Ranged dps - why so unpopular?

[Deleted]

Wut.

It's quite the opposite, though.

No it isn't, and never has.

[Kazuchika]

Probably because most ranged classes are completely gutted and boring as shit to play.

Also got a good belly laugh out of the guy on the second page who claims Survival was made a better spec. Yeah just look at all those nonexistent Survival parses from difficulties that matter.

[Rogalicus]

Nythendra:
Roots
Melee PoV:
- stay spread so you don't hit other melees. Considering you hardly have to move most of the first phase it's trivial
- Running phase - if u want to dps in this phase you have like 1-2s to notice the bug under other melees and run away
- MC - Melee has to run away almost instant from it or they will spread root on everyone around Heroic Leap/Grappling/Hook/Roll, bang, Heroic Leap back
- running away with root You mentioned one mechanic twice
- Dodging breath Two steps to the left/right
-Mind control - Yet again, a few steps to stack position

Range PoV:
- Dodging breath If you are standing near the wall to lessen movement, mechanic hits you harder, because sector has far bigger radius there
- Staying spread - no more control is necessary as u are currently in the range where u should put root
- Running phase - find a save spot without roots and do your job. U can find this spot much few seconds before the phase even begins. And then have a bug under you and move again. And then again. Half the time you'll at most refresh dots in this phase.
-Mind control - Running across half the room to stack position

My comments in bold. Also, you chose one of the better balanced bosses in EN. Check Ursoc where ranged DPS have far less uptime due to having less mobility cooldowns (so good luck with returning after charge) and also having to reposition (and lose DPS) after each Miasma. Or Cenarius with fucking brambles. Or soaking adds on first phase or soaking puddles on second phase of Xavius. Or Odyn's third phase where ranged yet again have much less uptime due to having to move across the room.

[Soisoisoi]

Check Ursoc where ranged DPS have far less uptime due to having less mobility cooldowns (so good luck with returning after charge) and also having to reposition (and lose DPS) after each Miasma. Just like where melee can't hit the boss at all during the charge or when the tank is moving it due to miasma? Or Cenarius with fucking brambles. Or soaking adds on first phase or soaking puddles on second phase of Xavius. Again just like melee aren't in range at all when soaking, at least you can dps whilst there and use instants when moving since you have range . Or Odyn's third phase where ranged yet again have much less uptime due to having to move across the room. Or when melee aren't in range at all when moving, again ranged can dps when away from the boss. That's better than a 100% drop off when 5y away.

Use your noggin'. I'm sure you get the idea by now, but, just in case - ranged have the ability to hit the target from... Range. You use instant abilities/proccs/movement abilities when moving. You pre-plan such things. Melee can't pre-plan anything the tank randomly does, they also can't do shit other than wait until the boss stops (in the correct position) to continue dps. If a melee runs out to drop some random debuff they cease all damage. If a ranged gets something similar, they continue dps and side-step out of it once it drops. Or not even that if it's something like the lightning circles in HoV. You literally just stand still and dps because you're already spread.

[Rogalicus]

Just like where melee can't hit the boss at all during the charge or when the rank is moving it due to miasma?

You have far less downtime due to better mobility after charge. And you can hit boss during Miasma, his hitbox is pretty big.

Again just like melee aren't in range at all when soaking, at least you can dps whilst there and use instants when moving since you have range

Again, melees can easily get in range to kill first add due to better mobility and then others are spawning pretty close to each other. Also 'instants' bit is fun, only instants my destro lock has is Conflagrate and Rifts, first deals something like 270k damage on 9 seconds CD, second around 500k damage on 45 seconds CD. In 9 seconds any melee can get in range and deal 5-6 times bigger damage.

Or when melee aren't in range at all when moving, again ranged can dps when away from the boss. That's better than a 100% drop off when 5y away.

Melees can hit the boss while moving, as ranged your first priority is not to die during running.

[cuafpr]

i dont think it's that ranged dps are less popular, there's just more variety in melee dps

melee: 3 new classes/specs
Death Knight - new since WotLK
Rogue
Warrior
Paladin
Demon Hunter - new since legion
Monk - new since pandaria
Enhance Shaman
Feral Druid

Ranged: 0 new classes/specs
Mage
Warlock
Shadow Priest
Hunter
Elemental Shaman
Boomkin

there hasn't been a new ranged class since the game launched, we have however had 3 new melee/tank classes.

then there's popularity and performance of the given specs, as well as survivability and ease of levelling. melee are generally easier and faster to level.
also warlocks and mages haven't changed a great deal since vanilla (in terms of core mageyness or warlockology, warlocks still either use demons, dots or shadow spells, mages use fire, ice or arcane)

tbh, wow needs a new ranged class. or somehow wedge one into the demon hunter. /shrug

this is pretty much it..... they need a new ranged badly... likely a physical dps ranged.

