Creation order for builds

[Teldurn]

What method do you use when theorycrafting builds? Do you instantly pump up the level to 30 and start distributing everything at once? Do you go level by level (or maybe even a few levels at a time) to get an idea of how everything progresses? Something different?

Curious minds want to know.

[ShoggothWhisperer]

The first thing I do is pick a weapon type for the build (knife, AR, MT, etc) and assign stat points to get the feat requirements. I’ll then pick 1-2 adjectives (secondary weapon, tanky, agile, versatility, ect) and use them to come up with a basic idea for the build, like Tanky hammer wizard. Then I assign skill points based on what I want to do with the build, and then move on to feats. I put the feats in order, and adjust skill points and stat points accordingly to allow for the feats. Feat order and skill point distribution is based mostly on personal preference. For example, I take EW and thick skull at level 10 or 12 because you don’t encounter many armored enemies or enemies that stun you pre depot A. I also rush 20 bio/chem and 40 tailoring ASAP to get early gas grenades and siphoner leather armor pre depot A. Starting out with a basic idea of what you want the build to be makes it easy to plan out a build.

[DieGo]

    First I pick a unifying theme: a game mechanic like bleed or crit, a weapon, a feat, or a character to roleplay as.

    Then I see all the feats that could work well with this theme, even if I go past the limit. If I pass the limit, I start trimming redundancies or the least effective feats (or focus further on a sub theme if needed). If I go under the limit, I freely pick my favourite QoL feats, or crafting feats if I have Int. After that, I try to fulfill the ability/score requirements at level 30. Then, I put lockpicking and hacking, and check the crafting requirements for the gear I wanna craft. At this point, if I have stealth and spare points I try to turn it into an oddity build (so I add pickpocket and persuasion). Personal preference: I always try to reach 105 mercantile as well, because the economy can be very harsh on hard+.
    The order of feats is based in experience for the most part. Like, some feats are seriously needed ASAP like Expose Weakness on a melee build so that's locked at lvl 6. If I pick Opportunist at level 1, I usually like to pick Sure Step at lvl 2, and so on. Others can be moved further depending on demand like QoL feats, or feats that are circumstancial. Those feats that aren't nailed down are subject to change up until the moment when I pick them in game, because when I make the build I don't really know at what stage I'll be during each level.
    Then when I have to pick specializations I tend to go with the cheaper ones, unless the unifying theme is a feat which happens to have an expensive spec, and then I have to bite the bullet.

    Some DEX builds require extensive consultation of the AP cost reduction table. Sometimes if I'm short on skill points it can be useful to put more points in INT so I save skill points in hacking, crafting and mercantile. The amount of skills affected by DEX and INT is exorbitant compared to everything else, WILL doesn't count because you probably won't heavily invest in more than 2 psi schools after the nerf.

[Bruno]

I pick a weapon or two, and a playing style, maybe a feat I wish to try out.
Then flesh it out with base feats and ability scores.

To see if this character can work, I mentally test it against some of the more dangerous encounters.

Can it deal with stealthed enemies like Crawlers/Death Stalkers? Or Lurker ambushes?
And what about groups of humans or Azuridae? Greater Coil Spiders? A grenade to the face?
Do you detect traps or not? Do you die if you step on one?
Are you a glass cannon who need initiative/stealth, or a tank? What is your Achilles heel?
Can you survive an unexpected random encounter?

Is a character makes it through such a survival test, it is good.