Sunday, December 23, 2012

Important Notice

*Update 12/26*

After being in touch with Microsoft, emails to people with Microsoft accounts should no longer be blocked, meaning password reset emails should come through fine now.  I have checked the site against other "spam" databases, and it appears that the site is now in good standing with all the major email providers (after moving nameservers and properly setting up mail on the server).  If you have any issues getting emails from the website, please contact me.  Thanks!

*Update*

The nameserver move should already be complete.  Everything went smoothly and a lot faster than I anticipated.  The main reason for this nameserver move is to fix issues with mail rejection from a couple bigger email providers.  The mail rejection issue is not yet fixed, but I'm currently working on it.  This process may take a couple weeks.  If you attempt to reset your password and never receive an email with instructions on how to reset it, chances are your email provider is blocking email from the website (Microsoft email being the biggest one).  If you run into this issue, please email me directly at james@torparse.com and I will manually provide a reset link for you.

Thanks, and I hope to have this resolved soon.



I will be migrating the nameservers for the website.  This should be a seamless transition.  While I do not anticipate any problems, I just want to make you are aware of this migration just in case something goes wrong and the website becomes inaccessible for a short period of time.

You can expect the migration to be fully complete and propagated in approximately 3 days.

Thank you,
James

Monday, December 17, 2012

Torparse Application Update

Hey everyone, so I got in another good weekend of coding on the desktop application.  I don't really have much to show this time, because a lot of work was put into optimizing the server code.  I ran into some unforeseen problems once I started connecting more than two clients at a time... so ya, that wasn't good!  But, I have fixed the bugs, optimized the code, and re-worked a lot of the code.  I'm sure it's not perfect yet, but it has come a long way since I started on it this weekend.  The real test of the server code is still yet to come, but it is now handling several connections at once extremely well.

I did get in some work on the desktop application itself.  The layout of the main portion of the program is coming along nicely.  I have nearly finished the following features: Friends List, Private Messaging, and a Notification system.  These features will all play in very nicely to the group feature.

Some quick notes about the Friends and PM feature.  In order to be "friends" with someone, you add that person and then they must confirm it.  After it has been confirmed, if one person deletes the other from their friends list, they will no longer be friends. PM's are limited to friends only.

Check out the screenshots below to see what these features look like. Once again, please remember that this is not a final product and a lot will and can change.

This screenshot will give you a general idea of how the main portion of the application is looking.  You can see the Friends List on the left hand side, and the "Notifications" tab is currently selected.  This tab is where incoming friend requests, and more importantly, incoming group requests will show up.  It is built with a lot of flexibility allowing for other general notifications.


This is a screenshot of the PM feature in action.


So, next I will start work on the foundation of the grouping feature.  I plan on trying to make it as close as possible to an MMO-type group.  By this, I mean that these are my ideas/goals:

  • There will be a group leader
  • The group leader will "invite" people to the group
  • There will be group "assistants." People in the group can be promoted to "assistant" by the group leader and then they can invite people.
  • The group leader can remove people from the group
  • There will be a group chatroom
  • The group leader and group assistants will be able to issue a ready check
  • The group leader and group assistants will be able to set a break timer.
  • Everyone will be able to see who is in the group
  • The group leader and group assistants will have access to start group parsing.
  • The group leader and group assistants will have access to stop group parsing.

These are my ideas so far.  I think it will turn out nicely.  After I get all this in place, I will start work on the actual group parsing meters.  I want to do the basics on these, like damage, heals, etc, but I also want to include a Recount-style (WoW) window.

That's all I got for you this time!  If you are interested in helping me test the group feature, please email me at james@torparse.com. Thanks!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Why Aren't Absorbs Tracked in Stats?

I'm writing this blog today to hopefully help clear up this issue.  This is by far the number one request and concern that I get via e-mail.  I'm sure there are others of you wondering the same thing, but just don't bother e-mailing about it, so I'm going to take a moment to address this issue.  Hopefully after you read this, you will be a little more knowledgeable on the inner-workings of a combat log (if you haven't looked inside one yourself already) and why absorbs are not tracked.

