Quick Notes: The Combat Log

http://www.tankspot.com/photoplog/im...log-prince.jpg
Image Courtesy of Bakhand

Errors in the Combat Log
The above screenshot does not make much sense. How does a player with Improved Shield Block not block a second attack before the buff is lost? How does he or she take a Crushing Blow? Isn't this impossible.

Yes, it is impossible.

This clarifies one of the biggest hurdles for theorycrafters in the game -- the Combat Log is often wrong.

More specifically, the timing and sequence of the Combat Log is wrong. The information is absolutely correct. The combat log is notoriously inaccurate when it comes to posting or sequencing actions.

In the above screenshot, the second Shield Block charge is eaten up 1 second later (at the 41 second marker). Even though the Crushing and buff loss appear to occur before it, in reality both Shield Blocks would have occurred in proper time, then the buff would have been lost, then the string of Crushings would have begun.

I am not the best to describe the mechanics or reasoning behind this; there are others who have parsed the parsing, so to speak, and can give the technicalities.


Recording your own Combat Log
This is something most players are not aware of. You do not have to download a mod to get extremely detailed logs. Just type /combatlog while in-game, then type it again to shut it off. This records to your World of Warcraft game directory.

Be sure you don't run this unnecessarily. For being just a text file, you'll find it grows extremely big extremely fast, especially when dealing with raid situations where it is recording all raid members as well. It can slow down even the best computers to try to open larger Combat Logs with a text editor.


Parsing the Combat Log
Several ways to do this. The two best would be Combat Monitor (Satrina) and WWS. I will provide links as soon as I can.

Alternatively, if you know what you are looking for, go to the time and encounter in your combat log. Use "CTRL+F" to look up specific information (for instance, Dodge). Organize the data however you like.

The method is very basic, but I'm not a particularly computer oriented guy. Using that method of just adding times together was how I determined the attack speed bonus on Parry.

Thanks so much for the info, I really wanted to read my entire combat log and this helps.

Take care,
Fubar

This would explain a lot on prince. he tends to do these "wth i was at full health how did i die" kinda moments, and its probably due to incorrect Combat Logging.

CIDER are you reading my mind....

I have a parse exactly like that!!! let me find it... (except with holy shield fading and taking a crushing before which is even more annoying since it has more charges..

Ill post it asap

kazey and cider one small comment during phase 2 princes thrash will not show up at all dameage wise for most ppl on their combat log cant tell from SS which part of prince this was taken from and i suspect this is not the case in it tho b/c usually the log does say "prince dicknose gains thrash"

I was a victim of wierd combat logs and wish i had a SS of it 2 days ago during arenas. My partner died i finished off the druid and proceeded to blow up the enemy rogue my execute missed white crit of 1517 kills rogue 2 seconds later according to the log i died of ruptue dot. We tied that arena 0 net change in standing and it wasnt even counted as a match.

8/2 21:25:09.593 Prince Malchezaar hits you for 4487. (crushing)
8/2 21:25:09.593 Prince Malchezaar begins to cast Shadow Nova.
8/2 21:25:09.609 Momsy gains Innervate.
8/2 21:25:09.609 Clearcasting fades from Iduna.
8/2 21:25:09.609 Iduna gains Spell Haste.
8/2 21:25:09.609 Holy Shield fades from you.

I can post the full log if necessary...but thats what i have. I thought of posting this on the WoW-europe forums before cider posted this as it bugged me how my buff could be ignored...and yes i do check that i am crushing immune before i run into bosses =).