People advertising they're running Parsers

[VelKallor]

What always bothers me is there are many people who don't even realize how much they're underperforming yet genuinely want to improve. I've had players legitimately stunned to discover how low their damage actually was and grateful to be directed to resources that will help them improve, including a parser. Sadly, nobody is going to risk saying anything in-game nowadays when it only takes one anti-parser reporting them to potentially get a strike on their account.

No one is an "anti parser". Not me, anyway. I dont care if you are running one. It doesnt worry me in the slightest. More power to you.

BUT.

With one caveat, that I think we all agree on.

KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.

There are other ways to help people improve WITHOUT bringing parse numbers into the mix. When i was levelling my DNC, i ran an instance, and we stopped for a few moments whilst the tank very kindly told me to look at my AOE tooltips again whilst we waited, as my comments to him indicated I didnt understand them properly.

So I did. Cue ABSOLUTE embarrassment.

He laughed, pulled another pack, this time I did it properly and he just said 'THATS MUCH BETTER, Dancer. Lets GO"

It is never what you want to say, its how you say it.

[FrogDog]

With one caveat, that I think we all agree on.

I don't agree on that. If players want to actively use a parser and advertise their group as such then it's on anyone who wants to deal with that to join. I don't use a parser but I used to use damage meters ages ago when I played WoW. People don't always know how to look at that data but that's not really my or anyone else's problem. There will be bad experiences.

Also an anecdote for your anecdote, for every you out there who will take advice, there are many many more who simply will ignore the chat and continue doing what they were doing before. Then there are plenty of others who will argue or tell you that you have no right to give them suggestions, even though they're playing team content. It's basically even against the rules now to point out to somebody that they're doing something wrong or badly, if they're especially prickly they could report you for it. This is why I almost never even bother talking to people in dungeons now even if I see them struggling.