What Makes You a Top DPS Player?

So, we've all encountered bads. People whose numbers are so low on fights it's hard to even imagine What they are doing (constant unending scathe spam maybe??). Those players are beyond hope.

I'm talking about the lower-mid range players. Most static teams have one. They know the mechanics and seem to understand the fight and their class. If you ask them about rotations, they always seem to know the right answers. If you give then a key task (like limit breaking hygeia at the right time) they pull it off.

Yet, their numbers are always low-serviceable.

What sort of things are the players who are always first in dps doing differently?

I know activity is a big part, but near as we can tell these people usually seem on-par activity wise.

We've begun to wonder if frame rate plays a role (if your comp is slow maybe it just can't take your spells?)

Playing on a ps3 ive topped dps many times. Just depends on the determination and constant effort of doing the most damage you possibly can. And not underestimating the little things like spreading dots out or keeping them applied. But i wouldnt say im a pro.

I'm also a ps3 player. While I have no idea what my actual dps numbers are, I've been complimented many times by those in the know. I really can't say what I do differently, only what I do. Like mentioned above, I always keep my dots up, I spread them out when applicable, basically just zero downtime. I always queue up my next ability right before the prior is finished, always use food, and always use potions at the right times in dps checks. Little things like these really add up over the course of a battle/dungeon.

I don't think console vs PC matters (aside from the possibility of an over taxed PC not meeting some minimum dps rate).


That said, maybe action queuing is part of it. Personally I'm a tank, so I don't always dps, but when I do, I button spam.


To be honest I don't know many specifics about how the game handles action queuing. I always just repeatedly spam my next actions button during the gcd until it goes off (I'm that guy whose provoke macro ALWAYS fires five times).

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Originally Posted by PiedPiper

I don't think console vs PC matters (aside from the possibility of an over taxed PC not meeting some minimum dps rate).

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Shouldn't be any difference between the 2 other than this.

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Originally Posted by Odd

I'm also a ps3 player. While I have no idea what my actual dps numbers are, I've been complimented many times by those in the know. I really can't say what I do differently, only what I do. Like mentioned above, I always keep my dots up, I spread them out when applicable, basically just zero downtime. I always queue up my next ability right before the prior is finished, always use food, and always use potions at the right times in dps checks. Little things like these really add up over the course of a battle/dungeon.

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This is all I do as well, and I can do quite high dps with all DD jobs. (I play everything but scholar)

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Originally Posted by Mister-Wonderful

Shouldn't be any difference between the 2 other than this.

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If this is a factor, I wonder what fps it begins at. Ie, any below 20 frames and dps lowers, maybe it's higher? Lower?

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Originally Posted by PiedPiper

If this is a factor, I wonder what fps it begins at. Ie, any below 20 frames and dps lowers, maybe it's higher? Lower?

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Not sure myself, I play on a pretty dated PC(built 6 years ago, still rocking a dualcore OC'd to 4.0), and usually don't have problems myself, but my framerate typically stays above 30, and in instances I usually stay at 50-60. I can't imagine someone playing with constant 20 fps that wouldn't say it, and if its occasional drops in fps, it shouldn't effect overall dps drastically.

knowing what to do and execution is completely different.. alot of things can have an impact on your dps like mechanical factors where lets say you are a melee dps and the tank keeps circling the boss... or it could be simple things like you're distracted... anywho until everyone is completely comfortable with the fight staring at damage meters wont get you far.

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Originally Posted by hallucigenocide

knowing what to do and execution is completely different.. alot of things can have an impact on your dps like mechanical factors where lets say you are a melee dps and the tank keeps circling the boss... or it could be simple things like you're distracted... anywho until everyone is completely comfortable with the fight staring at damage meters wont get you far.

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This isn't really relevant to what I'm asking.


In trying to help members of a core static improve. So of course they know the fight as well as anyone else in the group and are under the same conditions. Yet every team has that one member who is always/nearly always last, and one who usually cones first. What is the difference in these two players?

Fight knowledge and timing. There are a lot of little "tricks" that aren't advertised in an encounter that let you wring out extra damage. eg: using titan bombs to maintain GL3, flanking Ifrit during eruptions if you're not marked (rather than retreating), avoiding DoT before invulnerability, and so on. Little learn-by-doing things you can incorporate into your strategy.

Meticulous DoT/buff management. Skimping on or overwriting DoT/buff attacks wastes attack rounds that could be used more intelligently. It adds up.

Don't die. Dead DPS deals no DPS.