Shameless copy-paste from mmo-champion at http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/744883-quot-Hybrid-quot-Tax-Reduction?p=8513749&viewfull=1#post8513749
Heh, this is what most people don't notice, but some people are able to read between the lines.
WARNING! Semi-long post, but it's worth the read, I promise. I'll be demonstrating using GC's words why the hybrid tax exists and why the tax itself keeps changing over time and will never achieve what Blizz ultimately says they want on the surface.
The original GC post concerning the hybrid tax was very much like many political statements you see (dressing up issues, trying to make everyone happy, etc). I understand the practice, as in this game is a business investment, and keeping as many people happy as possible generates more revenue. Pissing off your entire player base isn't good for business.
As for the actual content, most people don't really see what he said. First of all, GC acknowledged there is a hybrid tax, he just dispelled the idea that there's an exact percentage used as a tax model. When he states that the hybrid tax has largely evolved in WotLK and plan to use the design into Cataclysm, guess what... the tax exists in some form or another.
GC explains that the hybrid tax existed in vanilla, but it was enforced by making one spec of a hybrid class the only viable raiding spec (tanking or healing, no DPS role). GC goes on to explain how they attempted to apply a hybrid tax in BC but didn't use it for all hybrids (aka warriors designed to be the best tanks and put out DPS at levels of pure DPS)... also they used powerful buffs and utility as a balance for the low DPS of the hybrids. GC then states that these buffs and utility were spread out in WotLK and they plan on refining the buff placement into Cataclysm.
Alright... on the surface, GC is explaining how the actual hybrid tax has evolved and was implemented. What he doesn't tell you is WHY they had to keep changing the hybrid tax. It's simple, it revolves around the other tenant resonanting in the halls of Blizz: "Bring the player, not the class."
The list of statments prior to GC explaining how the hybrid tax has evolved over time actually touches on this matter of why the tax kept changing. I'll list a couple of the statements from the post so you can see the progression.
"We think the pure classes would start to disappear over time, at least from high-end raiding, if there was no advantage for being a pure. "
"...the Blizzard definition of hybrid in this context has nothing to do with the power of certain buffs or class synergy. We want all classes to bring useful tools to the raid. "
"If your guild or raid has no more need for damage-dealers, there is no way for these classes to raid with you. By contrast, the six other classes always have the option to respec for another role either temporarily or for the long haul."
First statement is why there is a tax, Blizzard is afraid if pures and hybrids had the same DPS potential, pure DPS classes would die out and no one would play them at least in high-end raiding. Simplified, Blizz wants there to be a balancing method for classes so that any player has a chance to get a raid spot regardless of which class they choose... "bring the player, not the class."
Second statement says the definition (keyword: definition) of a hybrid isn't the measure of class buffs or class synergy. In BC, how did they compensate for hybrids doing less damage? That's right, GC specifically stated Blizz gave them powerful buffs and utility to compensate for their lower DPS (so there was a reason to be brought to raid over a pure DPS). Bringing a player because they bring a buff/utility... wait a second, that sounds more like "bring the class, not the player,"... I'm sure people raiding in BC knew what ultimately happened, stacking shamans for Heroism/Lust in each group, needed to bring enough paladins to cover the 10-billion pally buffs, etc... this is why the BC model didn't get ultimately applied to warriors and why this model didn't stick around in WotLK. People were bringing the class and not the player, and their change for WotLK (and ultimately Cataclysm) was to spread out these unique buffs and utilities to... yup, give them to the pure DPS classes, and in Cataclysm 20 of the 24 raid buffs/debuffs listed by GC earlier are brought by pure DPS classes.
Chugging along, Blizz needs to stay true to "Bring the player, not the class." Third statement, Blizz states if there is an excess of DPS, a pure DPS class doesn't have the option of switching to tank/heals and would get sat out... but by contrast, a hybrid class could spec to heals/tank and be kept in raid. What GC fails to address is the following situation, and this pops up quite a bit now: what if there is an excess of tanks or heals? Put your thinking caps on, ladies and gentlemen, let's tackle this situation. If you are a hybrid tank or healer, what are your options? You have the flexibility to switch to DPS if you so choose. Now... WHY would the raid want you to DPS as a hybrid if they have the option of bringing in a pure DPS? Keeping the definition of a hybrid and the direction Blizz is headed, a hybrid should be doing less damage than a pure DPS, in WotLK and into Cataclysm the hybrid's buffs/debuffs have a very high probably of being brought by a pure DPS class... wait, if there's no difference between the buffs/debuffs a hybrid will bring to your raid over the pure DPS and the pure DPS is going to put out more damage when I don't need a healer or tank, why would I not want to bring a pure DPS over a hybrid?
Here's the problem: in an effort to penalize hybrid DPS in order to have raids/guilds bring in pure DPS instead, Blizz creates the scenario where buffs/debuffs and utility do not separate hybrids from pures, and there is no reason to bring in a hybrid DPS at all if a pure brings everything to the table plus more DPS. This is what happens when you try to enforce a "hybrid tax" and "bring the player, not the class" at the same time... it's impossible.
