Did the game get too complicated, or am I just an idiot?

[Alahra]

Huh? I've never heard this.

It's technically true. Parsers are against the ToS, so anytime you mention using one in game, if you are reported for it, you can face disciplinary action. However, Yoshi-P has all but implied they won't take action on the use of parsers so long as they aren't being used to harass other players.