Thursday 19 February 2009

Pride goeth before destruction



It is done. Finally? Maybe. We shall see later if my performance in Naxxramas will show if it was worth it.

I have finally gone to the Survival School and asked them to teach me their ways. Dwarrow was right. Pride had kept me in the Marksman School. Wasn't this what I wanted? The freedom to move through schools when the need arises? The school of survival is currently the most powerful... shouldn't I feel that it is the right thing to do?

Dwarrow was right that people might get the wrong idea. The raid leaders and the other dragoons who would think that I am hiding behind what is arguably the weakest school. Hiding the fact that Hyjal was a fluke... that truly, I am nobody special. Perhaps those that I scorned before as amateurish and not having any real talents were actually truly more skilled than me.

Truly, I had expected a dramatic jump in my personal DPS last night. It wasn't so dramatic. I was doing roughly the same amount of DPS as a marksman. Well, we'll see how it goes later tonight in Naxxramas... maybe with all the raid buffs and stuff I might start doing more damage.

It is what Tzivya keeps saying—Hunters are DPS and if they don't do the best DPS, they are not doing their job. Was there a time when I disagreed with that statement? It was the cause of my falling out with Khildred. I used to think that it wasn't the most powerful that was more important but team synergy, and he disagreed. I always thought that having the most powerful DPS wasn't the matter, but having enough DPS.

And yet, slowly, I am being compelled to try to be something else. Dwarrow is upset... she feels I should be top DPS again. I didn't want it before, but just because it happened once it feels like everyone expects me to do it again... or else there is something very wrong.

I must get ready for Naxxramas. Kel'Thuzad and his minions cannot be put down for long.

8 comments:

Trisha said...

I just found your blog via BigRedKitty's. I am a marksmen huntress myself being too stubborn to change. After reading your post about switching to survival I have to say, "WELL???? How did it go in Naxx????"

Anonymous said...

Nice post. I'm going through the same dilemma as well, though I have not made the switch ... yet. How were your numbers in the raid as survival?

aerynn said...

The "good" news: my DPS ranking shot way up. As a marksman, I can hope to probably be on the top 10 in 25-man Naxx (highest so far was number 6), with the survival hunters taking the top DPS spots. As survival, I beat out the other survival hunters, edged out most of the mages, and was only beaten by a mutilate rogue and a ret pally. In some fights, I become number 1 DPS. Damage done is also easily much more.

The bad news: my personal DPS did not change much, but the survival hunters DPS (as well as all other physical DPS, like rogues, warriors and to a certain extent death knights and ret paladins) plummetted. As a marksman, I can hope to do 2,700+ to 3k DPS; as survival, I can hope to do 2,700+ DPS to 3k DPS. But my survival hunter compatriots plunged from doing 3.5k DPS to around the same numbers I'm doing.

It was the loss of Trueshot Aura. It took us longer to kill Patchwerk, and all the other bosses. We were running 30 seconds to more than a minute slower in killing bosses, wiping on bosses that were already easy (like Gothik, of all people).

I was looking at the WWS reports and making comparisons and there is no question that the loss of that raid-wide hurt the raid... but my respeccing to survival made me "top hunter" again.

The question I face now is: is it worth it to be "top hunter" at the expense of weakening the team, or do I go back to marksman.

At this point, I'm feeling I'd rather just buff the team... and I've already proven I can do better than good DPS with the current "DPS spec". But Dwarrow, my partner, would rather I continue being top DPS.

At any rate, I'm giving it another month (until the respec costs go down to 45 gold). Also, by then, there is Patch 3.1 and the new Piercing Shots to test.

aerynn said...

@ Trisha and Zorkrid:

Thanks for leaving comments here. It is always a pleasure to know one is being read.

Anonymous said...

@aerynn:

I'm in the same boat as you, I can make top 3 dps on certain fights, overall top 5. I can keep up with the survival hunters so I know I'd do well if I jumped on the bandwagon with them but I'd rather stay MM. I'd much rather play a spec that benefits the raid as a whole, plus Piercing Shots looks tasty...

Foxfire said...

I too, followed the link from BRK. I was so excited to find a marksman blog. I was marksman from the moment I started playing shortly after BC started, till wrath came out. When wrath hit I started reading BRK and speced BM. I was nice but I really missed my MM spec. It was the one I have the most fun with. But now with everyone going survival, I don't wanna respec but I'm just not putting out the damage other dps classes are. I feel your pain. I'm lucky in that my guild doesn't really care what I spec, but it hurts not topping charts anymore.

Anonymous said...

I have two hunters. At the moment, both are BM. I'm thinking about switching to MM on one of them.

If I do, is there any advice you could give? What are the gemming priorities, what about the enchant priorities?

I have little interest in SV. I am one that believes your Aura buff is of greater value, than topping the charts. Any raid leader that doesn't see that needs more wisdom, imo.
;)

Z

Unknown said...

I am another of the BRK faithful that has found my way to your blog. First off I must say, excellent writing.

But now to the matter at hand. I have as late found myself considering following my fellow MM & even the BM hunters in changing over to the SV side of the great Hunter House. I've been doing it in baby steps. Just before word of the SV nerfs came out I readjusted to try MM with my toes dipping into SV & foregoing BM. Imagine my rage when I saw the new patch notes. I'm just glad that the notes came out when they did. I was planning on switching over to SV after my many years of MM dedication. Now I'll be waiting until 3.1 & keeping my trueshot aura for the benefit of my fellow guildies. While we may be a small guild (77 toons covering maybe a handful of active accounts), we are very dedicated & everyone makes sure they know their place in a 5, 10, or even 25. Mine in all is, has been, & will be to provide DPS & buff the group with my aura.