Last night in attendance in KB raid we had present 3 locks, so i wanted to make a comparison to finally decide best spec for dps. The worldoflogs parses show us the difference in our dps + our stong/weakpoints.

First thing you will notice is that the dps between the 3 classes is quite similar in our parses. BUT, the greatest dps was easily destruction. Destruction was consistently about 1-1.5k higher then affliction on any fight which is so considerable, I am wondering why we are even bothering with aff lock in raid. Yes some fights may be more running around, but all we have to do is look at the demo lock(another stand still caster like destro) to see how much variation there would be in dps.

With a comparison of rotface(a kite fight) and festergut(a caster fight) we see ~800 dps increase. which is relatively small. comparing the aff to destro from these fights though, there is ~1400-1500dps increase. Now if the dps increase for demo is so slight, I would see no reason why destro dps would be any different. This begs the question if aff lock is really worth speccing into at all? http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t48311-simulationcraft_warlocks_3_3_3_numbers/ would state that affliction locks would have top dps, but this would be in a perfect world where fights were boring and no one had to move.

Affliction locks, like demo locks, are dependent on the Sbolt spam between keeping their dots up for roughly 50% of their dps. Thier dots do significantly more damg then demo, while demo is dependent on thier castables moreso. In kite fights(rotface, sindragosa) I see the appeal of Affliction, but numbers have shown(assuming our locks have a perfect rotation) that the dps between demo and Aff are almost exactly the same. (rotface fight last night had a difference of ~100 dps between the 2 classes which can be attributed to gear difference)

Another point I would like to make is about demo lock dps. for most of a fight, demo lock dps is not even comparable to the other 2 specs consistently about 2-3k dps lower. however, for the last 35%(thanks to decimation http://www.wowhead.com/spell=63158) demo dps is unsurpassed spiking as high as 20K+. This makes the overlooked demo lock top dps in certain situations as well. Putricide and sindragosa come in mind. I honestly think that having 3 demo locks for sindragosa will help us immensely with the final phase.

My Look into this has shown me that the only 2 viable classes for warlock dps really are destro + demo with affliction being very situational. I would really like to post some dps numbers on a dummy or to have a better review, perhaps have all all 3 lock specs present in raid this week.

Well as a handful of you know, my raiding time is coming to an end on May 9th aka (May 10th 11:44 AM).

I will start off by saying that none of this has to do with family or job related issues what so ever.  Over the last few months I have been putting a lot of thought into my life and how I need to organize it.  At the moment I own my own successful business and I get the luxury of working from home and hardly leave the house.  I also raid 5 nights a week, meaning I almost never leave the house at all.  I am constantly making excuses to family that I have stuff I need to do tonight, sorry I can't stay for dinner.  My wife and I have not gone to the movies or out to a nice restaurant in quite a while and I really miss that.  Like I said earlier none of this has made my family or my wife mad, they know what I am doing and they know I won't do it forever.

Personally I need to retire from WoW.  I have stopped enjoying raiding and feel as if the game is more of a job than a game to play and relax.  I do like playing with you all though, that is still fun and I am really going to miss the humorous conversations in Ventrilo.  These feelings I have do not have anything to do with anyone in the guild.  To be completely honest, this has been the best, most friendly and helpful guild I have ever been in with one of the greatest and cohesive online communities I have ever seen.  I truly do not hate anyone in guild which is actually a rare thing in most guilds these days; there is always some sort of ridiculous drama.  In Downfall though, I have not really witnesses much or any at all, which makes the guild life in Downfall the way it is.

Basically what I feel I need in life again is more flexibility and freedom to be able to do what I need to and what I want to do at any random time during the day, a lot of that falls on raid times for me.  I want to accept my parent’s invitation to dinner; I want to take my wife to a movie or to dinner at the spur of the moment just to get out of the house.  I need to focus more on spending some quality time with my son, most of the times I have him to myself is during raid and I feel bad for letting him sit and play behind me alone instead of me playing with him.

I am also 5.5 months away from completing a piece of software that will compete with Microsoft Team Suite, which in simple terms in a time tracking, bug tracking, feature tracking, customer portal, etc. piece of software that is directed at developers to help the "team" know who is doing what and what needs to be done or fixed and track their time against it.  It will also give their client a portal to look at their project, what is going on, what phase it is on and how many hours have been spent on it etc.

At the least, I am spending 20 hours a week playing WoW and as you can see I have a lot of priorities that I have that I really want to complete and maintain.  20 hours a week is a part time job alone, not saying I did not have fun, but I am taking a different look at life and grasping what I think is more important.  With these 20 extra hours a week I feel that I can spend my time better accomplishing real life endeavors and be able to get out more.

All and all I will miss every one of you.  I will come to the forums as much as possible and keep in touch and give updates as to how I am doing or just shoot the shit.  I truly apologize for putting you in a situation to have to replace me, I know it is hard to find ranged DPS, but as I said to some of the officers I will be here until you replace me up till May 9th.  If you don't invite me to raid it is ok, give the gear to the guy that is going to keep playing that is the fair and right thing to do.  If I do go to raid I will not be taking anymore gear either, as I would not feel it is right for me to take gear from those who will keep using it.

Well I have most likely rambled some and sorry for the long post.  If you want to keep in touch in more ways than just the site send me a PM on the site and we can exchange information.  I posted this on my birthday and it makes me sad :(.

Sincerely,

Knoppix

P.S This is not a break from WoW, I will not be returning anytime soon if at all, most likely the later.

Raid: Poker Face was created with the goal of getting 25 people from both of the normal 25 mans who were dedicated to going though Ulduar and getting Iron-bound Protodrakes.  Hitting the hardmodes, and doing what our normal raids didn't do.  We progressed through all of these hardmodes painstakingly, getting Freya, Iron Council, Thorim, Hodir, and even Mimiron.  We downed Vezax, and on one particular night we killed Yogg 1 light.  Many folks got their drakes, and together we celebrated for those that had all of their achievements completed.

As we progressed over the next week or two, we finished up peripheral hardmodes needed for others to get their drakes as well.  All the way up to Yogg 1 light again.  Our raid took an abrupt halt.  Attendance has been very very horrid.  Over the past 3 to 4 weeks we have failed to even ATTEMPT Yogg 1 light more than one night, due to limited attendance.

With 3.3 dropped on us, our attendance has dropped so significantly that we have had trouble even raiding AT ALL.  Several of us who have been with Poker Face from the very start still need Yogg 1 light to finish our drakes.  That is the only achievement that we need for our drakes.  Without you, the ones we helped get their drakes, we will not be able to get ours.

Poker Face has been put on a raiding hiatus as of tonight.  We will not be able to raid next week, because it will be Christmas.  The following week is new years, so that won't be an option either.  At that point, I personally will be back in school, and will not be able to raid with you anymore.  I will have been left out in the cold on a drake.  A drake that I did Freya 3 or more times for.  A fight I hate.  I helped you down Mimiron hard mode THREE times.  Many people wouldn't have done it more than once, but I helped you guys.  I spent hours and hours wiping with you guys, and dowing bosses with you guys.  I feel very ashamed of those of you who bailed on me.  Not just me, but Everstar, and others as well.  They may yet get their drakes, but for me that is no longer a possibility.  I feel sad that so many of you felt that once you got your drake, that you no longer had an interest in helping us.

I know who you all are.  I won't call you out, but I want you to know how hurt I am.  I feel betrayed by some of the very people I spend most of my evenings with.  While it is now too late for me, I beg you.  PLEASE come back and help the others get their drakes.  Think of all the sacrifices they have made for you to fly around on yours.  Don't continue to turn your backs on them.  They deserve better than that.