How much time do you spend exemplaring?

[dekova]

Trying my hand at builds for the first time and wondering how much consideration I should be giving to how they play when exemplared. Wondering how typical it is at 50 to exemplar down.

 

So... how often do you exemplar? Does it factor in to your build decisions?

[Lockpick]

I rarely exemplar.  I play the character to 50 through a combination of solo story missions and teaming (DFB, DIB, task forces).  Once I hit 50 I work on any of the 4 passive accolades that I haven't yet achieved and work on incarnates.  I'll play that character until all incarnates are T4 and maybe a bit beyond, but then I start a new alt or take one that is mid-level and go through the 50 journey again.  I'll occasionally pull out a shelved 50 to move around for day job badges, an iTrial, or for Hami raids, but for the most part they get rarely played.

[FoulVileTerror]

I Exemplar/Malefactor all the time.   It's my preference to play this way.  As such, I tend to only use Attuned Set IOs for all of my characters.  I usually start slotting them up around level 17 when the majority of IOs open up for use.

[EmmySky]

I exemplar a lot.  I have one toon boosted, not attuned, but the rest are ready to roll at any given level.

[Oginth]

How do you exempt?

Edited September 12, 2020 by Oginth

[Without_Pause]

I vastly exempt down due to TFs. I don't really worry too much about how the build deals with it as I figure common IOs with a build having more slots than usual for that level range will be fine. 

[Without_Pause]

1 minute ago, Oginth said:

How do you exemplar?

Play at a lower level than your character currently is.

[Heraclea]

I run many old-line task forces, and my level 50s probably spend almost half of their time playing at lower levels,  It's a lot more fun running a Synapse when you have all of the recovery procs slotted already, and fully slotted attacks and defenses.  I don't enjoy a lot of the highest level content.  I find endless IDF enemies monotonous.  White square labs with poorly defined spawn points seem lacking in tactical options.  That is not the game I came back to play.  Much rather be running a Citadel or a Manticore on a level 50 than running an Apex or Tin Mage. 

[MTeague]

over 60% of my playtime on a 50 is exemplard. Maybe 75%

[MTeague]

3 hours ago, Oginth said:

How do you exempt?

• Ouroborous mission arcs (auto exemplars you down to max level for that arc)
• Task Forces (similar auto-exemplar to the TF's level)
• join a team led by a lower level character
• enter a lower level PvP zone (bloody bay, siren's call, etc)

[Greycat]

5 hours ago, dekova said:

So... how often do you exemplar? Does it factor in to your build decisions?

It varies. I don't mind exemping, I don't build for it or keep it in mind. If I feel like doing a posi with my 50, I know I'm going to take a hit. But I've got so many alts I can often find something in range, too.

[cranebump]

Lots. Mainly through TFs, signature story arcs for merits.

[Machariel]

Most of my characters follow a similar arc of getting PL'd to 50, receiving IOs, getting Task Force Commander / Portal Jockey, a few incarnates and then getting incorporated into my growing pool of characters.  (I'm pretty lazy).  I think my favorite level range to play is about 30-40, and while I'd guess I spend more time at 50 than anywhere else I'd say I spend a good amount of time exemplared.  I like to have a good attack chain and a travel power by level 20 so sometimes I take kinda bad powers like Fire Breath to fill out AoE at low levels, even though most of the time I'll never touch the power.

[Johnny]

13 hours ago, dekova said:

Trying my hand at builds for the first time and wondering how much consideration I should be giving to how they play when exemplared. Wondering how typical it is at 50 to exemplar down.

 

So... how often do you exemplar? Does it factor in to your build decisions?

I exemplar all the time, especially when new players are trying to find their way around the game. My key advice would be:

 

1. Get IOs that are the lowest level possible, so that you have their benefit at low leve. Sometimes the IO sets go down to 10, sometimes 30; it varies.

2. Carefully consider what powers you've slotted, and the level at which you slotted each power, knowing that it won't be available when you go below the level at which you slotted it.

3. Make note of the level that each PvP zone will set you at, and per (2) consider your slotting choices to ensure that you have certain abilities for the given PvP zone.

4. With respect to your main travel power, note that you won't necessarily need it at level 10 or below because running to missions will be viable.

5. If you intend to use Recall Friend, then I'd recommend slotting it at level 8 because that's kinda the sweet spot whereby you can really help to expedite teammates around the maps.

[Sunrunner]

13 hours ago, dekova said:

Does it factor in to your build decisions?

We have the option of multiple builds on the same character available from level 10.  If this is at all a concern for you, I'd suggest making use of that option to have an exemplar-friendly build.

[Myrmidon]

A lot.

 

Attuned Invention Origins(Sans Purples) are our best friends throughout the entire play experience.

[Coyotedancer]

My support-types are all "finished" 50+ characters, with their full builds and Incarnate toys and all that... But I almost always play them exemp-ed with mid-level teams. They were specifically built with that in mind, and make heavy use of attuned IO sets. 

