Shadow Priest instance role while levellingFollow

Hi,
I am levelling a shadow priest (currently 30) and have been doing instances as I level. I don't mind healing, but I am more interested in doing dps, both now and at 70.

My problem comes when I try to find a group that will let me dps. I would much rather get through an instance healing than spend forever trying to find a group that will let me dps, but it feels as if no one will entertain the notion of a shadow priest at my level doing dps.

Even when I find an overpowered group with another healer I still get given the heal/get kicked ultimatum.

I am having a hard time understanding why this is happening - I solo happily with very little downtime and don't feel as if I am lacking in damage output.

It seems as if I am either overestimating the dps that I put out or the players that I encounter don't understand the damage that I can do.

I don't really want to solo to 70 as I need more practice in groups - my druid and 'lock were so easy to solo that I was suckered into doing so at the expense of grouping experience. However, I don't want to heal all the way to 70 at the expense of knowing how to shadow dps in groups.

Could anyone tell me if I am talking nonsense and that I should be healing or if I am just not finding groups with well informed players?

Thank you

Out of curiosity, why did you pick a healing class if you prefer doing DPS?

It would also be a good idea to let the group know your spec and what you prefer to play prior to joining. If another healer is available in the group then they shouldn't mind letting you dps. If no other healer is available then you will end up healing or you will end up looking for another group.

I experinced this with my Enhance shammy all the time. I would tell the group leader that I was not specced or geared to be the main healer...but I would be happy to off-heal when needed. I made this clear BEFORE accepting any invites. 99% of the groups were cool with that.

The question of why I picked a priest is a good one.

I do have a warlock and a druid of higher levels, but I also have the occasional urge to try out other classes. I have previously levelled a hunter and a warrior to 30+ (and have a mage in her 50's who has stagnated), partly to see if I liked them and partly to see how they played - so that I could understand the basic abilities of the class better - for both grouping and PvP.

I guess I liked the idea of a supposed healing class being able to deal damage, with the option of healing later on if I change my mind.

I am not super focused on reaching endgame, I just play to amuse myself and sometimes I like to jump around between toons of different classes.

It doesn't wind me up to be asked to heal - unlike on my feral druid (love my kitty) - but I thought people might be more open to the idea of priest dps than I have found them to be.

If it turned out that I really should be healing as I level then it's not a problem, I'll jump on it, but I likes to kill stuff.

Anyway, it might not matter from the 29th. If GTA IV is as good as my wet dreams tell me it will be, I won't have time for more than one toon and that'll have to be my kitty RAWR!

But thank you all for taking the time to reply to my question.

I predict people being more accepting of your dps when you hit 40 and have the shadowform. Until then, you are a healer with some damage spells. At 40, you will be a damage dealer with some backup healing abilities. Know what I mean?

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions, you have given me a lot of things to think about.

One way or another, I will continue to play my priest.

I wish you good luck. As someone mentioned earlier, once you get the more defining traits of the Shadow Priest, people will start to see you as a damage dealer instead of a healer. Shadowform, Vampiric Embrace and Vampiric Touch most notably will make you a valuable addition to any group, but especially a group with a Paladin tank and Warlocks in it. Curse of Shadows, fully stacked Shadow Weaving and Misery makes for happy Warlocks.

My Priest is still only level 64, but she's never been brought along to an instance as the main healer. Always as the support caster. I think most lowbies these days are alts of veteran players who know how powerful a Shadow Priest is to a 5-man instance.

I did have one fella who wanted me to drop Shadowform to heal, despite having a Holy Paladin with us who was doing more than a good job keeping everyone healthy. I had to tell him many times that I'd been healing when needed, he just hadn't seen it because I'm used to playing a Feral Druid and "shifting" is in my blood, so I'd usually drop Shadowform by casting a heal (neat feature) and instantly enter Shadowform again to continue the damage dealing.

After he had been ranting about my Shadowform affection for a few pulls with zero problems, the rest of the group told him to shut up as we were doing better than any other group they'd been with before.

Just hang in there and once you hit the higher levels, things will improve. Especially once you get Shadowform. A good thing is to befriend some Warlocks which you can drag along for instance runs. Makes for one hell of a combo, so warn the tank before you pull the first group of mobs.

Being a Shadow Priest is definitely a fun and interesting role in a 5-man. I'm not sure it's what I want to do in PvP or raids, though, because the playstyle changes so much. You go from being a useful support caster to a useful support caster who has to pop potions like they were candy. And in PvP you'll lose most of your efficiency because healing > damage in most encounters. Can't heal in Shadowform and without Shadowform you lose 15% of your damage.

But for leveling and 5-mans, it's definitely one of my favorite classes and specs. Not even my Warlock can make up for the fun I have as a support caster. Being able to both deal damage and heal if need be allows for some versatility you rarely see anymore in this game.