DPS Questionnaire

I saw this post on WoW.com and apparently I am behind the curve. Even more behind the curve because Pike at Aspect of the Hare did this questionnaire and my answers probably will not be much different because I agreed with pretty much EVERYTHING said. However, I was thinking today, I should do some kind of "About Me, the Man Behind the Rage" some time in the future. So this will be part one.

DPS questionnaire with my alter ego, "Treos the Troll Hunter."

What is the name, class, and spec of your primary DPS?

Treos, Troll Hunter. Dual spec'd BM PvE and MM PvE.

What is your primary DPSing environment? (i.e. raids, PvP, 5 mans)

PvE content. Whatever I have time for. I am very lucky to be in an amazing guild that raids everyday but is in no way "hardcore." It sounds contradicting but it isn't. More on that one day. Like I said, whatever I have time for. In a somewhat embarresing fact, if I can only hop on WoW for 5 minutes, I will just run my rotation on a boss dummy, even if I haven't gotten an upgrade recently, just to DPS.

What is your favorite DPS spell/ability for your class and why?

I would have to say, BM spec'd, is Bestial Wrath. Figures right? In MM spec, Trueshot Aura. If Trueshot Aura sounds lame... let me explain why. When I first started playing in Vanilla WoW, I was a BM hunter from level 1 - 39, then as soon as I hit 40, I respec'd to MM because Trueshot Aura sounded really awesome (as well as Aimed Shot) and I wanted to feel like I am really powerful just mowing people down. I hadn't played anything but BM until lvl 40 but I never even got to use Bestial Wrath until way later when I respec'd back in my 50's and had I used Bestial Wrath at 40, I probably wouldn't have played MM for A LONG time. BM is amazing.

What DPS spell do you use least for your class and why?

There are a lot of abilities I don't use (or feel like I don't use enough). If I had to pick just one it would be Distracting Shot. When do I want aggro again? In my defense, it does have plenty of uses but it is still rarely used compared to everything else in my spellbook.

What do you feel is the biggest strength of your DPS class and why?

Well, because Hunters are a pure DPS class, I would say DPS is my biggest strength. To elaborate, every Hunter spec has some sort of raid buff, but nothing terribly unique where you NEED a Hunter in your raid. However, you SHOULD always take a Hunter because they are awesome.

What do you feel is the biggest weakness of your DPS class and why?

Being a ranged class with a limited range. Like, not being able to shoot someone because they are too far, then they come too close, and you can't shoot them either. Luckily, the fabled "Dead Zone" was taken out way back when. I also think the fact that we rely on mana is weird.

In a 25 man raiding environment, what do you feel, in general, is the best DPS assignment for you?

Best assignment:
Raid Leader: Treos, your assignment is to stand there and fill the boss with arrows until it falls over.
Treos: Aye, mon.

In a raiding environment, there are all kinds of moving and reaction, but I love being able to sit back and just shoot all my shots without worrying about anything. Not because "it is easier" than say a fun mobility fight like The Safety Dance, but because, I feel like I put a lot of time and knowledge into perfecting a rotation and I enjoy having the opportunity to display that flawlessly without having to worry about the fire.

What DPS class do you enjoy DPSing with most and why?

Using the same interpretation Pike used, I enjoy partying with an enhancement Shaman the most. The Strength of the Earth Totem along with Bloodlust is awesome. I think BM Hunters and Enhance Shamans have a raid buff that overwrites each other though. So maybe a Paladin. Either way, you can see the theme here. Pure DPS classes care about DPS and want everyone to join the party to make them stronger. :)

What DPS class do you enjoy DPSing with least and why?

Any class that doesn't help me do more DPS.
Any class that can out DPS me.
Blood DK's when I am MM spec because I hate having no use for Trueshot Aura and it always being overwritten.

What is your worst habit as a DPS?

As a Hunter DPS specifically, I feel I don't cast Misdirection enough. I beat myself up for not using it more during boss fights, but then I look at OMEN and the tank is so high up on the threat meter it would be a waste to cast. It still bothers me though, I feel like it is in my spellbook for a reason and I should use it every time it is up.

What is your biggest pet peeve in a group environment while DPSing?