Blizz has been trying to make the hybrid tax work ever since vanilla, but Blizz finds out each time that when they try to give a reason to bring a class over another class via hybrid taxation, it goes against bringing a player instead of a class. This whole concept really boils down to simple logic, honestly, you cannot give reasons to bring one class over another and expect people not to bring a class over a player. But in reality, with logic so simple, it's easy to see that they aren't doing all this out of logic... it's pure political motivation to keep the majority of people happy that Blizz is trying to bring equality to all in WoW and keep the subscriptions coming in. Again, not saying I blame them for what they are doing, because business is business.
Comments
The backlash begins here!
Have to agree with what's written. It boils down to the fact that hybrids get penalised without compensation. In an age where each tank and healing class has a fully viable DPS tree, even the term "hybrid" is basically pointless. Are priests hybrids? Are warriors?
The pure DPS classes already have their own gimmicks. Mages have some of the coolest abilities in the game (mirror image or a pet or the flame orb they'll be getting). Warlocks have their pets and vastly different playstyles from the trees. Rogues have stealth and the ability to do huge alpha strikes, as well as use most of the weapons in the game. And so on.
'DPS classes' just means "has more than 1 DPS tree" now. It means that you're not pigeonholed into a particular style of DPS. It doesn't need to mean that you do more damage. Why should it?
That versatility doesn't exist. They are not true hybrids - the closest you'll get is a feral tank being able to feral dps (poorly). The fact that out of combat they can switch to another talent tree shouldn't make a difference.
Alternatively, you could just say that DPS classes have the bonus of having 3 DPS talent trees, thus increasing the chance that there'll be one that doesn't completely suck!
It was more of an informative post really. I do agree with the conclusion of the poster, there is no way to succesfully combine "Bring the player, not the class" with "hybrid tax". I'd say the hybrid tax should go, although pure dps classes will rightfully complain that they've now lost viability, as hybrids could spec something else should the need arise while they can not. This "problem" doesn't really exist though, as there are, as far as I can tell, no fights in which there is no need for any dps. There are fights which require more or less healing or more or les tanking, and we have solved that by having Zorr and Boni dualspec boomkin and retadin. The other issue the OP is referring to is real however, when pure dps classes bring buffs such as bloodlust, hybrids loose viability of the pure dps classes do more dps.
It's really a no-win situation. The only option I see is where all trees are equally viable, but for a specific purpose or playing style. For example, a mage could choose between trees which would excel at PVP, or AOE PVE, or single-target PVE or whatever, while a warlock would be able to choose between a "better" PVP tree, a direct spells and pet PVE tree and a direct spells and dots PVE tree. A shaman would be able to pick either healing, or PVE dps or PVP. Doing PVE in PVP spec would still be possible, just with slightly less dps or utility than the "better" pve tree. This way, a hybrid using their best PVE spec would do the same dps as a pure dps class in their best PVE spec.
There's a few disadvantages in that as well, for one it severly limits players' freedom to choose a tree that suits them best. For example, it could mean that Enhancement PVE and Elemental PVP would not be viable.
I agree with Skum, the assumed versatility hybrids bring doesn't really exist. It's a the model where, for example, I as a hybrid dps'er would toss a heal on the main tank when I see his health at critical levels, or where a dps deathknight switches to blood presence and offtanks so loose mob. It doesn't happen that way. My heals aren't big or fast enough because I don't have the right talents, I don't have my interface set up to quickly and efficiently heal the MT, even if I do it'll most likely not be effective because a good tank would have used a cooldown by the time my heal lands. Also, by the time my untalented 4-sec heal lands, a real healer will most likely have already landed one which heals twice as much at a 1.5s cast time. Meanwhile, the dps-geared DK offtank has been clubbed to death by the add because fights just ain't challenging enough if any Tom, Dick or Harry can tank the adds without a proper tanking spec. In short, the versatility just isn't there, it's a myth based on groups overgearing simple 5-mans, it has no place in competative end-game raiding.
Fortunately, we're just the sort of guild that takes the player, even when they suck. Let's keep it that way and you won't hear me complain about any sodding hybrid tax or not.
For me the whole hybrid tax isn't so much that i do less dps as a pure dps class, you beat the encounter as a team and only you can play your toon at its best, but that i have to have a second spec. I would much rather have two protection specs that i can change, then have a sub optimal main spec, and a lesser geared offspec with less raiding experience.
Besides that, i've always rather enjoyed the frequent moments of out dpssing pure dps classes who can slack, because they are still at the top of the meters.
The bring the player not the class bs of wrath was flawed, since we didn't have all the buffs available to us in our ten man raids, we had to switch in Keldon just so we had bloodlust on Deathbringer Dranosh. Ten mans weren't designed to have bloodlust simply because of that reason, you can bet your ass the Cataclysm raids will.
As for being the guild that takes the player, even when they suck. That is mostly because we don't have anyone else. We simply have people with different learning curves, but after 50 wipes, the Tank channel still changes into a Jay and Silent Bob short movie.
But in the end, i could care less of hybrid tax or no, there hasn't been a full out dps epeen boss where all is equal for a long time, and i don't suspect there will be one soon. I just love my paladin with all its strengths and weaknesses and i love playing with my guildies, so it works out well, however blizzard may change and change and change and change and change and change everything. Besides, chances are we will all be playing the minecraft mmo in a few years anyway. ;)