Combat Log for entire group

[MrUrban]

Hi Bioware,

I've played this game for quite a while now and I must say it's been more to do than I imagined once you've reached max level with a character. For this I salute you and please consider this suggestion as one small but oh so potentially huge step to expand the "endgame" even further!

 

Like I mentioned I've been at it for quite some time now and I'm starting to feel that even though I've geared my characters with great gear if not the best in some cases it all still boils down to how good am I? How good was my group last run? Could this same group have taken on the Hard Mode? Who's the go to healer right now? How good is our best dps and how far am I from achieveing his legendary skills?

What I'm saying is that comparing is never a bad thing. Neither is information which in this case would resemble the combat log. I've recently started to try different "parsers" to get a hang of how good I am and how good I am compared to others. I like to look up to people in general that I feel have achieved something I want, and when I see that I can convince myself to get there aswell. My only problem with the combat log and the "parsers" is that it only logs me. I haven't got a clue if the other guys do more or less dps than me just because I might have a higher "Primary damage" value and so on.

Imagine instead the ability to see the entire groups dps, hps and possibly threat values while doing Ops for instance. A healer manages to save the other healer and his column in a real tight spot but no one notices since everything seemed normal to them. Imagine the feeling if instead everybody (at least the ones that chooses to enable it) starts cheering for the amazing healer and oh the feeling of being appreciated. Well this and a hundred different scenarios and uses I can think of if indeed this suggestion came to life.

 

The Suggestion

Enable us to see the combat log for each player in the entire group. Give us the chance to compare against the best or maybe let us realize we are the best at what we do. Let us compare dps, hps and if possible threat levels with our fellow operatives. Enable it to kindle more ambition and show that it is worth the time to fully gear and optimize your characters. Enable it for a greater "endgame" experience!

 

Thank you for reading!

Please feel free to comment thoughts, good or bad.

[lightSaberAddiCt]

just use starparse, it compares the dps, heals etc of the whole raid. Personally i would rather their devs focus more on maybe some endgame content.

[MrUrban]

But Starparse requires each and everyone to install and connect through Starparse, right?

If my suggestion was taken into action only you yourself has to use Starparse, No requirements, no passwords or language difficulties or whatnots that require everyone to set up and connect to Starparse before you get going. Wouldn't it be great?

[Ratajack]

Hi Bioware,

I've played this game for quite a while now and I must say it's been more to do than I imagined once you've reached max level with a character. For this I salute you and please consider this suggestion as one small but oh so potentially huge step to expand the "endgame" even further!

 

Like I mentioned I've been at it for quite some time now and I'm starting to feel that even though I've geared my characters with great gear if not the best in some cases it all still boils down to how good am I? How good was my group last run? Could this same group have taken on the Hard Mode? Who's the go to healer right now? How good is our best dps and how far am I from achieveing his legendary skills?

What I'm saying is that comparing is never a bad thing. Neither is information which in this case would resemble the combat log. I've recently started to try different "parsers" to get a hang of how good I am and how good I am compared to others. I like to look up to people in general that I feel have achieved something I want, and when I see that I can convince myself to get there aswell. My only problem with the combat log and the "parsers" is that it only logs me. I haven't got a clue if the other guys do more or less dps than me just because I might have a higher "Primary damage" value and so on.

Imagine instead the ability to see the entire groups dps, hps and possibly threat values while doing Ops for instance. A healer manages to save the other healer and his column in a real tight spot but no one notices since everything seemed normal to them. Imagine the feeling if instead everybody (at least the ones that chooses to enable it) starts cheering for the amazing healer and oh the feeling of being appreciated. Well this and a hundred different scenarios and uses I can think of if indeed this suggestion came to life.

 

The Suggestion

Enable us to see the combat log for each player in the entire group. Give us the chance to compare against the best or maybe let us realize we are the best at what we do. Let us compare dps, hps and if possible threat levels with our fellow operatives. Enable it to kindle more ambition and show that it is worth the time to fully gear and optimize your characters. Enable it for a greater "endgame" experience!