Note: In this post, when I speak of "absorbs," I am referring to spells such as Static Barrier and Force Armor.  This can also be extended to include other absorption spells for Smuggler, Imperial Agent, Tank Tree Talents, Shields (from gear), etc.  Any spell, item, or piece of gear that causes damage to be absorbed.

TL;DR: Absorbs are not tracked on the website because based on the current combat logging system, they are not possible to accurately track.  It may be possible to some extent, but it would be a lot of guess work and the numbers would be extremely inaccurate and unreliable.

The Full Post:

Unfortunately, the absorption stat is not tracked any better than just showing a number on the website because of the way this spell is tracked via the combat logging system.  This is the scenario that occurs:

  1. SorcBob casts "Static Barrier" on TankJoe.
  2. SorcBob's combat log shows that he cast "Static Barrier" on TankJoe.
  3. TankJoe's combat log shows that "Static Barrier" was cast on him by SorcBob.
  4. TankJoe gets hit and takes damage.
  5. TankJoe's combat log shows that he absorbed damage.
  6. TankJoe's combat log shows that he lost the spell "Static Barrier" from SorcBob (if the entire bubble was used).
  7. SorcBob's combat log shows that he removed the spell "Static Barrier" from TankJoe.
So, based on this scenario, you can see that once SorcBob cast his "Static Barrier" spell onto TankJoe, nothing shows up in SorcBob's combat log again until the spell "Static Barrier" is used up or expires from TankJoe.

Now, I'm going to show you what this actually looks like in the combat log.  Below each line of information, I will describe what it means to the best of my ability.

This is what a snippet of SorcBob's combat log looks like from the scenario above:

[16:37:15.940] [@SorcBob] [@SorcBob] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [Event {836045448945472}: AbilityActivate {836045448945479}] ()

This line is telling us that SorcBob activated the ability "Static Barrier".  It shows it as it activating on himself, but that's just the way the combat log shows ability activation (for some reason).

[16:37:15.940] [@SorcBob] [@SorcBob] [] [Spend {836045448945473}: Force {836045448938502}] (35)

This line tells us how many resources were used.  It may or may not be in reference to the previous spell cast, but it's a reasonable assumption to make (and usually correct).  In this case, he spent 35 force.

[16:37:15.940] [@SorcBob] [@TankJoe] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Static Barrier {808201175957504}] ()

This line tells us that SorcBob is "applying an effect" of Static Barrier onto TankJoe.  The spell was cast on him, makes sense.

[16:37:15.943] [@SorcBob] [@TankJoe] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Deionized {808201175957777}] ()

This line shows the resulting debuff from Static Barrier being cast onto TankJoe as well.

[16:37:16.366] [@TankJoe] [@SorcBob] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Static Barrier {808201175957504}] ()

This line shows the spell "Static Barrier" being removed.  Take note that the names are also in reverse.



This is what a snippet of TankJoe's combat log looks like from the scenario above:

[22:37:15.059] [@SorcBob] [@TankJoe] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Static Barrier {808201175957504}] ()

This line tells us that SorcBob is "applying an effect" of Static Barrier onto TankJoe.

[22:37:15.061] [@SorcBob] [@TankJoe] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Deionized {808201175957777}] ()

This line shows the resulting debuff from Static Barrier being applied to TankJoe by SorcBob.

[22:37:16.947] [@SorcBob] [@TankJoe] [Static Barrier {808201175957504}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Static Barrier {808201175957504}] ()

This line shows the spell Static Barrier as being removed from TankJoe by SorcBob.

[22:37:16.947] [Imperial Assassin Droid {2854138912178176}:564009248328] [@TankJoe] [Armed {2853992883290112}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (5141 kinetic {836045448940873} (4338 absorbed {836045448945511})) <5141>

This line shows TankJoe getting hit by Imperial Assassin Droid for 5141 damage, of which 4338 was absorbed.

So, if you've never looked inside your combat log text file before, this can all be a tad overwhelming.  In a nutshell (hopefully enough to explain this post), you are given a few pieces of information per line of the combat log.  You are given the time (but not the server time, the local time of your own computer; side note: this is why I ask for the timezone of your computer and not the server), the "who" did it, to "whom" it was done, what action was done, the effect of that action, any resulting numbers caused by the action, and threat caused by the action.

