Originally Posted by
Wyviner
An important thing to keep in mind with regards to shadow priests topping the meters in most fights is whether we should be or not. Does it really make any sense at all that we are? I've played a shadow priest since TBC as my main, but never at any point did I expect to be the top DPS class. I know everyone wants to be the best, and that's fine, but at some point you have to accept your role.
Every class in this game can be categorized by how many DPS specs they have. Priest is one of the few classes that only has 1 DPS spec. The other three classes are Paladin with Retribution, and Demon Hunter with Havoc, and Monk with Windwalker. In the case of the latter 3, all of them have a tanking off specs, which could be considered a 0.5 DPS spec, which could make them a 1.5 DPS. Technically in this expansion, you can now look at priest as being a 1.5 as well with Disc, but not previously to this expansion.
Anyways. The point is, depending on how you cut it, priest could be considered THE class with the least amount of DPSing experience, and yet, we're number 1 right now. If you were a mage, warlock, hunter or rogue with 3 specs purely devoted to DPSing, how would you feel knowing a priest is beating you every time, at the only thing you can do?
Let's flip this a bit. What if shadow priests didn't exist, and instead priests had a third healing spec. Essentially being a pure healing class. Then you went into a raid, and a holy pally, who could also have picked to DPS or tank, beats you on the healing meters every fight. Your first thought would be, "Why the **** am I playing a priest if healing is the only thing I can do, and am I losing to a holy pally who has the variety of multiple roles?" It's the same concept.
Priest should never, ever, be topping any list for DPS. That's a fact. It's a fact that a person playing a priest should just accept. I'm not saying a shadow priest needs to be the worst, not at all. But whether you like it or not, a pure DPS class should always be topping the meters, all other things being equal, and if that's not the case, something is wrong with the design of the game. You'd be embarrassing yourself to think otherwise.