Confessions of a Toxic Elitist

[zuzu-bq]

Wait, what's wrong with BLMs using Fire 2 in dungeons? Genuinely curious. Does the AoE rotation change at 70?

Once you get Enhanced Hearts by lv68, Fire 2 becomes so weak that it's rarely good. You're better off just double Flare'in most of the situations if not all. It's not something easy to realize and the game won't tell you but the damage difference is huge. Before that even though, Fire 2 is weak and most don't know how many enemies are needed to be stronger than Fire 1 or 4.

[Stormfur]

Wait, what's wrong with BLMs using Fire 2 in dungeons? Genuinely curious. Does the AoE rotation change at 70?

It does, quite a bit. Then Fire 2 becomes something you'll only use on small packs of mobs. I think the poster meant using ONLY fire 2 in dungeons.

Anyway, maybe I have a different definition of someone who is a toxic elitist. To me, they are people who falsely think they're better than everyone else and gloat about it. Not only that, but don't offer to help others, but only complain. If you truly are the best of the best, show it in your actions, not your words.

[zuzu-bq]

Nah there are legitimely good players around there that act like that as well. Most of people that do act like that aren't really good though.

[KisaiTenshi]

They are calling parsing "cheating" because it violates the sanctity of the EULA (lol) and gives you the "advantage" of knowing whether you're putting out garbage DPS or not. Which is more of a failure of the game that anything else, really.

That, and PS4 users can't use it. You can look at it either as using steroids, sure it may make your cyber muscles better, but it makes you subject to elitist roidrage.

I'll reframe this for people who don't get it:

"If Square-Enix announced they would ban every single person who used a parser in 48 hours before the next content patch, would you try to call their bluff, or are you so dependent on parsing that you don't actually know how to play?"

Because people who start using unauthorized tools to improve their performance over others, sure sounds like cheating to me.

Correct. And they may enforce their own rules to their discretion. That, however, does not make parsers a privacy violation. Hence by response.

No more than video recording.

[Dualgunner]

That, and PS4 users can't use it. You can look at it either as using steroids, sure it may make your cyber muscles better, but it makes you subject to elitist roidrage.

But parsers aren't at all like using steroids, and in no way improve ones performance alone. They allow one access to the data needed to improve performance, sure, but that's like saying practicing at the batting cages is cheating baseball.

I'll reframe this for people who don't get it:

"If Square-Enix announced they would ban every single person who used a parser in 48 hours before the next content patch, would you try to call their bluff, or are you so dependent on parsing that you don't actually know how to play?"

I would. It'd be funny, actually, to watch SE annihilate their entire raiding population and then watch the game drown afterward.

Because people who start using unauthorized tools to improve their performance over others, sure sounds like cheating to me.

Except the parser itself doesn't improve one's performance. DRG A and DRG B, all else equal, would still perform the same even if DRG A had a parser and DRG B didn't.

EDIT: What follows is what I believe your argument to be: "Parsers improve performance, third party programs that improve performance are cheating, therefore parsers are cheating." It seems pretty sound, and agreeable entirely, but that relies on the first premise, "Parsers improve performance" to be true, which they do not inherently improve performance.

[KisaiTenshi]

But parsers aren't at all like using steroids, and in no way improve ones performance alone. They allow one access to the data needed to improve performance, sure, but that's like saying practicing at the batting cages is cheating baseball.

I would. It'd be funny, actually, to watch SE annihilate their entire raiding population and then watch the game drown afterward.

Except the parser itself doesn't improve one's performance. DRG A and DRG B, all else equal, would still perform the same even if DRG A had a parser and DRG B didn't.

That's just moving the goalposts. Let's try another thought experiment. What if SE started introducing RNG elements that break the parser? Now whatever BiS gear and optimal rotation you have no longer works 100% of the time, if at all.

The entire reason parsing works at all is because there is very little RNG involved in raiding. It's scripted to a point where if you know when something happens, you can be prepared. Now imagine going one step further, and the game remembers you. It somehow knows you're "better" and changes it's strategy knowing YOU are there. Now all these parser-based stats goes into the toilet because it's using the data against you. And SE has already indicated they log all the data needed to do this if they really wanted to, it was revealed as such during the Ungarmax post-mortem.

Edit: I have to say this a lot because people get really defensive. I do not personally care what you do with your own computer, but if you are using a parser to kick people from duties, you're the problem.

[Dualgunner]

That's just moving the goalposts. Let's try another thought experiment. What if SE started introducing RNG elements that break the parser? Now whatever BiS gear and optimal rotation you have no longer works 100% of the time, if at all.

The only goalposts that were set were "Parsing improves performance." I answered "No, it does not." Not anymore than looking up a rotation is cheating, because Discord and other third party sites that host these rotations aren't directly sanctioned by SE.

As well, this thought experiment doesn't seem very well thought out. Parsers work by reading the data log and recording its output, and then calculating averages. RNG wouldn't change anything, I wouldn't think, and you could actually find a good chunk of players who would be happy that some gear is BiS for some situations and some is BiS for other situations.

The entire reason parsing works at all is because there is very little RNG involved in raiding.

Evidence for this claim?

It's scripted to a point where if you know when something happens, you can be prepared.

This has nothing to do with parsing though, this is just fight choreography.

Now imagine going one step further, and the game remembers you. It somehow knows you're "better" and changes it's strategy knowing YOU are there.

This is why I say this isn't a well thought out thought experiment. If Square could dynamically affect its fight AI to do this, they'd have access to some very powerful AI and it would make this game's endgame much more fun to be honest.

Now all these parser-based stats goes into the toilet because it's using the data against you.

Again, you might find some people who would prefer that to what we have now--fights which dynamically shift and adapt to the party rather than a strictly choreographed dance.

And SE has already indicated they log all the data needed to do this if they really wanted to, it was revealed as such during the Ungarmax post-mortem.

Yes, but the issue is the data is in post--it needs to be processed. And that's an after-the-fact kind of thing.

[Miste]

would you try to call their bluff, or are you so dependent on parsing that you don't actually know how to play?"

So if someone who uses a parser closes the program...they suddenly forget how to play the game and their job/role?

Okay....

[zuzu-bq]

That's just moving the goalposts. Let's try another thought experiment. What if SE started introducing RNG elements that break the parser? Now whatever BiS gear and optimal rotation you have no longer works 100% of the time, if at all.

Do you even play this game's group combat content?

I have to say this a lot because people get really defensive. I do not personally care what you do with your own computer, but if you are using a parser to kick people from duties, you're the problem.

I'll kick anyone that is underperforming, and you can notice when someone is doing so without any third parties.

[KisaiTenshi]

Evidence for this claim?

Do any raid, and wait for someone to complain about others not doing the mechanics.

Do you even play this game's group combat content?

Why yes I do.

I'll kick anyone that is underperforming, and you can notice when someone is doing so without any third parties.

Only if they are intentionally being awful.

So if someone who uses a parser closes the program...they suddenly forget how to play the game and their job/role?

Okay....

If they are dependent on using it to know anything about the state of the fight, then yes, they don't actually know how to play the game, they are simply reacting to the parser.