I'm gonna head scratch this one. It seems like the want to make the back end less complex for them to write/maintain code. Consolidation of stats and things like that smack of an out of control design element that is becoming harder to code for. It's easier to just give a boss a resistance to everything of x, then say that a spell/curse/whatever drops it by y% or by flat amount of z for everything than adjusting individual numbers.

And to say that this will increase raid dps, well, WTF? I though this game was being balanced around their new PVP e-sport..... Why do they care about raid dps? It's a direct PVP burst DPS nerf to shaman.