As the title suggests.
I am considering alt options, I want a ranged dps different from lock and I certainly don’t want a mage. Shadow priests not my thing and not viable in raids.
Are elem shammy / balance boomkin an option for viable ranged dps, even for raids?
Will ppl take them seriously if they are BiS geared according to that spec?
There’s viable and then there’s “viable”. Which are you asking about?
If shadow priest is not “viable”, then elem/boomie definitely are not.
Consider a hunter.
I’d say go with Elemental Shaman if you want to PvP. Otherwise, you just have to pray that you can find a guild that is willing to take either spec into raids, since they don’t really bring much to the table.
Boomkin is viable in so far as in you have the ability to create a Boomkin in WoW Classic. I’m not sure viability goes any further than that.
No.
Shamans are healers in raids and druid is either tank or healer.
Same in dungeons.
we’re playing 1.12. Anything is viable. And anyone saying something else has no clue what they are talking about.
Remember guys, hes saying VIABLE not Best-Min-Max-Overpowered-Ultra-Mega-Caster spot
Yes xD VIABLE! not BiS, not even close, but VIABLE! xP
edit: and as a mage, I do not cry whenever I get a boomkin in my party, that aura is nice xP
Ye just in b4 you get witchhunted & mass reported for saying boomie is viable
All specs are viable in Classic.
Enough said.
For pve? No, absolutely not. If you don’t want to play a mage/lock in pve because you don’t want to spam one button, try something else like rogue/warrior/hunter, they’re more interesting to play in raids.
For pvp, ele/resto shamans (30/0/21) are seriously scary once geared up, and have tons of utility, and it’s super fun to play. As for druids: boomkin is terrible, but hybrid resto is surprisingly good and resilient in pvp
You are right, but imo the real question is: Are this specs viable to take spots from more conventional casters in AQ40 and Nax?
If you ask a over-zelous min/maxer or wannabie then no. If you know what you are doing and how to overcome limitations of such specs/builds then normal people won’t care.
Things to consider is that you will be competing for loot with “normal” caster DPS which may either cause drama or put you on lower priority than a mage or warlock.
If I would have to pick between the two I would likely go druid - as shaman nature damage has the problems with resistance on mobs plus druid flexibility is cool (you aren’t playing just the spec, you are playing the class)… plus if you go for moonking form - that’s a refreshing sight to see chicken booming down something 
People have done the raids 20 man so technically even being afk can be “viable”. It’s just not a useful word for that reason. Rather I wish people would describe what kind of performance they are wishing to have in raids.
Good specs for the honor farm at battlegrounds after start of third phase of progression, but only memespecs for pve unfortunately.
Ele Shaman at least seems to be fine for dungeons. Even at 60. Because in dungeons you don’t need that much mana and burst dps is what matters most. Rather the problem is the perception of the class making it very difficult to join pugs. Also of course raids are a completely different matter.
They are viable, for everything u can imagine, from leveling to high end pve and pvp, its just shame they are not optimal, so u might have some problems…
Moonkin have good damage it’s just that the spells are expensive and they run out of mana rather quickly. We have innervate but that is usually reserved for either a priest or a mage depending on what the raid might need the most. That being said any raid who says they can’t progress because there a few players running sub optimal specs are just bad at the game.
Raid viability is pretty specific. Same with premade pvp viability.
Not sure about boomkins in premades…
Hybrids are generally welcomed in 5man/10man group content because of the buffs, aslong as the main requirements for dungeon are already met(physical dps if your doing Janice in scholo for example)
And any casual guild shouldn’t really care