Please add something to FFXIV that disables 3rd party software interactions.

[Josco]

I don't know where this misconception keeps coming from. FFXIV does not save combat logs to a file, and the combat log available in-game is not sufficient to calculate your DPS because DoT ticks are not represented in it. The parser that everyone uses has two options available for parsing:

1. Memory reading: This one is less accurate because it has the same issue as the in-game log, being a lack of DoT ticks.
2. Network Sniffing: This one reads the actual network packets the game sends and receives. It's not possible to detect it from within the game without installing a kernel mode driver, and it's more accurate since it can sniff the dot tick amounts from the packets. Only disadvantage is that it doesn't work when the windows firewall is enabled.

The .log file you are talking about is generated by this program, not by the game. If you don't believe me, delete the log, go hit a striking dummy without your parser running, and try to find the log that the game allegedly saves.

Documents/My Games/FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn/ FFXIV_CHR[character code]/log

The parser has never been perfect at reading dots because it has to estimate crits and such...UNLESS you're using one of the more invasive types you're talking about, and I do not know one single person who uses those. Those ARE potentially against the ToS, and the difference between what you get from that and what you get from reading the logs (or yes...the temporary information in memory which is destined for a log file) is so miniscule it is not worth the risk or hassle.

Parsing programs are going to generate their own log file, but the data is still saved to your PC. People need to chill...and also stop spreading misinformation.

[Granyala]

Documents/My Games/FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn/ FFXIV_CHR[character code]/log

No clue what those logs are supposed to be but they are not combat logs. They are far too small and they contain a lot of data that doesn't belong in combat logs.

[Komarimono]

No clue what those logs are supposed to be but they are not combat logs. They are far too small and they contain a lot of data that doesn't belong in combat logs.

Ahem...



Cough.. cough... Ahem...

E.I. Text files are tiny, even with hundreds of pages of text in them.

[Avidria]

Ahem...

Cough.. cough... Ahem...

E.I. Text files are tiny, even with hundreds of pages of text in them.

Oh, god. I took a look at those logs, and yeah they've got combat stuff in them, but they've also got... what looks like loot info from everyone near you (possibly just party members?), NPC dialogue... system messages...

It looks like a log of everything, with a bunch of garbled symbols chucked in for flavor lmao

The game may keep logs, but you couldn't pay me to sit and decipher that into something usable

[Komarimono]

Oh, god. I took a look at those logs, and yeah they've got combat stuff in them, but they've also got... what looks like loot info from everyone near you (possibly just party members?), NPC dialogue... system messages...

It looks like a log of everything, with a bunch of garbled symbols chucked in for flavor lmao

The game may keep logs, but you couldn't pay me to sit and decipher that into something usable

I'm sorry, but you're misinformed. None of those logs contain anything but combat data of the player and party members. It's not hard to decipher the symbols you don't personally understand, since those are referred to as 'Calls'. Abrievated terms and language for quick and easy navigation for the software.

As for deciphering it, it takes a few seconds with a simple plugin to Notepad++. It's just language code, not hard to figure out.

But, as I had my friend check, you cannot access these logs on PS4, the console doesn't let you delve that deep into the file system, for them to know this. PC users though, can freely and easily check the logs, even without parsing software.

[Avidria]

I'm sorry, but you're misinformed. None of those logs contain anything but combat data of the player and party members. It's not hard to decipher the symbols you don't personally understand, since those are referred to as 'Calls'. Abrievated terms and language for quick and easy navigation for the software.

As for deciphering it, it takes a few seconds with a simple plugin to Notepad++. It's just language code, not hard to figure out.

But, as I had my friend check, you cannot access these logs on PS4, the console doesn't let you delve that deep into the file system, for them to know this. PC users though, can freely and easily check the logs, even without parsing software.

No, like... hang on a second let me get a screenshot...

This is what I'm looking at. Unless we're looking at a different log file here?

As a side note, it may be easy for you to figure out, but this is something I have zero experience with. It's basically a foreign language to me lmao. I was being a bit flippant by saying it was just tossed in for flavor. I'm aware it serves a purpose that I don't understand :P

Edit: Looking through the rest of the log files, it's more of the same. Lots of combat info yes, but also dialogue, exp gains, etc. Either I'm looking in the wrong place, or the logs have more than just combat info in them. This kinda feels like it's veering off topic though, so I'm just gonna slide on out.

[Komarimono]

No, like... hang on a second let me get a screenshot...

This is what I'm looking at. Unless we're looking at a different log file here?

As a side note, it may be easy for you to figure out, but this is something I have zero experience with. It's basically a foreign language to me lmao. I was being a bit flippant by saying it was just tossed in for flavor. I'm aware it serves a purpose that I don't understand :P

Can't look at it through normal notepad, not and it make sense, no. Same log file, but not the same. Hard to explain, but the logs are there. Yours is logging chat, from the looks of it the intro the the game itself. If you've multiple characters, or have deleted and made new ones, make sure in the right FFXIV CH folder, since can be several.