(Another side note: The long string of digits are language references to the preceding text.  It is a unique ID that links to language files, and then pulls the correct word(s) based on which language your client is running.)

So, as you can see from the above information.  There is nothing that shows in SorcBob's combat log about how much damage was absorbed by TankJoe.  In TankJoe's combat log, it shows how much damage was absorbed, but it doesn't say what the source of the damage absorption was.  In this case, it's pretty obvious, but if TankJoe has any methods of absorbing damage on his own, there is no way to differentiate how the damage was absorbed.

(//end color coding)

So, with that said, this stat theoretically could be listed on the website.  In a solo setting (meaning only SorcBob uploaded his combat log, and no group parse was created), a lot of assumptions would have to be made.  These are some of the assumptions we could make, and also some questions we would have to ask:

  • "Static Barrier" lasts for 30 seconds, so based on the fact that it shows it being removed sooner than 30 seconds, we can assume that the entirety of the absorption effect of that spell was used.
  • If there is a combat log entry showing "Static Barrier" being removed exactly 30 seconds later, then we can assume that not all of the absorption effect of the spell was used.  But, what if SorcBob cast it on a DPS, and he just got hit by an add once, so some absorption was used, but not all of it?
  • What if I cast the spell on someone again at the 20 second mark after the debuff wears off? It shows the effect being removed before it is applied again if the spell still exists on the target, but did it absorb anything?
  • What level is the player? I can get a general ballpark based on the spells used, and sometimes exact if the right spells are logged.  We can also assume that most people that upload combat logs are level 50.
  • What does the player's gear look like? How much healing power does the player have? How much damage should the player's Static Barrier absorb based on gear?

So, as you can see, that's a lot of what if's and assumptions that need to be made.  So, at best, the stat could be tracked with the following assumptions made:

  • The player is level 50.
  • If the "Remove Effect" spell shows up at exactly the 30 second mark, that means no damage was absorbed.
  • The player is not wearing any healing power gear (or maybe an average player gear level is assumed).
  • If the "Remove Effect" shows up before the 30 second mark, that means the entirety of the damage absorption was used.

Making these assumptions, we could ballpark the stat, but it would be extremely inaccurate.

In a group setting, some of these questions could be answered for us.  With the proper coding, player spells could be tracked back and forth from player to player.  Assumptions may not have to be made about a lot of things.  In the case above, we can assume SorcBob's "Static Barrier" spell absorbs 4338 damage before it is removed, which makes all the other questions a moot point.  It would still be an inaccurate stat, because if TankJoe had another absorption spell on him (like a tank talent), and both were up at the same time he was hit, how would we determine which spell gets how much of the absorption amount.  But wait, what if TankJoe's shield works and he absorbs some damage that way?

So, I think you get the point.  It would require a lot of coding and in most cases a lot of guess work.  At some point in the future, I hope to be able to at least provide a ballpark estimation on this figure, but it is not something you will see tracked on the site any time soon.  I think most have seen me say this before, but I'm a one man team.  This is not my real life job, it is simply a hobby that I enjoy doing.  So, if I want to get anything accomplished on the site, I must prioritize everything and limit my scope to as few projects as I can at any given time.  This project would be an extreme undertaking because of other systems that would need to be coded first to derive this stat, and would ultimately end up as a stat that is extremely inaccurate.

I hope this helps clear up the issue and helps you understand why the stat is not tracked.  Please feel free to email me (or post below) if you have any concerns, questions or comments.  And please, if you know something I don't, I'm always open to criticism.

Or, maybe, ask BioWare to improve their combat logging system.  That would fix a lot of problems. :)


Monday, December 10, 2012

Torparse Application Update

Hey everyone.  It was a good week/weekend... made a lot of great progress on the application.  I've got a lot more work to do, but I wanted to show you how everything is coming along, so I've taken a few screenshots.

Before reading any further, please remember that none of these screenshots are the final product.  Everything is still very much a work in progress and a lot will probably change.  Enjoy!

