Letter to MR Yoshi: Why parses system is destroying the ffxiv world.

[Ultima]

It depends on the content. If you're doing dungeon trash pulls, I don't care if my SCH is routinely out dpsing both dps (happens a lot), or that no one is managing their aggro or hitting aoe abilities.

But if you're in EX trials and Savage Raids, the mindset is different and different things are expected.

Many use parsers to figure out why they wiped at <5%. What they can do to be better players because there's nothing native in this game that does that (SSS is garbage).

How can we expect people to suddenly be good in EX Trials or Savage Raids if they can't even figure out how to play in babby content like "Expert" Roulette? This game is sickeningly easy to play at a competent level. The fact our only tool for improvement and the source of all data that teaches us how to play and do effective damage is the Parser is just contributing to a lazy and lackluster community where the majority of the playerbase can't even comprehend the basic math that goes into choosing whether to use a single-target combo or an AoE combo. Or even to use skills like Heavy Thrust, because nobody reads their skills.

[Dualgunner]

I represent a group of people, a minority if you like cos I am sure other feel like me. I care that’s all and it’s not a crime to want make things better and fair. I say it again: I didn’t know how the forum works! Mine was a suggestion to developers that’s all

You represent yourself, and nobody else. If anybody comes to add their voice to yours, then they are also representing themselves, and not entrusting that representation to you.

[Maero]

Parsing does in fact help in that most players (not all mind you) want to use it as a way to improve, because next time you do the same encounter you want to beat your previous parse. That is at least how i look at it.
With this said however i do feel like a large portion of the community puts too much into fflogs for all things

[RiyahArp]

How can we expect people to suddenly be good in EX Trials or Savage Raids if they can't even figure out how to play in babby content like "Expert" Roulette?

People really overrate the few times when people underperform in expert. Most of the time slow performance there is a tank that doesn't pull wall to wall because they are learning the instance or aren't confident. No, your sch does not outdamage people consistently, otherwise every run would take 25 minutes.

And parsers...eh. The only reason they are needed at all now is because SE puts an arbitrary time limit on all fights with hard enrage. The biggest reason people can't clear that is the stat penalty from dying too much. Historically in HW there was a need because SE designed classes to do a lot of damage through hidden means like DoTs, requiring all jobs to keep 2 or more of them up. In SB though the rotations in general are simplified enough to be able to eyeball them, for most jobs.

When the difficulty is different, parsing is a lot less use. It's kind of pointless in potd/hoh challenge floor, for example.

[Ultima]

People really overrate the few times when people underperform in expert. Most of the time slow performance there is a tank that doesn't pull wall to wall because they are learning the instance or aren't confident. No, your sch does not outdamage people consistently, otherwise every run would take 25 minutes.

And parsers...eh. The only reason they are needed at all now is because SE puts an arbitrary time limit on all fights with hard enrage. The biggest reason people can't clear that is the stat penalty from dying too much. Historically in HW there was a need because SE designed classes to do a lot of damage through hidden means like DoTs, requiring all jobs to keep 2 or more of them up. In SB though the rotations in general are simplified enough to be able to eyeball them, for most jobs.

When the difficulty is different, parsing is a lot less use. It's kind of pointless in potd/hoh challenge floor, for example.

Parsers helped create the rotations that we use to clear all content, that includes PotD/HoH challenge floors. You're not clearing PotD/HoH challenge floors by spamming Impulse Drive much to the chagrin of some DRG players I've met.

[NinaBrunestud]

SO. Here we go.

People being discrimatory will happen. With or without parser.
People are being arses, not because of the parse, but because they are arses.

With that out of the way.

Parse are actually a fantastic way to improve yourself. With the rights analytics tools (a certain site, for example) you could analyse what cooldown you miss, or if you really were on point on you dot uptime or whatever.
The fight recording is also a step into the right direction.

Also, get off your high horse, nobody even remotely gives a real damn when you don't perform optimally in normal trials. Most don't even have their parser open.

Once again, people are being arses, because they are. Not because the TOOL actively tells them to shit on you.

[Hakuro89]

Another anti-parsing crusader. Lovely.
Tell me more about how a tool designed to help you better yourself is killing the game. Can you get over yourself? First of all, higher levels of content can have some pretty harsh DPS checks, at least compared to the more casual content. Those tools allow you to practice your job more intricately and make sure you're pulling your own weight. If you're the sort of person that would rather jump into something and hold 7 other people back because 'lol I just wanna push buttons', you're probably not the sort of person I'd want to play with either.

[Nixxe]

How can we expect people to suddenly be good in EX Trials or Savage Raids if they can't even figure out how to play in babby content like "Expert" Roulette? This game is sickeningly easy to play at a competent level. The fact our only tool for improvement and the source of all data that teaches us how to play and do effective damage is the Parser is just contributing to a lazy and lackluster community where the majority of the playerbase can't even comprehend the basic math that goes into choosing whether to use a single-target combo or an AoE combo. Or even to use skills like Heavy Thrust, because nobody reads their skills.

It's not uncommon for people to not try their very hardest in trivial content.

[Gemina]

Parsing does in fact help in that most players (not all mind you) want to use it as a way to improve, because next time you do the same encounter you want to beat your previous parse. That is at least how i look at it.
With this said however i do feel like a large portion of the community puts too much into fflogs for all things

This is basically how I feel. I am all for tools to help players improve, but I am totally against tools that allow players to measure each other's dicks, or make the optimal composition the ONLY composition. Improvisation and adaptability are also indicative of a high skill level, and numbers cannot tell the whole story. I find in-game parsers to be a bit of a paradoxical conundrum: both a problem and a solution.

[Stormfur]

As a console player, I want to improve, but I have to ask my friends on PC to parse me. That's all I want to know -- did I do better this time than last?

And I'll be honest -- the game does an abysmal job at teaching you how to use your job to the fullest, in terms of how to form a rotation beyond the basic 1-2-3.

Even something as simple as generating aggro -- you know what the quest is to learn how to do that? I had to go out into the streets of Ul'dah and shout at marauders with the /say command. That could've been a prime opportunity to learn how to use your actual aggo-generating skill, but instead we yell at the city-folk.

Take Machinist for example. I want so much to love this job. I really do. But at the moment, it's foundation is "cram everything into one little window". And it's just so clunky. Not nearly as well-thought-out as, say, Samurai or Dragoon, who have reasons behind building up their rotation in a certain way. I hope that for the next expansion, all classes and their skills are thought out this well and fully.