Arcane Spec and DPS loss from movement....

[Zappidoo]

My question is basic, what is determining that movement base dps loss? In other words is the fact that you might have to cast rune more than you would have to cast Evocation in a 1 min period the basic answer? Or is it something else? Im playing frost at the moment because fire is like playing a slot machine it seems. Any insight or a better explanation would be great. It just seems like people make playing arcane seem like a waste of time...

[Saegno]

Outside of Arcane Barrage, which resets your stacks >_> , you have no spec based spells that can be cast on the move. Sure you can cast Fireblast or Ice Lance but those hit for meh damage, especially if you aren't standing in your rune.

The majority of arcanes damage comes from Arcane Blast, which to be effective requires you to stand in your rune and just turret.
So to make this simple, Moving=No big damage=Shit DPS.

[Mastamage]

My question is basic, what is determining that movement base dps loss? In other words is the fact that you might have to cast rune more than you would have to cast Evocation in a 1 min period the basic answer? Or is it something else? Im playing frost at the moment because fire is like playing a slot machine it seems. Any insight or a better explanation would be great. It just seems like people make playing arcane seem like a waste of time...

Arcane isn't a waste of time if you have the gear to handle it. I was Frost, gearing Haste/Mastery so that I could make the switch to Arcane when I wanted to. The way to minimize downtime between casts isn't too complicated: You have the choice of taking Ice Floes or Blazing Speed (I prefer BS for movement on a lower CD). Rune placement is a huge factor while playing Arcane: learn to set two down so that should you have to move you can do so effectively and without downtime of moving and THEN casting your rune under you. But other than that, movement = garbage DPS for Arcane; this is why taking Scorch away from us ended up screwing the spec (regardless of Scorch weaving). Arcane is just a 'Glass Nuke'. It hits like a Mack truck when played well.

[Neichus]

As others have said, it's simply an immobile spec by default. The fact that Rune of Power is its primary talent choice enhances this.

Perhaps I'm biased since I like Arcane, but to me it feels like Arcane is more how casters should be. I played a Warlock at 90 before I played a Mage, and the truth is that all around the Warlock definitely felt more potent. But therein lies the problem: by being redesigned at a later date, Blizzard has unintentionally added to a sort of "power creep" in the classes. They know now very well what classes need to be successful, and so when they go through and want the new stuff to "wow" people they make sure the class has these things. Warlocks have high burst, high sustained, high AoE, high survivability (although depending on the situation Mages have more), several points of utility (gates, healthstones), and at least until next patch can do this all while moving. As an Arcane Mage I have to work around my class's limitations, which I actually find more engaging and rewarding.

This isn't a complaint on my part, because I've obviously chosen to play my Mage rather than my Warlock. It's more just an observation that the game has evolved to where not being able to do max DPS under any circumstance (which for most ranged means movement) is considered a fault, rather than a feature, of a class. Now I'm not arguing that Arcane is just fine (I don't have the expertise to argue that), but more that setting the bar with being able to do everything isn't the way to go.