02-01-2007, 03:29 PM
Quote:How does that table prove your point? I see classes above the shadowpriest in that table, and they all have less +dmg than the 'top' shadowpriest.
The results are adjusted for gear maximization. The article explains this: the numbers are shifted to account for itemization choices. The idea is that giving each comparison the same +damage, +hit and +crit numbers doesn't properly model how shadow priests and affliction locks will favour pure +damage items over +crit items (since both classes are DoT-heavy and therefore cast a lot of spells that cannot crit). The way the numbers are set up, the mages are actually favoured in the analysis since they get to split their attack stats in different ways (which gets them "more" overall the way the item formula works) whereas shadow priests and affliction locks get a bit of hit and straight +damage otherwise.
Quote:Surely a shadowpriest wearing -the best items- (and to get near 815 +dmg he must be pretty close to that, without consumables, unless he's wearing a lot of statless greens) SHOULD come close to your dps, unless I missed the memo that said mages must be the highest single-target and multiple-target dps dealers full stop;)
Close I have no problem with. Beating me, that I do have a problem with, because I can't shift out of nuke form to heal (this is the same, and I feel, equally convincing argument, that rogues use to argue that feral druids should not outdamage them). And given the way mages are set up, we should be slightly behind rogues and slightly ahead of everyone else, in most situations (not all, but certainly in the most common situation - that is, nuking a single target). Given the extraordinary power of healing in WoW as a whole, I don't think that's too much to ask.
Quote:The fact that our experiences are completely at odds intrigues me. Theorycrafting, however, has never really appealed to me, so it'll have to wait until I've levelled my mage to 70, and then I'll take both him and my priest out with identical +dmg on and have a play.
I suppose. That said, if you have anywhere near the +damage of the frost mages in your guild, you should be pulling away from them rapidly already. Large crits can be fun, but that doesn't really make up for the fact that frost has terrible scaling and poor base damage.