Affl DoTs vs Shadow Priest DoTs

[Jeffyjimbob]

That's like saying Drain Soul is a DoT. Mechanically, the game definitely treats them like a DoT, but they are channeled spells and this is true for all channeled spells.

Reminder that DoT means damage over time. As in cast and forget. Channeled spells are not like that.

They stack dark intent. The game considers it periodic damage. That's a DoT. And it really is fire and forget, press the button once, and you just sit there and watch. Sure it lasts like 3 seconds, but some DoTs have cast times as well.

[rutiene]

What in the world. By fire and forget, I mean you can move after you fire it. You don't deal damage once you break the cast.

And yes, the game treats it like periodic damage. I said that exactly. How about this: All DoTs are Periodic Damage. Not all Periodic Damage are DoTs. Does that make more sense?

[smashzu]

Our dots are better as mind flay is considered a dot.

That said,
Our dots are much bigger than yours
Our dots can shoot right through the door
With the feeling so pure
It got you screaming back for moooore

Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking
CIGARO CIGARO CIGAR
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking
CIGARO CIGARO CIGAR

bwahahah
+5 points to you good sir.

[Deleted]

can we agree that Mind Flay is a channeled spell as it has a time between when it starts and when it stops, and during that time the caster is unable to perform any other actions as it will cancel the spell. However, Certain mechanics of the game treat it like a DOT, as it does Damage over time.

as for the OP's Question there are too many variables to be able to accuratly compare, if your asking which provides more DPS then take a look at a some log files and compare the two classes making sure that there of equal spell power / crit / haste etc.

[Jeffyjimbob]

What in the world. By fire and forget, I mean you can move after you fire it.

And yes, the game treats it like periodic damage. I said that exactly. How about this: All DoTs are Periodic Damage. Not all Periodic Damage are DoTs. Does that make more sense?

Not at all. Damage over time implies periodic damage. Period. What everyone has labeled as "a DoT" is a debuff. DoT is shorter than Debuff, so we continue to use DoT, and people have come under the impression that DoT only means things like moonfire and insect swarm. This is not true. If damage is dealt over time, it's a DoT. There are two KINDS of DoTs however. Channeled (Mind flay) and Debuffs (Moonfire). But to say either is not truely a DoT is complete nonsense.

[smashzu]

Not at all. Damage over time implies periodic damage. Period. What everyone has labeled as "a DoT" is a debuff. DoT is shorter than Debuff, so we continue to use DoT, and people have come under the impression that DoT only means things like moonfire and insect swarm. This is not true. If damage is dealt over time, it's a DoT. There are two KINDS of DoTs however. Channeled (Mind flay) and Debuffs (Moonfire). But to say either is not truely a DoT is complete nonsense.

The other thing to think about, is when you cast mind flay a debuff appears on your target that says something to the affect of "dealing periodic damage" - so even though it is a channel cast, you are channeling a debuff on the target, so it is a "true" DoT.

[Deleted]

Our dots are better as mind flay is considered a dot.

That said,
Our dots are much bigger than yours
Our dots can shoot right through the door
With the feeling so pure
It got you screaming back for moooore

Lol, loved the SoaD quote props to you mate.

[Deleted]

Aff warlocks have to maintain debuffs in their target in order to let their DoTs do competetive damage whereas shadow priest dots ramps up through selfbuffs, so in essence shadow priests have the best "apply and forget" dots.

[plun]

i guess this means arcane barrage is a dot too

[rutiene]

Not at all. Damage over time implies periodic damage. Period. What everyone has labeled as "a DoT" is a debuff. DoT is shorter than Debuff, so we continue to use DoT, and people have come under the impression that DoT only means things like moonfire and insect swarm. This is not true. If damage is dealt over time, it's a DoT. There are two KINDS of DoTs however. Channeled (Mind flay) and Debuffs (Moonfire). But to say either is not truely a DoT is complete nonsense.

We're talking purely about semantics so unless there is an official dictionary, I don't think we can settle this argument for good. I've always thought of Periodic Damage as having two types: Channeled and DoTs. Agree to disagree?