I just wanted to point out a double standard...

[Tharian]

Actually... not to nitpick. But there have been several hundred bans by Square-Enix for the use of Parsers and other Third Party Software. The vast majority of them however took place in Final Fantasy XI in a war between the Developers and the Players over what would become known as the "Absolute Virtue Conflict" where in the developers whose favorite monster was Absolute Virtue, would continuously modify the creature so that each time that creature was defeated by an alliance, that avenue to defeat was summarily removed from that fight by the developers.

The end result was that the only way to effectively defeat Absolute Virtue towards the end of the conflict was by utilizing Third Party Cheats and Hacks (the least of which were Parsers). It got so bad that Square-Enix had to introduce an official nerf to the fight, but instead of doing it by weakening the boss, they instead raised the level cap of the players, thereby invalidating the need for these hacks.

[Sapphic]

The end result was that the only way to effectively defeat Absolute Virtue towards the end of the conflict was by utilizing Third Party Cheats and Hacks (the least of which were Parsers). It got so bad that Square-Enix had to introduce an official nerf to the fight, but instead of doing it by weakening the boss, they instead raised the level cap of the players, thereby invalidating the need for these hacks.

Theres a world of difference between cheats and hacks and parsers which do not modify data, just record. Whereas cheats and hacks DO modify data.

Also you think SE raised the cap just for AV? Just lol. Think you need to study up a bit more there champ.

[Tharian]

Theres a world of difference between cheats and hacks and parsers which do not modify data, just record. Whereas cheats and hacks DO modify data.

Also you think SE raised the cap just for AV? Just lol. Think you need to study up a bit more there champ.

Oh I know it wasn't "JUST" for Absolute Virtue. But Absolute Virtue was a huge reason for the level cap increase. He was impossible to beat without it at the time.

That said, while you are absolutely correct that Parsers do not modify data, they just record it, any and all third party software that can be used to provide yourself with an advantage over other players is something that is bannable. Same goes for Glitches. Parsers can in fact provide such an advantage. Thus they are a bannable offense if you are caught using them.

I'd hate to be your neighbor

Fortunately I don't have neighbors like that to my knowledge, so I have no reason to report my neighbors to the police for such a crime.

[Sapphic]

Oh I know it wasn't "JUST" for Absolute Virtue. But Absolute Virtue was a huge reason for the level cap increase. He was impossible to beat without it at the time.

Actually SE reduced AVs HP before the level raise and more LSs where able to defeat it.

In response to a wave of bad press surrounding another HNM Pandemonium Warden, Square Enix reduced the difficulty of Absolute Virtue in late 2008. Its HP total was reduced from an approximate 100,000 to around 66,000, and its stats were significantly lowered. A time limit of 2 hours was also imposed to prevent players from fighting it for too long.

[Tharian]

Actually SE reduced AVs HP before the level raise and more LSs where able to defeat it.

In response to a wave of bad press surrounding another HNM Pandemonium Warden, Square Enix reduced the difficulty of Absolute Virtue in late 2008. Its HP total was reduced from an approximate 100,000 to around 66,000, and its stats were significantly lowered. A time limit of 2 hours was also imposed to prevent players from fighting it for too long.

Reducing the Hit Point total of Absolute Virtue did diddly squat towards reducing the difficulty of the fight. Absolute Virtue could have had a grand total of 5,000 hit points for all the good it would have done people... the thing at the height of it's power could literally spam any and all 2 hour abilities of all classes except those found in the Treasures of Aht Urghan Expansion. That includes the one that instantly restores the entire parties hit points to maximum! And imposing time limits on Super Bosses actually INCREASES the difficulty of the fights, not decreases the difficulty. Can you imagine fighting Ruby or Emerald Weapon in Final Fantasy VII if you were limited to only 10 minutes?

Now if you're going to cite the Pandemonium Warden Fiasco, you need to explain what all the bad press was about, just in case there are people here who don't know.

The problem with Pandemonium Warden was that Pandemonium Warden is a Tiered Boss. What this means is that he is identical in nature to bosses such as Chrono Trigger's Final Boss for example. Pandemonium Warden has around 12 or so (not the exact number) different forms. Each of these forms is followed by a group of other enemies that provide support for the boss during the fight. In one of these forms he is followed by a group of White Mages, who again can each use the 2 hour ability that instantly restores all health to a party.

