note: This was orginally posted by me under the title "Spirit vs Mana/5 Debate Ended. The Winner.." That post seems to have been lost, so here is the replacement. Sticky! Thought Proccess: I don't care where my mana comes from after I've used it. Just tell me how to regenerate the most mana in the shortest period of time!
note: If you are a new priest and/or have a severe aversion to math concepts then I suggest you start with "The Idiot's Guide to Priestly Mana Regeneration" by Kierahale in post 87 on page 5.
Key Concept The five second rule(FSR). The 5 second rule states that 5 seconds after your last spell cast you normally do not regenerate mana from spirit. However, you do regenerate mana from mana every 5 second gear(mp5) and you can regenerate a reduced amount from spirit by using talents and/or 3-piece trancsendence bonus.
The Mana Regeneration Equation: Here is how much spirit you would need, in order to regenerate the same mana as 1 mana every 5 seconds(mp5) based on your time spent in the five second rule (FSR)
2(mp5)/5 = (spirit/4)(1 - % time spent in FSR) + (spirit/4 * % regen during casting)*(% time spent in FSR)
table 1: 0% regeneration while casting(normal)
mp5..........spirit........ Time spent in FSR
1.00..........160.00.......99.00%
1.00......... 16.00........ 90.00%
1.00......... 8.00......... 80.00%
1.00......... 5.33......... 70.00%
1.00......... 4.00......... 60.00%
1.00......... 3.20......... 50.00%
1.00......... 2.67......... 40.00%
1.00......... 2.39......... 33.00%
1.00......... 2.29......... 30.00%
1.00......... 2.00......... 20.00%
1.00......... 1.78......... 10.00%
1.00......... 1.60......... 0.00%
Basicly this means that if you spend 99% of your combat time in the five second rule (FSR) then you need 160 spirit to regenerate the same mana as 1 mana every 5 seconds. The middle percentages are the interesting ones, as they are closer to actual boss fights. I've added that 2.391 and the percentage because that is the blizzard gear comparasion ratio. Meaning for gear of a simliar level they put about 1 mana/5 for every 2.391 spirit. So you'd need to spend about 67% of your time non-casting to regenerate the most possible mana with any given comparable gear.
table 2: 15% regeneration while casting(meditation or 3-piece transcendence)
mp5..........spirit.........Time spent in FSR
1.00......... 10.67........100.00%
1.00......... 6.81......... 90.00%
1.00......... 5.00......... 80.00%
1.00......... 3.95......... 70.00%
1.00......... 3.27......... 60.00%
1.00......... 2.78......... 50.00%
1.00......... 2.42......... 40.00%
1.00......... 2.39......... 39.00%
1.00......... 2.15......... 30.00%
1.00......... 1.93......... 20.00%
1.00......... 1.75......... 10.00%
1.00......... 1.60......... 0.01%
Now here is the same type of table but this time we have 15% regen from spirit while casting. See the explaintion at the end of table 3
table 3: 30% regeneration while casting (transcendence and meditation)
mp5..........spirit......... Time spent in FSR
1.00......... 5.33........ 100.00%
1.00......... 4.32......... 90.00%
1.00......... 3.64......... 80.00%
1.00......... 3.14......... 70.00%
1.00......... 2.76......... 60.00%
1.00......... 2.46......... 50.00%
1.00......... 2.39......... 47.30%
1.00......... 2.22......... 40.00%
1.00......... 2.03......... 30.00%
1.00......... 1.86......... 20.00%
1.00......... 1.72......... 10.00%
1.00......... 1.60......... 0.01%
Now compare table 1 (0% regen from spirit) with tables 2 and 3 (15% and 30% regen from spirit). Notice what this does to the higher percentages compared to table 1. FSR percentages above 50% are very unforgiving to spirit with 0% regen durning casting. However, 30% regen during casting shows a significant decrease in the spirit required to match 1 mana/5. So with 30% regen while casting you get the same equvilance at 40% in FSR as 60% in FSR with 0% regen. Lower FSR % give some benefit but not nearly as much. Finally notice what happens to the blizzard comparable gear ratio at 30% regen. The percentage increases from 33% with 0% regen to 47.30% with 30% regen.
Here is a graph by Aradel for a visual representation of the tables:
Actual equations for creating the tables above: m = x mana every 5 seconds
p = % of time in FSR
s = spirit
k = regen while casting = .00, .15, .30
To get spirit:
S(m,p) = 1.6*m/(1-p+k*p)
To get mana every 5
M(s,p) = ((s/4*(1-p)+(k*(s/4)*(p)))/0.4)
To get %FSR
P(s,m) = ((m/5*2)-(s/4)*k)/((s/4)*(1-k))
Converting to Intellect
Now that we have a solid footing of how we regenerate mana we can use this to easily convert to other aspects of the game.
Here is intellect.
Using table one from above lets see what it looks like:
table 1.1: 0% regen while casting(normal)
mana/5....... spirit........ Time spent in FSR.....mana per tick.........int per tic
1.00..........160.00.......99.00%.............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 16.00........ 90.00% ............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 8.00......... 80.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 5.33......... 70.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 4.00......... 60.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 3.20......... 50.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 2.67......... 40.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 2.39......... 33.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 2.29......... 30.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 2.00......... 20.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 1.78......... 10.00% .............................0.80...................0.05
1.00......... 1.60......... 0.00% ...............................0.80...................0.05
Because of our assumptions above we don't need more then one observation from this table, but I'd figure that its easier to understand it this way. You see that if you stack mana/5 and spirit at the correct FSR% ratios then your mana regen per tic is constant over all FSR%. This makes intellect per tic constant over all FSR%, and all we need to figure out how useful intel is the length of the fight. Here is the equation:
I(r,t) = r(t/2)/15
r = mana per tick from regen modal above = (2*m/5)+(s/4*(1-p)) +( k*(s/4)*p)
t = combat time in seconds
In conclusion, these tables (and more importantly the mathematical model) are merely tools for us priests to understand our class better and make more informed desicions when selecting gear. My aim is to clear up this fake debate over spirit vs mana/5. The answer to the question "which is better" is NOT some flat unchanging value, but a percentage. In order to decide if x mana every 5 seconds is better then y spirit then you need to know the percentage of time in the five second rule. This percentage is what makes playing the game fun and will keep it challenging.
For intellect we include a second variable, length of time in combat. So as priest healers we need to consider only two variables for a fight when deciding between spirit, mana every 5, or intellect. Those variables are length of time in combat and percentage of that time in the five second rule. Once those two variables are known then the equations above will tell you exactly which combination of spirit, mana every 5, and intellect will suit you the best. Now we are free to go out and develop better healing strategies based on the information I've presented here.
Enjoy!
Jundicator
Created: 3/29/06
Updated: 3/31/06 - Added a blurb about innervate in post #63 on page 4
Updated: 4/3/06 - Thanks to Aradel, for the great visual representation of the tables!
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g62/beach143/spirit_regen_equiv.png Update: 4/5/06 - added reference to Kierahale. "The Idiot's Guide to Priestly Mana Regeneration", page 5. post #87
- FAQ 