In a PUG environment, everything. People that are so obsessed with DPS meters BUT that don't know how to use them properly. PUG environments have all kinds of special phenomenons that don't happen in a NORMAL environment so let me think of a better answer... Haha... I'm the nerd rager and I have been sitting here for minutes trying to think of a pet peeve of mine while in a group environment. I want to say, "I don't let anything bother me! I just try to have fun!" That would be a complete shit lie. TONS of fucking things bother me. However, most of the things that annoy me are done by players who are stupid in the first place. So I guess I don't have a pet peeve when everyone I'm playing with are not morons. I guess the only thing I can put here is, it bothers me when buffs are overwritten or time isn't taken to evaluate specs of an entire raid to get the best synergy. I know that sounds like a really hardcore or elitist attitude, but I am not trying to sound like that. As an example, two questions back, it is a pet peeve when something I am providing to the party is constantly getting overwritten and so if there is a Blood DK or another MM Hunter in the group, I go BM. The thing that gets under my skin, is no one seems to care or try to ask other people what spec they are so they can do the same. I ALWAYS ask if there is a Blood DK or a MM Hunter in the group for that very reason. Trueshot Aura is awesome, so if I have it, I want to use it!

Do you feel that your class/spec is well balanced with other DPS?

The Beast Mastery spec lags behind the others but not nearly as much in practice as I think people tend to assume it does. Both of the facts in said sentence (that it does lag, and that people overestimate the lag), irritate me to some degree.

As for hunters as a whole, I dunno, all the Recount screenshots I’ve seen of superendgame guilds show hunters as really lagging behind, but that must just be a superendgame thing because hunters destroy the meters in my guild. Like, you’ll have that one crazygood mage, that one crazygood rogue, and that one crazygood feral druid, but everyone else toppin’ the meters? Hunters, hunters, and more hunters. So, I dunno.

*Cough* Sorry, I just had some kind of weird out of body possession experience/deja vu where everything I was about to say exactly was taken from my head and said for me.

Just to reiterate, BM DPS = Viable DPS. A spreadsheet will NEVER tell the whole story. BM DPS is not the best, obviously, but I can't count the times I out DPS'd better geared Hunters of a different spec on a daily basis. I still out DPS better geared people than me to this day. Maybe BM sucks for min/maxing and whatever bullshit you want to call it, but I guess I just play BM like a professional because I MAKE IT viable. I have the screenshots bitches.

What tools do you use to evaluate your own performance as a DPS?

Recount as a personal tool. Praise as a outside tool. Like, back in BC, I would be in groups and they would say, "Treos, it is so rare to find a Hunter that can trap the way you do. Here, take this free gold for being so fucking awesome."
"Thanks, mon!"

- True Story

DPS is a pretty straightforward role to play I think. I use my utilities like Misdirection and I always try to do more DPS than the time before, because that is my role, that kills the boss, and that gets me loot.

What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about your class?

Everyone says Hunters are so easy. Easy for what? Leveling? Possibly, but ALL leveling is easy, and time consuming and not fun lol. If Hunters are somehow "easier" to play than other classes, how could anyone suck with one ever? The truth is, every class is easy to play. WoW is easy to play. Every class is hard to master. WoW is hard to master. You are technically playing the game if you are hitting one button, and if you can send your pet and auto shoot all the way up to 80, take that attitude into a raid and let me know the results. The previous statement could be applied to any class.

What do you feel is the most difficult thing for new DPSers of your class to learn?

Like the last question, different aspects of gameplay are different aspects of gameplay. You are always learning something new. I would say, pet management is difficult in PvE when you first have to learn it, and not just moving them out of the fire but knowing when to dismiss them and what boss fights they are going to die on without a doubt.

What DPS class do you feel you understand least?

Casters. Specifically, Locks and Mages. I have played them a little bit but no fucking clue how to play one decently. Feral druids as well.

What add-ons or macros do you use, if any, to aid you in DPS?

Recount. It actually is a DPS aid when you know how to read it properly. I use a couple of "Iwin" macros that blow all my cooldowns. Nothing secret, just the standard stuff. All other macro's I use are for convenience. Like my Sting Modifier and Shot Modifier. Without the game in front of me I can't give them exactly but basically one button shoots Serpent Sting, Shift+same button = Viper Sting, Alt+same button = Scorpid Sting. I use the same thing with Aimed Shot and Multishot in MM spec.

On a side note, Aimed Shot and Multishot share a cooldown. Explosive Shot and Arcane Shot share a cooldown. I can't tell you how many MM Hunters told me they don't use Arcane Shot because they think it shares a cooldown with Aimed Shot or Chimera Shot or something. Who knows.

[Your class's preferred basic stat] over other stats or balanced stat allocation, and why?

BM Hunters - Attack Power
MM Hunters - Agility (or Armor Pen. if you are one of those badasses)
SV Hunters - Agility

At least, that is how I have always understood it. Personally, I am thinking about gemming for straight Agility even while I primarily play BM so that when I switch to MM I will have the proper stats.




And... WTF?! It's over... It did take me a while to fill out but I always love Hunter talk...