Hybrid classes worthless in classic endgame?

[JuggernautNukes]

Hello!

Back in the days i played a Hunter in vanilla, hit 60 after trying every class to around 40-50 just before TBC was released.
I switched to Enhancement Shaman and Moonkin Druid in TBC and played them until i quit Retail WoW some months ago.

I was pretty hyped about a new, big and true blizzlike vanilla server, as i liked vanilla leveling and gameplay alot - but after some research and reading some threads in the forums (including this forum) it sounds that hybrid classes kinda worthless if they dont specc heal - at least in PvE.

Is it really that bad - or is there space for hybrid classes that are non-heal specced in the raids / PvE groups?

[Eisseltron]

Let me preface this:

Hybrids aren't good. Regardless of what I'm about to say, understand that you simply aren't as good as a more conventional class. Druids, Shamans, and Paladins will never match Rogues, Mages, and Warriors. Ever. Ever ever ever. So if you want to feel like you are playing at the absolute top that you can be and king meters, don't play a hybrid.

That said:

I enjoy hybrids a lot. I've spent a lot of time on other servers playtesting and theorycrafting every possible way I could to make at least the alliance hybrids as viable as possible. They're fun. Feral druid is one of the most active vanilla DPS classes, and paladin is RNG but lulsy fun. You bring a lot of utility, even if some of it is a little wonky. Feral druids offer Leader of the Pack, Innervate, B-Rez. Retadins bring Imp. Might (So your holy paladins can take something else) and... Nightfall bots, I guess. (Okay, so Ret paladins really ARE bad, but I still love them.) Shamans I can't speak for, but I'm 99% sure you have windfury totem at this point.

You will have to work hard. Both in game and out. You will have to farm day in and day out to pick up dark runes and mana potions for your raids. You will have to beg, cry, and plead for raid leaders to consider you. You will have to work your ass off to beat the most lazy and AFK rogue. But it's rewarding, and it's fun. I absolutely adore feral.

Hybrids are something that raid leaders only want one of in a DPS role, if that. One feral for Leader, one Boomy for Spell aura, etc etc. Playing hybrid DPS is a long, uphill battle, but if you really want to do it, there's nothing stopping you as long as you're willing to put forth the effort. You'll also get to prove to your raid leader which one of your "real classes" isn't worth their raid spot when you beat them, and that's the best feeling in the world.

Edit: Also, until AQ and ZG, you're going to have a few hybrid gearing issues. There's dungeon gear and... That's about it, honestly. You'll have 4-5 pieces in MC and Ony, sometimes a weapon, and then that's it. Not that it matters with how MC is tuned, but, y'know. Worth mentioning.

[riq and snog]

^Pretty much this.
I enjoy pvp more then pve so i dont care about healing in raid, have an hunter alt for farming etc etc.
When it comes to pvp a well geared hybrid gives so much different playstyle approaches that its hard to get bored.
Getting the bis gear for all viable specs is rly grindy...
Once you have it tough its rly fun.
For raids i always heal... but thats just my approach to hybrid:-)