Using Rawr Theorycrafting Software

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Video Tour of Rawr

Overview

• What is Rawr?
• How To Get Rawr
• Loading Your Character
• Viewing Your Calculated Performance
• Optimizing Gear, and Building Upgrade Sets

What is Rawr?

"Rawr is a program for comparing and exploring gear for Bears, Cats, Moonkin, Healadins, Retadins, Mages, ProtWarriors, Trees, Hunters, Tankadins, HealingPriests, ShadowPriests, EnhShams, and DPS Death Knights, in the MMORPG, World of Warcraft. Rawr has been designed from the start to be fun to use, and helpful in finding better combinations of gear, and what gear to obtain."

How To Get Rawr

Simply go to the website, and download it.  It will be a .ZIP file.  Just extract the Rawr folder out of the .ZIP, and place it somewhere convenient.

• http://rawr.codeplex.com/ 

Loading Your Character

Rawr makes it very simple to load your character's current gear and setup from the Armory.

1. Browse to your Rawr folder, and run Rawr.exe.
   
   
2. Choose Load from the Armory... from the start page, or from the menus choose File > Load from Armory.
   
   
3. Type in your character name, and your realm (i.e. Korialstrasz), and click Ok.
   
   
4. A loading screen will appear briefly, and disappear once loading has completed successfully.
5. Check which mathematical model you're using.  There may be several, including similar models for the same class+spec that are by different authors.  The Rawr website has a list of models, and their development status: http://rawr.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.aspx?title=Models
   
   
6. It is a good idea to make sure Enforce Gem Requirements is checked.
   
   
7. Check to make sure that the gear you were wearing, and the talent spec you were using, when the Armory captured your character is the proper set.

Viewing Your Calculated Performance

Rawr will calculate the amount of DPS, heals, or mitigation that your character posseses in the specified gear. 

1. View your base statistics in the Stats tab.
   
   
2. Depending on your class and spec, you may take particular interest in complex stats, DPS, or healing numbers.  Typically these base performance calculations should be slight under, maybe 10%, of what you should see in small dungeons with fewer buffs, such as heroics.
   
   
3. Switch to the Buffs tab, and select any buffs you anticipate having on you in the next dungeon.
   
   
4. Switch back to the Stats tab, and review your updated performance statitistics, which now incorporate the effects of the buffs you selected.

Optimizing Gear, and Building Upgrade Sets

Rawr can analyze your gear, including extra gear you have or desire, and help you choose which pieces, enchants, and gem configurations will optimize your performance. 

1. If you have extra gear pieces that you would like the Optimizer to account for, select them in the Comparisons window on the right side.
   
   
2. Select Tools > Optimize... from the menu.
   
   
3. Select the Calculation to Optimize.  Some classes and specs may have several methods of understanding performance, such as a group vs. tank healer, or an avoidance vs. mitigation tank.  Choose the method that is appropriate for you.
   
   
4. Set the Thoroughness slider appropriately.  Setting it higher will increase the accuracy of results, but take more time in optimization.
   
   
5. Select Optimize, or Build Upgrade List.
   
   
6. The progress bar will display the operation's completion.
7. The optimizer will open a window showing you its gear configuration recommendations, with the option to equip those items as optimized, or a window displaying upgrades available with graphs depicting the performance increase expected from each piece.
   NOTE: Sometimes it has some weird suggestions for gear optimization.  It will suggest you switch your two trinkets around, between slots.  It will suggest that remove one 16 Strength gem and one 24 Stamina gem, and replace them with two 8 Strength + 12 Stamina gems, which add up to the same thing.  Use your best judgement when interpretting the suggestions.
   
   
8. If you chose to equip a new optimized gear set, go to the Stats tab and review the performance changes.