[Suggestion] Parsing alternative, -Better-? Solution!

[Risvertasashi]

If a duty needs a time requirement, it will enforce it via DPS/heal checks. Otherwise, it doesn't need it, so let the party decide how long they want to spend to complete a duty without a timer nonsense.

As for telling people to improve, there is already a mechanism for that: other people.

It's good that you pointed that out too, yeah. DPS checks are already essentially a time limit. Still doesn't let an individual person know if they're underperforming, though.

[linay]

It's good that you pointed that out too, yeah. DPS checks are already essentially a time limit. Still doesn't let an individual person know if they're underperforming, though.

I think the reason why is because they want group flexibility, so the party can carry weaker members along (within some reasonable limit they set). But there are times when there can be individual checks, and that would clearly point out who are underperforming even without parsing. If they want, they can always have more of these individual checks, but I'm guessing they would prefer group checks so that stronger members can offset the performance of weaker members.

At an extreme end, you can make tank/healer DPS a nonfactor in group content and make DPS actually live up more to their role.

[SenorPatty]

Let's face it, you can't really help the playerbase improve when you (the devs) create a whole game where the design doesn't gradually become harder as you go along. In fact, it's the reverse. It's why people bail in dgns like AV because most of the game has pretty much killed all extra routes to any sort of difficulty whatsoever. It's also why when people step unknowingly into savage/ex, they get destroyed. Sure, you get told it's gonna be hard but let's face it, if you went from regular dgns which were a piece of cake, then you step into expert, which is also a joke, the warning just seems to come across as an affable notice at best.

Before we can start talking even about parsing, the devs either need to create, moving forward, dgn design that actually pushes players (which, tbh, the playerbase in general doesn't favor at all) or actually work at forcing "educational" gatekeeping features in the game. Examples of that could be: Intermediate and Expert Hall, Forced SSS clearance, etc.

Let's be real though: SE is fully aware they could do more but they also know their playerbase. They know if someone actually wants to improve, they have all the means (minus ingame parsing) to do it. That's why they'll never opt to force or even remotely help people ingame because they're also aware there are just as many people who actually don't want it.

[HeyMcFly]

I agree with there being some kind of DPS/heal check when 1st timers enter an extreme/savage anything & players having access to this mechanic whenever they need to sharpen up. I also think if you're looking for harder content to clear & wanting to clock other peoples DPS/Healing you need to join a static/ FC group with like minds. Parsing creates such a toxic environment in PUG raids- It's a PUG raid, you should be glad you actually just cleared instead of worrying about a someone else's personal "best"- I had a dragoon upload my PUG groups DPS/Healing after he personally grieved the group by constantly running to a wall to die after 1 failed mechanic (Spin Orbs, someone stood on the wrong side of West), which made the healers stop doing their thing, someone else would drop & it was a mess- come next PUG group, someone brings up the Healers "Grey" parse numbers. Parsing should stay outside of FFXIV.

[Risvertasashi]

I think the reason why is because they want group flexibility, so the party can carry weaker members along (within some reasonable limit they set). But there are times when there can be individual checks, and that would clearly point out who are underperforming even without parsing. If they want, they can always have more of these individual checks, but I'm guessing they would prefer group checks so that stronger members can offset the performance of weaker members.

At an extreme end, you can make tank/healer DPS a nonfactor in group content and make DPS actually live up more to their role.

Not that I disagree with what you said but I guess my point is, ultimately, SSS is better than anything proposed in this thread so far. Well, aside from just parsing. But for an in game way to gauge performance, nothing proposed here so far does any good.

[linay]

Let's be real though: SE is fully aware they could do more but they also know their playerbase. They know if someone actually wants to improve, they have all the means (minus ingame parsing) to do it. That's why they'll never opt to force or even remotely help people ingame because they're also aware there are just as many people who actually don't want it.

Indeed. As I just mentioned in another thread, they even made two easier modes for solo instanced duty in MSQ. So individual performance is definitely not a focus compared to group performance.

[Alucard135]

Can't help someone that doesn't want to accept criticism or tips on how to improve. In fact, if you let the game officially tell them that they're bad, they'll start screaming and asking for nerfs instead of trying to improve.

[linay]

Not that I disagree with what you said but I guess my point is, ultimately, SSS is better than anything proposed in this thread so far. Well, aside from just parsing. But for an in game way to gauge performance, nothing proposed here so far does any good.

I still believe the best way is a party working together. But that assumes weaker members are willing to learn from others and stronger members are willing to teach others instead of people just treating each other as NPC on the way of completing a duty. But neither side has time for that sometimes and just want to the duty cleared and be done with it.

At this point, I'm just glad there are still people doing non-party finder runs that are willing to stick through multiple wipes without complaints even if they're not able/willing to help teach the mechanics themselves.

[Hash_Browns]

Any idea outside of just outright supporting parsing brings nothing to the table.
Parsing already exists, and will continue to be used, even if other alternatives are introduced. Even this suggestion falls short of what is actually wanted with parsing.

FFLogs already supports speedrunning, DPS tracking, and self-improvement tools.

A suggestion such as this doesn't stop parsing, it just wastes dev time on needless tools that we already have much better versions of..


If you want to stop parsing with an in-game tool, you have to convince parsers that the new tool is better.

[Risvertasashi]

I still believe the best way is a party working together. But that assumes weaker members are willing to learn from others and stronger members are willing to teach others instead of people just treating each other as NPC on the way of completing a duty. But neither side has time for that sometimes and just want to the duty cleared and be done with it.

That's more or less how it tends to go in statics. Some might be console players or they just haven't gone through the fairly technical process of setting up a parser, so those that have give them feedback and help them out. And in the case of ff logs, they can just give the non-parsing members a link so that person can go review everything in nitty gritty detail themselves.

Hey, sometimes people have even posted their ff logs link on this very forum asking for tips for improvement (and others just ask for things like rotation tips, etc). So, yeah, there's definitely lots of ways to get help if a person is willing to seek it out.