Let's clear up a little bit of the BS.
SHM have the best SLOW. False. Enchanters, Bards, and Beastmasters have an equivelent slow, 50%. They may get them at leater levels, btu at 65, the amount is equal. SHM do have a mask quest to get a bit more, but that is an ITEM, not a shaman inherent. Please note, the other classes cast faster, have a lower recast time, and cost less mana. We have the ability to aquire a slow based on a different resist. We have an AOE slow. Thus, we have different situational slows to make us the best slowers, not a single inherently superior spell.
SHM have Malo line. True. However, as a debuff, it can be used by any class once it is landed. It has a huge cast time, costs a lot of mana, and with the exception of the late game and low powered Malo, it is resistable. go figure. As a nifty bonus, since we have malo, all of our spells are sitting at base resists. You probalby do not know that a greater majority of your spells already come with a negative resist adjustment... you basically get free malo.
SHM have awesome mana regen. True... at 60. Prior to that, we have something akin to breeze. However, because of this boon, our spells cost more for the same effect. Thus, to remain equal, we must canni. Please note the AT 60 portion... the shaman lives with this for 59 levels before he can reach his offset.
SHM have awesome DoTs. False. We share two decent DoT lines with Necros. These DoTs are not overly superior to another's... they suffer from all of the above listed issues... they lack an inherent resist mod, they cost more for the same effect. They are afflicted with a tiny DD portion on casting. The primary purpose of this is to break root.
SHM buffs are awesome. True. We have a bit of an issue with druids on the Focus/PotG thing, and Flight of the Eagles suddenly overwrites Acumen (Sta Regen), Bih'Li (ATK Buff), and something else I cannot recall at 2am. We do get great stat buffs, and we can even group cast them... in the late 50s. Prior to that, we blow several mana bars just trying to buff a group, only to have to do it again in 30 minutes. SO wiseass will have a comment about not buffing, but hell, that is why we were invited to the group... don't buff, don't stay. It wasn't our healing power.
SHM abilities are always in high demand for items. Ask the item designers what class's abillities are number one request for clickies. That is because you look at it, see exactly how it would great benefit your class, and desire it because it would greatly improve your power. Malo clickies, Canni clickies... the suggestions forum is FULL of them. So, why aren't shaman massive juggernauts of liquid win, able to solo packs of red named mobs? Because, for every single SHM ability, every single one, the SHM pays a MASSIVE price of ownership. Every single little strategy you have in your head about how to use that ability, the SHM has a built in, inherent feature that prevents it.
So what do we get for the bargin? We get the ability to be absolutely required to cast massively high aggro spells as early as possible in the fight, long before the tank is "established", so that we get a quick flurry of red and a Loading screen, but the raid does not wipe. We get to sit at our bind point and wait for the loot to be linked so that we can be rezzed, so that we can make use of our massive mana regen to quickly buff ourselves while the raid lavishes praises upon the cleric who whines of the stresses of the job and , if the gods be praised and they faun long enough, you might be ready to do it all again on the next fight.
To what do we look forward to? Why, we do that enough times that the tank gets clickies to cast those high aggro spells himself. At that point, the SHM's remaining value is to buffbot and the player can now spend his time leveling, AAing, and gearing a whole new character that actually has some value to the guild amid their demands for you to hurry up.
Gee, I wonder why their are so few mained shaman, and so many botted. Mysteries of the friggen ages, right there...
Now, I know I said I would discuss it on another place and not crap this thread up, but it seems life does not change. You throw the letter S, H and M together and everyone's first thought is, "5K PP!!!" Once that passes, they set in to whining about crap they could not possibly understand and start in with anecdotal evidence involving perfect situations and top 5 shaman of the server doing the impossible with extreme luck.
Now, I do not think I am way out of line by saying that if you take my 4 second cast / 250 mana /2k instant heal (yes, all made up numbers, dumbass) and give me a 4 second cast / 250 mana /2k heal over 30 minutes, that's a nerf. A 4 second cast /750 mana/ 6k heal over 18 seconds, and really, you have not changed a thing. For most classes, its even a nerf. For a SHM, it is a small buff. (If you don't know why it would be a buff, then you have no business in this discussion.) Now, if you make it 2 second cast, 600 mana, 8k heal over 24 seconds, you have given the SHM a major buff in a case where other classes would be very reluctant to give up healing power, 8k over 26-28 seconds is very close to what a SHM can actually put out without woundbane.
Given the nature of the game, it would be a mortal sin for a Shaman to use one of his class defining abilties that he pays such a heavy price for to actually ever do anything to ever exceed the fixed power of a Cleric, praise be his name, and we accept that as why we may never possess great healing power. Are you really so jealous that the concept of fast cast HoTs for the use of secondary healer to be so threatening?
