Despite the fact that my level 70 Hunter isn't technically my main, she's probably my favorite character. A lot of people will tell you that a Hunter is an overly easy class: sic your pet, turn on Auto Shot, and you're done. While having a built-in tank that you can even heal a bit gives you a pretty strong advantage when going it alone, I'd have to say they oversimplify things a bit.
The largest area where the complexity of the Hunter class shows is in end-game DPS. If you want to be the most effective DPSer possible, it takes quite a bit of work. The way that you must weave shots in between your auto shots is a complicated dance that requires split second timing that can mean vast differences in DPS totals between Hunters. Cheeky of the Khadgar-US server (author of the famous Cheeky's Spreadsheet) posted a very concise and well-stated summary of some of the problems with Hunter DPS on the official US forums here a few months back. The post was originally written by Lactose of the Talnivarr-EU Server, who posted it on the EU forms here, where it got some blue love today a while back.
The problems that Lactose lists are well known to most high end Hunters, and many of us mentioned them in the recent feedback request posts on the class forums, but Lactose and Cheeky have managed to sum them in an easy to read and understand list, like so:
1. It's possible to delay Auto Shots while using other abilities.
2. Steady Shot has constant cast time regardless of weapon, while Auto Shot has a variable cast time.
3. Highly susceptible to latency/frame rate issues.
4. Haste greatly enhances other problems.
In short, since Auto Shot can be "clipped" or pushed back by other abilities such as Arcane Shot or Steady Shot if they are used within its invisible 0.5 second cast time, you have to time the special abilities to go off perfectly in between auto shot cast times, while leaving as little downtime as possible so that you're shooting off a steady stream of DPS.
However, since Autoshot's speed can change so easily due to class-specific speed boosts like Rapid Fire and Improved Aspect of the Hawk or outside influences like Heroism or Drums of Battle, you may have to change your shot rotation in midstream to account for your new weapon speed.
Of course, you also want to make sure your total haste rating and base weapon speed is optimal for your shot weaving choices. In the case of Beastmasters, this means a Karazhan gun, the Wolfslayer Sniper Rifle, will end up being arguably better than most Tier 5 ranged weapon drops, and the Crossbow of Relentless Strikes will probably be better for them than the Black Bow of the Betrayer. It also means that all that haste rating that seems to be going on new gear lately can turn out to be a liability if it throws off your Auto Shot speed and makes it harder to properly weave in shots.
Finally, you also have to worry about your connection's latency. If it takes you a split second longer to send information to the game, you can start clipping Auto Shots when you tell the game to fire off a Steady Shot, meaning that your optimal 1.7 Auto Shot speed suddenly needs to be 1.9 to account for your latency. All in all, it's a major balancing act that to go through, and one that feels like it needs to be simpler.
With Lactose's version of the post (Seriously, you should read it) getting some love from Vaneras, we can only hope this means good things for Hunters in the future. I know many of us would love to have a DPS method that does not involve careful balancing of weapon speed and haste and an almost mandatory need for a super-fast internet connection. Perhaps in WoTLK, We'll see another change?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-07-2008 @ 4:24PM
Justin said...
I find it funny how over-focused hunters are on dps optimization. like 80% of hunters are BM and use a rotation macros. Being #1 on the dps charts to them isnt enough:) I got a 70 hunter thats my main and I love MM. I also MANUELY weave my shot, sew me for wanting to entertain myself.
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4-07-2008 @ 4:36PM
Manatank said...
Here's the problem... You're playing a pure DPS class. You do damage. That's what you do. If you are doing less than you can you shouldn't be grouping in end game. The only other thing hunters bring are raid buffs and CC. MM's true shot aura is the worst of the three hunter raid buffs (ferocious inspiration from BM, and expose weakness from SV being the other two).
MM is in my opinion the weakest spec for hunters (less DPS than BM generally, and less utility than SV). If you love it because it is fun, that's great, but don't be surprised when other hunters are actually trying to do damage.
4-07-2008 @ 4:53PM
Justin said...
Trust me I know. I've been preached to about this too many times already. Been playing a hunter for 3 years now, done all 3 specs. Honestly every raid ive been in, all the hunters are pushing and competing for highest dps, and if you fall below, everyone tries to give you tips. Its just funny, plus in comparison (plus numerous testing) there isnt much of a different in the total percentage. Its just how "on it" you are. I've out Dpsd BM many times.
4-08-2008 @ 2:47AM
paxxz said...
Manatank: Excellent pwned of Justin.
Justin: Roll a carebear, because I'm sure you will be happier in the long run.
4-08-2008 @ 5:36AM
Haaku said...
Ofc you want to be on 1# doesnt every dps class, think you must have that as motivation.
For the MM v.s BM discussion again. yes I like MM more to and yes it is possible to out dps BM specs with MM , but most of the time BM will win it.
