User:Star of Exile/build testing

"It doesnt require a whole lot of skill to rate a build without testing it. The funny thing about computers and machines is, everything does what it says it's going to do. So you look at atts, skills, etc. and you can pretty much judge a build. It's not like judging an athlete or student, where a weak or dumb looking person can suprise you. Weak skills with weak synergy are, well, weak." - User:Bob fregman

'''If you have been redirected to this page, you have probably QQed or demanded another PvXer "test a build" before rating it. If we tested every build posted on PvX, we would never have any time for anything else and we would start stabbing our eyes out with our stuffed Pikachu dolls and hang ourselves with dolphin blankets. The above quote should explain it all - Skills do what they're meant to do, unless there's a bug, which will most likely be known. Therefore, it is fairly easy to see when a build is inferior or just doesn't work at all. I present another quote:'''

-User:Scottie theNerd
 * All builds, fundamentally, work. This is most commonly achieved by selecting a target and pressing the spacebar. Following this basic usage, it is possible for any combination of skills to function.
 * An exception to the above usage involves standing and not selecting a target. In this scenario, the build can be considered to function if the character does not die.
 * The purpose of the vetting process on PvXWiki is to determine how well a build works. There is a fundamental difference between whether a build can function, and how well it functions. A Monk can wand a target to death, but that does not necessarily mean that a wanding monk is a good build.
 * A build can be considered dysfunctional if it fails at this simple task. For example, a Monk attempting to wand Shiro Tagachi to death will be countered by Meditation of the Reaper, thereby resulting in epic failure.
 * When scoping the effectiveness of the build, it is essential to consider reasonable and objective criteria. For example:
 * Bad opponents do not necessarily make a build good.
 * Good allies do not necessarily make a build good.
 * Therefore, using criteria that involves relying on bad opponents and good allies, such as Gladiator points, is an inaccurate representation of the build's capabilities.
 * An accurate judgement on a build should therefore consider that the build will be used against good opponents, and probably bad allies.

Thank you for your time, and I hope you can take this into consideration. -- 11:53, 26 January 2009 

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