Ok, so first up, the best screenie I've got for you is the parser actually working in-game, with a custom skin I designed to make it blend with the game :)  (P.S. Don't judge me for my keybindings, I use a Nostromo lol).


This is the new login screen:


This is a screenshot of the program initializing (if you checked "Remember Me" it skips the login screen):


This is a screenshot of the main portion of the program.  Please note, the visual components of this frame are not yet programmed, but it will give you an idea of the skin of the program and also the Options menu in the upper right:


The next screenshots are all from the in-game overlay settings page.  You get to this part by clicking the wrench icon in the upper right.  These will be the settings available for every overlay component (they are also resizeable).  I hope to add scaling in, but I'm trying to overcome a bug with that right now, so I have taken it out for the time being:



So, there you have it.  A bunch of screenshots to look at.  I'll keep you guys updated.  All the best. -James

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Desktop Application Update

Hey everyone, it's been a couple weeks since I talked about starting work on a desktop application for SWTOR.  Just wanted to give you a bit of an update of where I'm at in the process and how things are going.

I've almost got all of the foundation for the server coding done.  It is going very well.  The server is multi-threaded (meaning each connected client is processed separately of other clients... faster!) and extremely lightweight.  I think it will stand up well under heavy load... but I guess we'll find out eventually =X

The desktop application part is coming along nicely as well.  I'm currently working on the foundation of the application.  I want to make sure there is good base code in place off of which I can build.  Currently, the desktop app can login to the server, validate user information, encrypt data transfer and communicate with other connected clients (for group parsing and maybe PMs/friends list).

Here's a screenshot of the login screen.  Please remember this is very early development and a lot is likely to change, I just want to keep everyone updated with how it's going.



So, next up on the list is to start work on the actual parser portion of the application.  I'm also going to work on creating some nice skins for the overlay components that blend well with SWTOR so the windows don't seem too out of place.  First up will be solo/companion parsing.

Thanks for reading, I'll try to post updates on the progress every couple weeks.  And thank you for the emails with suggestions/comments for the application.  Please feel free to contact me anytime.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

What I'll be working on

Hey everyone, just wanted to give you a little insight on what I'm currently working on with regards to the site. Updates to the site may be a little infrequent for some time as I am focusing a lot of my free time in designing a desktop application program that will run in harmony with the website. I've always wanted this to be a part of the site, but did not really have the site at the level of functionality I wanted until recently, so it has kinda gone by the wayside.

Back in my original "Welcome Back" post, I talked a little bit about building a desktop application, but I'll outline some of my ideas here. Before I get into anything though, I don't want anyone to get their hopes up just yet, because this application is still in the very early stages of development and it could be several months before it is of release quality. So, the reason I'm even making this post is because I want your feedback (via email or the comments section) on my ideas and even new ideas of your own.

These are the basic things I want the desktop application to be able to do.
  • In-game combat parsing
  • Solo and Companion combat parsing
  • Group, Flashpoint, and Operation combat parsing
    • Include a ready check
  • Ability to upload your combat log to the website for more in-depth parsing
  • The application should be low-profile and easy on system performance

And then some of the more conceptual ideas I have that I don't know if they will come to fruition. These depend on a couple things: 1) my ability to code them and 2) the stability of the service with just the basic stuff outlined above.

  • Ability to watch "live" streams on the website
  • Option to add in a twitch.tv stream of one or multiple players in the group... My idea behind this is if you're running an Operation, or maybe doing some PvP and you want people to be able to see all the combat log stuff and also your stream, the website could integrate that all together.
  • Caching Group, Flashpoint and Operation combat parsing from the app so that it may be viewed for some time from the website.
  • Allowing the group leader to upload all of the combat logs directly to the website with one button push. This would send all the logs, upload them under the correct user's information and create a group log.

So, these are my ideas. I'm open to any and all feedback; positive, neutral or negative.

So, if designing this application was the only part of the project, things would be much simpler. But, alas, there is a backend part... the server technology. This is the phase of the process I am currently in. The server development is coming along nicely, but I have to be very careful with this type of thing. First and foremost, I don't want to cause degradation to the services I already have in place available on the website. Secondly, it needs to be very efficient so that it can handle several hundred clients at any given time.

