PTR: playing with specs

So i respecced twice today, testing out Surv, MM, and lastly BM. What did i discover? Well i'll tell you!

Surv
it takes about 154s to go oom
peak dps = 910ish
average dps = 868
pet dps = 100ish

MM
89s to oom
peak = 912
average = 878
slightly increased pet dps

BM
90s to oom
peak = 1000
average = 958
pet dpsx2.5

What does this tell us? Surv has the best mana efficiency, but is very comparable to MM as far as dps and pet dps. BM has the same mana efficiency as MM but the hunter's dps takes a major hit! In reality the hunter's dps for Surv = 868, MM = 868, and BM = 700. So we have several options here... Surv = more mana efficient sustainable dps, MM = sustainable dps, and BM = only way to put out the most dps is to keep your pet alive (and the more you heal the pet, the faster you run out of mana... which isn't to say that you should ignore the pet, it's just something to keep in mind).

i went out and played with Chimera Shot, and i'm starting to consider staying MM/Surv Hybrid. Explosive Shot rank 2 is still sharing a cd with Arcane Shot. Chimera Shot doesn't have the tick factor anymore (where you have to wait in order to get the most bang for your buck) but it still is entirely too much of a mana drain. Basically, you spend 600 mana to gain 200 mana with viper shot (-650 + 850 = 200)... and that just doesn't seem that cost efficient. If you use Viper Sting a lot (perhaps in pvp?), then i would say it could be very efficient (instantly draining 1416.6 mana and renewing the sting). The trouble is... i rarely use Viper Sting, in fact, i probably only use it in pvp. So MM will still dominate pvp for those mana drainers, but when you're focused on pve as i am, what's the point?

Coming soon: a post i've been working on today comparing the new pet skills and outlining why i chose which pets.