Is this truly wrong?

[KaivaC]

A good portion of us here on the forums look actively seek to improve ourselves, whether its be min-maxing, figuring out optimal rotations, etc. After my thread in which I found out that I was, at best, a 9th percentile raider, I took some time to work on SMN and 'git gud'. Managed to hit that 50th percentile bracket...only in sigmascape normal, and it looks like I've just gotten worse as a player trying to get better. I'm not satisfied with being a 50th percentile player, because that's actually worse numbers wise amongst Savage raiders than what I was doing back when I started that toxic elitist thread.

Keep in mind, I still generally don't ask for my information to get uploaded - they just end up online (I usually check a few hours after my weekly runs).

Anybody in this rut get in that position where they feel like they just continually get worse? That they feel embarrassed enough that they feel that they don't belong on the same level as their peers who, admittedly, don't judge them or really care? Or maybe the nagging feeling that you will never be good enough to be on their level?

I'm kind of in that boat now, to the point that I've pretty much dropped DPS'ing entirely because I am incapable of keeping up with my peers. It's gotten to the point where I kinda shunned myself off because I feel like I don't belong with my peers anymore. This is more or less myself wondering if anybody is, or was, in that position. Or knew someone like this on the verge of...well, essentially calling it quits.

[Vahlnir]

If you are doing everything right, and you know for a fact you are, then everything else falls into place. The focus needs to be on yourself, not others. Don't compare, just do.

I used a parser in WoW for awhile since they are permitted there. It actually made me do worse because I was always watching my numbers compared to other people. When I deleted that addon and began to focus on my own skill and made sure I was doing what was required, I was better for it. Usually in the top 5 at the very least in most cases there.

Carried that mentality over to XIV and it has never led me astray, but I'm always looking to improve my rotations if I'm able.

[Mokkabron]

Welcome to reality

[Coratanni]

I main heals. As long as I know the fight mechanics, I am good at my role enough for savage. I am not good enough for the same, as a dps. Never have been, never will be. Too many variables as to why.

Remember that this is a game. An escape. Dont treat it like a job or that it is life and death. You will only make yourself, and others around you miserable.

[Vidu]

To be honest: I dont feel very self-conscious about my dps, neither on my main paladin nor on my bard.
I obviously dont want to be a burden to my static, so here is what I do in terms of "parsing":
I do the Stone, Sky, Sea for the raid/trial in question.
And if I cant beat that - good, thats all I need to know. Because thats all that the game requires of me to clear that fight - that doesnt mean I stop improving at that point, I obviously always try to do that, but if the game tells me "yep, you're dps is enough" thats enough for me.

You really need to take fflogs with a grain of salt - those arent always totally "accurate" statistics. I actually just had a conversation with my boyfriend about this - he mains a BLM and explained to me that a lot of those higher BLM-numbers arent an accurate reflection of BLM-dps, because, for example, they come from runs in which the whole group optimised for that BLM (aka: ASTs feeding the BLM balance-cards and stuff like that - basically something that wouldnt happen in a real run. And also something that hasnt got anything to do with the BLM and their skill - I'm not saying their a bad BLM, those people sure are not. But hitting those numbers isnt only their achievment).

I would really advice you to try Stone, Sky, Sea and see how you're doing there before you let those parsers drag you done completly.
It can also help you to identfy wether its you rotation/class you're having trouble with - or if its a certain fight and the mechanics in it that are hindering you. This way you'll at least know if you have to focus more on getting your job right - or if you're just not familiar enough with the dance of a certain encounter.

In the end for me this game is about fun - and comparing numbers and striving for the top is certainly fun to some people. Personally, its not for me, so I dont worry to much about it (I am still making sure I'm hitting decent dps and such, dont get me wrong - what I basically mean is: I dont get upset about a bad run or something).
And I'd wish fo you that you could do the same - maybe I'm taking this a bit to far now, but: This is your second thread about this issue and it seems as if this is really bothering you a little to much.
Yes, playing decent is important. And yes, good dps aswell. I'm not denying that! Thats why I'd recommend you try SSS.

But at the end of the day: why do you let this ruin the fun for you?
Specially if your friends dont care.
Specially if you still manage to clear everything you want to clear.
Not everyone can be on the top of everything - thats kinda the nature of such things. So why care so terribly much about that?

So, I'm not sure how much "personal experience" this is and how much this answers your question, but my advice would be to worry less - and to try Stone, Sky, Sea to see how you're doing compared to what the game things you should be doing.

Dont base your self estem on stuff like fflogs and your dps! Both inside and outside of the game you've got a lot more than that to offer - and more important things too!
Personally I'm sure that my friends are more likely to keep me around for my sense of humor and my crafters than my dps ;D (oh and obviously because tanks are hard to come by...) And I'm cool with that, as long as I'm doing well enough and we're all having fun together - because thats what this game (or any game) should be about in the end, right?

