Profession bonuses...

[Slickrock]

Did some testing with Zeherah's website, with a default build, and came up with the following comparisons.

Eng 85251
JC 85213
LW 84595
Blac 84554
Inscr 84554
Ench 84554
Skin 83570
Alch 83487

[Sukurachi]

a bit more detail would be appreciated... what exactly are these "bonuses".
what are the numbers?

[Slickrock]

dps from H T14 gearset, BM spec, using the new tier of profession bonuses. Should have noted that I did this BM before.

[Wain]

Is there a nice list of the profession bonuses for MoP somewhere? I looked but couldn't find one.

Thanks for the data, though. It must have been a lot of work. I guess the difference between top and bottom isn't enormous, and might be due to subtle differences in gear/stat requirements to complement them properly, or it might be that some are just better than others.

It will sadden me if they don't change gathering profession bonuses to make them more class agnostic. For example, as a shaman jewelcrafter it is logical that I take mining as my second profession, but it sucks that I'd be pressured to get rid of it because the bonus isn't good for my class. Perhaps a synergy bonus might be a better idea, where a gathering profession enhances the bonus you get from a complementary crafting one. Of course that would disadvantage anyone with two gathering professions :/

[Slickrock]

I haven't seen a full list anywhere with all the updates in one place, but I just went through the list on professions on Z's calculator. I mainly did it to see how engineering ranked, which suprised me a bit.

I used the same gear for the comparisons, just applying the various boosts (LW wrist buff, JC only gems, eng tinker, etc.), so it's mainly the different amount of Agi that's provided by each.

Slick is a miner/engineer, and I'll consider going Eng/JC once the mining profits slow down. That said, unless you are pushing heroic raiding, the differences are small enough that it really shouldn't make a difference.

Of course, the mining stam boost is always a nice help when leveling...

[Slickrock]

Well, Blizz taketh away...

With the nerf tonight, Eng will certainly be down toward the bottom of the list, leaving JC alone as the single OP dps profession..

[Sesamee]

I can't believe Alchemy is below skinning. Crafting professions should always be higher than gathering IMO. I hope that doesn't stay like that.

[Sigrah]

I can't believe Alchemy is below skinning. Crafting professions should always be higher than gathering IMO. I hope that doesn't stay like that.

The problem with the Alchemy perk has been the fact that Philosopher Stone trinkets are easily replaced, while the flask buff (Flask of Enhancement) can't be used in conjunction with other stat flasks and elixirs (such as Flask of Titanic Strength). Other crafting professions, on the other hand, get perks that are permanent, extras enchants, better versions of enchants, or on-use stuff. Basically, they can use stat flasks with their perks, but Alchemists can't, which is sad really.

Personally I think they can correct that by giving them Alchemy only enchantments that can be used in lieu of an enchantment normally used in that slot (a boot enchantment for the feet slot would be good in my opinion), or by giving them Alchemy only enchantments that can be used in a slot that normally couldn't be enchanted (necklaces or the head slot would be good since arcanums are going away). This would bring them in line with other profession perks in my opinion. This assumes, of course, it hasn't been changed in beta already, I have access but never really poked around that much because I don't like having to adjust play styles every time they change something.

[Sesamee]

An increase in primary stats from flasks is the primary bonus. I get extra agility on my hunter and extra Int on my priest, my two Alch toons, and it's comparable to the other professions currently. If the trinkets were better it would easily make Alch OP and the only choice for raiding, esp early in an expansion.

ETA: plus the extra flask length isn't a dps increase per se but a very nice perk of the profession.

[Slickrock]

Alchemy certainly needs help. Right now it's the domain of tanks and not much else. (It's taking a hit on profits as well).

If you have Alchemy on a main now, I'd suggest inscription. It will be profitable in Mists, gives a good bonus, and the crafted staves will be beneficial if you have alts that can use them. And it's easy to level right now.

[Sigrah]

Alchemy certainly needs help. Right now it's the domain of tanks and not much else. (It's taking a hit on profits as well).

