An alternative to parsing?

[SieyaM]

I think what they really want to prevent happening is people using the parser in regular duty finder content to harass people. It may not become a widespread problem but I can definitely see people starting up Expert roulette and then hounding someone because their numbers a just shy of what they should be in a savage raid. Most of the game can be cleared without trouble without having to max out gear and rotation, but an ingame parser can lead to the idea that your numbers must be raid tier all the time no exception. And just look at how the raid community attacks each other with their parses already.

[KaivaC]

And just look at how the raid community attacks each other with their parses already.

I mean...there's literally no reason to use parsing in dungeon instances. You can usually tell who is and isn't playing on a decent standard. Parse should really only be used for fights that it would be useful in, which would be extreme and savage. But curious - where is the raid community attacking each other? Do you have examples of this?

[Bourne_Endeavor]

That's not the purpose of SSS. The purpose of SSS is to test weather or not the rotation you are using is enough to pass the dps checks and contribute to damage in a boss situation.

It, however, remains a poor indication due to the lack of raid buffs. Bard and Machinist will both be severely punished, especially Bard, since their damage depends heavily on Crit. Likewise, they are heavily gear dependent, which is far less punishing in actual Savage content. A prime example of that was Alte Roite. With vit melded accessories, you could beat him in i290 AF3 yet you wouldn't come close beating his SSS equivalent.

[Sigma-Astra]

That's not the purpose of SSS. The purpose of SSS is to test weather or not the rotation you are using is enough to pass the dps checks and contribute to damage in a boss situation.

Which is all fine and dandy, but SSS doesn't account for doing said mechanics of the fight. You could meet the DPS checks on Byakko EX or Shinryu EX just fine on a training dummy because nothing, and I repeat, nothing is getting in your way. Now, try meeting the DPS checks while dodging AoE's, other people, aligning stack markers, etc.

The SSS only lets you know two things: 1) You know your job and rotation intimately enough and 2) You're appropriately geared for that fight. Person A could do legitimately well on a Byakko EX training dummy and still under perform in the actual fight because they're not that intimate of how to maintain a constant flow of damage while following the fight patterns. And there's nothing in the game that is teaching said things except the fight itself which makes parsers a variable learning tool for some because you're getting actual numbers to represent how well you're performing during the fight in real time.

This is what makes SSS fall short and flat of being extremely useful.

[thegreatonemal]

It, however, remains a poor indication due to the lack of raid buffs. Bard and Machinist will both be severely punished, especially Bard, since their damage depends heavily on Crit. Likewise, they are heavily gear dependent, which is far less punishing in actual Savage content. A prime example of that was Alte Roite. With vit melded accessories, you could beat him in i290 AF3 yet you wouldn't come close beating his SSS equivalent.

Yea it stumbles for classes that are proc based no denying that. No system is perfect.

@sigma

Again its not testing mechanical knowledge the entire rest of the game has been teaching you that. All SSS truly test if your rotation is enough to beat the content and by beat i mean make sure the dps is pulling their weight to meet an enrage check. Mechanics by and large don't change your rotation outside of your opener depending on your class i.e ninja.

[KaivaC]

I don't feel like the current dummies are good enough. Take me for example. I'm consistently a trash tier player based on my deeps on monk. Have never been able to improve beyond grey parses. I feel like having an in game solution similar to a parse would be about to assist. The lack of in game feedback hurts a lot.

[thegreatonemal]

Chances are its a matter of uptime with you you prob play mechanics way too safe or make a lot of unnecessary movements. A parser or a dummy isnt going to help you with what your missing. FFlogs will though

[KaivaC]

Not that I'm the subject of this discussion, but no, my problem is just that I'm a bad player lol. But your right, dummies really don't help. I think something like what the Street Fighter games have for practice could be a good idea. Maybe even roll that in with crafters in letting them craft mini training figures

[Ovenmitts]

The SSS dummies certainly aren't the best meter but I think it's decent enough. Barely not clearing it with beginning of the season gear? I think you'll be fine. However, you have to also consider that we are near the end of the current tier. If you can't clear the v5s dummy in at least the 360 tome gear after all these weeks, crafted gear, Eureka gear, and what have you, then I think that's a good enough indicator that you need to go back to the lab and practice a new rotation with the class. There's enough resources out there to help buff you up. It's not the end of the world that you're not the best at something, but not doing anything to better yourself in content that "challenges you" will lead to more situations where people can't destroy the chimney in train.

You also have to remember that parses uploaded to the logs is not everyone in the game. That is more representative of the raiding community. In essence, your run is being compared to your fellow savage peers. You may be a king among casuals, but if you consistently get gray parses that doesn't mean you're trash. It means you're the bottom of most people doing endgame content, but even more than that, you're at the lower end of the spectrum of raiders that care enough to parse. If you have a low ilevel at the end of a tier, that could also be an influential factor.

There is always room for improvement. Getting bent out of shape over a few grays will do nobody good.

[KaivaC]

snip

I have to respectfully disagree. The greys that I've been getting lately, I personally view as an indicator that I'm a bad player. Which is why, again, I want something more than just the SSS dummy. Now, yes, it is true that currently in the raid tier, everybody who is hitting high numbers are close to BiS. That is true. But when one struggles to break 4k of damage, on a job that they do know for the most part minus a couple of SB changes, I have to question my own ability as a player. But again, the thread is not about me - it's about alternate means of parsers. If they gave the SSS dummies some QoL improvements, maybe even have an active DPS meter along with them (exclusively), I could see that helping.