Quote Originally Posted by Starbuck_Jones View Post
DPS is a funny beast. At the end of Lich King, I was doing in the 20-25k dps range with all of my characters. Even the tank topped in the 23-24k range on aoe trash. Two expansions and 10 levels later, I still cant do that type of dps. Though my tank now climbs into the 30-40k mark with vengeance the rest languish in the 15k-20k range. However I am nowhere near the 80k, 150k, 230k dps that you see some people in raids do.

If you kill the mobs, then you're doing it right. If you want more DPS there are only two ways to do it. Better gear or better tactics. Maxing out DPS is pretty easy with IS Boxer. Only a few classes require more than a single button smash to maximize their DPS. So it's going to be getting better gear for most of us. However, there so many utility spells that few of us ever use and if you start to integrate them into your tactics. Fights go from brute force dps races to smooth sailing.
You are using some weird numbers in my opinion. DPS over the past raiding tiers, in best in slot raiding gear was roughly like this:

T10 12-14k (ICC)

T11 25-30k (BOT, Blackwing Decent, Throne)

T12 35-40k (Firelands)

T13 – 50-55k (Dragon Soul)

T14 - 110-120k (HoF, Toes, MsV)

This is single target damage, in best in slot heroic raiding gear. I say roughly, because there were always specs that simmed lower or higher, it's more to have a rough idea, and there were always ways to get beyond that by getting a legendary, focus magic, tricks, warlock buff in past expansions. Also these numbers are without taking raidwide buffs into account, like the 30% buff in ICC near the end. And obviously when it is current content. Having specs pulling 25k dps in ICC in patch 4.0 (pre cata patch) with all sorts of new stats and spells who are intended for cata doesn't really count.

Also when you say that some people are pulling 230k dps in raids, that is simply not thrue. Yeah for 15 seconds when popping all cds. But that is not what is meant with dps. Also bosses like windlord on heroic who give you a 600% dmg increase are bad practise to compare dps. since they are gimmicks.