Do you really feel Alchemy will be hurting when MoP launches? Serious question, not meant as sarcasm. I just can't see how they will be suffering profit wise when MoP goes live since all the news I've read says they will be the only source of Living Steel that's used in the various high end recipes of other professions, including the JC mounts, the engineering mounts, and the belt buckle we all buy to add an extra gem socket to our belts. Or is it just super easy to get spirits of harmony and trillium that they'll be able to flood the market via the Riddle of Steel recipe? It really doesn't matter much to me either way, I have at least one of every profession currently maxed out, I'm just having a hard time seeing how they'll be hurting.

[Slickrock]

Alchemy certainly needs help. Right now it's the domain of tanks and not much else. (It's taking a hit on profits as well).

Do you really feel Alchemy will be hurting when MoP launches? Serious question, not meant as sarcasm. I just can't see how they will be suffering profit wise when MoP goes live since all the news I've read says they will be the only source of Living Steel ....

It's two parts...

For a main, Alch hurts compared to the other professions for bonuses, assuming you are raiding. It's at the bottom of the pile.

For crafting alts... In Cata, you also had the volatile transmute, which was underutilized early on, and everyone was doing Truegold. Truegold was often down below the mat price. Everyone had an alchemist, and that market was more than swamped. Now with Mists here, and there being only on prime transmute, I expect something similar to happen. (I'm really really gonna miss that V-Life to V-Air transmute.. that was easy money...).

Also, the gem transmutes, instead of requiring pile of the lower quality gems, use a Golden Lotus. Might be hard getting profit out of that.

Finally, you had people like me with 3-4 alchemists. We are all getting squeezed into a smaller market. Not good.

So, like I said, Inscription is a much better choice right now, with lots of ways to make money, and good bonuses. And if you do it now, it's cheap to level (I did 1-525 for about 3k).

[Sigrah]

Thanks for the insight Slick, I can see now where you're coming from on Alchemy. Are they still going to have the cauldrons of battle as a guild perk as well, or is that one of the perks going away? I know that put a dent in Alchemy profits as well, and why so many people I know switched specialties to Transmutation.

Still, I have no reason to dump it just yet. As I said, I already have at least one of every profession maxed out atm (including inscription), so there's no hurry for me to replace it. But at least I have more insight into what professions I want to make priorities come MoP.

[Slickrock]

Thanks for the insight Slick, I can see now where you're coming from on Alchemy. Are they still going to have the cauldrons of battle as a guild perk as well, or is that one of the perks going away? I know that put a dent in Alchemy profits as well, and why so many people I know switched specialties to Transmutation.

I don't think they've been implemented yet, if they will at all. Checking now on beta, and I don't see it.

That certainly could lead to more sales for alchemy, of course, that's a different specialization, not sure I would switch my alchemists, but it's possible.

[Sesamee]

I have Inscription on an alt and for some reason I hate the profession. It's makes ridiculous profits early in an expansion but I can't stand milling and making inks. Oddly I don't mind prospecting at all. My main money making professions are JC and Enchanting (love the ore shuffles) so I think I'm good once MoP hits. Beleive it or not Tailoring made me some decent gold when cata launched by selling the new pvp gear and I sold the heck out of cloth bolts for crazy high profits.

[Sigrah]

Thanks for the insight Slick, I can see now where you're coming from on Alchemy. Are they still going to have the cauldrons of battle as a guild perk as well, or is that one of the perks going away? I know that put a dent in Alchemy profits as well, and why so many people I know switched specialties to Transmutation.

I don't think they've been implemented yet, if they will at all. Checking now on beta, and I don't see it.

That certainly could lead to more sales for alchemy, of course, that's a different specialization, not sure I would switch my alchemists, but it's possible.

Well, if they do take out the cauldrons, it should give Alchemy a boost, at least on the flask front. My Alchemist went Transmutation because I have so many crafters and not for any monetary reason. Currently, I'm using mine to transmute Volatile Life into Volatile Air & Water so that I can keep 200 of each on hand in case I need them later for crafting on my Monk.