The problem that caused all the bad press relating to that boss, was that one Linkshell had attempted to fight Pandemonium Warden as a World First. They weren't really prepared for what the boss had in store for them though. Cue 18 hours after the fight had started (that is 18 hours of fighting a single enemy), and they had just defeated the latest form, and they all thought they had won the fight, their adrenaline was actually beginning to wear off at this point and these people had more or less been in front of their computers for 18 hours straight at this point running off of a sugar and adrenaline high... low and behold another form pops up 5 seconds later. People promptly begin to pass out from Adrenaline and Fatigue Sickness, which isn't something people want to experience after doing something like that.

Point is, the fight and subsequent fainting spells received a crap ton of press time, and that is what cued Square-Enix to weaken the vast majority of their Super Bosses and / or impose time limits on them. And it is because of this reason that we don't have the Notorious Monster System, or Super-Bosses like that in this game.

In fact, the closest that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn comes to a true Super Boss (in the iconic sense) is the Odin and Behemoth FATES. And those aren't even remotely close to comparing to the Super Bosses produced by the rest of the MMORPG companies. Until you have fought Tequatl, you really haven't seen a modern Super Boss.

[Zona]

That said, while you are absolutely correct that Parsers do not modify data, they just record it, any and all third party software that can be used to provide yourself with an advantage over other players is something that is bannable. Same goes for Glitches. Parsers can in fact provide such an advantage. Thus they are a bannable offense if you are caught using them.

Thats like saying the forums or any website that gives you information on your spells gives you an advantage over other players

[NoctisUmbra]

Parsers can in fact provide such an advantage.

Nope.

Last I checked, parsers do not directly increase DPS. They simply increase the feedback you get from the game, and accelerate the learning process for the entire community.

All that testing people do to figure out which stats you should pick for your jobs. All those BiS setups. All those effective rotations that a majority of the community reads up on and, if they care enough to not be dead-weight in party content, incorporate into their playstyle. They are results of people testing the mechanics thoroughly with the use of - you guessed it - parsers.

You can say parsers are giving the player using them an advantage all you like, doesn't make it true. A person using a parser in a party is giving the entire party an advantage, potentially, simply if it leads to finding the source of the wipes faster. People using parsers to test game stats/strats/rotations/builds are giving the whole community a boost in developing the metagame. A person using a parser, however, does not have a direct advantage over a person who doesn't.

They do nothing but help the community. People always like to talk about players that will use this info to harass others as an excuse. That implies that a player willing to harass another in game wouldn't already be inclined to do so without a parser, which is quite silly in my opinion.

This just in: Reading the tool tips for your spells can give you an advantage over other players, so SE is planning to remove the information given in the tool tips in order to level the playing field in the game.

Funny you bring this up, because with some of the things I've seen in CT or Hard Mode dungeon runs blatantly suggest to me that there are, in fact, quite a number of players who don't even bother to read the tool-tips of their skills.

I've legitimately seen DRGs spam Full Thrust, and only Full Thrust as well as some who never use Heavy Thrust. Ever. I've seen MNKs alternate their combos, but stay on the rear of bosses full time. I've seen BLMs who use nothing but Blizzard spells. BRDs who never use their DoTs. My favorite tends to be when a BRD tells you they aren't singing Foe's Requiem because they don't want the % cut to their DPS, cuz it implies they read the tooltips, but also that they didn't.

So, yeah. Apparently people who read and understand the tooltips have a clear advantage over those who don't. By reading the tooltips and pointing out to the player's in my party who I see messing up that they're doing something wrong (Heavy Thrust is good, stop spamming Full Thrust, Foe's does not cut your DPS, etc) I am using the advantage I have by reading the tooltips to give them constructive criticism. That needs to end. Clear the tooltips!

[Dwill]

Nope.

Last I checked, parsers do not directly increase DPS. They simply increase the feedback you get from the game, and accelerate the learning process for the entire community.

All that testing people do to figure out which stats you should pick for your jobs. All those BiS setups. All those effective rotations that a majority of the community reads up on and, if they care enough to not be dead-weight in party content, incorporate into their playstyle. They are results of people testing the mechanics thoroughly with the use of - you guessed it - parsers.

You can say parsers are giving the player using them an advantage all you like, doesn't make it true. A person using a parser in a party is giving the entire party an advantage, potentially, simply if it leads to finding the source of the wipes faster. People using parsers to test game stats/strats/rotations/builds are giving the whole community a boost in developing the metagame. A person using a parser, however, does not have a direct advantage over a person who doesn't.

They do nothing but help the community. People always like to talk about players that will use this info to harass others as an excuse. That implies that a player willing to harass another in game wouldn't already be inclined to do so without a parser, which is quite silly in my opinion.

Exactly. The whole concept of "People are going to be harassed" or "People without parsers are going to be at a disadvantage" stems from ignorance as to how such a tool function in the first place.