and focus on if you’re enjoying it or not - don’t stress over whatever the fomo bandwagon thinks because it doesn’t add anything to the game but just makes your experience worse. Many of the bitter people on the forums are suffering from the latter problem - they effectively ruined the game for themselves.
In D2 most builds could okayish clear hell on P1, and much a smaller handful of builds that could blow up P8. Yet “soooo many” builds were considered viable just because there was no endgame progression. Infinite scaling at endgame always inevitably creates build disparity and leads to some absurd double standards. Maybe it’s a good thing they capped XP at 10 levels.
I completely see where you’re coming from, Laokin.
The +54 levels above benchmark is a solid indicator of a build’s viability for the game’s hardest content. Your definition of viability is clear-cut and makes sense and I agree, skill and build viability are two distinct factors.
The Sorcerer’s build diversity, as you’ve pointed out, is a testament to the game’s depth. It’s refreshing to see someone championing the Sorcerer amidst the noise. And yes, certain skills might need a bit of tweaking to bring them up to par.
Belurion,
your breakdown of the NM tiers and their associated challenges is insightful. It seems NM 70 is a consensus among many as a pivotal benchmark. The progression from NM 50, where the real fun begins, to the DPS checks around NM 85 provides a structured yet flexible path for players to test and refine their builds.
MacroNinja,
echoing the sentiment on NM 70. It seems to be a common benchmark many players are gravitating towards. It’s interesting to note the shift in dungeon dynamics post-nerf, have you noticed a difference?
EnoDetah,
I love the simplicity of your viewpoint. At the end of the day, it’s about personal satisfaction and the content you wish to engage with. A build’s viability is indeed subjective and varies from player to player.
Pzypro,
your perspective is a breath of fresh air. The game’s balance is often underappreciated, and it’s heartening to see someone highlighting it. The emphasis on personal enjoyment over meta-driven choices is crucial. The endgame’s infinite scaling does introduce disparities, but as you rightly pointed out, maybe the XP cap at 10 levels is a blessing in disguise. It’s about the journey and the joy of experimentation, rather than just the endgame to you and I love that.
With all these insights, I’m curious to hear from others as well. For those who’ve been experimenting with unconventional builds or strategies, what benchmarks or milestones have you set for yourself? And how do you measure the success of your build outside of the popular NM tiers? Let’s keep this discussion going and learn from each other’s experiences!
See you in Sanctuary!
As a former sorc main, I def notice the dungeons got easier for the same level. Less one shot, easier to take down the elites etc.
I think principally, the idea is a build is good enough that you have the option of doing the harder content, and just whether or not you want to do it or not. But knowing in the back of your mind you couldn’t do it even if you tried I think is off putting for most. We play for fun right, so everyone chooses different difficulty setting as the balance between too easy vs too hard…but a build has to be able to transition through those different toggles for different people to be ‘viable’.
For example no one says Pulv Druid is not viable. Silly kid one button pushers to serious hard content can all use the build. It scales both with skill level and content.