Zeherah's Hunter DPS Analyzer: Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

What version of the game does this support?
Generally any changes to the current version of WoW should be reflected on this site within a day or two. However there may be some formulas that still aren't accurate due to the game going through a lot of undocumented changes and hotfixes. There are also many bugs which I may not be aware of to reflect properly on the site. If you think there may be something that doesn't match the current in-game implementation please contact me with details so I can try to reproduce and correct it.
How accurate is this? Should I be concerned if my dps in game doesn't match up?
Like any dps calculator, this can only give a relatively decent approximation of what your dps might look like on a perfect stationary fight. Since nobody's perfect and no two fights are the same, your dps is unlikely to match up. The value of a dps analyzer is to give you a reasonable idea of how different changes to your gear, buffs, talents, etc. might affect your dps output. In theory most such changes will scale to different types of fights similarly but there will be exceptions to that rule. Additionally some abilities which provide no damage in the calculations (such as point of no escape) could still affect your dps on in certain fight situations. Haste especially tends to be overvalued in simulations since in movement fights the abilities affected by haste are the first to be reduced in frequency. Also the effects of stacking abilities are mostly not simulated, most procs and cooldowns are averaged over the course of the fight (with the exception of haste cooldowns and procs which are mostly applied directly to the simulated shot breakdown), whereas during a fight you can get better results with proper stacking of bonuses. So don't take the results as a gospel, but rather as a guide that gives you an idea of what direction to go.
How do I see my damage?
Fill in all your gear, settings, etc in the form, then click the Update DPS button at the bottom of the page. Everytime you change the contents of the form you will need to Update DPS again to get the most up to date damage.
Why is my item/gem not in the list?
To keep the menus to a reasonable length, only gear which is likely to be worn by max level raiding hunters is included. Also check that your item filters are set to support the item, the default setting filters may exclude some items. If there is an item which should be in the list which isn't, please contact me to let me know. Items with random enchants also are not supported. You can use the custom gear blanks to add in stats for any gear that is not supported- currently there is no way to add custom gems but you can specify custom stats for a ranged weapon.
Why won't my helm/weapon import from Armory?
If your helm or weapon are in the list, please check what gear you actually have equipped in Armory, usually the cause of this problem is having your fishing hat/cooking hat/fishing pole. If your items are not in the list and should be, please let me know.
How can I use items with random stats on the site?
For now the best way to use an item with random stats is to select the item, then fill in the random portion of the stats under custom stats. I hope to eventually add support for selecting the specific stat enchant your item has but this is a bit more complicated to implement.
Why do my final stats not match the numbers displayed in armory?
The final stats reflect the total amount of stats used in calculating your dps, not the stats as they would be displayed in armory. For instance, proc abilities that are averaged over time will affect your final stats but not show up in armory. Additionally armory does not display some things such as the reforging on your gear, any buffs you might have applied, the crit reduction caused by the difference in level between you and your target, etc.
Why are my dps numbers are not matching what I get from Simulationcraft?
Since the logic used by Simulationcraft does not exactly match what is supported on the site, it is normal for the dps numbers to be slightly different. If the numbers are significantly off make sure that your settings and buffs/debuffs match up with what you have configured in Simulationcraft. If you think there is still a major discrepancy, please make sure to save your settings and send me a message with details about the problem and the name of the setting you saved so I can test and try to track down the issue.
Which version of the spreadsheet is this based on?
The original development was done from Shandara's spreadsheet version 89e, but since there hasn't been an update since Wrath, all changes since then have been implemented directly from my testing and collected information from other hunter resources.
What does use averaging of abilities over time do?
This option allows you to disable the averaging in of variable effects into your dps (your dps will drop sharply with this disabled). At this time the following effects are ignored when averaging abilities is disabled: equipment based procs, cooldowns, and some talent based procs.
Why is my haste dps value coming out too high/low?
