This post is two part: the first addresses something that Blizzard has improved a lot but not completely solved; the second is a question as to whether it will be further addressed or exacerbated come the WoD stat changes.
I was running a level 30-ish dungeon last night - a rare event for me, as I have very little opportunity to have the time to run an instance of any sort. It was Razorfen Kraul and I felt the impulse to queue for it and clear it on the off chance that a particular Polearm would drop for my Windwalker Monk. The weapon did drop, and I was pretty stoked because there wasn't a hunter present. I rolled need and waited. But the Polearm never arrived in my bags. A DPS warrior had actually rolled need on it and won it over me.
So my first question is: why have Blizzard never completely addressed this in low-level settings? There used to be a time when anyone could roll whatever they chose on any given item in low-level instances. Then they restriced it so that if you could use it you could roll Need; and in higher level instances you are very limited in what you are allowed to roll on. If one player class can selfishly take something that should have gone to another player class because it benefits them more, there is still something wrong with the system.
Okay, so I got over it because I'll level through the 30s regardless of having a Level 20 staff or a Level 32 Polearm (even though it was a humongous upgrade), and maybe eventually have the means to get an Heirloom weapon to last my Monk to level 85. It's still rude that someone would take something with AGI clearly affixed to it when they should be focussing on items with STR on them.
Which leads to my next point of ponderance. With the stat changes in WoD, are we going to see more contention over item drops (e.g. both Moonkin druids and rogues rolling on the same chest piece because their primary stat is going to be highlighted when they equip it), thus exacerbating this ongoing issue of people taking things that would better serve others. Or are we going to see more problems solved in that there is more selection of gear and therefore there can be more diversity between what any given player of the same class/spec as other players sports on their character and what other players of the same class/spec put on theirs?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't weapons going to only have secondary and, potentially, tertiary stats on them (as well as spell/attack power)? All I can think is that even more classes/specs will be fighting to win the same weapon. Except hunters, of course; they strike it lucky in that no one else has a use for ranged weapons. Damn hunters.