Patch 3.3

[Delmania]

I'm not sure I'd use that, even I was SL/FG.  Unless you're Destro, warlocks tend to go for SP or Haste. 

[Ingmar]

For a dpser, 3% bigger crits basically outweighs anything any other meta can give you (though melees should really use the 21 agility/3% critsize version of that since it only requires 1 blue gem instead).

[Sheepherder]

I'm not sure I'd use that, even I was SL/FG.  Unless you're Destro, warlocks tend to go for SP or Haste.

There has not ever been a caster spec where that meta or it's TBC equivalent is not best in slot.  That includes Affliction back in TBC, including early TBC where the only variant of that gem available was the agility / +crit bonus one (as I recall).  Which they then changed by nerfing the melee one and adding a casting one.

http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=1016252493

[Delmania]

Well color me confused.  I was under the impression that Affliction was the only talent line that didn't make use of Crit as compared to the others lines.  I know Pandemic tries to fix that, but I always aim for haste and spell power because haste makes DoTs tick faster.

[Rasix]

haste makes DoTs tick faster.

Not until 3.3 and only with a glyph at the moment.  Stat weights are still hit (to cap), SP, haste, crit, spi in order.   Haste could overtake SP at really high levels of gear once if the corruption change becomes baseline.  Haste, I believe, will make channeled spells tick faster and shadowbolt spam is still a heavy component of any affliction build.

From EJ regarding the CSD:

Note: The [Chaotic Skyflare Diamond]'s special effect increases the damage coefficients for critical hits from 150%/200% to 154.5%/209%. This also affects DoT crits, increasing our DPS by 50.37 / 79.98 / 125.19 . So, the effect itself completely outdamages every other Meta Gem, making CSD a clear choice. As a side note, the +2% Intellect of the Ember Skyflare Diamond are in fact a dps increase, but a small one: E.g. with 1000 Intellect buffed, it would only give ~4.2 dps.
There is some discussion about using the run speed Meta because Death Knights do not give the raidwide runspeed increase anymore, but the feet enchant seems a more reasonable choice if you decide you need the extra speed: The whole Icewalker Enchant is worth 29.2 dps, less than half of the Meta Gem effect.

The best any other meta can muster is a 35DPS increase.

[Sheepherder]

Well color me confused.  I was under the impression that Affliction was the only talent line that didn't make use of Crit as compared to the others lines.  I know Pandemic tries to fix that, but I always aim for haste and spell power because haste makes DoTs tick faster.

Very few (maybe only Frostfire?) caster specs scale well enough with crit to stack it, but for all of the the CSD meta is best in slot.

That didn't help your confusion, did it?

[Delmania]

Not at all..

Although most other talents lines have talents that specifically boost crit chance and crit damage, like Ruin and Devastation, so I thought those talents plus crit was better than spell haste. It seems as though my understanding of casting mechanics is outdated.  Whe the amory cpmes back online, I'll post my character and get some advice on how to improve her damage.

[Sheepherder]

Short answer:

33 haste rating is 1% haste.  46 crit rating is 1% crit chance.  The stats on gear are purposefully unbalanced to favour haste, because haste would actually be pretty terrible compared to crit if they were equal point for point.  Conversely, because talents give percent buffs rather than ratings the crit chance talents are highly valuable.

Both stats scale in a multiplicative fashion, whereas spell power scales additively.  Thus spellpower begins as the best stat and is constantly decreasing in value as you gain upgrades/raid buffs, crit and haste however always scale at the same rate until you start hitting caps and so become exceedingly good at high levels of gear.

[Draegan]

Some interesting changes since I last followed WOW closely.  I like the faction change etc.  I havn't played since... god March?  April maybe?

The only thing I think that keeps me from seeing how insane I am and paying for this game again is the gold grind.  I think all my characters are broke.  That and I know no one that plays the game.

Maybe I'll level up a new toon with Cataclysm with all the changes. 

[Rasix]

The only thing I think that keeps me from seeing how insane I am and paying for this game again is the gold grind.  I think all my characters are broke.  That and I know no one that plays the game.

There are a ridiculous amount of easy dailies available at 80.  Not to mention the Argent Tournament is a gold factory.  A lot of professions can make pretty good money too with little effort.

[Draegan]

Aion was the first MMOG I've attempted to play while living with a girlfriend.  It's nearly impossible.  Which makes me finally realize why so many people like WOW.

