The draw of DPS classes
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 18th 2007 at 3:14PM
Keen and Graev have a good post up about why (according to them) players prefer playing DPS roles. Statistically, it appears to be more or less true-- according to Warcraft Realms, four of the five highest class percentages are traditionally DPS classes: Mage, Rogue, Warlock, and Hunter. Warriors also have a higher population, but it could be argued that only 1/3 of the Warrior specs (Prot, as opposed to Arms or Fury) out there are actually meant for anything other than DPS.So why do players seemingly prefer to play DPS? K&G give three main reasons. They cite something they call "Big Number Syndrome," which is the idea that unless you're dealing big damage, your class is worthless. They say that doing DPS requires less responsibility-- tanks and healers have to pay attention to everything, but DPSers choose a target and kill it. And they say that DPS classes level faster, which seems anecdotally (at least) to be true-- more damage means a faster kill, which means XP more often.
In general (very generally, in fact), I tend to agree. For these reasons, some people are definitely drawn to the DPS lifestyle. But I don't think that these reasons are why people chose these classes in the first place. Hunters, for example, have pets, and I think that's a much bigger draw to the class than "big number syndrome" ever was. And let's not forget that these are more or less the most archetypal classes in the game-- someone who's never played the game probably would immediately know what a "Mage" or "Rogue" could do, whereas a Shaman (the lowest class population, according to the census) is a little harder to explain.
So I think K&G are putting the chicken before the egg-- these things may be true about DPS looking back (and they may in fact be reasons people choose DPSers as alts). But when people first choose a class to call their own, I think it's a little simpler than that.
[ via Hardcore Casual ]
Filed under: Hunter, Blizzard, Virtual selves, Analysis / Opinion, Warrior, Warlock, Shaman, Rogue, Mage, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Gogey Sep 18th 2007 3:22PM
Overpopulation of Hunters?
Blame legolas.
Liel Sep 18th 2007 3:31PM
DPS classes always out number any other type because they usually have the least responsilbility.
Even people when they roll a warrior/priest try to stick to a dps role if they don't feel like leading a party or keeping them alive.
Emily Sep 18th 2007 3:32PM
When I play games, I notice I tend to go with DPS. I think it's just my playstyle. When I play Magic: The Gathering, my favorite deck is a white/green beatdown deck, and when I play WoW, my main is a mage. I have a paladin as well, but she's specced Ret as opposed to Holy or Prot. It's just more fun for me to do DPS, and there is less responsibility.
Amrasmord Sep 27th 2007 5:29PM
I chose my class (warlock) because I wanted a necro type class that could summon demons and stuff. I didn't even know what DPS was...
Klatz Sep 18th 2007 3:33PM
For me the draw of a dps class like mages is that you're not dependent on a group to kill things. Playing a prot war or healer type means you need a group to quest, grind, or pvp efficiently. I hate that.
Epiny Sep 18th 2007 3:34PM
A warrior is normally somoene who wants to lead raids, groups, guilds. They HAVE to know everything about there class and every instance in the game to be good.
A priest has arguabbly more responsiblity than anyone in the group or raid. If you are late on pressing a button the tank dies, then everyone else dies.
All a DPS needs to do is follow a warrior around and assist. Do CC maybe once a pull if that often. Easy mode.
Dedicus Sep 18th 2007 3:34PM
I think while that may be partially true, there are other things to take into consideration..
Namely, how well do healers / tanks farm things on their own? I'm obviously talking about specific 'healbot' or 'tankbot' specs.
I know several people who play dps classes simply because they can grind and pvp outside of their raid/group job.
Anyone with any kind of end game experience know how stupid 'big number syndrome' is anyway, I just think DPS classes have more practical allocations than people think.
npm Sep 18th 2007 3:38PM
I'm drawn to the rogue because I had fun with it in EQ. I really enjoy the sneaky qualities, the pickpocketing. My rogue is 70 and is raiding in Kara now. High end game is a bit frustrating to me since the only thing that matters is my DPS, and that isn't fun.
I think I'll probably enjoy my druid more, once she's higher level. She gets more choice in the sort of role she can play. I'll probably play her as a healer but perhaps go feral if the guild needs more tanks.
I think much of the decision for me also has to do with how long it takes to kill things. I can't imagine being a protection tank and trying to farm rep.
bjp2592 Sep 18th 2007 3:38PM
I think the reason is much simpler: it's much easier to solo as a dps class.
Solo as a Prot Warrior/Holy Priest, especially at the mid-level game and many people probably give up in frustration.
