These are Frequently Asked Questions for the Vanguard Parser plugin. For questions about ACT itself, please visit the ACT website FAQ.
Can I do live parsing?
Yes, but it is sometimes limited. Vanguard's default /log command does not flush log lines out to the file until toggled off. Instead of that, you must use the /autolog command which will write to the log every 10 lines. This will make live parsing for solo and grouping very inaccurate. Raid parses are more accurate, but they are still slightly off occasionally.
Some users report that Windows XP does not have problems with live parsing.
What is Ext-DPS?
See http://advancedcombattracker.com/faq.php for "What is the difference between 'DPS' and 'ExtDPS'?"
Why are players with last names listed twice?
Vanguard sometimes leaves a player's last name out of the log line, making it appear as a unique combatant.
To fix this, copy the player's name to the "Data Correction" tab to rename them from just having first name to have both. They will combine them into one combatant.
Why are some abilities shown hitting twice with one listed as "No Damage?"
Some abilities are logged twice as "Combatant's Ability IV hits Enemy." There is no damage amount, so it is listed as a hit, but no damage.
It is possible to ignore these by checking "Ignore hits with no damage listed" on the plugin settings page.
What is a "Strikethrough" / Why are strikethroughs listed as critical hits by default?
Technically speaking, Vanguard has 3 different types of critical hits: Critical, "EPIC," and Strikethrough.
A critical attack will hit for 150% by default of base attack damage. Gear and buffs can increase this amount.
An "EPIC" attack will hit for much more than base critical damage, essentially a critical critical. I do not currently know the stats for this type.
A strikethrough ignores a set amount of the target's AC (Default is 30%). Gear and buffs can increase this amount.
It is possible to turn off strikethroughs being listed as critical attacks in the plugin settings page. This will not prevent the attack's "Special" field from being listed as "strikethrough."
Also worth noting, Vanguard has several types of mini-crits, such as weakness exploits, pally and cleric undead specials, as well as a few class self buffs among other things.
Why is the current zone Unknown?
Vanguard's logging does not properly support this in all areas, and some are even buggy.
Why is my ability not being tracked? / Why is this mob's ability not being tracked?
If you have an ability, or see an NPC's ability not being detected, please email your log file to vgparse@gmail.com. If you do not want to send your whole log, you can email me a few of the relevant lines.
Why do I sometimes see attacks to or from "corpse of ...?"
Vanguard seems to have some timing issues with logs, thus some attacks may occur after the death of an NPC. They will be listed as "corpse of ..." in this case.
The plugin attempts to remove the "corpse of " part of combatants, but some slip through. They will eventually be fixed.
Can I use /toggleadvancedlogging?
Not at the moment, this logging format just adds a lot more extra fluff, some of which doesn't make much sense to me yet.
I plan to look further into it, and may find a use for it eventually.