Hello! I would like to lay out some guidelines on generally-accepted build structure, and what is considered questionable when creating builds on the site for all to see.
Understand first that SMITEFire, its forums, and its build creation tools have some main purposes and goals:
Be welcoming to new and current players alike
Provide good discussion and feedback to help educate those that are looking to learn and better understand the game
Allow people to share their thoughts and builds with which they've found success
Be a good resource for players (especially newer players) looking to try out builds that should allow them to be competitive in their matches
To the last point, it's important that new players get as much as possible out of the builds and guides they read, and are not confused or misled.
We don't expect all posted builds to be in line with the current meta. It's important that builds be posted that need work, so discussion can happen and people can learn about WHY you choose certain items. It's also important to allow people to experiment with build concepts and theory-crafting. It's acceptable for people to post builds that break away from standard, but simultaneously provide a unique function or focus that can still see success with an adjusted playstyle.
Examples of Poor / Misleading / Unacceptable Builds
I would like to provide some examples of builds that are considered (generally) to be poor in concept or presentation.
No Movement Speed
Movement speed (MS) is a core, required stat for regular play in any game mode. It allows you to get from point A to point B more quickly, and builds lacking in MS cannot chase or escape effectively. An MS item is almost always purchased as either the first or second item in a build.
Although this item is typically sold late-game for Elixir of Speed and another full item, it is still important to list it in a build.
Common instances that show lack of knowledge (or are intentionally created as a meme) include building past the limit for certain stats, such as:
Cooldown Reduction (Cap = 40%)
Critical Strike Chance (Cap = 100%)
Lifesteal (Physical Cap = 100%, Magical Cap = 65%)
Other issues include lack of necessary stats, such as no penetration on gods built for damage.
Here are some examples of poor builds based on the above:
Too much cooldown reduction (this has 60%):
Too much critical strike chance (this has 125%):
Too much lifesteal:
Lack of penetration in a damage build:
Impossible Items
Magical gods cannot equip physical items, and physical gods cannot equip magical items. Hunters cannot equip items from the Katana tree.
Here is an example of a build that contains Spear of the Magus, an item impossible for Arachne (a physical god) to build in-game:
Examples of Impossible Skill Leveling
This one is self explanatory. Even new players will likely understand this is impossible, but lack of any effort (or just doing this to be funny) doesn't help. Here are a couple of examples.
Potential Actions
In the event a build has any of these issues, it may be subject - at an Admin's discretion - to be archived, to prevent misleading readers. Archiving a guide still allows it to be viewed by anyone with the website link, but will not show up on a god guide search.
One potential deterrent to being considering for archive is for the creator to make it clear (e.g. stating in the title) that the build is "for fun" or a similar indication.
In cases where it appears that the build creator put forth effort to make a viable build, archiving may be delayed to allow for feedback and a chance for the creator to fix any mistake before further action is taken.
We welcome any creator whose build has been archived to ask questions and fix the issues, in order to unarchive for readers to review.
Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your understanding.
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