How Should I Set Up My Character? (Weapon Choice etc.)

[Vanch]

I'm currently level 18, and using an Assault Rifle as my main weapon and a Shotgun as my secondary.

My problem is, I just have absolutely no idea what kind of gear to focus on. I never know whether to substitute a certain stat for another... For example, if I have a gear piece with +50 Firearms, and I get a new piece which has +60 Stamina or +60 Electronics, should I use it? Do any stats take priority and are more important than the other? E.g. is Firearms better than Stamina, etc?

My gear is kinda all over the place at the moment, as I have no known way of setting up my character's stats.


Also, I know that I 100% want to stick with Assault Rifles, although for my secondary weapon I'm not too sure. What do you guys feel would come in more useful for general PvE and endgame type stuff, a Shotgun or Marksman Rifle?


Thanks a lot!

 

[Xeromaus]

For right now, assault rifle/SMG gives the most flexibility (AR for mid to long range engagement, SMG for short to mid), as long as you intend to stick with assault rifles anyway. Shotguns limit you to extremely short range only, and marksman rifles tend to lower your actual DPS over full auto weapons at any range other than long (and even then, a skilled AR user can match or beat them). Changes to weapon classes are incoming in 1.2 or soon after however, so stay flexible and become proficient with all classes.

For gearing, if you keep your firearms/stamina within 100-200 points of each other (NOT DPS/health, but firearms/stamina), you'll stay relevant as you progress with little to no draw backs. Electronics can be an entirely separate build (using stam/electronics in place of firearms/stam), but I wouldn't worry about the stat at all for normal gearing. As you get used to gearing, you can venture outside the 100-200 bit and experiment to see what you like best.

A gear piece with +100 firearms might be better than a gear piece with +140 stamina or vice versa, but it all depends on your ability to adapt your build to accept the new piece without throwing you off. Too much of any one stat hurts more than it helps.

 

[Vanch]

Awesome, thank you very much, that's a great help.  So basically just keep Firearms & Stamina within 100-200 points of each other, and don't focus on Electronics?  Not sure if it helps, but the way I'd like to play is to basically do as much damage as possible with the firearms themselves, and not rely on skills as much.  Then again, am I gimping myself somehow by not focusing on Electronics?

 

[Xeromaus]

Awesome, thank you very much, that's a great help.  So basically just keep Firearms & Stamina within 100-200 points of each other, and don't focus on Electronics?  Not sure if it helps, but the way I'd like to play is to basically do as much damage as possible with the firearms themselves, and not rely on skills as much.  Then again, am I gimping myself somehow by not focusing on Electronics?

Later in your gearing, you'll have the ability to raise electronics to compliment your firearms damage (though not to exactly match it), but early on it can be very difficult to strike a decent balance without gimping both of them. The game is basically designed to limit you to one build or the other for now, though the best outcomes will result from a squad of two or more players with complimentary builds (1-3 with firearms/stam, 1-2 with electronics/stam)