Remember the game is called Guild Wars not Cookie-Cutter wars

Wait, just to get this really clear, cookie-cutter is 'standard build'?

shock war ftw

Websites like this tend to encourage cookie-cutter builds because there's an entrie sub-section dedicated to sharing builds. Cookie-cutter builds are what make PvP in GW boring. You see a W/E, Mo/E, W/E, Mo/E and you can be 95% certain that it is dual Smite. You see a multitude of N/Mo... its a blood spike team. W/R, W/R, W/R, R/Me - its IWAY.

Face it, its boring. It quashes peoples' imagiations on makes then less spontaneous because rather than using their brains, they can just copy a pre-made build and start farming that sought-after fame. It has even got to the point where people are shunned for not choosing a cookie-cutter build that has been tried and tested to its death. In HA we all know that there is a high level of elitism amongst some players and you are at serious risk of being looked down upon for not conforming to a cookie-cutter build. It sucks but there's nothing that can be done about it.

Why does it suck? What's wrong with efficiency? What's wrong with what works?

Monotony sucks. Variety is the spice of life.

You're right, they are effiecient builds which makes them successful but its annoying to see the same builds over and over again. I don't know if its a personal thing or part of my culture, but I find it extremely strange to see so many unimaginative 'followers' in one place.

Eh, well...thats actually debatable. In the hand of a good player it might work, cookie cutter builds also have fairly well understood and obvious counters whereas an original or semi-original build might be much harder to counter.

Just remember that using a cookie cutter build doesnt make a good player which is a mistake I see a lot of people making.

I think the main question is..

Why do people think that winning in Random Arenas proves a point? Random arenas have and always will be a joke, since thats what they are...Random. You have no control over who are your teammates are in a team based game. Only reasons I usually go to RA is to actually play around with some funky build thats just for fun and see how people react to it.

Anyways back on topic..

There are reasons why people run the same builds again and again...it's because the situation calls for it. Using cookie cutter builds are fine in my opinion as long as the player understands that there are other builds that work too.

Probably the main reason I don't like going to RA; God help you if you try a different build there; you're called every name in the book, if you discuss a build other than cookie-cutter.
The main reason I like PvE over RA and the other PvP stuff is that I can modify my build (depending on the makep of the group I'm in), and I get a different "feel" for my character (I'm a W/E). It keeps it fun. I'd probably have stopped playing GW a long time ago if I had to play only 1 build for my warrior...

I had a lot of fun with that Necro/Assassin build during the preview weekend.

Let's face facts. There are only so many effective combinations of skills, and millions of people playing the game. It is highly likely that many are going to be using the same set of skills. A lot of people find it easier to stay with what seems to work rather than playing around with different skills. Log on .... play .... log off. It takes time to work out different combinations and not everyone has the time after working/attending class and dealing with all that other stuff in RL

/climbs down off soap box

Strangely enough the answers to your questions were actually answered by the second paragraph of the post you quoted. Here are the answers once again. I included bold text to make it easier to find.

It doesn't matter that a lot of the cookie-cutter builds "work". The point they're is that the cookie-cutters are not the only builds that work, and it's boring as hell for a lot of people to run the exact same thing all of the time. Each game is supposed to last for at least 6 months. I don't understand how people don't get bored playing the same builds for that entire period of time.

But I like to eat cookies :P

Maybe, just maybe, a lot of people don't have that much time to sit in front of the computer banging keys all day and half the night. A lot of people only spend a few hours a week playing, so there is no way they will get bored in 6 months. It's all about the level of time you have to commit to the game. Some want to kick back for a short while at the end of a day and some are hard core gamers. If your time was limited to a few hours a week which would you rather do, cookie cutter or hours of research, trial and error?

God, some of the people here are so elitest. Who cares what someone else runs, if it's "cookie-cutter" or whatever. If you're so great, well come up with something else and kick their ass. Alot of people probably choose these types of builds to start off with. If you're new to PvP or whatever, you want to get an idea of different things that work, and get familiar with it. And maybe people just enjoy these builds? This is a game, which is about fun. Not a game where you have to show how cool and hardcore you are because you're playing different builds. That's a retarded idea in and of itself, but no doubt some people play this game for that.

This game is not life, don't mix things up. I read a disgusting level of arrogance in this thread. Some people use their brains off-game and play games to relax not scientifically. You are not your uber-build, your armour, your sundering zodiac sword of zomgness. If it annoys you, accept it or leave the game.

It's a game, it's supposed to be fun, relaxing and what ever tickles your fancy is OK to use. Ppl take this game way to serious( I hope they take school/work as serious as the game) it's not like your life is at stake here.
Who gives a hoot about what some lifeless(as in real life) 12 hour a day gamer thinks, it's not like you will ever meet them in real life.

It's about YOU having fun. ppl ask me what build I'm using, I anwser with a LOL

simple fact is..this game is based around the "casual" gamer hence the cookie builds the green items ect

want a challenge? then this game isnt for you.

You can tell how cookiecutter this game has become. I was doing some TA last night with a friend. I was a Spinal Shivers necro, he was an Assassin w/ Tigers Fury with Icy Daggers.
None of the groups seemed to figure it out... everytime we came across an E/Mo Ether Prodgy Flash Turret i always seemed to end up getting blinded because they assumed it was me interrupting everthing...

Was funny watching boon prots squirm when we interrupted Contemplation of Purity

PvE:

Why would you *not* play what works best? Doing otherwise is crazyness.

PvP:

You can't talk about cookie cutter and not talk about meta game. The people playing will continue playing builds that win, and other people will copy them. It comes down to evolution, the best build wins.

You get some jitter, builds will shuffle around, but nothing will seriously change until the critical skills get rebalanced.

So basicly if your getting bored of PvP being continously the same, you have to ask Anet to change up the key skills of the game so people start running different things. Maybe half the healing that divine boon applies but make it drop only 1 energy instead of 2. That would shake things.

There are two types of people who play cookie cutter builds:

Type A: "I use cookie cutter builds, but if you do not wish to play cookie cutter, that is okay by me. You are welcome to design your own build".

Type B: "I use cookie cutter builds, and you are a complete noob to not do the same! Do not even think of desgining you own build".

My point: There is nothing wrong with playing cookie cutter builds, just as long as you don't get angry at people who don't. That's all I am trying to say in this thread. I am not trying to start arguments here.

Pretty much sums it up, in my eyes.