 

Thank you for reading!

Please feel free to comment thoughts, good or bad.

 

 

But Starparse requires each and everyone to install and connect through Starparse, right?

If my suggestion was taken into action only you yourself has to use Starparse, No requirements, no passwords or language difficulties or whatnots that require everyone to set up and connect to Starparse before you get going. Wouldn't it be great?

 

Imagine the possibility for abuse. The fact that there is no "group damage meter" and no add-ons in this game is one of the best features of this game.

 

In my experience, damage meters are rarely, if ever, used for "self improvement". They are almost always used for "self stroking of one's ego" or to belittle others.

 

We've probably all seen the player that posts the damage meters after every fight in which he is number one, but who complains when someone else posts the damage meters after a fight in which he was NOT number one.

 

Who has not been in a group with a player who was new and not pulling "leet DPS" and spent the entire run being abused for not topping the damage meters?

 

If you want a group damage meter, then form your own group with the requirement that they all opt in to starparse. See how many takers you get.

[MrUrban]

As far as I'm concerned abuse in itself should never be allowed nor encouraged. But to rob players of certain features because you believe some players will use it to abuse others I simply do not buy. Shouldn't they allow the chat either since it's the most effective tool of abusing other? Ofcourse not. And before I continue I recognize your concern and find it noble (I really do) but I believe abuse should never be given the power to rob anyone of their chance of fun. If abuse occurs I for one stand up against it, in the chat or in real life, doesn't matter and that is the way to go.

I can also buy that not everyone wants to share everything and that is why I'd have nothing against an option in "Preferences" for example, where you can choose to be anonymous and therefore not share any combat logs.

 

I see you do not look highly upon your fellow players and maybe you got reason not to but surely you must let those who are proud enough to brag brag =)

I for one have not been in a group where someone gotten abused for not pulling enough dps. Maybe because there isn't that much you can do about it. It's mostly that you're either well geared or undergeared. No ones expecting magic tricks from someone with less rated gear than oneself. The unified combat logs could however help each player in the team see how well balanced the group is and makes the tactical aspect of Operations a lot more dynamic.

 

Lastly what you mention last is exactly my problem, I won't get any takers (I've tried) but not because of any fear of not contributing enough, no but because no one wants to go through the hassle of downloading, installing and setting up Starparse just for a stranger on a single Operation. Frankly I'm not even sure I'd go through the hassle to do it with everyone every single time I'm raiding. But an on/off button in-game, now that's a different story entirely!

 

I appreciate your input, hope you appreciate mine.

[Khaleijo]

...

 

I see you do not look highly upon your fellow players and maybe you got reason not to but surely you must let those who are proud enough to brag brag =)

I for one have not been in a group where someone gotten abused for not pulling enough dps. Maybe because there isn't that much you can do about it. It's mostly that you're either well geared or undergeared. No ones expecting magic tricks from someone with less rated gear than oneself. The unified combat logs could however help each player in the team see how well balanced the group is and makes the tactical aspect of Operations a lot more dynamic.

 

Lastly what you mention last is exactly my problem, I won't get any takers (I've tried) but not because of any fear of not contributing enough, no but because no one wants to go through the hassle of downloading, installing and setting up Starparse just for a stranger on a single Operation. Frankly I'm not even sure I'd go through the hassle to do it with everyone every single time I'm raiding. But an on/off button in-game, now that's a different story entirely!

 

I appreciate your input, hope you appreciate mine.

Asking for players to join StarParse for any SM operation or HC FP won't get you many players to join you in StarParse, because it is simply not needed there. Bad gear and a lot of faults with the gameplay are taken care of by bolster and last but not least SM is meant to be the casual fun without forced competition. There is no tactical aspect that may come out of seeing everyones numbers, as there aren't many tactics to begin with. One good DPS can carry a group without much problems. If you join RND SM groups you know to expect a wide range of player capabilities.