Anyway.  Beyond the gold grind, what would motivate me to play again?  I have a 68 Priest, 70 Paladin/Shaman, 80 DK.  I have a 60 hunter on another account I used to RAF with.  My DK was fun but getting a group to do anything was nearly impossible.  Then I picked up a new BE priest (since my 68 was a dwarf on a shitty server) and I wanted to play on the same server as my DK and now I find out they stink as well. 

I guess the game has gotten stale to me.  I want to come back, but the reality of it is that I don't think I'd server the transition from 60-80 again.  Or even 1-60 playing another class.

I'll see if I'm still itching when Borderlands comes out.

[Lantyssa]

Gold is pretty easy to come by.  Taking my Druid from 1-79 I was able to afford everything except for the final riding training.  I had a small amount of help with dual spec but paid for most of it myself.  The outland riding also had help, but I got it a few months before they dropped the cost of everything.  Once I hit 80 I suspect I'll be able to pay back the riding training fairly quickly.

Gathering professions still seem to sell well if your server is populated, so you can easily supplement your income with those.

[Draegan]

Assuming a decent server, which class have the easiest time getting groups these days?  I'm assuming it's still healers then tanks of any flavor then DPS.  Has it gotten class specific yet?

[Rasix]

Assuming a decent server, which class have the easiest time getting groups these days?  I'm assuming it's still healers then tanks of any flavor then DPS.  Has it gotten class specific yet?

Paladins seem to be the safe & preferred choice for tanks, although I grouped with a particularly shitty one yesterday. DKs and bears seem to be less desirable, although really, no PUG is going to refuse a tank on spec unless it's gear checking HTOC groups.

Healers, it doesn't seem to matter. Shaman just seem to be the least common.

On my less than decent server, it seems to be tanks, healers, dps in terms of need. Sometimes a group will specify ranged dps needed, but not often.

[Ingmar]

DKs have still got a bit of that old "huntard" stigma so you'll see PUGs be a lot more picky about DK tanks than the other ones, I think.

[Draegan]

Paladin tanks eh?  That's interesting I played one back in TBC and did Kara a few times.  She's still sitting there at level 70.

[K9]

I've never managed to wrap my head around the disdain that the WoW 'community' has for bear tanks.

[Gobbeldygook]

For 5-mans, roll a tank, nobodies picky about class, althuogh if you don't have 30k health they might boot you.  You don't see many DKs because bad DPS always roll up DKs thinking it's their class that is holding them back and not that they suck ass.  Paladins >> Druids > Warriors ~ DKs in raiding.  It's very rare to see bear tanks in 5-mans for a variety of reasons (It's stupidly simple to play, it doesn't feel interactive, they're not the Best Tank, resto druids siphon off a lot of the personality types that would tank if they were a DK or warrior, they have two strong PVP specs so that eats up dual specs).  If you want to raid, roll a healer that isn't a priest (More than any other class, a LOT of people rolled priest to heal, so most guilds are full up on priests, plus shadow priests are sad so the few that rolled shadow to melt faces are forced to heal to raid).  Due to the tank:healer:DPS ratios and the kinds of personalities attracted to tanking, most raids are covered on their tanking needs.

[Lantyssa]

I've never managed to wrap my head around the disdain that the WoW 'community' has for bear tanks.

Bear ass.

[Draegan]

For 5-mans, roll a tank, nobodies picky about class, althuogh if you don't have 30k health they might boot you.  You don't see many DKs because bad DPS always roll up DKs thinking it's their class that is holding them back and not that they suck ass.  Paladins >> Druids > Warriors ~ DKs in raiding.  It's very rare to see bear tanks in 5-mans for a variety of reasons (It's stupidly simple to play, it doesn't feel interactive, they're not the Best Tank, resto druids siphon off a lot of the personality types that would tank if they were a DK or warrior, they have two strong PVP specs so that eats up dual specs).  If you want to raid, roll a healer that isn't a priest (More than any other class, a LOT of people rolled priest to heal, so most guilds are full up on priests, plus shadow priests are sad so the few that rolled shadow to melt faces are forced to heal to raid).  Due to the tank:healer:DPS ratios and the kinds of personalities attracted to tanking, most raids are covered on their tanking needs.

So basically make a druid?

[bhodi]

Yes, make a druid. They are the most versatile and by time you hit 80 you migth want to try something new, that's cool, druid can do it all. You won't have to reroll.

[Draegan]

I've played a Warrior, Priest, Paladin, DK, Shaman all in endgame situations since Molten Core. 

This is my longest time off of WOW, and I really don't want to go back, I really don't want to level from 1-60 (60+ isn't all that bad)... again.  So I'm not sure why I'm even engaging in this conversation with myself.

