Err... We don't get to dps like a mage. We do, unfortunately, get to heal like one.

And mages don't have a resto off-spec we can switch to if an encounter's going badly because the raid needs more heals. We just have to sit the fight out.

Grass, greener, etc.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't dps worse than mages. That's a whole different argument, and one I'm not quite sure which side I'm on. However, it makes no sense why we (shadow priests and moonkin) cannot heal in-form, or get some kind of compensation from being walled off from half of our spells when other hybrids are not.

I agree - trees are walled off from casting offensive spells while healing. Boom chickens are walled off from casting heals while going on offense. Isn't it a double standard to let resto druids have access to dps abilities while in primary healing spec, while boom chickens remain locked out from healing? The same thing has always irritated me about my shadow priest. No heals for you unless you drop out of shadow form.

I suppose the argument is that resto druids will no longer have a healing form, other than an optional one on cooldown. As much as I wasn't a huge fan of being a giant broccoli, there comes a point where reducing flavour in the game is a bad thing.

Exactly! so now shroomkin will be the only gimped call in the game...

@uncaringbear

You're looking in the wrong direction.

Disc and Holy priests can still smite. Pallies can judge and consecrate. Shamans can cast lightning bolts. Resto druids in tree form cannot. That's the disparity he's trying to do away with. Maybe not with for the purpose of damage spells but hibernate, soothe animal, all those sorts of things.