Parsers make you stupid

[SQBoard]

Yoshi P himself has stated he understands the importance of parsers and they've posted world first clear videos/screens with parser overlays.

It's basically a DADT situation with parsers where they're technically not allowed but everyone knows people are using them and are fine with it as long as it isn't abused.

Can't find a verifiable source where he said he was "fine" with parser use, but i have seen a video where he mentions that he "knows" there are people out there using parsers and if you use it you should be discrete about it.

ZAM Yoshida Interview (6:04)

However, his very first comment on the subject was that officially outside tools are not allowed.

And it's good to point out that, yoshida is not the one that enforces corporate policies. I think he was talking as a fellow gamer, giving parser users a favor to not brag or abuse it. He repeats that as a dev, external tools are not allowed.

Side note: He also mentions that he believes parsers do not give too much of an advantage and it depends mostly on the player's skill. Take that as you will.

[Bishop81]

Can't find a verifiable source where he said he was "fine" with parser use, but i have seen a video where he mentions that he "knows" there are people out there using parsers and if you use it you should be discrete about it.

ZAM Yoshida Interview (6:04)

However, his very first comment on the subject was that officially outside tools are not allowed.

And it's good to point out that, yoshida is not the one that enforces corporate policies. I think he was talking as a fellow gamer, giving parser users a favor to not brag or abuse it. He repeats that as a dev, external tools are not allowed.

...

In general, he (i.e. SE) reserves the right to ban your butt if you use parsers.

Seriously, can't people just clear raids without parsers? Why do you need that clutch?

[WinterLuna]

Not sure why people are supporting parsers even for personal use when they are in fact illegal.. All they do is cause grief between players. Again, you can tell me they're good for statics but you shouldn't actually be using one in the first place.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see who is putting out decent DPS and who is lagging behind.

[Nexxa]

Parsers? Meh... They're good where they are and I have nothing against those who feel the need for their use to clear content but I'd rather not have to relive the experience of installing several mandatory addons to run content with most guilds which, I fear, is where SE allowing addons would quickly take us.

[okitaluc]

I saw some people complaining about dps in a learning party, parsers are good if the people that are using them keep a reality check. People are learning the fight if they perform poor dps it is expected. the sad thing is it was on RavEx, we beat the shield we beat the adds so why people are complaining if they can't stay alive in swift / final liberation ? :/

[tymora]

A personal parser will be useful.

[aerialrave]

I'd say parsers are not necessary at all for all current content up to Alex Savage. I main MCH and I have played with Bards and we have cleared Bismarck and Ravanna. If you gear up properly, know your skill rotation, and handle the mechanics properly you'll pass the DPS checks without issue. The reason why Alex Savage can be counted as an exception is because it is content that is not designed to be cleared in i180~186ish gear (what we have right now), so you must go above and beyond what is normal and squeeze out every last bit of DPS possible.

For Alex4 Normal specifically, that fight cannot be reliably parsed due to the Quarantine mechanic. So yeah that person was in the wrong to call you out. Plus the main tank has it the easiest in that fight because as you noticed and already stated they basically stay in 1 spot for the whole fight. If you're hitting the hard enrage instant wipe timer, it isn't really due to DPS issues. It's most likely due to people dying (failing the mechanics). Dead = 0 DPS. In my experience (farming this 100s of times to get that stupid Spring to drop), fast groups will clear the fight after 2 Discoids. An average group will clear it with 3 Discoids, this is what you should be aiming for. A slow group will barely clear it in 4 Discoid casts (tank needs to do serious work here). I'm not sure if there's a 5th Discoid but the tank is likely to die at this point. If the fight is taking that long there is definitely some problems with people dying. One DPS target I've noticed is that decent groups can whittle down the center piece to 94% after the first leg drops so you should be aiming for at least that much. If you can drop it further than that, then you're doing great. But if you can't hit 94% there are definitely problems going on.

I'm sorry you became the scapegoat here because in all actuality this fight is usually on the healers. Keep people healed up properly, and they won't die to mechanics. If they're not dead, they can DPS and you will win the fight just fine.

[ShaneDawn]

As for what happens if the group doesn't meet the damage check? Everyone go and try to improve as much as they can. Over time, gear will nerf the difficulty of the encounter anyway.

You know that's not always going go happen, unless you expect a person with 1,3k dps on Faust for example go an extra mile to 1,4k to save that 900dps Bard?

Parsers are only as bad as the people using them. Sure, you can go all ape shit on the person often not pulling their weight, but you can also have civilized discussion as to why is it happening and how to overcome it. In an ideal world, everyone in a raid group are going to see as much effort to better themselves and the raid to progress on the newest content, but in reality that's only going to happen in the most hardcore of groups. And a lot of people don't even realize they're doing something wrong unless they see the data.

[ShaneDawn]

I can understand people being against parsers in dungeon and casual/mid-tier content, but why shun it even on the most latest hardcore raids? Everyone has to carry their weight their, and better both their own and the raids overall play to clear the content before they get outgeared and/or nerfed heavily. I don't think I've ever heard of a single actual raider whining about the parse data; they're just happy to see their numbers getting better when they practice the content or get a pointer when things are going awry.

If you're being super sensitive about other people seeing your dps on the latest hardcore content, whether it be up to par or sub-par, maybe doing the content is not for you? Parsers or not, to o
progress you're going to have to critizise both your own and your teammates play at times. You just don't have to be mean about it, but acknowledge it.

[JigsawComplex]

To play devil's advocate, parsers for sure have a place when talking about progression and fixing an issue. Sometimes, the issue is mechanics, rotation, or even the player. If you can't adapt to or change the first two, then you need to change the third one. It sucks, but when 3-7 other people are being held up for the shortcoming of one person, that person needs to go.