Can we compare ret dps to other specs dps?

[Big Baz]

Sure we can compare. Never had any issues myself but I only swapped to Ret after obtaining an epic weapon in a raid I was tanking. None of the melee needed so I "inherited it". Think that may be one of the larger issues for you.

[assilley]

cbf reading though the other pages, basically remember with ret,

as a few people have said, weapon dmg is everything, the slower the better. I had a good 1-2k dps increase once i got ashkandii with landslide over the pvp wep.

Gem strength, and nothing else. Only gem hit in blue slots if you are under hit cap and the bonus is strength.
The only slot you will gem for socket bonus is the helm, where the 30 mastery bonus is greater.

ie Yellow slot, 10 bonus.
40str > 20str+ 20 mastery+bonus, even if its 10 str.

If you read EJ, it will probably say that self buffed, crit has = or greater value than mastery when hitting the dummys. However in raids as there is no mastery buff, its of more value to stack mastery as we get crit/haste from raid buffing. Think of it as you arent itemising to beat down a dummy all day, Go back to wrath when everyone went for 7% hit (alliance) and the number of whispers i got.. i need a draeni in group for hit cap!

4 piece also makes a big difference with rotation as it allows more TVs and easier management of inq. Write a macro that hits AW+Zeal+Synapse springs(if engineer) or an on use trinket if you have (BH has a decent trinket)

pre 4.1 i was sitting top 5 DPS in our raid group, consistantly beating frost DKS, on par with unholy on some fights, beating warriors and some casters, after patch other class buffs took over and dropped ret down, even though our dps didnt really get nerfed.