[BobAwesome]

Because after playing a Shadow Priest for close to 12 years, I got sick of being a punching bag and decided to play a Warrior.

[evertonbelmontt]

I still stick to my Warlock because I love the char, but the one thing that made me think about reroll for the first time wasn't the bad dps at launch or the heavy pruning/clunkyness. It was pvp. PVP as ranged is hell right now.

PVP as a warlock has never been this bad as far as I remember. You can't do shit in 2's and in 3's you get trained 24/7 and can't cast anything that has a cast bar.

[sponge5307]

The way how range class in this expansion is pretty bad IMO expect spriest.

You have Boomkin. They do good ST and decent AoE but they have a lot of ramp up time and their rotation isn't exactly good. Also in 7.1.5 they got some of their main talent change for no reason.
Hunter. That's the class I play. Is boring is not fun. The mechanics is broken. Both MM and BM lacks something. Also your dps isn't the best. So many times Frost DK, Ret Pally, Ench shammy or WW monk beat me in both ST and AoE when their gear is lower. Also rotation for MM feels boring.
Mage Fire mage isn't that great till you get 55% + crt otherwise your dps suffers. Frost is ok but you can only do brust damage. Arcane is good and even better in 7.1.5 but the spec is so boring.
Ele shammy. Again rotation is boring and spell ammination isn't that great. Damage is good I guess but again nowhere near melee
S.priest. The only class that's fun to play. Fun mechanics but is not easy to play so you either do super well and super OP or you simply suck. The learning curve is not easy so not for everyone.
Warlock. Try it in the beginning of the expansion and damage was just bad bad bad. I know they buff demo but at this point I am not sure if I want touch again since they are getting a nerf in 7.1.5

Oh and leveling as a range or even doing world quest sucks unless you are a hunter with a pet to tank for you. I die more times on mage so far (lvl 107) then my pally + warrior + druid who I level as tank.

[Golden]

If I stand still and channel a spell to "power it up", I expect it to hit hard.

However, on my frost mage it's reverse world. The stuff I channel hits like a bee-bee gun, and the stuff I insta-cast (namely Glacial Spike) hits like a truck.

Plus, there is frustration. I get a proc, but first I need to channel Rune of Power...and then I need to channel Frost Bomb...then I can finally use my proc...but wait...I need to move so I can't, etc. Heck, I'm surprised they didn't make Icy Veins a channeled spell at this rate, and don't get me started about the 30% snares.

No thanks, played a melee class this time instead.

[kary]

I see this thread is full of shortbus superheroes.
I'm not surprised at all.

[Felixon]

I don't know,why the majority doesn't play a ranged class nowadays,but I'll give you my reasons:
1)hunter - I find both specs extremely boring. MM - spec,which is waiting for mirracle,for their marking abiliy to proc;
2)warlocks - affliction is in crappy state currently - both gameplay and dps wise;destro is boring;
3)mage - don't like it's current class fantasy...too much Khadgar,Kirin Tor etc...
4)elemental shaman - if stormkeeper would be instant again and they would tune their numbers a bit...
5)boomkin - I simply don't like it's rotation - a matter of taste;
6)shadow priest - hard to master,but really rewarding.

I personally would play an affliction warlock,but they really have screwed up this spec.

[Zardam]

Melee tend to be more dynamic and fulfilling to level, tend to scale well (early) and through most of an expansion, and generally worry less about positioning and mechanics in most pve scenarios. As such they tend to out-perform most ranged classes at the beginning of expansions. Many also have the added benefit of wearing huge badass looking weapons and gear. But having too many ranged is literally never a problem, as any ranged dps is a melee dps depending on where they need to stand. I've raided with a core of rl friends on and off for the greater part of 10 years and we've all sunk into either tanks/healers/ranged dps for this reason.

[normiegonnanorm]

For the more casual players I think Ranged has always been and will always be more unpopular because melee just has an easier time questing.

Hello 2004? Easier time questing? Most quests nowadays, except some epic ones, can be done by just pushing 2 buttons.
Even glorified "hard" world quests are about to gather 40 people and make them push 2 buttons simultaneously.

