Built-in Parsers

[NintenPyjak64]

Even though I lean toward no parsers, your hypothetical question shows one of your party using a parser correctly.

Realistically, this is what most people who advocate for parsers do. Tools like FFlogs only improve by adding overall class rankings and timelines. Let's take my recent log of O3S for example: 80th percentile on WAR as MT. I can easily take this information, look at other WARs who are 81%+ and see what they do differently then I do. Timelines help a ton too as they show exactly when a person uses what ability.

It's because of sites like FFLogs and Warcraftlogs (bless your soul Khira) that I've not only improved myself but other people as well. I'm more then willing to help people down to a fundamental level, but as my old man always says: "You can't help those who don't want to help themselves"

I will not deny the existence of people who use parsers as a weapon, I've been hit by people like that before. I had low DPS on an alt character because my gear was trash, and I was trying to get better gear. But this is what the report function is for. Harrassment, parser or otherwise, should be unacceptable, but in my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons. Even though it may anger a portion of the playerbase, imagine the PS4 playerbase who'd be ecstatic over the implementation

[Aramina]

I don't have a problem with parsers, and would actually like an in game one... BUT...

It's been made *very* clear on *many* occassions that it is not going to happen. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. You can dress it up any way you want and reality won't change. We will not ever get parsers.

Let the poor horse be dead in peace.

[Xlantaa]

Rigth now, after the behavior of the community regarding Parsers and the infamous FFlogs, my stand rigth now is lock the data transmission of other party member damage data to client, this renders the parse useless for anyone else except the player.

Better put an end to this once forever.

[Silver-Strider]

Stone, Sea, Sky is the closest we'll probably ever see to a parser in game, even though it completely screws MNK now due to Brotherhood.
I know people in my FC that do parse runs (I'm on PS4 so I can't check myself) but it just feels weird to ask for a parse, just to gauge your own personal performance and while they said I did great for my MNK (3.6-3.7k in V1S in i320 gear at the time) without any context about the number, I was still just as clueless on how to improve short of getting better gear.

[Risvertasashi]

just to gauge your own personal performance and while they said I did great for my MNK (3.6-3.7k in V1S in i320 gear at the time) without any context about the number, I was still just as clueless on how to improve short of getting better gear.

NintenPyjak64's post covers it pretty well: Assuming they're uploading, find yourself on FFlogs... start looking at what those slightly better than you do different, and see what you can adopt. Repeat as necessary.

Unfortunately FFLogs can be and is used as a shaming weapon as well -- but the facilities it has for self improvement are pretty good. Even if SE finally did cave and add an in game meter, it wouldn't be able to show you timelines, DoT uptime, and so on like FFLogs can.

[DaulBan]

If I ask why someone doesn't mitigate in a dungeon because I never see them using any CDs every once in a while someone complains that I'm an elitist or that I don't want to have fun and that they don't play this game to raid. I guess based on some of the content in this thread they should remove buff indicators so that I, scoundrel and harassing healer that I am, can't harass the tank for not popping Rampart once in his goddamn life.

[TaranTatsuuchi]

I'm going to reiterate my stance on this subject again...



I was originally neutral on the debate of parsers in FFXIV.
The more I read the discussions, and the more I read from the 'anti-parser' crowd, my stance shifted, they had convinced me.

I am in favor of FFXIV having parsers.



A parser is just a tool, it is neither good, nor bad.
It just provides information.

It is up to the individual to use them properly.
Regardless of parsers being sanctioned or not, Harassment is still against the Terms of Service.



From what I've read about the Final Fantasy log site, parsers can be extremely valuable tools for improvement.
Being able to go back through a fight and see when abilities were used, how much was overhealed, and all these other statistics just shows to me how powerful a tool they can be for those who want to improve.

It is a shame that these tools are 'not available'.

[KisaiTenshi]

On a different note, please change the combat messages in chat. "X is dealt Y damage" is useless...Change it to "X's Broil dealt Y damage to Z." What is the point of even HAVING a combat log that doesn't log the darned combat?! I mean, due to PING and/or the way the system works, I often have messages out of whack. It shows that I used an attack (instant!) then it shows to me damage made by someone else, then it shows me damage done by my instant attack...It's ridiculous...

I'd rather they delete the combat log or make it less parseable, so it only logs damage you make, and only logs crit damage and healing from anyone else. As it is, the combat log is useless because it blows by too fast to actually read it in a party of 8.

If you would rather people get really mean about it, this data is always going to be sent over the wire, so instead of sending numbers send %'s. That way nobody knows the exact damage they are doing except relative to other players attacking the same target as a floating point value that has no intrisic meaning outside combat with that monster/boss.

[Dualgunner]

I'd rather they delete the combat log or make it less parseable, so it only logs damage you make, and only logs crit damage and healing from anyone else. As it is, the combat log is useless because it blows by too fast to actually read it in a party of 8.

If you would rather people get really mean about it, this data is always going to be sent over the wire, so instead of sending numbers send %'s. That way nobody knows the exact damage they are doing except relative to other players attacking the same target as a floating point value that has no intrisic meaning outside combat with that monster/boss.

Character Config -> Log Window Settings -> Scroll down to "Battle" -> Tab to "Battle" -> Uncheck everything that isn't under the "You" tab

Nothing to do with parsers, they said they weren't clear on it so I told them why that was as a WoW player (off and on) myself. And yep, WoW is infamous for unbalanced gear design. Gearsets and trinkets can easily shift the balance of a spec from one end of the spectrum to another without any direct buffs/nerfs to those specs

Thank you very much for the clarification there ^u^

She was answering an off-topic question by Dualgunner.

Well, to be fair it was closer to clarifying a point I made.

Unfortunately, I have nothing but anecdotal evidence. You know, things former WoW players have told me. To make things a bit clearer, most people I've talked to are not hardcore raiders.

That's fair enough: I'm in much the same boat, save most of my friends coming over from WoW are raiders so it would make sense.

Raiders have different reasons for leaving than casuals. Casual players have told me they left WoW because of the bad community. They have blamed both the cross-server party finder and the misuse of Recount for ruining the community.

Fair enough, but I think that every community can be declared "horrible" and "toxic" if you asked the right people. IE, "toxic raiders" from the casual and "filthy casuals" from the elitist.

Raiders tell me they left because of bad class balance, mandatory gear, and a loot system which makes it pure luck to get the needed gear.

This was the point I made earlier, which I would argue is on-topic because it was me providing a possible explanation aside from parsers as to why people would leave WoW.

The only thing relevant to this discussion is the belief parsers turn good gaming communities into bad gaming communities.

Actually it's relevant in this discussion as a counterpoint to that belief. If people are leaving due to bad gear design and not parser overlays, then it follows that their problem was not that parsers had affected the community in any way.

Since I am not an employee of Blizzard, I do not have access to the data needed to support this claim.

Fair enough once more. I do not have any data needed to detract from it, however the positive claim does still rest on your end.

All I have is my eight years of experience with the game, and based upon that experience, I have concluded parsers, and their frequent misuse, hurt the game more than they improve it.

That's an impressive streak but as I'm sure you know, can't really pass as evidence that parsers are a net negative to a game.

I do, however, respect your opinion and how you came to possess it. I merely disagree with it.