Ghostcrawler on Does ElitistJerks make everything suck?

I noticed an interesting blue post by Ghostcrawler today. It hit me simply because it really is so true:

Ghostcrawler on Does ElitistJerks make everything suck?
Theorycrafting is a fun part of the game for many players. We love the EJ guys and other communities that embrace it.

What many players would do well to remember though is that the mission of EJ (and others) is to determine the best possible optimization. That can be a fun goal both in theory and in practice. But that does not mean that every player should adopt what they conclude yields the most damage / healing / survival / efficiency.

As an example, I have seen players do things like choose talent tree A because talent tree B "sucks." By "sucks" they mean that the damage of tree B was concluded to be 10% lower by simulation or web stats. Yet some of these same players have older, cheaper enchants, or aren't hit capped, or aren't using flasks, or aren't attacking from behind (as melee), or making any number of similar "mistakes." For them, the dps gain by adopting the cookie-cutter spec is less of an improvement than other changes they could make to their character. For many of these players the marginal gain by optimization is lost in the noise.

I'll make a real world comparison. You know those "space age" wetsuits that Olympic-caliber swimmers now wear? Would you swim faster in one of those? Probably. Is it worth the expense if you aren't Olypmpic-caliber? Probably not. Are there other things you could change about your technique that would improve your swimming to a larger degree (especially considering the cost)? Probably. Are there other things you could change about your WoW character that would improve your performance more than adopting the cookie-cutter spec? For many of us, the answer is also probably.

I'm not at all saying theorycrafting is a bad thing or that there aren't specs that yield better outcomes. Just keep it in perspective. (Source)

I agree. It's a sad thing for me today to see hear, that what some people might want to do with their spec/gear are being told it's just wrong. Flat out wrong at that. But why? The answer most commonly given I believe is, "it's just not the best thing to do" or, when pressed further, "it doesnt do the same dmg/healing/threat as X".

I think for me, I keep in mind that Oz has been told time and time again since beginning to tank at level 70 that he was wrong. Wrong spec, wrong gear, wrong weapon. And people would either go into a length talk about the theory of paladins and not the actual experience they've had. "You dont need spell damage", "you shouldnt be spec'ed into reckoning", "that weapon you're using is worthless"... I've heard it all from many people for more than a year now. But, the simple fact is, I've always made my gear/spec/weapon work. No matter what my level, I've spent more of my time simply testing and trying, than I have theorizing. Sure, I always listen to what others have to say and take it seriously (if it's not outright denouncing me), and I read up on all the various abilities.

But, I would never submit to what anyone told me without a good reason. And, I feel I've been supported in my decision by the people who have actually run instances and raid. They know that Oz = massive threat, because I built Oz to maximize single target threat.

When I spec'ed pont with alot of crit and a hybrid of disc/holy for big Prayer of Healing, I had a few people shaking their heads. And I might not have topped the healing meters, but I didnt really want to. I built pont to heal through alot of AoE dmg, not to be number 1 on the healing meter.

Now, once again, I'm coming up against opposition again on my mage. I will raid frost. Not, I 'want' to raid frost. I will raid frost. Again, I dont expect to be number 1 on dps or dmg, I'm building my mage to fill a certain role.

That's how I've always thought of my characters. Never to be number 1, just to fill a certain role.