DPS trumping everything else isn't so much a mentality, as it is an verifiable, objective advantage over every other option.


The only place this discussion has any relevancy is in Savage and Ultimate. Since everything else is easily clearable in complete PUGs (also, I'll admit it's an Ultimate only consideration since Savage is easily cleared in PUGs). When you have players performing at an Ultimate level, that extra health, shield, or healing is completely unnecessary, because those players will not make mistakes consistently that would necessitate it (and, further, on kill pulls (not wipe pulls), those kind of mistakes are non-existent). What does garner an advantage in that environment? More DPS. Boss dies sooner. Adds die sooner. Difficult mechanics are breezed through faster.


This is why the idea is silly. There is only one answer: more DPS. You may think that extra health or shield helps you out on a given pull, but that was never going to be a kill; because if you're making mistakes that leads you to think you want that, you're not gonna kill the boss on the only difficulty where your decision matters.