Enhancements to log to support Damage Per Second (DPS) Measuring Tool

[GerrardCapashen]

Square Enix, could you please provide an official statement that you approve the use of third party programs which merely and only read the log files generated by FFXIV?

Could you also please enhance the log in-game to log every time a damage-over-time effect deals damage (roughly every 3 seconds)? Something like this:
> Gerrard Capashen's Miasma II on Titan ticks for 250 points of damage.
Of course, plus an option to disable this new kind of message on a per log tab basis.

This information is already available to the client (mostly) in the form of floating text over the monster or player. Adding this to the log file should not affect network traffic requirements in an amount that matters.

There are good players who are serious about self improvement. It would be very valuable to have a tool which displays how much damage individual members of the party have done over definable intervals. I am a professional programmer. It would be trivial for me to create such a tool which reads only the log files already generated by FFXIV (based on information obtained online).

Yes such a tool might increase the rate of harassment of players, but I think that the risk is overblown. Unfortunately, the reality is that these people will continue to use unauthoritized third party programs, and so I do not think that introducing an allowed option will reduce harassment. Rather, the current Square Enix policy of "no such tool allowed" harms only users who operate in good faith and avoid using such programs.

Please.

[GerrardCapashen]

Including additional important information IMHO:

Currently, a tool which is based only on the log files will be far less accurate than a tool which reads memory directly or which snoops on network traffic. Damage measuring tools based on reading memory or snooping network traffic are easily customizable to allow the creation of other tools which offer unfair in-game benefit, such as additional real-time alerts which are otherwise not available. These additional benefits, such as additional real-time alerts, provide a real and tangible unfair benefits to certain players. The lack of an accurate tool based solely on reading the log files is causing more people to pick up tools which come with additions which offer unfair advantages. If Square Enix provided full support via the log enhancements proposed above, then fewer players would be enticed to use tools which provide an unfair in-game advantage.

[AlexionSkylark]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NO
NO
A THOUSAND TIMES NO

The risk is NOT overblown. It is a real, palpable scenario. This will make the community even more ruthless to non-veterans/hardcore players as it already is. The only defense people have is that use of those tools need to be done under the cover, and people don't talk freely about it in-game.

Making it official will introduce the concepts of "minimum DPS" and "acceptable DPS" INTO THE GAME, and while this won't affect statics much, since most of them already uses such tools and discuss them internally, the legalization of this will bleed that elitist culture to PF and DF groups (which comprise the vast majority of FFXIV players), and it will affect the ENTIRE social structure of the game

Thank you but no, we don't need this in our Eorzea.

NO

[Laraul]

People are going to use a DPS parser regardless what SE says. And DPS parsers don't turn people into jerks. They come into the game that way. You know the ones that say "Know how to play your job!" And "You don't know the fight!" These people say hurtful things all the time to people. Why. Cuz they're Jerks.

My point is, parsers don't change people's behavior. They won't increase harassment or poison the community. In fact, your just as likely to receive positive feedback as you are negative.

[Sessurea]

People are gonna get parsed ANYWAY, and if they suck, they might get kicked with no reason even given due to parsing being illegal. IF people HAD access to this tool, then they might be able to check their contribution to a fight.

We all know when tanks or healers aren't up to scratch, why not dps? But adversely, a tank really knows when he messes up, and can seek advice and help. A dps could be throwing out terribad damage, and actually think he's doing great. THIS is unfair. I don't care about carebears happy dream fantasy land, I want people to be able to analyse themselves. Tanks and healers can do it ( obviously ) why exclude dps?

And before ppl start raining tears " oh but ill get kicked because I have crap damage and cant be bothered to do anything about it"........well, tanks and healers get kicked everyday for not doing their job to some sort of acceptable level.

[AlexionSkylark]

You can analize yourself using the tool already. Yoshida himself already said openly that he know about the tool just advised us to "keep it for ourselves about it".

Making parsers taboo within the game is what kept that WoW-like hostile atmosphere between and towards DPS classes at bay. We don't need that kind of attitude here. The taboo is pretty well placed, thank you.

[Meier]

You can analize yourself using the tool already. Yoshida himself already said openly that he know about the tool just advised us to "keep it for ourselves about it".

Making parsers taboo within the game is what kept that WoW-like hostile atmosphere between and towards DPS classes at bay. We don't need that kind of attitude here. The taboo is pretty well placed, thank you.

No you can't. It doesn't accurately read SMN dots.

[Canadane]

We all know when tanks or healers aren't up to scratch, why not dps? But adversely, a tank really knows when he messes up, and can seek advice and help ... why exclude dps?

There are dps checks in many fights.
Ifrits nails. Titans heart. Enrage timers. Heavensfall. Shiva's adds. The list goes on and on.
If you cannot pass these, then there is a dps issue and the dps needs to learn to get better. Unfortunately they will hold everyone back until they do. A tank and a healer can push out as much as they want but unless the DDs are doing their job it won't get you far. Exact same deal if a tnak can't hold enmity/swap effectively or a healer cannot react fast enough.

A parse or the knowledge of the exact dps each is putting out isn't needed. When you know there's a dps issue a generic glance in the direction of your damage dealers will usually be enough to show you who's slacking.

[Deelo]

A parse or the knowledge of the exact dps each is putting out isn't needed. When you know there's a dps issue a generic glance in the direction of your damage dealers will usually be enough to show you who's slacking.

Do you mean by checking their gear? That's even worse... Many many many times, I've seen i110+ do much worse than the guy who's i99~. There is no way to tell who's the bad seed without parsing it or kicking each person one by one.

[Bixby]

There is no downside to a complete & accurate combat log.