A Change is Gonna Come

Nonetheless, it is also true today that Marks can beat Survival, and yet there are a lot of Survival hunters raiding. Our hope is that in 3.3.3 that there will be as many BM hunters as Survival raiding, which would be a really nice bump for BM. Maybe the estimates (ours and those I've read) about the boost BM is getting are overly optimistic. We'll see. (Source)

As you all know, Hunters are my first love. When I read this post by Ghostcrawler I cheered a little inside.

I really enjoy playing my secondary BM hunter. I'm well aware he's NEVER going to make the numbers my MM Main does, and I'm also aware that's as much about the Best in Slot gear that the both have currently available to them. For a while I've found myself trying to muster the imputice to take BM Hunter to the trainer, buy Dual Specs, and simply add a MM spec. This is what happened with the Mage, after all. Frost just wasn't bringing the numbers, and if I wanted to play with anyone else I needed to make the concession. When all is said and done, if you don't do the dps, you're not worth bringing.

I am reading in several places that Frost too may be about to undergo a similar rennaisance. 1000g would be a small cost to bear if this ends up to be true, but for BM it's something even more basic. A Hunter's very existance, like it or not, is tied to their pet. The fact that every Hunter in the known Universe uses a Wolf these days I find rather sad, because it makes for very little diversity. I used to love the days of many and varied exotic pets, of people picking a pet for looks as well as their abilities. The days of Min/Maxxing have reduced all this to a precise and depressing set of variables.

It also makes for some fairly extreme snobbery, which is why I mention the Mage here. I got dissed very publically in a VoA 25 yesterday for having crit gems in my gear, after all 'any retard should know Arcane means gemming for haste' As we were the only two mages in the group at the time I'm betting this wasn't done in a whisper to show that clearly I'm unable to play my class if I'm not capable of doing the legwork. The fact remains I've not done the theorycraft on the mage for a good reason: I don't raid them, so it's not an issue. If I'd been in a Guild run with Mr Mage then he'd have a point. This started me thinking, as did Ghostcrawler's comments above: since when did it end up being ALL about the best damage, and less about a cosmetic  feeling of comfort with the class you play?

So much of what is 'right' and 'wrong' now with classes is wrapped up in this issue of spec balance. Of course, if BM overnight became the #1 dps spec I suspect we'd see all the MM hunters go get DS (who don't already have it so they can tame spirit beasts) and try it, but as so much of what MM is about is wrapped up in Armour Penetration, which is on most mail items anyway, would it even work? One fact is certain though, they wouldn't try it in their Raids to see. They'd be expected to still turn up and do x bazillion dps with the old spec until someone came up with an acceptable Theorycrafted alternative which the entire community would then adopt en mass. That's how it goes. What of course would be better were if we could have all three specs DOING THE SAME OR CLOSE DPS, which then gave us all a bit more variety. This must be what they're aiming for in Cataclysm. I have to believe that's the way it will go for Rogues, and Mages, and Locks and Hunters. More variety, less '1 Spec to Rule them All'

What cheers me about GC's comments is that clearly they're trying to do that. Then it comes down to us, and us trying to see if we can make it work practically and not simply on the PTR's. Perhaps as we head towards Cataclysm, Blizzard can also spare a thought for pets for Hunters (more abilities, bigger returns, more potions) and for trying to beat the Min/Max Mentality out of people who believe that's the only way to play.

We need some changes to the way people think.

New Kid on the Block

Not much now, but we all have to start somewhere...

So, I have a new project.

I have wanted to level a Shaman since they appeared in TBC on the Alliance side, but every attempt at doing so stalled (most in the late 20's/early 30's) It was a combination of having RL as a priority, being a GM when I was in-game and raiding, and simple inability to make it over the awkward hump when I did have the time. When Wrath hit I quietly resolved it would be something I would do, to see if being self-sufficient wearing mail was as much fun as being self-sufficient in leather has been as a Druid.

So far, it's been far more fun than I thought was possible.

It could be that I'm in a lull pre-Ulduar, that I like the simpler stuff right now (as opposed to the Elbow of Justice/Valor Farming, which does have it's moments but can get a bit wearing) or just that I have realised that what I enjoy in the game above everything else is to be useful. Hunters (as a good friend said to me only this morning) bring dps, dps and... dps to a party. They don't bring offspec healing or the ability to rez or a lot of other useful items... they are not a helpful class. To be honest, Hunters can be selfish. Not all of them, this is not a blanket criticism, but there are still many who think that they are all there is. Ironically I did a Heroic VoA on P this morning and hunters were 3 of the top 5 DPS lots. All of course were Survival.

Blizz should be shot for all they've done (and continue to do) to the class which once was fun to play but now really does seem to be a one dimensional raid tool. If you can't max the meters, you're no good, coz you can't bring anything else to the table other than damage and a bit of mana regeneration.

Hang on, when did this become a rant?

Anyway, back to the latest project.

M is L45, has Blacksmithing at 275 (Weaponsmith seemed the best bet as I can already make her epic armour at 80 via P) and has spent the last few days whizzing around Badlands, Desolace, ZF and Maraudon (top loots from both, thanks to Hubby and D for doing the runs) before spending most of yesterday zooming around getting FP's so I can dive into Searing Gorge and Felwood once I've done with the new quest hub at Duskwallow. She will, I hope, have 1000g to dual spec as Resto + dps once the time comes. I suspect Healing will be primary not simply because the Guild needs Shammies, but because I am increasingly enjoying the healing role in the end game.

I will keep you up to date with progress.

It's ALIVE!!!!!!!!

So, guess what I'm doing right now?



There's even a New Event type Thing to look at as well! Can I contain my excitement???

[EDIT: Ok, so that was Part 1, and I did think it was a bit small. Part 2 is almost a Gigabyte.



This is gonna take some time...]

Inbound!

So, as predicted yesterday there's a HUGE infodump of changes being considered across all classes for 3.1.

The first slew of infomation has been posted in the US and covers Rogues, Shaman and Priests, so my interest currently is minimal (you've not met N the Priest yet, who is languishing at 71 but who just hit 440 in Enchanting last night thanks to the Power of Vellum) What I see however is that Divine Spirit is going to become a base talent for all priests regardless of spec. About Bloody time, I say.

Today is a RL day but expect me to go crazeemonkeypoo should anything else appear with a more direct relevance.