Your interpretation of an Off Caster vs a Hybrid character build.

Anyway, my interpretation is based on actual game play before updates and my time playing Softcore then switching to Hardcore.

Hybrid: A character that can Tank while dealing damage with Weapon and/or Casting charm or healing (note this was before abilities update). People thought I was nuts because I was also the Driver in the group and I would be a substitute healer (Tank / Melee / Heal) and occasionally cast.

This role was even using the Barbarian before Abilities were introduced, the Guardian became useful because it could Tank / Melee / Heal for a group climb (before editing Groups update and people used the bridging method).

Thus a hybrid is a character that fits three(3) roles in a group. Melee/Tank & backup Healer (Guardian)... thus playing three(3) roles.

Now a "Dual" class is one that deals damage and can heal... this role can be done with all classes (excluding Alchemist) with the right gear. A Warlock is exceptionally great, so is a Mage, or any class with the right gear.

The terminology of an Off Caster is a character that is more beneficial to Melee, BUT casts / heals with the disadvantage of Mana Pool running out.

Here is a novel approach for Off Casters, use an EE weapon with +Int when you are out of mana (OOM) like I use to do in softcore?

This post was edited by izParagonzi on Sep 21 2022 12:06pm

voted no

just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done...

unless you can get super weird ee + int gear like ilegit used to have, it's not worth even attempting to go hybrid. I've attempted it even with a 170ee charm with 40 or 50 stats using the paladins holy cross, was very underwhelming in groups and any other abiity would have been better.

always better off just doing melee or just doing offcast.
going melee and going all int for extra mana and the potential to heal is kinda bad, works ok but is very slow at killing anything even with decent gear.


Nothing is stopping you from playing how you want, unless you play in a group where you may find people will avoid grouping with you if you're being sub-optimal or just bad.

Group? Solo? Which class? HC/SC? Which items are we using or what's even available?
Lots of questions but it generally leads to this: Doing a little of everything will spread you far too thin.


At this point, why offcast at all though? You would be FAR better off focusing simply on casting OR melee.

Here is a better approach.. focus on perfecting your DPS as a melee or offcaster, because it's ALWAYS a good investment. Later on, if an item comes along which provides you with your next desired utility stat (without sacrificing the damage) -you win

Where is the Poll to vote?



What about what gear the user has on hand and can NOT afford better items and improve their run by changing their strategy to playing for the better instead of hindering themselves? (hey, you could do this playing Bufcore).



What does Holy Cross have to do with anything... shit, in your group runs the only abilities that matter are Multi Strike and Multi Cast, Power strike, Power Cast (whatever it is called), and you have character classes using it even when they are in the RED.

List all of the MOST common abilities that a character uses Solo or in a Group? Now, we all know that a full group run has determined that certain roles are for certain people in the group... i.e. Tanker, Caster (healer &/or backup) and Melee.

Depending on Events, you want the group to do Mirror Maze, so you want one character to be a TD detector (Rogue/Monk/Ninja) unless the Event says "No Trap Doors" where you do not need that class right? So you could have 4 Alchemists and a Headhunter for the run... unless Reset has happened and you are all stuck on Feeder classes, but would you still do a Mirror Maze with Feeder classes during a "No Trap Door" Event with +X Guild points for 101 etc?

I got off topic... simply put, what is the difference of an Off Caster vs Hybrid vs Dual build?



These points are valid... I agree to some extent, however people want to CAST because it has the fastest Kill speed vs Melee, and it also means you can Heal or be a backup healer in a group, thus, Dual class (Melee/Heal and Caster/Heal) are the correct terminology outside of Off Casting... to Heal is to Cast (using mana pool)... Off Casting only Refers to character Classes like Barbarian, Fighter, Samurai and headhunter whom have the LOWEST Intelligence.

That is just my opinion, but I can say for certain, you can still make a decent Melee/Healer (dual) build and all of these 4* (Fighter/Barb/Samurai & Headhunter) can TANK on top of it.

Edited: 4* from 3

This post was edited by izParagonzi on Sep 21 2022 02:16pm

Nobody off casts as a Barb/Fighter when you can choose Rogue or Magician.
Samurai is grueling and thankfully, is only 3 doors and doesn't take long to pass.

Most ppl never reach HH or may not even have light charms to cast that class.. so I mean, I don't think it's necessary to even debate.



I respectfully disagree.
Maybe some "professional LS offcaster's" can chime in, but I would imagine the main draw is that you are improving 1 proficiency (attack charm), versus splitting your prof gain between multiple sets. Offcasting also eliminates some of the tediousness of inventory management/vault management.

This post was edited by JonWon on Sep 21 2022 03:14pm

In theory a hybrid could work but due to the way items drop in the game, we will never see a hybrid item that would outperform a top tier DPS item - either weapon or charm. You would need items that you see posted in the "perfect item wishlist" with like 200 + EE and int and mana on a weapon, while a heal charm has insane dex and strength as well as ee and heal mastery. No chance of that happening.

So youre saying an Alch cant do both, heal and cause damage? Weird.


Also




Multi is a given in every group, HOWEVER, depending on what character you are at the time, there are several other 2nd and 3rd abilities to use in a group to help get more damage. Like monk can also use cross strike, ninjas jump attack and path whatever help alot. Just depends on what class you are on.

Also voted no