This player-made build calculator allows me to keep track of what Deadlock's items do.

It can be confusing for a newcomer to Deadlock, especially if they're more of a MOBA player than an FPS one. You can always practice making builds in-game. However, it can be difficult to think about the big picture when you are trying to stop Adams from crushing their lane. One player created a simple way to do this.

"I created a Deadlock calculator," alayton explains. "It is more than a builder, but for now that's what's most important." The data from previous versions is preserved, as well as a list of all heroes, abilities and items. This data is read directly from the client. Updates are quick, easy and cover everything.

Mutex is the website name. It lets you choose any hero and create various item builds. Mutex allows you to quickly add or subtract items without having to enter Deadlock's Sandbox. As you play around, the weapon, vitality and spirit stats change. You'll quickly learn how different items impact your stats.

"We've used the sandbox to play with builds and this can't replace that," alayton states. "There is no way to import build into the game at the moment, but this lets you play with builds when you cannot (or don't want) run the game.

"I approached builds differently. It's not a step-bystep system where you buy one item, then another, etc., but a system that allows you to see the effects of a set of items, whether it be your hour-long goal for endgame or a typical 25-30k soul target. It still allows for early game and alternate item additions, but they won't be included in the stat calculations until they're placed in the 12 main slots."

It's possible to create builds in sandbox mode. This will give you a lot of information about stats and weapon status. However, I found that Mutex was easier and faster. When I play Deadlock with my lovely, but impatient friends, I don't always have the time to mess with builds. Instead, I use someone else's build.

The custom builds are amazing. You can browse the public builds to find your favorite. When I choose someone else's build I don't read the description of each item, I just pick my favorites and blindly follow what the creator suggests. It's important to tailor your build for your current match in a MOBA. It's a mixed bag.

It's been refreshing to sit down and learn what each item is and how it will affect your build. It's not too time-consuming and you can open it directly in your browser. I've been playing around with it whenever I have a few seconds.

Mutex has a fascinating history. Alayton explains that a mutex in programming is an object that prevents multiple threads from simultaneously accessing the same memory by locking and unlocking it (mutual inclusion). "If a thread locks the mutex and then tries to lock it twice before unlocking it, the second lock won't succeed and the first lock won't be unlocked. This is called a deadlock." There are other ways deadlocks can occur, but this is the easiest.) Every day you learn something new.