Small changes in haste can sometimes shift the simulated shot breakdown in unpredictable ways, causing an extra or lost shot or replacing one shot with another, so the dps gap between two haste points may sometimes be larger or smaller than expected. Since your play won't actually match up exactly with the simulation, you shouldn't put too much stock in haste dps values. You can also use the custom stats to significantly increase or lower the haste to see how it shifts the value. You can also enable debug data to see what might be changing in the simulation to cause the strange results. Sometimes crit and agility may end up with warped values as well, due to crit affecting the shot simulation in a few areas- generally this is due to a change in simulated wild hunt uptime which may not reflect reality in game.
Can I use this if I'm not max level?
All the gear and spell levels are designed around a max level hunter. If you are below max level the results you get will not be useful.
Can I use this if I'm on a WoW server that isn't US, EU, KR or TW?
You will be able to use most of the features, but the armory import will not function. If you're on a server/region that doesn't currently work please send me your armory link and I'll see if it's difficult to add support.
What does don't emulate known bugs do?
By default any bugs known to be on the live server that affect dps will be implemented in the site. If you would like to see your dps without the effect of these bugs you can enable this option. At this time the only bug supported is a .3 second delay in casting pet basic attacks.
What is the difference between the DPS Scratchpad and Saved Settings?
The saved settings feature is only available to users who create accounts. It will save all your settings for later loading back into the form or copying the URL to share, as well as allow you to create public settings that others can access. The dps scratchpad does not save your settings and does not require an account, it is basically just a simple method to log your dps as you make changes without saving the full settings. You can use the two features in tandem as needed, making small changes and logging them with the scratchpad, then saving your settings when you decide which changes you want to keep.
Why doesn't the dps analyzer work in my browser?
At this time the hunter dps analyzer requires a browser with good Javascript and Ajax support. If you have Javascript disabled you should turn it on. If it still isn't working and you're using a browser which does have good Javascript and Ajax support, please send me a message with details of what the problem is that you're experiencing so I can test and try to resolve the issue. At a later date there may be support for non-Javascript users but it could be awhile before I have time to implement that. If you are using Opera 9.x you will have problems with the menus due to a bug in the browser- use Opera 10.x or another browser instead for now.
What does the display debug data setting do?
If you turn on display debug data you will get some ugly output of the arrays of data that are generated in the process of giving your dps output. You'll also see the simulated shot breakdown that was run for you and your pet. For most users this information won't be of much use but if you are trying to track down why something seems incorrect it might give you an idea.
Do you plan to implement the gear planner?
At this time I don't plan to implement the gear planner due to it requiring far more time investment than I can commit to. It's also very difficult to make sure a gear planner gives optimal results. There are custom links included to gear comparison sites in the dps results which contain the stat values calculated for you, as well as a Pawn string which you can use with the Pawn mod to view gear rankings in game. Note that hit rating values are included even if you are over hit cap so that you can effectively value gear which would drop you below the cap.
How is my shot priority simulated?
The simulated shot priority is designed to calculate how much of each shot you'll fire (as well as your pet attacks) so that the shot counts can be used in calculating dps and uptime of various abilities and procs. Haste and focus related cooldowns and procs are placed at expected average intervals in your shot breakdown. Specifying a shot to save focus for is generally recommended, because the shot priority will fire the first shot in the priority it reaches that it has enough focus to fire assuming it's not on cooldown, and signature shots for each spec (explosive shot, chimera shot and kill command) cost more focus than arcane shot and will generally never fire if you don't save focus for them. If you enable a wait time, no shot will be fired until the shot you've requested to wait for is available, assuming that it'll be off cooldown in the wait time specified and you'll likely have enough focus by then based on your passive regen. You can see the results of your simulated shot priority by enabling debug data under settings.
Why does the armory import say it can't find my pet's talents?
Armory sometimes will not properly update pet talents. If your pet displays on Armory with 0 talent points the site will be unable to import your pet. You can just do the armory import without specifying your pet name and then manually select your pet type and talents. Note that Armory will only display pets that aren't in your stable.
I have more than one pet with the same name, how can I use the armory import to get the correct one?
