The Real Problem with Parsers

[LathusWHM]

I am writing this as a plea to SE, and the community.


Do not add parsers of any nature, do not homogenize the game more then it already is. I, like the majority of FF fans play it for the uniqueness of it, the mystery and wonder and of course the lore.

If you add parsers to the game(Or continue to allow things like ACT to function) then you will create a WoW clone which caters to the 1% and leaves the 99% struggling to enjoy the game or see/experience content.


You may increase subs, but you will destroy the community. I don't want to play a "set rotation" or be kicked from groups because my DPS was 50 below the other DPS. I played WoW for 8 years, and ultimatley it was the condescending attitude of people running DPS meters/healing meters that ruined it. It's just not fun.


The game works fine as it is. Please PLEASE keep it this way.

[SeraviEdalborez]

We already have parsers, a "set rotation", and kick people from groups for doing dramatically (not 50) lower DPS (though the problem of doing worse DPS is usually rooted in bad play and awareness anyways). The game is already quite homogenized in that raid DPS and beating enrages or DPS checks is 90% of fight design and I don't understand how you think parsers add to that assumed problem. The game already caters to a lazy 99% that doesn't care about challenging content or even succeeding at the easier content they have full access to, which parsers won't change either way. What about parsers removes a sense of "uniqueness"?

Whether or not they create an official parser or a plug-in for using one "officially", it doesn't change that these goalposts are there. Acting like it "hides" them is willful ignorance. Not everyone is a parse-riding idiot, and they are really a minority. It's a confirmation tool: one watches you play your job badly, calls you out on it, and can also back it up with parse results. Most people who parse aren't going to advertise it publicly. They will kick people regardless of the result.

Issue is that nobody can take a lick of criticism.

[Whiteroom]

We already have parsers, a "set rotation", and kick people from groups for doing dramatically (not 50) lower DPS (though the problem of doing worse DPS is usually rooted in bad play and awareness anyways). The game is already quite homogenized in that raid DPS and beating enrages or DPS checks is 90% of fight design and I don't understand how you think parsers add to that assumed problem. The game already caters to a lazy 99% that doesn't care about challenging content or even succeeding at the easier content they have full access to, which parsers won't change either way. What about parsers removes a sense of "uniqueness"?

Whether or not they create an official parser or a plug-in for using one "officially", it doesn't change that these goalposts are there. Acting like it "hides" them is willful ignorance. Not everyone is a parse-riding idiot, and they are really a minority. It's a confirmation tool: one watches you play your job badly, calls you out on it, and can also back it up with parse results. Most people who parse aren't going to advertise it publicly. They will kick people regardless of the result.

Issue is that nobody can take a lick of criticism.

This^
This is right.

[Benolan]

Issue is that nobody can take a lick of criticism.

I would say the larger issue is most people don't know how to give it constructively

[Shirobi]

It's a confirmation tool: one watches you play your job badly, calls you out on it, and can also back it up with parse results. Most people who parse aren't going to advertise it publicly. They will kick people regardless of the result.

Issue is that nobody can take a lick of criticism.

And therein the problem resides. Its not anyone's place to criticize others in that way or kick them from groups. Its why "Low DPS" isnt on the valid list of reasons to kick someone with vote kick, and why you can report people for citing it as Abuse of Vote Kick.

Its the elitests attitude that they somehow "own" the game and have the authority to decides who plays and who doesnt based on numbers that is the problem and parsers are big enablers of this.

[alphamax112]

Try to look from different angle. End game raid like alexander savage requires everyone at the peak of their job.
If we think our number is high enough, but we saw many many ppl with higher number out there, our number is simply not high enough. But practice makes perfect everywhere. You can't simply compare a semi-hardcore to a hardcore raider.
If you think your number is satisfying then it's ok. But if you don't, you can keep practicing until reach that number. Isn't it a good thing? We can learn how to play our job effectively that way.

Even the parser isn't officially released, ppl will keep using 3rd party parser. And you can't tell them to not doing that.

[Egnasya]

Try to look from different angle. End game raid like alexander savage requires everyone at the peak of their job.

Actually I don't think you can put it that way without some restrictions. No doubt it is the case in the first weeks when most groups will be composed of players that hover around the maximum available gear available until that point. The high end raids are no doubt balanced to be hard for such groups, however as players continue to clear the raid and upgrade their gear, they will naturally overgear it after some time, before it is replaced by a new raid. In turn, minor errors in playing rotation or encounter are more easily forgiven, not everyone will have to be at the peak any more.

Even the parser isn't officially released, ppl will keep using 3rd party parser. And you can't tell them to not doing that.

You can. Remove combat log, declare ripping data directly from the game bannable offence and see that through. It's just a matter of how you go about it.

[randysquirrel]

Its the elitests attitude that they somehow "own" the game and have the authority to decides who plays and who doesnt based on numbers that is the problem and parsers are big enablers of this.

Dam those elitists expecting me to do things, thinking they own the game *shakes fist*

[RapBreon]

And therein the problem resides. Its not anyone's place to criticize others in that way or kick them from groups. Its why "Low DPS" isnt on the valid list of reasons to kick someone with vote kick, and why you can report people for citing it as Abuse of Vote Kick.

If you're not allowed to be criticized by your peers (within reason), who is allowed to criticize you?

[Cynfael]

And therein the problem resides. Its not anyone's place to criticize others in that way or kick them from groups. Its why "Low DPS" isnt on the valid list of reasons to kick someone with vote kick, and why you can report people for citing it as Abuse of Vote Kick.

Most aspects of this game are multi-player.

If someone wants to run around the open world spamming terrible rotations, they have the freedom to do that without being criticized.

If someone wants to play so badly in a group setting that it significantly impacts the experience of 3-7 other players, they can improve their gameplay or get the hell out.

Again, we're not talking about "okay, but not perfect" here; we're talking "so bad that the rest of us need to pull double duty" or "so bad that this reasonable DPS check cannot be cleared at the expected ilvl."