Hard quests in this game are those which can only be done in heroic+ tier raids. But the gear inflation is fast. Soon it will be only mythic tier quests that are hard.

[threads]

I only play melee because Blizzard sucks at making casters fun while action rpg and Korean action combat MMOs make you feel like a super saiyan when you play one. You can usually cast while moving as well.

If the Diablo III wizard was in WoW and played the same, I would play that.

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And turned it into a better spec and requires more skill to play properly on top of adding more class variety. I'm not seeing the downside.

All classes should get this treatment IMO. Tank or heal rogues, melee mage, tank warlock, for good examples.

the downside of SV is it's a clunky melee and nobody asked for it. that and maybe like 10 people total are playing it. it's a failure.

[Zardam]

Hello 2004? Easier time questing? Most quests nowadays, except some epic ones, can be done by just pushing 2 buttons.
Even glorified "hard" world quests are about to gather 40 people and make them push 2 buttons simultaneously.

Hard quests in this game are those which can only be done in heroic+ tier raids. But the gear inflation is fast. Soon it will be only mythic tier quests that are hard.

I always main a mage, then level a druid, usually a bear/tree. Every expansion since vanilla the druid as been easier. As a caster every mob you target has a pre cast, then usually a little kiting and ends with them smacking you in the face and interfering with your cast bar. As a melee its zerg this mob, zerg that mob...etc until max level. Very rarely has wow truly been "hard" while questing, its just easier as a melee.

[Deleted]

A lot of the ranged DPS players droped their classes due to the Legion changes afaik. I'd say ours are still performing reasonably well, but we replaced 5 long term members right off the bat at launch as they refused to play the new iterations of their classes in favor of randomly selected melee classes.

[Volinor7]

I fail to see what you mean.

Stack melee on hyrja have them do nothing for that entire phase spread out for hymdals aoe but that is a downtime of 1 sec at the most.
phase 2 melee just have to follow boss and let the ranged deal with adds. When hyrja and hymdal drops down have every melee use speed boost to get to them and nuke them down before they do ability. easy as fuck.
phase 3 stack on boss gg

guam.... stack on boss gg

helya. depends on the strat but the strat we used melee did not have to deal with anything. except maybe running out when they did get the debuff.
2nd phase stack adds on tentacles for cleave. sprint to take above tentacles.
3rd phase stack all melee in 1 area, move slowly to other end when shit is gone go back.

tov is insanely melee friendly.

Except heroic is meaningless in the grand scheme of things and you can't do this on mythic. I just can never understand why people try to use heroic raids as an example of something being OP or whatever. You could literally bring the most suboptimal raid lineup possible to heroic and clear everything with 0 issues if you have decent players.

[kamuimac]

By pugging a lot, I see there is high demand for ranged dps, lfg list is full of melee dps applying, leaders have hard time to balance melee/ranged.
Guilds recruiting mostly look for ranged dps.

Im also playing melee dps, but it is since forever (early tbc), but I dont remember this low number of ranged dps available.

So, what is the reason people play melee dps much more? PVE wise

I have two reasons:
1. Mobility - being rooted for casting a spell is very unrewarding, and easy target for boss or trash abilities (volcanic...)
2. Tab targeting - it just works bad when playing range, for melee it just goes automatically when killing trash

For this problems, I feel much more comfortable playing melee.

I rarely whine, but for this bad-mobility problem I blame Blizzards inability to balance pvp caster vs melee.
Sometimes I wish wow pvp dont exist, making it strictly pve game. This is where one playstyle heavily influences other.
Or just make different spells for pvp and pve, what they refused when asked.

because smacking monsters with a huge sword is fun

[Ragedaug]

Almost every caster DPS I've leveled since MoP has felt extremely under-powered next to my melee toons. Hunter, and sometimes certain mage and lock specs are the exception for me.

My priest did more quest-mob damage at either heal spec than Shadow did until I was close to Level 100. I could nearly double my DPS and quest farming speed as Enhancement or Feral over Elemental or Moonkin. Locks and Mages felt a little more powerful next to the hybrid casters, but still felt less powerful than my melee toons.

But it makes me wonder how many folks over the last 2-3 expansions switches toons and/or specs away from caster due to the less painful leveling path.

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because smacking monsters with a huge sword is fun

While that's definitely true, running & gunning and nuking stuff from range can be fun too. Lots of that in Wrath and Cata, then my casters became turrets sometime between MoP and WoD.