Hybrid vs Pure DPS

OK, tell you what. I'll never waste a post on what amounts to a giant tortured analogy, if you promise to never speak of it, ever. Deal? Deal.

There's some stick in Blizzard's collective craw about how hybrid DPS must do less damage than their pure counterparts. Now, disregard the racist overtones and focus on the core issue: should the fact that I could heal/tank on one encounter, and DPS on another mean that on that other encounter, I should deal less damage? Now, I'm going forward with the assumption that IN THE ABSENCE of a good reason, all DPS specs should do roughly equivalent damage, specific fight mechanics aside. If you don't agree with that, then you want Blizzard to punish people just for picking the wrong class.

Reason 1: pure DPS is specialized. Obviously, since they can't heal or tank, a pure DPS must be compensated for in extra numbers. This is in it of itself fallacious (a good word, cause it sounds like fellatio) because you can't be in two specs at once. An elemental shaman can't suddenly switch to healing in a raid format; his talents and (less so) gear won't let him heal well enough to make it a real consideration any raid leader makes.

Reason 2: if hybrids do the same damage, there's no reason to bring a less-versatile pure class. The notion here being, if a raid leader has a choice between a shadow priest with a discipline dual-spec or affliction warlock, there's an incentive to take the priest just as a back-up if another healer is needed on some fights, or as D/C insurance. This is the single-string QQ guitar of resident pure DPS apologist Zulrohk, and it fails for two reasons. One, if it were true, than raid leaders would only at most drop the WORST DPS for the hybrid player, since what the hell do you need 11 potential healers for? Two, this problem has existed since the beginning of WoW, just replace "dual-spec" with "geared alt". Zulrohk has never been benched in favor of Zindo (rogue) just because Zindo also has a priest and warrior in the wings.

Three: hybrids provide signifigant raid buffs, whereas pures don't, so they must do less DPS to compensate for them buffing everyone's numbers. This is actually true, and would be a great reason, except that it has nothing to do with class itself. Rather than be about class, it's about what buffs you bring; a key distinction. Hypothetically, Blizz could design the game where all hybrid specs bring buffs but lower (not BC lower) numbers, compared to an equally skilled and geared pure DPS. I'm totally on-board that design philosophy, as long as the gap isn't wide enough that even a more geared/skilled hybrid player can't beat a facerolling pure in numbers.

BUT ZARAT, you'll whine, IT R TAHT WAY NOWZ. First of all, spell check. Second, no it isn't. Destro, Survival, and Arcade and Fire Mages all provide big buffs while dishing up higher theorycraft numbers than their hybrid counterparts. And DKs deal pure DPS while giving out even more buffs, further breaking Blizzard's party line from reality. If pure DPS have the choice between 110% damage or 100% damage + buffs, then that's fine, and actually a perk of playing those classes, if hybrids automatically get lumped into column B. But it's not that way, which is disappointing (especially since Blizz pretends it is). I would say Cataclysm will hopefully fix it, which is like my goddamned catchphrase now, but given the level of willful ignorance on this point, I doubt it.

On the subject of buffs, there should be another class with Bloodlust. Not drums, as it's not like an essential buff the way Fort and Kings are, but it's big enough to not get monopolized by Shamans. I nominate Warriors, they could use a big buff to the raid, and thematically they're all about flipping out.