02-06-2005, 12:08 AM
My hunter is going almost pure marksmanship, with bits of survival thrown in for some PvP functionality, what with my being on a pvp server and all.
Improved Conussive Shot: No. I see no purpose for concussive shot in pve, and, I have found, there are better ways of stunning/getting away from an enemy in pvp.
In pve, once I got my pet, I never needed it. So far, I can draw with an aimed shot, serpent sting, and spam all the arcane I want--I once hit about 95 dps--and my bear rarely loses aggro. And if he does? Disengage, wing clip--by this point the pet's usually hit another growl and pulled the enemy back, so I can just back up a few feet for the finish.
PvP? All I've seen, if an enemy wants to get close to you, then he's going to. And no matter if you managed to do some extra damage by then, he's doing more to you, and you have to do something about it. And 'something' has nothing to do with concussive shot. Especially with a twelve second cool down--something you can only use once per battle, and only if you get the drop on the enemy (which, granted, you should, with all that tracking) is not something I want to waste five talent points to improve.
Efficiency: Lower mana cost! Sure! This really only matters in long battles, and when you're going to be jumping from one enemy to another in quick fashion. Long battles will happen, however, and a drop in down-time between battles is always good.
Improved Hunter's Mark: Woo, small bonus to a slightly less small bonus. It adds up if you bother maxing it, I guess, but that's a lot of talent points for 15% applied to a maximum of 110, at level 58.
Lethal Shots: More criticals is more damage, and more damage is more dead enemies. Simple, no?
Aimed Shot: Big damage, long attack speed. Heavy damage per shot. Not very useful, really. Interrupts your other attacks, and doesn't really do the damage to make up for them. So it seems to lower my average DPS--and that big damage spike certainly can pull aggro if you aren't careful with where you place 'em.
Only major use I can think of for it is when you've got the drop on someone in pvp--all that attacking speed goes on before you get noticed, and, BAM, a nice big number to accompany all the smaller ones you're about to conjure above the enemy's head. Also good for the freakout value--"Ocrapthat'salotofdamageI'mgunnadieI'mgunnadie"
I don't use it much, even in pvp. Mainly because I tend not to attack enemies unless they attack me or an ally, and if he hasn't seen me, and isn't attacking me, then I'm not gonna take all that time to hurt him.
Improved Arcane Shot: More Arcane Shot is more damage. Not hard to understand, here.
Barrage: Haven't used Multi-shot much, and I don't have Volley yet. Heavy damage to one target is the most effective style of play that I've found so far, so I'd be wasting half the talent in most situations anyway.
Improved Serpent Sting: More damage is good. But this really isn't enough damage to pull points away from other talents around this level, I think.
Mortal Shots: With lethal shots, you crit more. With this, your crits are more effective. One is good, the other is good, both together are more than good.
Scatter Shot: Emergency use? Yup. If you don't want a target on you, then you can get him off of you, if only for a few seconds. Long cooldown, though, so it's not something you want to need more than once.
Hawk Eye: More range is good. That's pretty simple too, eh?
Improved Scorpid Sting: Scorpid Sting is really nice in certain situations. This makes it even more nice. But it's three talent points to improve something that works all right as it is, and which you probably won't be using all that often.
Ranged Weapon Specialization: Damage is good. More damage is better. Pretty straightforward.
Trueshot Aura: Damage? Why no, I don't want any of that. *shifty eyes*
And... I'm kind of rambling now, so I'm gonna stop, for at least a while.
Improved Conussive Shot: No. I see no purpose for concussive shot in pve, and, I have found, there are better ways of stunning/getting away from an enemy in pvp.
In pve, once I got my pet, I never needed it. So far, I can draw with an aimed shot, serpent sting, and spam all the arcane I want--I once hit about 95 dps--and my bear rarely loses aggro. And if he does? Disengage, wing clip--by this point the pet's usually hit another growl and pulled the enemy back, so I can just back up a few feet for the finish.
PvP? All I've seen, if an enemy wants to get close to you, then he's going to. And no matter if you managed to do some extra damage by then, he's doing more to you, and you have to do something about it. And 'something' has nothing to do with concussive shot. Especially with a twelve second cool down--something you can only use once per battle, and only if you get the drop on the enemy (which, granted, you should, with all that tracking) is not something I want to waste five talent points to improve.
Efficiency: Lower mana cost! Sure! This really only matters in long battles, and when you're going to be jumping from one enemy to another in quick fashion. Long battles will happen, however, and a drop in down-time between battles is always good.
Improved Hunter's Mark: Woo, small bonus to a slightly less small bonus. It adds up if you bother maxing it, I guess, but that's a lot of talent points for 15% applied to a maximum of 110, at level 58.
Lethal Shots: More criticals is more damage, and more damage is more dead enemies. Simple, no?
Aimed Shot: Big damage, long attack speed. Heavy damage per shot. Not very useful, really. Interrupts your other attacks, and doesn't really do the damage to make up for them. So it seems to lower my average DPS--and that big damage spike certainly can pull aggro if you aren't careful with where you place 'em.
Only major use I can think of for it is when you've got the drop on someone in pvp--all that attacking speed goes on before you get noticed, and, BAM, a nice big number to accompany all the smaller ones you're about to conjure above the enemy's head. Also good for the freakout value--"Ocrapthat'salotofdamageI'mgunnadieI'mgunnadie"
I don't use it much, even in pvp. Mainly because I tend not to attack enemies unless they attack me or an ally, and if he hasn't seen me, and isn't attacking me, then I'm not gonna take all that time to hurt him.
Improved Arcane Shot: More Arcane Shot is more damage. Not hard to understand, here.
Barrage: Haven't used Multi-shot much, and I don't have Volley yet. Heavy damage to one target is the most effective style of play that I've found so far, so I'd be wasting half the talent in most situations anyway.
Improved Serpent Sting: More damage is good. But this really isn't enough damage to pull points away from other talents around this level, I think.
Mortal Shots: With lethal shots, you crit more. With this, your crits are more effective. One is good, the other is good, both together are more than good.
Scatter Shot: Emergency use? Yup. If you don't want a target on you, then you can get him off of you, if only for a few seconds. Long cooldown, though, so it's not something you want to need more than once.
Hawk Eye: More range is good. That's pretty simple too, eh?
Improved Scorpid Sting: Scorpid Sting is really nice in certain situations. This makes it even more nice. But it's three talent points to improve something that works all right as it is, and which you probably won't be using all that often.
Ranged Weapon Specialization: Damage is good. More damage is better. Pretty straightforward.
Trueshot Aura: Damage? Why no, I don't want any of that. *shifty eyes*
And... I'm kind of rambling now, so I'm gonna stop, for at least a while.