[Rasix]

I see no issues with using your paladin.  Only thing off limits is ranged DPS.

[Sjofn]

I've never managed to wrap my head around the disdain that the WoW 'community' has for bear tanks.

Me either, because they are awesome, and have been for a while. My only outright rejection (the healer fled the group while it was forming) was on my bear tank, because the healer felt bears were not real tanks. That was in TBC (I haven't tanked PUGs much in WotLK), but I was still surprised, because bear tanks were perfectly fine for fuckin' five mans.

[Mattemeo]

plus shadow priests are sad so the few that rolled shadow to melt faces are forced to heal to raid

Still melting faces since I rolled Shadow Priest in January. It's a hard life, but it's still possible to live the Dream!
Though thinking about it, that might be because my Guild are a very understanding bunch...

...very understanding about me possibly being even worse at healing than DPS.

[Lt.Dan]

I've never managed to wrap my head around the disdain that the WoW 'community' has for bear tanks.

Bear ass.

Being a healer in frequent PUGs the biggest problem with a Bear tank is that DPS can't count to 3 while waiting for the tank to grab aggro.  They're so used to Pallie tanks instantly grabbing aggro on all the mobs.

The typically pull goes.  Tank pulls and starts to get aggro on all mobs...1...1 and a half....dps goes AE on the group and grabs aggro...messy pull as the tank rounds up all the mobs.  Pull #2 - tank says 'ok guys wait for me to get aggro'...1...1 and a half....dps goes AE :P

[Draegan]

I really wish I could buy WOW by the hour/day.  I have a hankering to play but I don't need a monthly sub.  I think I'd get it out of my system in a few hours.

[Selby]

Being a healer in frequent PUGs the biggest problem with a Bear tank is that DPS can't count to 3 while waiting for the tank to grab aggro.  They're so used to Pallie tanks instantly grabbing aggro on all the mobs.

That really is the main issue I noticed with bear tanks.  DPS won't wait like in the old days for 5 sunders or whatever to let the tank build aggro.  They unleash on the mob (or worse, they don't know how to assist and randomly target all 3-4) and the tank loses aggro quickly.  Especially with the cooldowns on the taunts that the bear has, you can blow them all on one fight and still lose aggro to DPS.  DK's, Pallies, and warriors all do a much better job that I've found in my experience (I have run with some damn good bear tanks though, so it's not all doom and gloom and is definitely possible to be a good tank as one).

[Morfiend]

I really wish I could buy WOW by the hour/day.  I have a hankering to play but I don't need a monthly sub.  I think I'd get it out of my system in a few hours.

Aion make you want to play WoW also?

[Draegan]

I really wish I could buy WOW by the hour/day.  I have a hankering to play but I don't need a monthly sub.  I think I'd get it out of my system in a few hours.

Aion make you want to play WoW also?

No not really.  I've been bored at work and for shits and giggles I opened up a few WOW threads.  I got nostalgic, but I know I wouldn't be able to put up with the game for more than one play session most likely.  

I like the preparation and the character building that comes with the "end game" whether that's 5man or raiding.  I like the optimization etc.  I hate the journey though.  But I know it's the enjoyment of the "idea" and not that actual actions of it.  I've done it to many times to put up with the time it takes to get a new character from level 1 to 80; especially without a guild or people I know. 

I don't want to RAF again, and I don't have enough stuff for heirlooms.

[Mattemeo]

Well, Paladin and Priest T10 previews are up at MMO-Champion. I have to say, while the helmet is obviously bugged, the rest of the Pally set is a work of art, there's so much detail in it that it looks like it's been done by an entirely different generation art team to the one that did the Priest set (which looks rather mage-y to me, and echoes the dead sim's mood crystal theme). Priest isn't bad, in fact it's relatively tasteful, for which I am thankful, but graphically it's not in the same ball-park as Pally T10.

Horrible Flesh Golem Baby guys have been properly rendered now and look fantastic.

[AutomaticZen]

The new LFG tool and Daily Random Dungeon.

Looks like we're going to be doing a complete pug once a day for money and badges.

[Soulflame]

It'll be like russian roulette, except with bullets that have a severe learning disability.

Edit:  It'll depend on how the rewards scale.  If it's always 2 frost badges, and only the gold scales, then I doubt I'll ever attempt this with anything but guildies.

[Draegan]

68g doesn't seem like a lot.

[Nebu]

68g doesn't seem like a lot.

On top of tokens and the cash you make running the dungeon?  Seems like plenty to me.