Dual Spec & You!Follow

Ok, cheesey title =P but oh well. I was just thinking about this, and I was curious what everyone here was going to do, and why, when dual spec is finally released. Are you gonna be a tank/healer to maximize your chances of finding a PuG? Are you going to have a PvP spec and a PvE spec? Are you not even going to worry about it?

Also was curious, what do you guys think about dual spec "solving" the tank/healer shortage issue?

For a while I was thinking that I would go Prot/Holy for my 2 specs. There's such a shortage of healers out there, at least ones willing to PuG. And DPS are a dime a dozen (most of the time =P). But really, anytime anyone wants me for a run, whether it be 5 man or raid, they want me to tank. I haven't donned my healing gear since BC raiding except once to see what my stats were like, and then to be a Cleanse-bot during Heigan since the Warrior was tanking him. And really that's all I had to do, Cleanse. I'd be much more useful tanking him, or being able to throw around some meaningful DPS.

I also started doing some PvP here and there again when I got bored. Respecced Ret for this, and (for the most part) have been enjoying it. Plus questing/farming is a lot more fun as Ret.

So, with my Paly, I will be purchasing dual spec and getting Ret as my second tree to Prot. Still want to have a healer, so I'll be taking dual spec on my Shaman as well: Enhancement/Restoration.

Second part: I really don't see dual spec doing much to solve the healer issue. If people don't like to heal, then they won't heal! More then anything I see Priests, Paladins, Shaman, and Druids who don't heal doing something more of a tank/DPS dual spec (where applicable), or a PvP/PvE DPS dual spec, or not buying it at all.

Tanks, it might help a bit. Most of the DPSers in my guild who are a tanking class have said they'll more than likely dual spec tank and their current DPS spec (Warriors, Druids, DKs: we got no Rets =P). And I have heard others that will do this as well. I'm sure you'll still see plenty of DKs who will be PvE/PvP specced, as well as the other classes, and refuse to tank, but I do see alot more "tanks" coming out of this feature than "healers". Thoughts?

I spend most of my respecs jumping between PVE holy and PVP holy, so I might as well use those for my dual specs. Still disappointed we hybrids only get 2 specs.

PvE Holy and PvE ret. My DK does my tanking and PvP now.

I'm already building an off-spec set of gear so I can switch to tanking if needs be. My guild (probably the whole realm) has a shortage of tanks right now so that's what's needed. However, I'll still count my main spec as holy.

I was a tank then listened to my guild and went holy to heal. Now with the duel spec I get to heal and go back to what I know best.

Thanks blizzard!!! (insert thumbs up)

2 specs are better then 1. But even with 2 specs you can only cover 2 builds. There are a at least 5 builds (RET pvp/pve Prot pve and Holy pvp/pve). So we still have to respec, and choose our specs very carfully.... It would be better if Blizzard, would let us pay for free respecs for ever. That would be very nice :P

Or.. just like bank slots, let us pay for Spec slots or something of the like. They can be progressively more expensive, so there's another money sink (which they like to have), and it will help those who really like to bounce around do it at their leisure. Spec slots beyond a couple will be more of a luxury than anything.

Not sure what I'm going to do yet... might go Ret PvE/Holy PvP or Ret PvE/Tank, or still might go Ret PvE/Ret PvP, although I don't think I'll be doing that last one.

Well, look at it this way... If you play an hybrid you can have a dps pve spec and a dps pvp spec, that way you'd have all the same options as dps classes. But you'll have the same amount of opportunity as any DPS to enter a run in PvE.

So really, tanks and healers have more an advantage than a disadvantage in that you CAN actually chose a role other than dps in pvp, pve, or both.

If you spec healing or tanking your opportunities to enter runs in PvE are huge.

And if you dual spec pve healer and pve tank you just got yourself an express entrance to any instance run.

IMO, unless you're into hardcore raiding your PvP spec will work good enough in PvE (be it holy or ret). Anyway, being melee dps kind of sucks in raids, and in 5-mans you can be melee dps with your good ole ret pvp spec.



Edited, Mar 17th 2009 2:12pm by xorq

I don't think it would be a very great money sink, because it's really only viable for hybrids. What about rogues who like you say, have everything in the game purchased? That might be the case, but theres far less reason for a rogue to buy 3 specs, then say, a paladin or druid.

My beef is more with spending 1000g (to "save" money on respecs), then still spending money on other respecs. I play 4 myself, and in order of most played they are PVE holy, PVP holy, prot, ret. On my mage/rogue, the dual spec system is amazing because it will cover all my needs, but on a hybrid my feeling is just "meh".

do you really rotate 4 specs on a regular basis? or are you just fluffing your point?

i play Ret as my main(pve and pvp) and i will respec to Prot for the week to fill in guild runs as needed, i can tell you from experience that switching rolls does take a toll on your ability to play. example: when on my game a H CoS run puts me at about 3.2k dps. last week coming off of 3 weeks of tanking, i was only about to pull 2.6k dps in almost the same group setting(mount farming). the built-in reflexes of playing a particular roll for so long become invaluable.

so, unless you are not human or have ridiculous experience in each roll, i would consider the option of respecing to be a compromise between efficiency and convenience.

now, this is different when compared to playing another class entirely. when playing another class you have a whole new set of tools and a much different playstyle. but, i'll be damned if i still don't get caught looking for my bubble on my DK sometimes.

"Annnnyway you are saying it would be nice to be able to pay for free respecs for life. I don't see that happening since Bliz doesn't like to give away free stuff."


Forums are all messed up, I can barely type this :P

Just wanted to point out, they're essentially giving that service to my mage/rogue, and players who play a warlock/hunter are getting the same thing as well.

Seriously, my mage drops 1000g once, I basically never have to pay for a respec again in my life. Why can't it be like that on my paladin?

i dont know. on my mage i could do:
-PvE Arc for raids
-PvP Arc for arenas
-Frost(W/E) for quest/farming
-FFB would also be usable for plenty of stuff

my priest could run through about 5 usable specs depending on situation, but i'll be happy spending the 1000g for first 2 and respec fees for those specialty respecs that happen only once in a while.

Some things went slower last night and we ended up staying late as some members left and had to be replaced, and thus so did our needs. To make a long story short I respecced 3 times in one night. Not only would dual specc have saved me 100g, but also about 10 mins traveling to/fro the paladin trainer and my bank. And no, I don't change my gylphs so yes, I wasn't contributing to the fullest of my class potential.

Three respeccs in one night is obviously excessive, but it will save me a ton of gold and also enable me to play the extra specc to a fuller potential.

Please, let next wednesday be patch day ...