I too have played MM for long time and most of the time i outdpsed BM or was on par with time, but when a BM overdps me they surely did so :S with big amounts.
next to that ok BM is 1 button spec, but your raid wants big dps from you, and you want to get a raid spot dont ya.
MM is doable but very dependant on your manual shot rotation, so more chance for error.
the dicision is yours.
4-08-2008 @ 3:27PM
Justin said...
"paxxz said...
Manatank: Excellent pwned of Justin.
Justin: Roll a carebear, because I'm sure you will be happier in the long run."
I'm sry that made no sense.
4-08-2008 @ 3:34PM
Justin said...
TY Haaku for backing me up. Im just trying to support the fact that you don't HAVE to spec BM to get nice dps and raid slots. I raid all the time with my guild and they are fine with MM.
4-07-2008 @ 4:28PM
Manatank said...
Wow, there have been some really good posts coming out of WoWinsider today. Thanks for the good work.
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4-07-2008 @ 4:45PM
Rahj said...
BM hunters are already first in dps by pressing one button. What do ya'll want? Place your toon in the instance and it just does it itself while you go watch tv or something?
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4-07-2008 @ 4:51PM
George said...
Good job not reading the post.
4-07-2008 @ 4:48PM
Kaljin said...
Just shows how little you know.
4-07-2008 @ 5:03PM
Ahoni said...
My warlock presses one button (shadowbolt). Maybe a 2nd one every couple minutes to refresh a curse.
My mage presses one button (frostbolt).
Neither of those have any of the timing issues hunters face. Next time RTFA.
4-07-2008 @ 5:12PM
Nick S said...
i just got a hunter to level 64 and ran my first instance where i needed to use Steady Shot - it is WAY harder than my raiding mage's frostbolt rotation.
miss a button press by 1/2 a second and you wait a full autoshot cycle to avoid stepping on your free damage.
hunter raid DPS = fairly hard. hunter leveling = super-duper easy.
plus my mage doesn't accidentally autoshot my targets... oops. nubbin hunter reporting for duty.
4-07-2008 @ 4:58PM
gundamxzero said...
I have to mention quartz is absolutely amazing for timing shots, as it gives you an auto-shot timer and also incorporates lag into cast time as well as how soon you can end a cast and still have it go off. I can actually timer it better this way than using a macro.
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4-07-2008 @ 5:13PM
Nick S said...
seconded. if i tried to weave steady shots w/o quartz i'd miss half of them. it really helps make up for latency and graphical/audio inconsistencies.
4-08-2008 @ 12:23AM
CaseyJonesspeeder said...
Thirded. Quartz is where it's at.
4-07-2008 @ 5:02PM
Rob said...
I think 90% of playing a raid hunter is pre-raid work, proper gearing, proper enchanting, proper shot rotation (which differs from person to person due to latency and weapon speed). The 10% in a raid is easy, but I constantly find myself working very very hard not to wipe the raid. The feature where you target switch after a target's dead? Well you can pull a whole pack of mobs doing that (only class w/ that problem AFAIK). Sure you can FD, but if you do it after pulling a boss, the entire ranged group (healer/dps) goes down most likely. So, yeah, its hard work. Which is why I'm trying hard to get rid of my hunter, that and all the nerfs we've gotten in 2.4 (mana regen, pet issues). Its just not fun anymore.
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4-07-2008 @ 5:04PM
Ahoni said...
You do know you can turn off the auto-attack when you switch targets?
4-07-2008 @ 6:01PM
Narissa of Eldre Thalas said...
I'm suprised at this moment someone hasn't trolled in with QQ and all that crap.
I think that the class does have some immediate issues that could use some tweaking. Raiding as a hunter takes practice and without macros or add-ons intuition, and depending on the instance some specs are better than others. Baring that in mind for a DPS class Even at our top best, with full gear and enchants, we live up to maybe top 5 or 10 in the DPS ranks. Compare us to a Mage, Warlock, Shaman, or Boomkin and in the right hands the class is lack luster.
With as much as a hunter has to keep up with, you would think people could have a little respect for that. Then again I've been doing survival spec for about 2 years going on three now, though all it's bits and changes. Maybe I pine for a day when hunters are comperable raid DPS. eh, who knows.
BTW the armory gear is not my raid gear. For those trolls looking to make comments.
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4-07-2008 @ 9:49PM
Memzer said...
At the T5/T6 level the potential Hunter damage output becomes insane. Admittedly as with all raiding your damage done is dependant upon your talent build (Survival Hunters trading personal DPS for raid DPS), group composition, personal skill and most importantly upon the particular encounter you are completing. Keeping that in mind hunters are capable of sustaining around 24-2500DPS by the time they reach Brutallus. Sure they'll still be fighting locks hard for the #1 title but they'll definitely be out-damaging the Mage, Shadow Priest, Boomkin, Shaman and Rogue in the group.