Edit: When I started playing the game I was super nervous about everything - I would refuse to run dungeons, we dont even need to talk about raids!, and I was probably pretty bad aswell. But as soon as I started relaxing more and worrying less, I got better and better and improving myself was and is something I'm doing for myself, not for others (even though they're benefitting from that too, I guess). Siting there thinking "Everyone else is so much better than me, I shouldnt even be here" is really just holding one back - I'm glad I got rid of that attitude and just started enjoying and challenging myself!
Once you can look at fflogs and see them as a challenge and not a "duel", look at it again - until then my advice would be: Get comfortable with your class, yourself and yourself playing that class. And take your time while reaching for the top - you dont need to be there tomorrow, specially not when that makes the way to get there painful.

[MoroMurasaki]

I understand this feeling 100%.

When I first started playing with some forum friends a few of the first players I encountered were so far beyond my level it was incredibly intimidating to play in front of them. I am still insecure about playing AST in front of Miste and the mere thought of going BRD in front of HyoMin is enough to make me want to just turn the game off.

I think something that has made me feel a bit more comfortable is just putting myself out there. Right now may not play AST with Miste but I have healed o5 and o6 with her. I've DPSed in a Byakko party with Cass around. Am I getting purple in these things? No, of course not. I'm still considerably less skilled than they are. They're never anything but supoortive though!

If you're refering at least in part to the little group that some of us have formed there is no reason to feel insecure around them - there is no one in that discord that wouldn't support you trying a new class, screwing up a bunch and asking for help and a big portion of that is just that you are willing to ask for help and accept criticism/cretique.

I know that nothing anyone says is going to make you believe in yourself and I know that because even with encouragement from everyone around me I still think I'm trash 98% of the time but just know that your desire to improve and your ability to see your own faults make you a better player than many others <3

[Kleeya]

When some people are doing some "fflogs run : launch all your buffs on me, and only me, so that i can break a dps record and be top percentile", i dont even understand how other players really think there are gonna reach the top as well in a normal random pf run where you will not have all the buffs launched at you.

If you add the facts :
- that some people upload only their best runs, and not the ones where they screwed up ;
- that most of active fflogs contributors are players heavily involved in the game, who have a static roster and dont meddle with random partys ;
- that most of casual players whot dont even know what fflogs is never get their runs uploaded on the site ;

... maybe you are not a bad player like you think you are. It's just that fflogs stats are not representative of FF14 whole community. With a big chunck of bad players not listed on it, it makes people thinking that the norm is heavily high expectations, while in fact the norm is way lower, and sufficient enough to get your runs done. A bit like if you are playing football in your little town as a hobby, got a good level at it, and get suddenly compared to the top players in your country's pro teams, some of them using doping methods, with people telling you "wtf guy ? why aren't you as strong as pro football players ? i don't undestand how you can play so bad, don't you want to be good ? why are you so incompetent ? whyyyyyyy ?".

Plus looking at the pretty colors on the front raid page isn't all there is to it. It can lead people to having bad and counterproductive habits. Like healers not rezzing because too concentrated on their aweseome dps, expecting the rdm to do all the rez work, except that this one will do it reluctantly, or not at all, because otherwise his dps will look bad.

If all this dps and fflogs stuff is ruining your fun, making FF14 stressful and not enjoyable anymore for you, just switch to something else in the game. There is tons of other content than savage to enjoy, who will not need top dps for it. And if you still want to do raids anyway, try to do it with some friends or other non-toxic people who will not become mad at you because you are not listed as part of the 5% top fflogs percentile, or because you want to come with your non-meta SAM to play it for fun.

[HoodRat]

Like I said in your other thread, I wouldn't really worry about it, as long as you're improving, this late in the tier until you get BiS. At this point, you should just do what you can to get BiS then worry about going ham on fflogs.

[JCharms]

If you add the facts :
- that most people upload only their cherry picked best runs, and not their every-day ones that are much lower.
- that most of active fflogs contributors are players heavily involved in the game, who have a static roster and dont meddle with random partys ;
- that most of casual players whot dont even know what fflogs is never get their runs uploaded on the site ;

Fixed for correctness.

[VanilleFang]

even with encouragement from everyone around me I still think I'm trash 98% of the time

*glares in english*


@Kaiva: Having played with you I know you try your hardest. You're great! You might not be at the level you want to be at, and I think you might be yourself up a bit too much about it, but all I can do is try and help you reach your goal. Everyone I know is always there to support you, and if you need any help it pointers we're always around.

Now that that is all aside I'll have to also make a point that FFLogs numbers can be fluffed, like Vidu mentioned. Unless you are in a static group that plays optimally I doubt you'll ever reach orange. I'm not even sure how likely high purple is. Don't beat yourself up about it.