So, this will keep me occupied for quite some time to come. On top of it being a very complex project, it is also a new area of programming for me. So, I'm learning a lot as I go, but I'm a pretty quick learner, so we'll see. Don't worry though, I will still make sure the site is kept going strong and will probably even add a few new features here and there.

In the coming months, I will need a guild or two to help me test this in an operation setting, so if you have any interest in that, feel free to email me and we can make arrangements.

Thanks,
James

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Update

Hey everyone, I've pushed a pretty significant update to the site today.  A lot of it is backend stuff, so you likely won't notice many changes.  Here's what I did.

  • Significantly revamped backend Statistics code. This should allow for more fluid updates for new bosses and faster load times.
  • Statistics URLs are now properly encoded.
  • Fixed an issue with the Doctor Lorrick encounter on the Statistics page.
  • Fixed an issue causing bosses to display in a random order on some Statistics overview pages.
  • Updated boss detection database with several hundred new entries for existing encounters.
  • Added Nightmare Pilgrim (1.5 World Boss) and Operations Target Dummy to "Boss Fights" filter.
  • Updated Analytical and Group Analytical "Boss Fights" filter to now list the name of the encounter instead of just randomly listing mobs when the "show by name" button is clicked.

To expand on my previous post a bit, I have implemented a new system with the Statistics code revamp that will now also recognize helper mobs.  This should help fights where you have to fight through a few guys before you get to fight the actual boss (for example, Warlord Kephess).  This system had existed to some extent, but it was poorly implemented and has been significantly revamped.  I have flagged most of the helpers for the Operations; however, I may still be missing helpers for some flashpoints.

There are still some bosses that have very few fights logged against them, but I have not yet re-processed already-uploaded logs yet.  I'm hoping this will resolve the issue, and if it doesn't, then back to the drawing board!  I will likely re-process existing fights tonight in the early hours of the morning when traffic to the website is minimal.  This process will probably take 4-6 hours and the website will be taken offline for the duration of the process.

P.S. I don't always post a blog when I update, but if you want to see all the updates to the site, you can see the Change Log here - http://www.torparse.com/changelog

Thanks!


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Statistics problem

So, I'm writing this blog because today I have discovered an interesting issue in the combat logs.  I've been getting reports from people asking me to fix their combat log so that it shows up under the correct boss, and I've been fixing them.  At the same time, I've also been using this opportunity to confirm certain boss IDs for certain modes of an instance.  Well, I'm not sure how I've missed this issue or glanced it over so many times, but it appears that the boss ID in the combat logs are a little different than I had originally thought.

This is not true for all bosses yet, and I'm still not done going through them, but there appears to be a common ID that all the different modes of the same boss share, and then a specialized ID for the specific instance.  Unfortunately, I had not previously recognized the "common ID", so it has caused some fights to be grouped under the wrong mode of the instance and possibly not even flagged as a boss fight altogether.

I'm currently in the process of going back through my boss ID database and correcting the ones I can confirm for sure, and re-marking the ones I don't know and will need a little extra help verifying.  After this process is done, I will bring the site down for a few hours (sometime in the wee hours of the morning I'm sure) and re-process all the fights to get them flagged as boss fights and then re-run the Statistics numbers.

This may take me a few days to accomplish as it's pretty tedious work.  I really doubt anyone from BioWare reads this, but if they do, it would help a lot if you could just send me a list :)

Thanks everyone! And Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Statistics Updated

Hey all, I've updated the Statistics section of the site today with quite a few updates.  I had to update some stylesheets and javascript as well, so if the tables look weird or the charts aren't working, try clearing your cache for your browser.

