are shamans confusing

Shaman are no more confusing then any of the other classes, they just have a couple unique mechanics. The leveling process is setup to teach you these mechanics over time, just like with any other class.

Since you used Warriors as an example, totems and weapon enchants are no different then warrior shouts. They are simply buffs that have to be watched and refreshed.

like the previous poster said wow teaches you the mechanics slowly.

shaman in a nutshell.

Shaman drop 4 different totems. earth, fire, water, air. each totem has different choices for types of buffs/resistances for yourself and party members. (nothing forces you to drop any if you don't want to.)

They are not all party buff specific either. You can use Sentry Totem to spy or have visibility in different areas. Stoneclaw Totem to pull mobs off you if you need to make a hasty escape. you have DPS totems like Magma Totem Searing Totem

and who can forget our big buddies... Earth Elemental Totem Fire Elemental Totem

weapon enchants are just another self buff

Earthliving Weapon

Flametongue Weapon

Rockbiter Weapon

Windfury Weapon

Frostbrand Weapon

depending on spec we are melee DPS or Range DPS. our healing spec is generally raid healing but i do have a convincing tank heal arguement spec i can show you.

we bring multiple buffs and Heroic Presence. we have the all impressive heroism talent as well.

I have levelled (to 80) a paladin, hunter, shaman, death knight and through them all the shaman was and is my favorite. Blizzard has done a good job of totem management and has some great changes coming in cataclysm. Shaman don't need a build up mechanic to use any abilities. just plain old mana. No rage build up. No death knight runes.. no combo points... etc. If you can keep your mana up your still a threat.

All classes bring some sort of diversity and play style. what some may think difficult may make total sense to you and fit your play style. It takes all kinds to mold azeroth.

The shamen class is not confusing, managing our wep enchants is simple due to the fact that they serve obvious purposes depending on spec. Some may differ but in my opinion and ele shamen roatation is rather simple to pick up with of course a certain difficulty on how well its played. They serve as a caster while enhancement serves as melee and a different form of the 2H melee we see today at that. Resto of course is a raid healing spec in which allows for straight direct heals which is diverse in its chain heal.

So to answer your question I believe that the shamen is a rather great class to start out as because it has 2 completely different styles of dps and a healing specialization. As well as different forms of pvp style. They also serve as a utility class and in so we bring alot to the table with our totems, auras, and bloodlust/heroism that the raid is so fond of.

:D

I agree with the above posters. Shaman are a fantastic class to play. They include tons of utility, resto is highly sought after by parties, elemental is quite easy to do good dps, and enhance is easy to learn but difficult to master. Learning to manage your totems is tought slowly so you get time to figure it out. As you are leveling just remember to refresh your shield and your weapon enchant at every opportunity and it will never drop off. Also I highly suggest picking up the addon totemtimers and if you choose enhance pick up shock and awe... they are easy to learn if you play with them for a few minutes and will help you substantially.