Spastic Matters

Contains whatever hobbies, interests, or enlightenments I am currently having. Warning; it tends to be spastic.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Why Rogues should use a Damage Meter

Raid Leaders and Class Captains are highly discouraging the use of damage meters during raids. This rant will shed light on why.

However, using a damage meter can greatly improve a rogue. It can help formulate combo sets, compare damage output of two rogues during one fight, pinpoint areas of needed improvement, motivate for higher dps and retain constancy.


To uphold my high standards for rogues and keep maximum dps a requirement, I have decided to encourage rogues to use damage meters under the following conditions.

  1. NEVER break the tank’s agro. A dead rogue does ZERO damage so. Only dps as much as the tank can agro. Omen, a meter for tracking agro, is a raiding requirement and will help with agro issues.
  2. Save the dps bragging for outside of raid. It is distracting and inappropriate to discuss dps stats during raids. Everyone has their own job to do and you better be keeping up your own stuns and kicks.
  3. Use it as an improvement tool. Formulate combo sets, pinpoint areas of needed improvement, and compare damage output of two rogues during the same fight.
  4. Use it as a motivator to stay consistent. Watch your dps and don’t let it slip, especially in the last 30 mins of raiding.
  5. Read this this article and comments found on WOW insider and don't be a damage meter zealot. The reason I require such high damage and dps is that a rogue’s primary role is the

Damage Dealer. Many dps classes perform secondary functions, for example; crowd control, off-tanking, healing, dispelling, buff/debuffing, mana regeneration, and misdirection. Of these secondary functions, Rouges only perform a Sap, kick, and stun. Sap is an out of combat move which does not affect dps and damage output. Kick and stuns are only used periodically and therefore do not greatly impact sustained damage.

If a rogue is going to us a damage meter, it is important to understand the difference between dps and damage done and how to differentiate it on your meter and paper doll.


Even though we speak of damage in terms of doing, it is actual a stat based on taking away. Damage is a reduction in health or an action that reduces health from an attack. For example, a weapon attack that reduces the health of the target is damage (1). Damage done is the total amount of health points you have taken from a target and therefore is not based on a time scale.

DPS is Damage per Second and is a measure of the total damage done by the time instant hits and dots were active. For example, if using the target dummy for 10 seconds deals 1000 damage, your damage done is 1000 and your dps is 100 (1000 /10 = 100). If you stop dealing damage, then start again for another 10 seconds doing 1000 damage, your damage done is now 2000, but your dps remains 100.

Over the length of a raid you should maintain a steady level of dps but have increasing amounts of damage done. Reasons that your dps rank may be different from you damage done rank is the rate to which you are locating and approaching a target for damage. For example, if you take down 2 mobs in the time your buddy has taken 3 because you were slow at targeting, you will have lower damage done no matter your dps.

Also good to know is the difference between Burst dps and Sustained dps. Burst dps refers to damage dealt over a relatively short period of time. High burst damage is the preferable form of damage against targets with relatively low health. Sustained dps refers to constant damage dealt over an extended period of time. High sustained damage is the preferable form of damage against targets with relatively high health like bosses (2).

You will find that Burst dps yields a higher stat, but as burst dps turns into sustained dps the stat equalizes, giving a more actual account of one’s own dps.

Note: The information delivered in the tooltip on your paper doll window does not take into account hit rate. Some addons do, and may display the total average DPS in a tooltip (2).


(1) “Damage.” Wowwiki. Retrieved Nov. 2008 <http://www.wowwiki.com/Damage>


(2.) “Damage per second.” Wowwiki. Retrived Nov. 2008 <http://www.wowwiki.com/Damage_per_second>

Monday, November 03, 2008

Gear Suggestions for the new Rogue Raider

Gear upgrades: Badge gear- upgrade your chest first. Weapons- Badge dagger set or the sword set you get from Battle Ground Honor (of course have one of each is good also ;). The Swiftstrike Bracers are a huge upgrade. The mats are 4 Heavy Knothide Leather, 10 Primal Air (Pora will trade any primal for a primal), and 4 Heart of Darkness (the guild bank might have some). You can find anyone in trade chat to make them. Until you get the Netherblade Breeches from Gruul, try for the Blessed Leggings from killing the Spawns for the Argent Dawn (the elites are solo-able). Belt of Deep Shadow is really cool. I am still trying to get the mats for it, but it is doable. 2 Nether Vortex, 4 Heavy Knothide, 10 Primal Shadow, 10 Primal Air (otherwise the belt form Gruuls is your next dropped belt.) Hope this helps.