Hi, my name is Wick and i like to raid. Yay!
But, at one point i was a tank for DR and i tanked in Arms spec. What a noob. At another point i switched to the rogue class and i was a full Sub spec. What a noob. Point is.. i didnt really know exactly what the hell i was doin. So i decided to start reading up.
Surprisingly, a little information helped alot.
With the Lich King's citadel looming and as that we're tackling harder and harder content, i thought passing on a little information to the rest of our raiders may be helpful, too. We need ppl to be at the top of their games. i cant speak for healers, but i now many of our dps are still under the 4k mark, and i believe with a little effort in reading they can be far above that.
Here's what i recommend:
Step one: read the elitistjerks forums, specifically the one that pertains to your class and spec. This is THE definitive site for learning how to play better.
http://elitistjerks.com/forums.phpScroll down and look for the "class mechanics" forum under the "PUBLIC DISCUSSION" section, then select your class. Here you will be able to determine which spec is currently the best for pve raiding, and everything else. In the cases of some classes, they even have a how-to guide for rotations, gemming, enchants, gear, etc. Not to mention discussion among top notch players as to the finer points of playing your class to its fullest in a raid environment.
How cool is that!
Here's a example for cats, warlocks and shadowpriests:
http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t63774-cat_dps_guide_dummies/ http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t53164-pve_raiding_compendium_v3_1_a/ http://elitistjerks.com/f77/t37074-shadowpriest_theory_craft_3_2_2_edition/ Step two: Download the spreadsheet.
For each class, there is some kind soul that made a spreadsheet. All you need to do is plug in your specific gear and a few other things and viola! You can see how new gear choices will affect your dps or healing. There are a few addons and other sites out there that claim to show you the best gear upgrades, but trust me... the only real way to know for sure is using a spreadsheet. i've looked at some of those sites and in many cases, they're wrong. The sheets are generally easy to use and THEY WORK!
Here's a example for warriors and warlocks:
http://elitistjerks.com/f81/t37462-warrior_dps_calculation_spreadsheet/ http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t38695-leuliers_warlock_dps_spreadsheet/If you don't have excel you can use openoffice for free.
http://www.openoffice.org/In closing, we all know this is a game. We all play this game for different reasons. i started playing because ima nerd and i love to read fantasy books + was avid old DnD tabletop gamer. Thats why i always bitch about rogues having to use axes or elf hunters having to use guns; i think it doesnt fit and kinda ruins my immersion in the game. Some pve raider, huh?!
However, i feel like we all have the common goal of wanting to see harder end game content. There is a big sense of accomplishment that goes with it, too. Not to mention we all put a few hours of our time in most nights, and personally i feel like i want to make the best use of it. If i can perform my best, i know i'll not be wasting the 24 other raider's time. And i started finding that it's actually FUN to do my homework and learn how to play my class as best i can. Believe me, i suck at math and have little to no concentration ability. if i can do it ANYONE can!
Now, lets all go read read read. We saw this week we simply didn't have the dps to do Beasts on heroic. i bet if everyone squeezed out the best dps they could, we'd have enough next week to down them.
Lets rock.
