2/22/2012 -> Can we get an update on where the Combat Log is?

Well ya we dont actually got a score accumulated for us yet.. but the gear level is kinda revealing isnt it ? We did learn to add during kinder garden lessons so ya...

We used DPS parsers in Molten Core, circa 2005. They were there from the start, as was the combat log.

And WoW was the most successful MMO of all time. These things aren't entirely unrelated. There was nothing destructive about it.

They were available since molten core, there was combat logs in DAoc and EQ. And it certainly is not a new trend, Since UO most MMORPG games has had combat logs or parsers by default or by addons.

Read some more of my posts sir - I clearly stated I would be in favor of a combat dummy that parsed damage so you can have the opportunity to min/max your build and stats and rotations for optimal personal performance.

I am not for social plague tools like combat parses to be used in groups to make determinations on success or failure, when all the information you need to succeed is in the game via Boss Animations, Graphic ground effects during the encounter, or Audio clues as to an upcoming special ability.

People mostly want this tool to measure their little PeePees against someone else's.

Yeah but they were not really widely used until WoW came along and the mods basically made it part of the game. I remember EQ had one for sure but again, it was never used. At least not by anyone I played with.

I cannot even imagine parsing 72 player raids lol.

Ok, here's an example of how combat logs/meters/addons work. This is the most difficult heroic fight in wow at the moment. I made this video myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cGL6...4V-WUfb1gNWW_Y

Couple things to pay attention to:

The damage meter (bottom right above everyones names and health) I have set to show damage on a specific target. In this case it's the "burning tendon" which is what's holding on the giant dragons armor. The tendons need to be burst down as much as possible so that the fight takes the least amount of time possible, otherwise it will get out of control with the adds. This was extremely useful throughout our many attempts on this boss. Certain people were initially way behind but upon seeing this they did what they needed to do in order to get us where we needed to be. Without this they would have never known they could improve.

Secondly, in the bottom middle of the screen is a mod that's tracking my targets debuffs. The class I play has multiple damage over time abilities and to be successful you need to keep them all rolling as much as possible. Without this mod I would have to look at the top right of my screen for tiny little icons that are mixed in with others like them. Not efficient.

Also, because the damage to tendons is the key to this fight, it's absolutely paramount that you switch to them as soon as they're targetable. Because there's so many different targets tab target is unreliable, and clicking ot target can be a hassle as well. We all used a macro (gasp!) for this. In the games menu there is a macro creation interface. You choose the icon you want for it and then you enter the text in another box telling it what you want it to do. In this case it was "/target burning tendon." Then I save it, and drag my newly created macro's icon onto my action bar and assign it a keybind. So now when the plate lifts up and the tendon is exposed I hit that keybind and I'm immediately targeting the tendon and can do my job. This is an example of how macros make encounters more realistic and fluid. I know which target I want but with swtors current setup I would have had to fumble around and wasted time tabbing or point n clicking. I also used a macro here that used both my dps cooldown and my trinkets "on use" effect at the same time. You may think that sound slike cheating, it's not. Both those abilities are off the global cooldown so feasibly I could have just keybound them next to eachother and pressed them at the same time. All this did was save me some keybinding space.

Some may argue that macros and addons make the game easier by allowing people to cheat. Not the case. If class rotations are designed properly and addons are monitored correctly they cannot and will not break the game. My rotation in WoW is complicated enough and relies on a priority list and therefore cannot be macro'd to a few keys, I actually can't use any macros for my core rotation, it wouldn't work as well as if I were doing it myself. Too many decisions need to be made on the fly. If you look at the video you can see my key bindings. I have keys 1 through = keybound, as well as f1 through f12 and a bunch of other letter keys. I use them all. 1 through = spans my normal dps rotation and the other keys are all abilities that are used slightly less often but are still used in every fight nonetheless. Nothing is automated for me. You can see all my key presses if you want to verify.

Lastly, I didn't do this to toot my own horn or stroke my ego. I did this in response to the many people against macros and addons and combat logs that apparently are confused as to how they work or what they do. I'm hoping this educates people and opens their eyes a bit.

I don't want Swtor to raise the difficulty of normal or hard mode. I would however like them to implement difficulty close to the fight in the video. There's a lot you can;t pick up on by watching the video but if you want you can look up the mechanics and see for yourself. Without any of these features a fight this intricate and difficult will never be designed, which would be sad to me and ultimately result in me leaving the game.

We used it. And it wasn't pretty but it was pretty much the ONLY way to know what 72 people were doing at the time.

So what. WoW showed how successful of a feature they are. They didn't kill WoW in the slightest bit.

And thats why some of the bosses in WOW grew up to be hardest fights in MMORPG history.

Logic is lost on them, don't waste your breath. They see only fear.