  • Kill vs Death distinction is now in.  Kills and Deaths are ranked separately and there is a button available to switch between the two.
  • The Statistics pages will no longer be taken offline during Statistics generation.  The system will now start to store an archive of stats up to 45 days.  Statistics will still be generated at the same time everyday, and the new stats will be made available when they are finished generating.  The archive is not yet accessible, but I have a few features planned with it (allowing it to be viewed; showing changes on the leaderboards; and a few more).
  • Added Fight Length to each leaderboard ranking.  Inevitably, some fights will slip through that are not actually successful kills, so this should give you an idea of it being a legit ranking or not.  I will do my best to remove these from the leaderboards (emails about them are always appreciated).
  • Added Total Damage and Total Heals stats.
  • Updated some textual information for a clearer description of the associated stat.
  • Changed references of "Subclass" to either "AC" or "Advanced Class" throughout the site.

Thanks! As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Changes coming to Statistics

*Update 26 Oct*

I have updated the Statistics page today. Characters are now unique per server on the leaderboards and only their best performance will be ranked. Also, HPS is now Effective HPS and ranked by it.

Still left to do:
  • Success vs wipe distinction
  • Couple outstanding bugs
Thanks for all the reports confirming bosses. Please keep them coming! Apologies for this update taking so long, but due to the nature of the way I was previously calculating effective hps, it required a significant update and coding re-work to allow it to be ranked.  In addition to the items listed above left to do, I hope to make general convenience improvements to the Statistics page (one example is adding a link to group logs if they are available).

If there is anything you would like to see, don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks!



Thanks for all the great feedback on the Statistics page.  I still need quite a few of the bosses confirmed, so please, if you can help me confirm the ones that are flagged (a warning message appears on the boss's stat page) e-mail me your combat log or a link to your log uploaded to my website and specify which version of the instance you were running.  I have received a few e-mails in regards to confirming bosses, and I really appreciate them!

Based on feedback here are the changes I will be working on to the statistics/rankings:

  • Clear distinction of success vs wipe in the leaderboards. Only successes will be ranked.
  • Character names will be unique per server on the leaderboards, meaning the same person won't appear more than once, just their best performance.
  • Healing will be ranked on effective HPS *the details on this aren't finalized*
  • And some general bugs I've noticed.

Thanks again for the feedback, please keep it coming.  I'm currently working on these changes and hope to have them done in the next few days.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Statistics done!

Hey everyone, the statistics page is finally done!

Statistics are generated once daily at 4AM PT/7AM ET/1PM CET/9PM AET.  The process takes about 30 seconds, so if you manage to hit the page as it's happening, you will just need to refresh to get the updated stats (an error message will tell you this).

There are a few bosses that I need to confirm I have the correct boss flagged.  There is a unique 17-19 digit number associated with every single NPC in the game.  The bosses that need to be confirmed will display a message on their respective statistics page.  I would greatly appreciate your help in this matter.  You can help me by either sending your combat log or a link to your combat log (uploaded to torparse.com) along with the version of the dungeon you were running (eg. Heroic, 8 Man Story Mode, etc) for the bosses that are flagged.

Also, if you notice fake combat logs making it into the rankings, please feel free to e-mail me. Fake combat logs will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned from the website. Statistics may be re-generated early after fake logs have been removed.

I hope the stats it provides are useful and, of course, all feedback is welcome.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Still Here!

Hey everyone! Thank you all for your continued use and support of the site. I haven't gone anywhere! Sorry for the long time between updates... I've had a pretty busy real life schedule as of late.  But, don't worry, the site is not going anywhere.  I can't promise any big updates soon, but I'm still working on the stats page as I get free time and hope to eventually expand the site as I detailed in my first blog.

As always, I welcome all feedback, comments and concerns and will always reply in a timely manner (as I'm sure many of you that have emailed me can attest to).

Thank you!
James

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Little update

*Little update in the Little Update* Need more time to finish the stats page so now I'm shooting for something to show this coming weekend! Will keep you posted. Thanks!

Hey everyone. Just wanted to provide you guys with a little update on the website since it's been well over a week since my last update/posting.

I've been working on finalizing the statistics page and hope to have something to put up by this weekend or early next week.  I've been a little pre-occupied with some IRL stuff like work, moving, and the Steam sale (which was awesome!) so I'll get back in the swing of things here shortly.  I'll try to get you guys a little preview of how the stats page is coming along here in the next few days.

