For most of my career as a warlock, I’ve used demonology spec as my main utility. Affliction was something I started using for PvP when they gave us the dual-specs. I enjoyed the Felgurad and once I learned how to work with Metamorposis, I was regularly topping the damage meters. In Cataclysm though, I noticed a big drop off, and I would get torn up quite a bit, especially during the Firelands dailies. So many fight mechanics require you to stay on the move – you can’t stand in fires or green stuff, you have to hop to dispel some effect, you have to not let things fall on you, etc. It became very hard to find a safe place to stand and throw shadow bolts, which take a few seconds to cast.
I switched over to Affliction for almost everything and noticed a big spike, not only in my damage output, but in the life points I gained back as well. I could DOT things up, and stay on the run, and I’d be fed health back. Multiple targets amplify the effects. Working solo, I pretty much stay at full health all the time, and can life-tap my mana back any time I want. There are a few things I miss, but I’m finding the spec allows me to stay on the move and still constantly apply DPS.
Soul-swap is an ability I’m still learning how to use. That, combined with the timing of me DOTs mean I have to pay much more attention to spell duration now. I recently started using a few new add-ons for my interface to better arrange the information I’m getting, and can keep track of multiple targets a little better now.
I’m pretty comfortable with affliction at the moment, and my gear has improved a little, so I may go back and take another stab at demonology soon, and see if I can tighten things up. It’s still my favorite spec, and I know they all rise and fall over time, so I’m hoping to see it make a comeback soon.