How to maximize raid DPS?

[Akiah]

Just thought I'd post how I try and max my DPS on most raid encounters, would love ciritcisms, changes, etc. On points where I'm a bit "Iffy" I'll usually add an explanation/rationale in <> brackets.

pre-engage) All the buffs I can get, of course, pet toys, etc.
1) Just prior to engage, I'll fero myself, and cast growl of the panther, to give me/pet a little bit more Oomph.
2) The second engage is called, /pet attack, cast bestial empathy, followed by casting ancient savage ice and glacial spear.
3) Unless its a very resistant target, I will try and land chimera blood, as well as festering malady.
<I use the PoR clicky BP, since it has a low cast time>.
In MOST instances, this is all the DoTing I bother with
<I think between the resist rate and cast time, DoTing DPS usually isn't worth the loss of melee DPS while casting + the mana>
4) Move in to melee, usually using roar of thunder, hoping to get a refresh before the fight is over. Spam rake/kick/feral swipe throughout the fight.
5) Continue to spam bestial empathy the second it pops throughout the fight.
<I'm unsure if it is worth it to lose melee DPS for casting this WHILE disc'ing, but I do it anyways, unless the disc is JUST about to drop, then I'll wait>
6) Usually, keep spamming ancient savage ice and glacial spear throughout the fight
<Melee DPS loss is minimal with the short cast times>
7) Usually use perfection + mod rod early in the fight, hoping for a refresh <which I don't usually get>
8) I do NOT bother using growl of the panther throughout the fight, the long cast time + mana cost don't seem worth it to me.
9) Usually disc early to mid fight, unless we need it later. I will hit spiritual frenzy in combination with empathic fury, then once empathic fury fades, I will hit bestial alignment, while still under spiritual frenzy.

10) If I had the +crit vet AA, I would add that in, but since I don't...

Issues which I am unclear on:
A) More nukes. On an Anguish+ geared BST, is it worthwhile memorizing more 0.5 second cast nukes, especially when bestial empathy can run you OOM quickly?
B) DoT's. Is there any point?
C) Growl of the panther. Is it worth the cast time?

Like I said, any suggestions or criticisms are more than welcome. Thanks!

[Khauruk]

I load up as many nukes as my spellbar can hold for short burn fights.  The longer the fight runs, the more I'll rely on Bestial empathy however.  For short burns, I have at least 4 nukes memmed.

I never DoT.  Bounce too often imo, and take too long to cast.

I haven't used growl in a good while either.  But, if the fight is short enough where I might have trouble running oom, I'll throw it on as well.

I disc whenever seems best - if Warcry is up, Shammy 2.0 click, Auspice...whenever seems most appropriate.

**What I will do different is I won't wait to wade into battle until after I've cast.  If I can get even one hit in between spell gems refreshing, it's worth it.  It sounds like you've about 15 seconds of wait until you move towards the boss from casting.  You could add several more seconds of melee inbetween spell gem pops.

This is what I like to do:

*Buffs, of course....
*Move in and melee
*cast 2 biggest nukes
*Bestial empathy
*more nukes as appropriate
*Disc as makes sense.  I usually hit my discs immediately after I cast Bestial Empathy.  I won't recast that spell while discs are running usually.  I will recast nukes however.

Same on mod rods, and PoS

[mogtoth1]

Always throw growl in as often as possible, its about the same as our top nuke anyway and its mana free, very hard to resist and drops you down the agro list. Shame its so slow to recharge

[jitathab]

re-roll as a zerker :p

[Kanan]

Always throw growl in as often as possible, its about the same as our top nuke anyway and its mana free, very hard to resist and drops you down the agro list. Shame its so slow to recharge

I gotta assume you are meaning Roar of Thunder.

Growl itself is just best %damage mod in game that's recastable quickly iirc.

Myself.. I'll often cast BE when the tank has the mob almost in position, before engage is called.  I keep 2 other nukes up.  When I'm working on getting max dps, I will have growl up the whole time that I'm not discing/BAing.

[recoil silverclaws]

aye growl on at all times allso.

Another little trick that ive found is right befor you hit BA i click my teir one clicky tunic or CoA teir two if you have it that way the pet is discing allso during my self disc makes the most of the short time im on a mob, then when it fades ill pop empathic or hit growl agean (gotta love that 20% mod wuwu)

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=32312 <----teir one
http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=37569 <----teir two

[Pakratz]

I believe growl stacks with BA, so you really wouldnt want to ever use the T1 or T2 clicky.  Since clicky doesnt stack with growl or our dps disc, you'll be losing dps by using clicky on pet and just BA on yourself (instead of growl + BA).  I don't have the clicky, so I could be wrong about how it works.   Is this correct?  Also, since i think it stacks with both, any opinions on wether BA is best used while disc is going or when growl is going?  That's something i've never looked into.

As for dots/nukes, I never mem dots anymore since they stick land like 10% of the time.  Nukes I use to turn excess mana into dps (after chaining BE and growl).  I usually match my mana pool with mob health - if mob is at 50%, my mana should be at 50%, etc.  On shorter fights I mem up to 5 nukes, longer fites I use just 1 or 2.  Nukes are always worth it if you have excess mana.

[Denti]

Damage modifier dont stack with each other, the icons stack though but only the highest damage modifier works, kinda the same as with different haste buffs. So BA and growl dont stack really, but you still can have both running at the same time, the only benefit you get from growl then is the hp buff and hot.

[Vidyne]

There were some parses done long ago.
It will depend on your pet focus as to what dps your swarm pet does.
But I believe it was 1600-2500 damage in 18 seconds.
Its a 2 second cast?
So, unless you are doing 800-1200 dps with your melee alone....
Its worth casting
Highest parses I remember a month or two ago were 600 and 700 dps melee for the beastlord(not counting pets) in burst situations.
But I could be wrong.

[Pakratz]

Thx for clearing up the stacking Denti.  I was fooled by BA taking hold while growl was running.  Makes sense that it just looks at the best focus.  In the future, I wont run growl while BA is going, not mana efficient for the small warder dps boost.