I have been keeping an eye on the site and everything has been running smoothly.  If you encounter any issues, please let me know at james@torparse.com.


Also, I just wanted to let you guys know that I have plans to keep this website up for a long time to come regardless of the outcome of EA's quarterly report that comes out July 31st.  I won't be surprised if they omit SWTOR all together, and if they don't, equally not surprised if SWTOR is not doing so great.  But, don't fear, I'm in it for good (as long as people still visit the site!) :)

Thanks!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sorry some of EU and all Asia Users!

Today I fixed a bug in the server database that was causing a lot of EU and all of the Asia-Pacific servers to show up incorrectly.  This change is not retro-active, meaning that the affected combat logs will still show the incorrect server information.

If you were affected by this issue and would like your combat log to show the correct information, there are two options available to you:

  1. Please email me at help@torparse.com. Be sure to include the links to the affected combat logs and the correct server information.  I will update them manually for you.
  2. Delete your combat log through your "My Logs" page and re-upload the combat log.  The bug has been fixed and the correct server information will now show up.
Thanks for the reports you guys sent me to help narrow this bug down.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Upgrading Database Security

*Update* I have completed the security upgrade for the account system and everything is back up.  Please let me know if you have any issues.  If you're interested in what I did, I basically changed the encryption on user information just incase there is any kind of breech.  I am now using the best form of encryption to secure your personal information.  Thanks!

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Account creation and login will be down for approximately one hour while I apply a security upgrade to the account database and service.  This will affect logging in, creating new accounts, advanced upload options associated with being logged in and viewing of "My Logs."

I will post here when the service has been re-enabled. Thanks!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

A Little Update and Sortable Tables

**Update** See update at the bottom of post.

Hey guys, so far the re-launch of the site has been pretty smooth and successful.  Had a couple bugs I fixed pretty quick this week with special characters messing stuff up... they always are!

Also, thank you for spreading the word about the site being back up, I really appreciate it.  Every little bit helps.  And thank you very much to the people that have donated to the website (you know who you are!), it will definitely help me keep the site afloat with new features on-the-way.  If you want to donate, you can find more information here.

Now, what I want to talk about, or rather show you, today is sortable tables.  Because of the vast amount of information the website shows you, sometimes it can be difficult to sort through the all the available information in tables.  This has been a popular request and it's almost done.  I hope to have it completely polished and ready to go this weekend.  You'll notice in the images there is still a little polishing left to do (*ahem* table row colors and formatting).  This will apply to pretty much every table on the site.  Check it out:

This is default view:

 This is after clicking on the "Action" column


So, there ya have it.  Obviously got some formatting work to do, but the hard part is all done!

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**Update 2** All done! Applied to Analytical View. It hasn't yet been applied to Group Parsing, but it will be soon.  I'm working it into a little big bigger update with some stat revisions to Group Parsing.  Hopefully have it done by tomorrow or the day after.  Thanks!

**Update** So, it's all done, now I just gotta apply it to the entire site.  Check it out :)

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Welcome Back!

Welcome back everyone!  First, I just want to say thank you for all the supporting and motivating emails to get the site back up.  Now, on to business!

You will likely notice vast changes to the site.  I've added a lot of really cool features (or at least I think they're cool!). I'm going to detail all the changes in this post and also provide you a little insight into what is coming in the future.  Let's get started.


Blog
I've started this blog to have a centralized location for information on the site.  I'll post periodical updates and ramblings to this blog, so if you're the type of person that likes to read these things, then please do check back often!


User Accounts
I elected to ditch the old "user" system I had and create a brand new system from scratch.  The new system is very easy to use, requires no "account activation" (ie clicking a link in your email), and you can get started in seconds.  Here's some information about the new user system:

  • Free - There is no cost associated to you for becoming a member.
  • Create an account in seconds - Literally, it is a matter of typing in your desired username, password and email.  That's it.  Then you're ready to go.
  • More upload options - For full information on this, see the "New Upload System" section below, but in a nutshell, you will be able to keep track of all your logs, keep your logs on the site longer before they are deleted, and create/manage/join group logs.
  • My logs - Keep track of all the logs you upload and all the group logs you create.


