As far as I can tell, the goals you developers have for the hotfixes on Tuesday are:
- Reduce burst capability of marks hunters
Maintain the PvE dps of marks, while increasing the overall dps of the other two specs
I think i can speak for the vast majority of hunters in agreeing with these goals -- the implementation however could use some work.
Aimed shot changes:
For starters, the focus efficiency of aimed shot barely beats that of our focus dump against plate classes, except when they are above 80% health. While aimed shot has obvious merits against the lower armor classes, a flat damage nerf, especially of the caliber that is planned, is expected to relegate aimed shot to a proc-only cast, as 50 focus and a 2.9second cast for essentially no damage gain over rocking out two arcane shots just doesn't make any sense.
I don't believe it is out of line to try and keep aimed shot as a risk/reward spell, in the sense that being able to land one should yield a dps and burst increase, while risking lost dps during the cast. A decent analogy were your plans for buffing frostbolt for mages, attempting to give them some benefit for opening up their tree to interrupts, instead of just spamming ice lance (arcane shot)
Suggestions: Maintain the damage nerf, Reduce cast time and focus cost (2.4cast and 30focus, maybe?) and change Master Marksman to 100% proc chance for Ready...Set...Aim!
Aspect of the Hawk changes:
Oh how quickly you forget about our good friend, aspect of the monkey. If i'm not mistaken, Aspect of the Dragonhawk was created to alleviate aspect dancing. With this planned 1400 AP buff to AotH, hunters will be severely punished for not aspect dancing between fox and hawk. My experience with steady shot in pvp is about 90% of them being cast while moving, which requires AotF, and outside of that, i want AotH on for EVERY other shot i cast. This can literally lead to changing aspects every other shot in certain situations.
NOBODY thinks this is a good mechanic. Its not fun or skill intensive.
By buffing the AP on AotH, you condone and exacerbate one of the most annoying mechanics this class has.
Solutions (Pick one!)
1) Combine AotH and AotF. Aspect of the Walrus. We don't care what you name it. Having aspects with clearly defined roles (Damage, Mobility, Utility) is a good concept. Having multiple aspects that must be constantly switched between for the same role is not.
2) Recode Aspects to work like stances, so they can be efficiently macro'd to shots. (e.g. they don't recast over and over again) This is far and away a worse choice than option #1, but anything is better than the planned implementation.
Think it over please.