 

I spend less time at lower levels with my non-support characters, but I'll do it with them sometimes. They weren't built for it, though, so they aren't quite as "at home" in a lower level setting as the my defenders and corruptors are.... and there are one or two that I just WON'T do it with. (Karnaim-the-Titan-Scrap, I'm looking at you. <_<)

[Ironblade]

18 hours ago, dekova said:

So... how often do you exemplar? Does it factor in to your build decisions?

A LOT and yes.

Typically, I start slotting IO's that are level 32-35 and with higher levels in the powers I get later on.  I don't want to lose all my bonuses at the same time.  Obviously, this doesn't apply to purples and such.  Also, I take into account that, for example, I won't need as much +recovery at lower level because I have fewer attacks and slower recharge.

[Grouchybeast]

I exemp a lot, mostly for TFs.  I always slot Attuned IOs, and when I do my tidy-up respec at 50 I make sure I do things like take travel powers at a low enough level, and have enough attacks for a Posi.

 

That said, carefully minmaxing powers and IOs for low level isn't really such a big deal.  Full teams tend to have such huge buff numbers flying around anyway.  Whether my blaster's IOs are contributing the maximum possible +Def is pretty immaterial when I already have 75% Def from the rest of the team.

[Luminara]

19 hours ago, dekova said:

So... how often do you exemplar?

 

Infrequently.  I prefer making progress on a lower level character, if I'm going to play lower level content.

 

19 hours ago, dekova said:

Does it factor in to your build decisions?

 

Always.  One never knows when someone will ask for help, or new content will include a badge which requires another badge which requires exemplaring.

 

Attune anything with a set bonus you want to keep (or sell the unattuned IOs and buy attuned versions).  Attune Luck of the Gambler +Recharge IOs so you gain the benefit of their Defense enhancement value, as well as Steadfast Resistance +3% Defense IOs, as they also enhance Resistance, and Synapse's Shock EndMod/+RunSpeed.  Generally speaking, most other procs don't benefit from being attuned or boosted.  If it offers a static value (25% Regen, for example) and no enhancement value, just take the lowest level of the proc available and use it.

 

+5 anything frankenslotted (individual IOs from sets which have been slotted not for bonuses, but for maximal efficiency in a power).  +5 common level 50 IOs.  You can save several slots by slipping a 50+5 IO, set or common, into a power here and there, and they provide a much larger enhancement value than they would at +0, which makes them more effective when exemplared.

 

EITHER +5 purples, if you're placing them in lower level powers, so you can gain the most benefit from them when exemplared; OR slot them in higher level powers, because the set bonuses are still applied even if you lose access to the power when you exemplar, and just boost the Dam/Rchg or Dam/End to push them over the edge in those powers.  The same applies to PvP IOs if you're slotting them for set bonuses.  For exemplaring, it's better to place purples and PvP IO sets in higher level powers, to garner the most set bonuses possible, but it's not a hard and fast rule.  Sometimes, lower level powers benefit from these sets more.

 

Attune ATOs.  Always.  You can slot them at level 10, they "grow" with you, and when you get to 50, attune them to turn them into the superior versions.  And, being level variable, they offer the best bang for buck in lower level powers.

 

That'll prepare you for everything at every level range.  You'll be nearly optimally slotted at 50+, and well above the game's curve when exemplared.

[PeregrineFalcon]

Since my main is a level 50 tank I exemplar more often than not.

 

My character is built to be tough at lower levels, having access to all of her toggles plus Tough and Weave at level 20. The autos and many of the attacks come later. I'm still working on getting more set IOs and attuning them. Plus of course the special IOs (Steadfast +3% defense, etc.) are also the lowest level ones available, and slotted into low level powers so that they'll be available at low levels.

[Yomo Kimyata]

I generally level up my characters organically, so build them as I go without using Mid's or showing too much concern about making a wrong turn.  If I do discover I've made a wrong turn, I'll use a respec which may be time consuming but I find satisfying.  Then at 50 I'll respec again using Mids to try to make a more optimal build, at which point I'll consider my exemplaring options which generally consists of choosing what powers when and whether to use an attuned set or a boosted set.

 

In practice, I don't sweat my build for exemplaring.  Unless I'm running TFs solo, I'll always be on a team, and I don't think that anyone needs "optimal" builds on any sub-50 content for team play.

[Riverdusk]

9 hours ago, Sunrunner said:

We have the option of multiple builds on the same character available from level 10.  If this is at all a concern for you, I'd suggest making use of that option to have an exemplar-friendly build.

Was going to say the same.  If you find yourself ever really loving a character and have the inf you could just make an exemp build and a "max 50" build.  So far I find myself always moving onto another alt before I get to the point I'd do a build for each, but maybe some day.

[Sovera]

I can't give percentages, but a fair bit of my time. But mostly because my main is very exemplar friendly so it pushes me to do it where with exemplar unfriendly characters I've decidedly shied away from doing low level TFs thinking I'd only have important skills later.

 

'Ach, no, I only get my AoE by Yin' is a good reason for me not to do have done lower level content. My main is at 90% of full power at level 15 so I exemp all the time now.

[The_Warpact]

Unless its a lower level TF/SF, that's about it.