What Makes You a Top DPS Player?

[Kitfox]

There's two things in my books: knowledge and execution. Knowledge, such as fight mechanics, tactics, gear, setting up UI and all that can be taught. Execution can not be. It's a hands-on skill that you learn by doing and experiencing. It's all the little things that add up, minimizing disconnects, maximizing DoT efficiency, performing optimal situational rotations and such. Execution is what makes the difference.

[Truefaith87]

What makes a top end DPS player? That is a simple answer. I'm just that awesome.

[Judge_Xero]

Great topic OP. Not to sound like an Elitist but I've often wondered this as well. Being with players in Darklight who perform better than some in full I90 while seemingly doing the same rotations is boggling.

I think that UI layout is a huge factor. Losing efficiency because you can't find a skill or it's in an akward spot on your bar makes a big % of damage loss.

[Judge_Xero]

Sorry I can't edit on my phone.
Going back to UI layout though. Mages largest DPS loss is due to not casting while moving. I use kb and mouse so I make sure any skills that have the potential for instant cast are on my number keys. (F3, T3, Scathe) My normal rotations can go on another bar for when standing still.
That way I can concentrate on moving out of danger while muscle memory takes care of any instant cast stuff I can use by key press rather than mouse clicking.

[EasymodeX]

What Makes You a Top DPS Player?

I'm less bad than the next guy, and it takes a long time for me to find people where that isn't true.

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

The top DPS players clear the basics: "rotation"/priority, having acceptable lag and PC/network performance.

The top DPS players make sure they don't make basic errors, like placing GCD abilities in a macro.


That gets you to the top 10%.

The top DPS players beyond that go to the next level and understand how their damage works. They understand how DoTs work, how chains work, how their buffs and debuffs work.

Understanding these enables the top DPS players to tweak and tune their approach on specific fights to optimize DPS.

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In every fight in the game that's not 100% trivial, there are ways to optimize DPS. Even in ultra straightforward fights like Atomos, as a DRG I will Elusive Jump to the boss. In Titan EX, there are ways to modify your attack sequence to maximize DPS. For example, if you can AOE the gaol + Titan, that is more DPS than just attacking the gaol (as long as the mechanics of killing the gaol do not suffer). If you have an AOE cooldown, time it for that event instead of just blowing it on a single target.

In a fight like Levi or Ifrit, a player who tab DoTs the nails/orbs will get more DPS than direct damage. A player who tab DoTs the nails/orbs in the correct order will get even more damage. A player who partially DoTs the primary nail, then fully DoTs the next objects in the correct order will get even more damage out.

In Leviathan, the melee player who positions themselves to slide into the tail will gain a half or full GCD compared to the player who runs across the platform after sliding.

In Titan, the melee player who times their re-engage to occur right as Titan goes vulnerable after his jump will gain a half GCD compared to the player who waits for Titan to run to the tank.

In Leviathan, the melee player who uses their burst AOE cooldown (Howling Fist, DFD) on the add + Tail will do more damage than the player who just uses the cooldown on the tail or just on the add.

In a fight like Caduceus, if you load up your DoTs on the primary snake when it is low, then switch to the new snake, you will increase your DPS because you have two simultaneous DoTs running.

Another poster mentioned the example of a tank turning a boss. A top DPS melee player can react to it more quickly. They can even predict when the tank will turn the boss. They will also predict when the boss will turn and cast a mechanic. Or, they will time their abilties so that they can mitigate the chance that the boss's turn will screw up their positional attack.

A top DPS player can use a flank attack on a target that is attacking and facing them.

These are just simple examples.

On paper, it doesn't sound complicated. Durr, my AOE is better when I hit more targets. Humm, dotting many things is good.

In practice, being aware enough to be able to execute those things and to do them correctly is uncommon.

[dragonflie]

Innovating how you position in my opinion for monks.
Like initially for Titan HM, I would play it really safe, like running to the safe bomb spot for the 3 row one as a beginner.
But as I did it more and more (did a few titan sells), I would linger more and more and continue dpsing on titan until the last few seconds before bomb exploded.
Same for Titan EX, initially I would run south for bombs in the Egi phase and wait, but later on, I simply stood in the middle, just in arms reach of the egi so that Landslide would still face south.