 

In addition there are very few players in general and since a lot of the more serious raiders left this game, there are even less players, who are really able to read the numbers of a dps meter correctly and deduce what went wrong or find different tactics because of them.

 

While my experiences are personal and not meant as general fact, i can say that concerning HC operations it is pretty much standard to join a StarParse group on any server i play, whenever you join HC PUGs for operations. Most of the time the groups behave and don't abuse someone, but everyone knows upfront that StarParse will be used and maybe those who aren't able to get decent numbers don't join. So most players are capable enough to get through most HC operation. In the end most PUGs don't have the problems with low numbers but lacking knowledge and execution of the mechanics. No DPS meter is able to help with that.

[psandak]

Three comments:

 

Firstly, what you are suggesting would require recoding in one of two ways:

a) change combat logs from client side to server side so that anyone can access anyone's combat logs

b) /SHUDDER open conduits between clients so that one can access another's logs /SHUDDER

Either way because more data is being transmitted you are risking latency.

 

Secondly, almost all progression groups I have been a part of in the past 3 years have shied away from parsing for one very simple reason: most of the operations' fights are NOT DPS checks, they are (as I like to put them): "survive first, DPS second." And even when they are a "DPS check fight" one still has to pay attention to the mechanics because "you cannot dps when your dead"

 

Lastly, combat logs being active is an OPTIONAL feature. Even if they do implement what you are suggesting, all someone has to do is turn off combat logs and the feature is less effective.

Edited September 26, 2016 by psandak

[Nempo]

I've always prefered (when I have done raiding, used to raid all the time...burned out...now you won't catch me in raids) that a boss be a "survive first" type. Frankly DPS check boss fights are BORING. The dps just try and post as big of numbers as they can. The tanks usually fall asleep on such bosses.

 

I also enjoy when a game throws some PvP features into a raid. The boss reacts like a player in terms of how it is affected by abilities, etc. It throws a curve ball and forces the group to be more flexible.

[MrUrban]

I'm glad we got a discussion going!

Concerning the risk for latency I'd say sending data through starparse or through a fixed in-game option should at the very least affect the latency equally and obviously an acceptable amount since starparse is being used quite widely. I get you concern though but I think the possible complications could be trivial at the most.

 

I'm also starting to feel quite lonely in my opinion on shared combat logging but to try and clear some things up I am posting my suggestion not solely for DPS values. I am a competitive person with a big heart so for me gaming has always been about friends and competition. When I say competition it doesn't necessarily have to be PvP in any matter so to speak. It can be a co-op mission where you compete against NPCs, np. During this though, the more information and data you get (damage, healing, hp etc) the more "mini-contests" I can have in my mind to feed my competitive side and ultimately I enjoy the game so much more. I'm also a man that set up goals and strive towards them so for me more information about my fellow operatives would allow me to see how much better I can become and strive towards it. If I'm dps-ing I'm going to look how I fare in the DPS column/log, if I'm healing it's the HPS and so on.

 

But based on the opinions up til now maybe this suggestion needs more to fully satisfy. Maybe it should add the possibility of voting for MVP in each Op or "Op awards"/achievements showing in the Op group HUD giving us more information on the abilities and experience of our partners in crime. Is that something you would rather have? Or do you support the original suggestion and just stated the "cons" of it? Maybe both?

[Thoronmir]

As long as I have the ability to opt out from your in-game parser, I don't really care what features they add. You claim that you want the information because you believe it would feed your "competitive" nature and, perhaps, make you a better player. I won't quibble over your motives. I just don't want to be part of your journey of self improvement.

 

Now, if they added this feature, you could maximize its efficacy by insisting that every member of the group "opt in" and allow you to see their numbers. But I'm not clear how that would be much different than the group agreeing to use some canned parser software (other than an in-game feature avoids the issue of players using different parsers).