DPS meters are a recurring topic in MMORPGs. Some players want them, while others are strictly against them. What is your opinion on this?
What are DPS meters? In MMORPGs and other games, DPS or damage meters refer to the tools or features used to calculate the damage that one or other players deal.
DPS is an abbreviation for “Damage per Second”. It measures the damage your character deals to multiple enemies or a boss over a specified period, averaged per second. The value is, of course, better, the larger the number is.
However, DPS meters are controversial in many communities.
- Some players consider them useful tools that help them see their performance and improve over time.
- Others believe that DPS meters have wrecked communities in MMORPGs because everyone only focuses on performance.
And what is your opinion on these tools?
DPS Meters in Different MMORPGs
Here’s how it is in WoW: In World of Warcraft, DPS meters are less controversial. Those who want to master high-level content like “Mythic+” dungeons or heroic raids need a way to evaluate and assess their group members.
DPS meters are also useful for analyzing one’s play style and are largely accepted in the community. They are a tool to identify sources of error in the toughest boss fights – and also a way to slightly inflate one’s ego when looking at the longest bar.
We also use the numbers here to create a current DPS list for WoW’s raid content. This provides an overview of which classes are strong against which bosses, which ones may give a raid better chances, or which class needs improvement.
Here’s how it is in Final Fantasy XIV: In Square Enix’s flagship MMORPG, DPS meters are a taboo subject. The game’s director, Naoki Yoshida, has repeatedly emphasized in recent years that FFXIV will never have an internal DPS meter.
Furthermore, the use of third-party tools that calculate DPS numbers is prohibited by the Terms of Service (link to the list of prohibited activities). Especially griefing other players who deal low DPS is punished with bans. However, this does not change the fact that many players use DPS meters secretly, especially in endgame content.
Here’s how it is in Guild Wars 2: DPS meters are a hot topic in Guild Wars 2. Especially from the raid community, they are repeatedly requested, but casual players fear being kicked from a group due to low damage.
Such a tool is unlikely to ever come from the developers, but a community-developed DPS meter has at least been tolerated, unlike other addons that are strictly prohibited in GW2.
The survey is closed!
