DPS meters and why they're necessary

[NoctisUmbra]

This entire topic violates the user agreement!

This thread is about DPS Meters, and the community discussing their opinions on it's inclusion/exclusion plans for FFXIV. DPS Meters are present in other MMOs. Successful ones even. The discussion here would be valuable feedback for the devs, and great insight into where the playerbase stands. Sure, the forums don't necessarily represent the majority/minority, but it is one of their primary tools for gauging player stances.

The inclusion of parsers in this discussion is only natural. Parsers aren't a giant elephant we're all going to pretend doesn't exist, and neither will the devs. Is it currently against the ToS to utilize 3rd party software? Yes. Has Yoshi-P suggested that he knows players use parsers and that they should simply keep this act to themselves? Also yes.

Whether you like it or not, quite a lot of the playerbase uses parsers. It's no mystery. The people who get banned for it? They're the ones who openly talk about using one (often as a basis for harassing another player about their numbers, or boasting about their own - two acts that are forefront in anti-parser/DPS meter arguments). The vast amount of players who parse and do no such thing, go entirely unnoticed. Doesn't necessarily mean they aren't using the information they gain from their parsers; they just aren't being abrasive/blunt about it.

Here's some more food for thought - a lot of arguments that occur when someone in the party is holding back DPS and someone with a parser points it out come with a pattern in my experience:

• The DPS in question often times does not believe/think they are doing bad DPS. They believe they're doing just fine. "They've been clearing content so far."
• The DPS in question often times does not make use of a parser themselves, and has no idea how much they are actually doing. They "feel" they're doing ok.

If DPS Meters were available officially to every player, it would be no mystery - even to the player themselves - how much they were doing. They could act as a proactive tool for said players rather than provoke reactive actions when someone else who secretly parses confronts them.

It's human nature - nobody likes to be called out. Some take it better than others. Some dish out the criticism better than others. It's never a particularly fun thing for the person receiving though. However, if you play with friends/strangers/whatever and the in-game official DPS Meter shows that you're doing far less DPS than this other person playing the same job as you, then you receive direct, unbiased feedback from the game itself rather than being confronted, and you are naturally motivated to do better like in any other game you would play.

I say give everyone access, by default in their HUD, a tool that gives DPS feedback. At least one that shows the player's DPS only. However, also allow the use of an add-on that opens it up to the entire party. If the game isn't going to integrate DPS walls into it's progression design to gate players by skill, then this is the least they can do.

Is harassment of underperforming players at endgame a problem? Yes.
Is the high population of underperforming players at endgame simply getting carried a problem. Yes.

Solving one and outright ignoring the other is not a solution.

[Malric]

This thread is about DPS Meters, and the community discussing their opinions on it's inclusion/exclusion plans for FFXIV... The discussion here would be valuable feedback for the devs, and great insight into where the playerbase stands...

Under this stance one could argue that the topic could be suggestions forums

Not here

If a forum moderator is going to be so anal as to flag me for answering a question on a ridiculous technicality then I fail to see how far more blatant rules violations are ignored such as:

*Advocating the use of 3rd party software
*Admitting use of 3rd party software
*Profanity which violates the entire forum rules and has no justification

Yet I'm flagged for answering a question that someone was using to bait me

I am not continuing an argument on the subject of their use in game

I'm only even still here as I am waiting for a response to my complaint

Breaking rules isn't okay because you don't agree