New Upload System
You will notice the upload page has a lot more options now than it used to.  Don't fret!  It's still simple to use!  I've added a couple new pieces of required information, mostly in order to facilitate group logs and statistical information.  Here is a guide that will detail all the new options and what they mean.

These are the basic features if uploading a log anonymously:

  • Combat Log - This has not changed.  I've added additional functionality to detect if a log has been uploaded before, and if so, to prompt you with a link to that log.
  • Server - This is a new option.  Simply choose your server once, and it will be remembered.
  • Timezone - This is a new option.  This field is very important and must be used correctly.  **This is the timezone of your computer, NOT of the server** If this field is not chosen correctly and you attempt to join your log into a group log, the group log will not parse correctly.

These are the additional options allowed if logged in with the new user system:
  • Guild Name - This is a new option.  Specify your guild name and show up in searches by guild.  Guilds will also eventually be included in statistical information.  This field will be remembered when typed once.
  • Description - This is a new option.  This feature was highly requested before the site went down.  It can be difficult to keep track of all your combat logs, so I have added this field that allows you to create a short description of the log you have uploaded.  This field can only be viewed by you under "My Logs."
  • Group Logs - Please see below for more information on this feature.


Log Keep
This is a behind the scenes operation, but something I want to inform you about upfront.  Logs will now be deleted from the website after they have been inactive for a certain period of time.  This period of time is much shorter for logs uploaded anonymously than it is for logs uploaded by registered members.  I do not have the exact periods of time nailed down yet and it is very likely the period of time will fluctuate depending on site usage.  I will likely add a "Status" page that will inform users of behind the scenes values that may affect their usage of the site. Ultimately, I am doing this to keep server costs lower.


Group Logs
Group logs is something I've been working on for quite some time.  I really wanted it to be a seamless integration into the site, and I think I've come pretty close to accomplishing that.  I'm not quite done with all the stats, and will be making a few passes at the various parsing options on the multi-log display page.  I'm going to offer you a brief tutorial here of how to create, join and manage a group log.  I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but here is a guide!

  1. You must be a registered member and logged in to access this feature.
  2. When uploading a new combat log, the bottom option will allow you to select "Solo Log", "Create New Group," and "Join Group."  The default value is "Solo Log."
  3. Creating a new group log is very easy.  Simply click the "Create New Group" button and enter in a password to join your group if you would like.  Then, upload your log as normal.  You can manage any group logs that you own from your "My Logs" page.
  4. To join an existing group, you will either need the Group ID and Group Password, or the person that creates the group can provide you with a link that will automatically fill these fields in.
  5. Any of your combat logs that belong to a group will show the group link under your "My Logs" page.
  6. That's it!


Statistics
Statistics will be generated every few days.  Once I have enough data to generate the first group of statistics, I will let everyone know and provide more information about the kinds of statistics and how they work.  Look for this in the coming weeks!


Search
This feature is pretty self-explanatory.  As of this moment, you can search by character and guild, but I will be adding in Class, Subclass, Faction, and Server searching shortly.


Coming Soon
These are some features I'm working on that are not quite ready for the public yet:

  • Desktop Application - The application is in the very early stages of development and this is a totally new realm of programming for me, so expect it to take some time to get out.  Initially, I will launch it as a syncing application that allows you to sync your combat logs with the server.  From there, I will implement live in-game solo and group parsing.  I will likely need beta testers in the weeks to come, and will be recruiting, so please keep an eye out!
  • More Search Options - I will be adding the option to search by Class, Subclass, Faction and Server soon.
  • Comparative Parsing - A feature that has been requested a lot is the ability to compare two of your own logs/fights side-by-side.  It's a planned feature. :)
  • Overall Stats - I will be updating the "My Logs" page to add overall stats for all of your characters.
  • API - An API for the site is in the early stages of development that will allow you to link fights and stats from the site into your own site.


Thanks for reading.  Please keep an eye on this blog for periodical updates and information on the site.  And as always, all feedback, questions and concerns are always welcome.  Don't hesitate to email me!