Two Questions Regarding Affliction

[Lockslap]

My apologies if you're reading this before I finished typing, I accidently hit enter.

I have a question regarding the required hit for a Gnome Affliction Warlock, like myself. I have read at numerous locations that being hit capped (15%) is actually a DPS loss for an affliction warlock, but yet I'm also being told that you should always be hit capped to remove the large RNG factor. I looked at other warlocks of top guilds and it seems that they follow the belief that being hit capped isn't necessary. I ran numerous sims and every time it seems to support not being hit capped.

When opening an encounter is it better to cast Haunt and wait for it to be applied before Soulburn + Soul Swapping on the remainder of your DoTs? Do the DoTs update on the fly, similar to how the Doomguard is supposed to operate now?

Thanks in advance!

[-aiko-]

I have a question regarding the required hit for a Gnome Affliction Warlock, like myself. I have read at numerous locations that being hit capped (15%) is actually a DPS loss for an affliction warlock, but yet I'm also being told that you should always be hit capped to remove the large RNG factor. I looked at other warlocks of top guilds and it seems that they follow the belief that being hit capped isn't necessary.

Being hit capped is a DPS loss. It's not a significant DPS loss but it's a DPS loss nonetheless. It is also actually pretty easy to work around RNG. Just refresh DoTs earlier so you are prepared for a miss. With the Pandemic ability this does not hurt your DPS. It can be a frustrating playstyle (I've had the occasional triple miss on my fucking Agony of all things >.>) but it frees you up to stack a TON of mastery.

Edit: Oops, two questions. You want to use Haunt AFTER your DoTs are up. The haunt effect will automatically be applied. However, the DoTs themselves take on the stats you had when you cast the DoT. Theoretically this means that you want to try to refresh your DoTs whenever you have a temporary buff but if you focus on this you'll probably end up losing DPS. So just refresh on big ones (Hero, Dark Soul, etC). So an optimal opener would be Curse of Elements (if that is your job), Dark Soul: Misery, Soulburn, Soul Swap, Haunt, then start your normal rotation. If your job is CoE I personally try to time Dark Soul for when my GCD is over.

[Xami]

If you want to play around not being hit capped, it's your choice. It is indeed a slight theoretical DPS gain, at a cost of requiring you to micro-manage your DoTs more carefully. For most players I doubt they'd see any significant difference.

As for Haunt, the effect on DoTs apply dynamically because it's a debuff on the target (as opposed to buffs on yourself).

[Nivrax]

It also depends on what content are you on. Elegon 10 not hit capped is playing roulette with Sparks. You get unlucky, you pretty much single-handedly wipe encounter.

[Gobuchul]

It also depends on what content are you on. Elegon 10 not hit capped is playing roulette with Sparks. You get unlucky, you pretty much single-handedly wipe encounter.

You mean energy charges, not sparks. And they are level 90, so you're hit capped with 6% hit, or 2040 rating.

[Killem]

I think being not hitcapped can lead to a DPS loss, because it adds a lot more RNG, which can lead to human failure. In addition to this refreshing dots, while having procs is a little bit of playing roulette, and a thing which is not taken into account on the default affliction sim.

[Nivrax]

And they are level 90, so you're hit capped with 6% hit, or 2040 rating.

I could be nearly sure they were 92... I don't think I ever checked them then.

[Deleted]

I could be nearly sure they were 92... I don't think I ever checked them then.

http://www.wowhead.com/npc=60913

Level 90 indeed.

[Shauni]

The sparks are often used as a (bad) example because it's easy for everyone to imagine what a 'miss' can mean it that kind of situation.

So, to summarize once and for all :

DoT DO updates with what is on the target. Aka debuffs.
DoT DON'T updates with what is on you. Like procs.

Edit : Too many grammar mistakes, but too tired to correct them.

[Bonkura]

Everything above lvl 92 hit cap (12%) is a waste IMHO.

[Shauni]

I wouldn't say "waste". For me, hit is more a "Quality of Life" helper than a true dps stat above that number.

[Jenerena]

Yea it might be a loss, but it's annoying to play that way. I'm usually at 13-14% hit and I'd rather be confident knowing I rarely have to react to misses.

[Deleted]

If you're not playing affliction full time (ie playing demo/destro) then just go for hitcap, because it's kind of required in both other specs.

[Bonkura]

If you're not playing affliction full time (ie playing demo/destro) then just go for hitcap, because it's kind of required in both other specs.

http://www.wowhead.com/item=84101/re...expedition-yak

[Daewyn]

With my current gear, trading hit to mastery for 1-1 ratio is a 0.3 dps increase for each stat. Changing 5% hit to mastery would be approximately a 500 dps increase (if we want to blindly believe that stat weights wouldn't change at all). It's up to you to decide if 500 dps is worth the extra rng with the current numbers (90k + with the gear I have simmed). I don't see myself being good enough player during progress to make the trade.

[Deleted]

I like being near the hit cap as affliction just because it brings a fluidity to the game play. 1 dot leads to the next, leads to haunt, leads to MG etc.

Missing here and there is quite awkward imo, having to redo DoTs when i could be channeling a MG smoothly or such.

[Jenerena]

http://www.wowhead.com/item=84101/re...expedition-yak

Wanna lend me 80k gold?

---------- Post added 2012-10-30 at 12:46 PM ----------

With my current gear, trading hit to mastery for 1-1 ratio is a 0.3 dps increase for each stat. Changing 5% hit to mastery would be approximately a 500 dps increase (if we want to blindly believe that stat weights wouldn't change at all). It's up to you to decide if 500 dps is worth the extra rng with the current numbers (90k + with the gear I have simmed). I don't see myself being good enough player during progress to make the trade.

500 DPS used to be a lot. It's about 0.5% of your DPS now. Still, every little helps! Personally I'd rather not have to interrupt my 'flow' for 0.5% extra DPS.

[Daewyn]

Wanna lend me 80k gold? [COLOR="red"]


500 DPS used to be a lot. It's about 0.5% of your DPS now. Still, every little helps! Personally I'd rather not have to interrupt my 'flow' for 0.5% extra DPS.

Just to elaborate further, one gem is already worth considerably more than that.