Of course, all of this is only possible when you have a good knowledge of the fight, but staying with the base learning strategy (playing it safe) isn't good dps wise for a class that relies on keeping a buff up.

[NintenPyjak64]

Sometimes a melee DPS can be hindered by human factor.
I consider myself a decent Monk, I'm not the greatest but I understand basics, rotation and prioritization. This alone caused me at i75 to out DPS i80+ monks. But one time in T2 I had a tank that would randomly turn the orbs slightly (30° angles most of the time) messing up my DPS considerably, and it was simply aggravating. Ended up near the bottom of the DPS because of such.

For the record I ride the end of the flank (think Chimera safe spot) so I can quickly move to rear without too much loss of auto attacks.

[Simaril]

Based on years of experience DPSing with meters, in static fights, with same class/job/spec....

In a good FC/guild, I would fall in the "underperformer" catergory. I make a lot of small mistakes; I would recast a DoT too soon or too late, I would spend slightly more time running (and not dpsing) than I should have to, I would leave a buff on CD a little longer than I should, or use it when the boss is invulnerable... All those little things that good players can instinctively do, a player like myself loses a second, or some damage done...

In a bad guild where players are still learning basic mechanics, or don't understand rotations, or gear optimization I top the meter. Too many people think bad DPS simply don't understand - that's really not the case - some people like me understand perfectly fine, but can't think and execute as quickly as needed.

There are certain boss fights that I can tell you exactly what is going to happen and when its going to happen, but still struggle to excecute. Ever play those Lumosity games? There's one for "paying attention" I fail hard at it... I just can't do it. I know exactly what I'm supposed to do, and I can "practice" every day but never get better... my brain just doesn't work that way, and I can't seem to improve or learn to do it - no matter how hard I try. No I don't have ADD, and yes I am a 'normally' functioning adult with a good job.

Honestly, I don't think that makes me a bad player, it just means that I'm not the best DPS. Since I can manage the mechanics I've simply decided to heal, where the goal and playstyle is different; more of a pass/fail and anticipate/react environment where I can thrive.

Sometimes I wish there were more turn based mmos.

[EasymodeX]

Too many people think bad DPS simply don't understand - that's really not the case - some people like me understand perfectly fine, but can't think and execute as quickly as needed.

This too. Playstyle makes a big difference. Some players naturally have a 'killer instinct' (or less dramatic characterization) for playing DPS in MMOs. Some players are naturally good healers and have an intuitive sense for damage intake and pre-emptively countering with heals. If you can solo heal Titan HM (back in the pre-i90 days) while stoned, drunk, half passed-out, with one hand on the keyboard, you probably have a very good natural aptitude for healing mechanics in MMORPGs.

Trying to analyze this is possible, but mostly boils down to "instinct". You're either a natural at the instinctive stuff, or you can learn it through a lot of practice. Sasukes and Narutos do, in fact, exist.

[SeraviEdalborez]

The top DPS players beyond that go to the next level and understand how their damage works. They understand how DoTs work, how chains work, how their buffs and debuffs work.

Understanding these enables the top DPS players to tweak and tune their approach on specific fights to optimize DPS.

*stuff*

All very true. Casters have extra caveats to consider, like weaving in non-GCDs with cast time GCDs, figuring out how much you can move at the start or end of a cast without interrupting or compromising DPS, BLMs not being caught with 0 MP in a burst DPS situation, and many other minor things.

I'm a healer main so I don't know all of this stuff to heart, but I milk what I can on my alternate jobs (WAR DRG, SMN on an alt character) by playing to the encounter as EMX is describing. For instance I'm not perfect on multi-dotting everything on Levi EX as DRG and I sometimes let HT fall off for a GCD or two. But I do use Elusive Jump to hop to the away Spumes to get a jump on them (pun unintended), hopefully have a gap-closer for the return trip, shuffle between (say) SW and SE spumes with DoTs and rear combo, and so on. Very minor things can have dramatic effects on your damage output. Blowing a cooldown before a boss's jump is a prominent negative example.