BM is stupid easy. Auto-cleave on MultiShot means you can do good/great damage by spamming whatever lights up.
Keep BW up > Spam KC > Spam Barbed Shot.
If AoE, Spam Multi Shot every 5s.
With the above alone you can do more damage, from range, while moving, than most specs in the game right now.
When playing it to its full potential you can even eke out 10-25% more damage on top of it.
I only use BM for soloing things that need self healing, since I feel dirty playing it.
And I really, really miss ranged survival, mana, and the resource management gameplay from aspect of the viper (heck, the resource systems from wrath overall), even if focus makes more sense.
Yes, but that only applies to a small part of the playerbase. OP is talking about overall popularity going into TWW, where defensives are being improved too.
BM is is easy to play so people like to play it and people like to tame pets I wish they didn’t turn it into a zookeeper spec and it’s a shame they doubled down with the zookeeper stuff in TWW.
Might not be the greatest hunter out there but have been playing long enough to have a fair understanding on how not to be a full on huntard with the class.
Oh Honey , I am one of 18 Hunters in my controlers Stable -ummm bad word that , makes us sound like pets -warband , yeah thats better . They have always played Hunter right from the start , going out into the wilds with our pets at our side , nothing better ( even if mine is mechanical ) . Good lifesty-I mean playstyle .
We would not be BM however if the Overloards of teh universe hadnt chnaged our belovered Survival spec to something where we have to get up close and personal with teh things we are trying to kill -I mean they can hit back , with swords ( and they hurt , plus we get blood all over us -yuck)
I main bear but BM is one of the few alts I play. For myself its a number of things.
Low skill floor and only a moderate skill ceiling make it fun to play.
It can move and cast at the same time while being ranged, which makes it the best of all worlds.
Has an immunity to help in raid.
All the pets make for an interesting side game.
If there was one problem I have with BM its that they have consistently bad transmogs. Hopefully with more remixes we get access to more shaman sets that tend to look better although its still hard to find matching bows.
“respect” for what others play in a game. You take yourself too seriously. They have no movement penalty as BM and MM is fun too and from the looks of things SV is looking fun too.
Heck between mage,warlock, monk and hunter im having a hard time ATM. Casters are fun and the changes look great but I have stopped to cast. Moving messes up rotation.
Try MM. It’s a more robust rotation. You use a lot more of your abilities and it’s not nearly as mobile.
But to answer your question, there are many reasons why one might play a hunter, from health issues and lack of a range of motion in ones hands or decline in mental accuity, or perhaps they don’t like the asthetic of casting spells, and many others in betwen, some of which you listed (traps, pets).
Lastly, who cares? If you don’t like the class, don’t play it. Let those who do enjoy it. I don’t particularly enjoy healing or tanking, but you’ll never hear my complaining they’re in the game. We have options for a reason.