DPS classes in general and warlocks and hunters in particular can solo multiple mobs and single elites fairly easily. Try being a lvl 25 warrior and taking on 2 or 3 lvl 25-ish casters at once and then having another one wander by just as you drop the last one and have already used a potion...
Todd Sep 18th 2007 3:43PM
Actually, heh, I originally picked a Mage because I enjoyed the prospect of porting all over. That was my main reason: travel.
SJames Sep 18th 2007 3:46PM
The issues with the holy priest in Wow have been discussed a lot, but the biggest problem I have was well-stated in the article: "It's one thing to have to run away from an NPC monster, it's another to have to stand around helplessly as another player beats you down." Even in "farming gear", the advantage that dps has in a fight is tough to overcome.
MC So n So Sep 18th 2007 3:46PM
People are drawn to dps classes because people like to defeat their enemeies. If you are a healer, sure you are just as vital to killing the monster as a dps, but it doesnt FEEL like it. You don't have any direct effect on that monsters lifebar, it doesnt feel so much like you defeated the enemy so much as you did prevent them from beating you. Thats just not as fun, its human nature to want to be the hero.
What I dont get is why ever MMO looks at this problem and says "ok, people dont like healing or tanking because of bla bla bla, so lets make so and so changes to healing and tanking" But this is, to me, a backwards way of fixing a problem.
If someone stabbed you in the eye, you wouldn't say "hey I didnt like that, next time please stab me in the eye in a different method" you'd say "please sir, stop stabbing me in the eye"
The same goes with healing/tanking. If people don't like to tank/heal then why have them in the game at all. Look at Diablo II for example. Every class was their own healer through using healing potions and such. Yet there was still party dynamics through auras/curses/etc. And you know what, it was fun as crap. No waiting for the right party combination, to having to roll a dps class to 70 to farm for you, no feeling marginalized because you had no direct impact on defeating the enemy. It was just fun.
dresden Sep 18th 2007 3:47PM
I have a 70 warrior and a 63 mage that is quickly moving up. The mage has leveled faster, and I attribute that to mostly because it can kill really quick, and with sheep and my water elemental, it's a lot easier to engage multiple mobs and some elites solo. I instance with the mage more because it is less responsibility, and to me, it's a lot more fun, where as being a tank is a bigger responsibility, and isn't always a blast. After a long day of work, I'd rather just shoot at things, then have to worry about managing things. I manage things all day, and I'll be damned if I want to take that into my leisure time. :)
Epiny Sep 18th 2007 3:52PM
Honestly mid game Shadow Priests and Fury/Arms warrior's are some of the best at PvP and grinding exp.
Everyone here is tight casting Priests as holy and Warriors at Prot. Now while there are a large amount of Holy Priests, you don't see Prot Tanks outside of raids.
Indigo Sep 18th 2007 4:04PM
Maybe it's because of Heal, DPS and Tank, only one of those 3 has any solo utility at all.
Michael Sep 18th 2007 4:14PM
@13: Actually, Blizzard has done a lot of tuning since WoW 1.0 to give every class the option of a DPS playstyle. Shadow priests and fury warriors, in particular, have been extensively reworked.
Blizz knows about this issue -- but they want to support both the soloing/DPS playstyle and the "holy trinity" (tank/heal/DPS) playstyle, in one game. A tricky design problem, which they've come at from many angles.
Nails Sep 18th 2007 4:15PM
my main is a 66 rogue, but my favorite character to play is my lvl 41 priest
i was excited to play a support role, and an important role as a healer
i figured, hey, i'm a smart guy, i'm good at this game, and i can heal better than anyone i've seen heal for me as a rogue. i love keeping the party alive and rolling through an instance with no problem. and i've found other people have appreciated it too :)
im perfectly happy to deal only 0.3% of the party's damage with my trusty wand :P
Rudi Sep 18th 2007 4:15PM
Hmm. I rolled a mage (after screwing around with a warlock) for the free food/water and porting around.
GamerJunkie Sep 18th 2007 4:25PM
Older players = Tank/Heal support roles
Younger players = Pew Pew classes
Whenver I explain the fights or look at numbers such as KTM, healing, and DPS. Kids just loses interest in that type of stuff.
They rather just go in and DPS everything and leave the tanking and healing to others.
Its the same relationship between Parents and children.
itsthemechanic Sep 18th 2007 4:35PM
Why do people roll DPS classes? Because healing is a thankless shit job, and it's hard to grind primals as a protection warrior.
Trust me, I have a 70 Resto Druid I haven't logged for ages. My new main is a 70 Mage.