#0 - March 27, 2009, 3:07 p.m.
For all the talk about a 5% spread between pures and hybrids, the spread is much bigger on the PTR. If you look at PTR parses the average difference between pure and hybrid dps is more like 15-20%.
My main (a dps hybrid) belongs to a serious raiding guild. Our guild recently decided that they will no longer raid with a moonkin as the moonkin buffs (some now present on pures) were not offset by the dps loss of a pure vs a moonkin. My guild is going to stack pures instead.
Although I do not play a moonkin, as a dps hybrid I am pretty concerned. I can see the writing on the wall. Mathematically, hybrids are becoming marginal raid contributors. I am concerned that by the time my class is marginalized there will be, "no one left to speak up."
Edit:
A few additional comments in response to the conversation that follows.
1. I have no problem with pures doing more dps than hybrids.
2. When the difference is big (and right now, with a few buggy exceptions like feral druids the difference is *big*), hybrids dps loss becomes more significant than their "utility."
3. I am sympathetic to Blizzard's balancing act. I'm sure it is hard to balance this game. But while the recent changes have generally "corrected" the order of pure>hybrid dps, they have also introduced a significant disparity between pure and hybrid. Forget about 5% or whatever number you want to consider. Look at PTR parses. The difference is *big*.
4. My guild has decided that the disparity is too big to allow at least one good player to continue to raid.