By default the first pet in the list matching the pet name will be chosen. If you wish to specify a different one you have two options. If the pets all are different pet families, you can add (pet family name) to the end of the pet name to indicate the family it belongs to, i.e. (Wolf) for Wolf. Or if they are of the same family you can indicate which one by specifying (match number) at the end of the pet name, i.e. (3) for the 3rd pet in the list matching the specified name.
How are pet abilities handled?
By default all pet buffs/debuffs are assumed to be applied as often as possible unless disabled. There is a simulated pet attack breakdown which estimates how many basic attacks and thunderstomps the pet utilizes (and what percentage of the basic attacks would benefit from the wild hunt damage bonus). Other pet damaging abiltiies and procs (such as Rabid) are assumed to be used as often as they can be and averaged over the course of the fight. These can all be disabled.
What type of pets does stampede simulate?
It is assumed that all stampede pets are ferocity and that none are providing any raid buffs/debuffs that you haven't already selected as active for the entire raid. The stampede pets will use basic attacks and rabid on cooldown unless you have disabled them in the pet settings.
Can I disable a buff that's provided by my pet?
Yes, you can do this in the pet section by checking off "Disable Pet Buff/Debuff". Unless you disable it, any buff provided by the pet is used. All other raid buffs/debuffs are disabled by default (with the exception of Hunter's Mark which can be disabled manually) but can be enabled in the Buffs/Debuffs section.
I created an account but for some reason I can't seem to save my settings. Why is this?
I've received sporadic reports of this happening but I've not been able to track it down to a specific cause. If this happens to you I recommend using the logout option, clearing your browser cache and cookies for the site, reloading your browser and seeing if that helps. Also if you are behind a proxy server of some kind it's possible that could be creating an issue. Try another web browser as well to see if it's working there.
How can I get my dps to reflect a fight damage buff?
Under Buffs/Debuffs there is a Custom Buffs section. You can set the magical and physical damage portions to the number the bonus is currently at to reflect the buff being present.
Why can't I reforge parry and dodge off my gear on this site?
The site doesn't support parry and dodge since they have no effect on dps and are not present on the vast majority of hunter gear. You can simulate the reforging of these stats by just adding the amount of the stat you gain from reforging in the custom stats section of the gear section.
Is my item proc supported properly?
If you're not sure if your item proc is being calculated properly, you can view the proc list. This will give you the exact data used for supporting your item procs on the site. Note that occasionally item procs can be incorrectly supported since frequently the actual nature of the proc is not fully understood until well after an item is released and I may not always be aware when more up to date information is available, so if you notice a discrepancy, please report it. Also note that some procs require special handling and aren't included in the proc list- if you're noticing an issue with an item that isn't listed you can contact me for more details about how it's being modeled. Note that procs which are not haste based are averaged over the course of the fight- haste procs are applied directly to your simulated shot breakdown. Damage based procs are lumped together and listed as proc dps in the ability damage list.
What 5.4 changes are currently supported?
The following 5.4 changes are applied:
  • Cobra Shot now does 77% weapon damage
  • Steady Shot now does 66% weapon damage + 1737
  • Arcane Shot now does 125% weapon damage + 2882 and focus cost is increased to 30
  • Aimed Shot now does 450% weapon damage + 12339
  • Kill Command now does 935.333 + 93.8% RAP damage
  • Explosive Shot now does 536.8 + 43.01% RAP damage
  • Chimera Shot now does 397.5% weapon damage + 6193.5
  • Readiness is no longer available
  • Explosive Trap no longer shares a cooldown with Black Arrow but will not proc Lock and Load
  • Explosive Trap now does 124 + 3.82% RAP initial damage and 270 + 38.2% RAP damage over 20 sec
  • Stampede pet damage is no longer reduced to 25%
  • Murder of Crows now does 40% increased damage
  • Lynx Rush now does 30% increased damage
  • RPPM procs now only account for 120 seconds of out of combat before fight (previously was simulating as 5 minutes out of combat)
  • RPPM procs now only include haste modifiers in some cases and some items have new proc rates

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