CombatDashCombatDash combines several data sources. These include the combat log, your effects, target values, system messages, and messages from other CombatDash users.
Why CombatDash needs its own models
LOTRO plugins see only part of the real game state. CombatDash therefore reconstructs information carefully from the combat log, effects, target changes, system messages, and voluntarily shared CombatDash messages.
The player model combines a name, side, class, personal status, and level. Without it, CombatDash could not reliably connect observations made at different times to the same player.
The party model is necessary because the Plugin API does not provide a complete and reliable fellowship or raid list at all times. CombatDash derives the known roster from invites, join and leave messages, and shared performance data. The display may therefore be incomplete immediately after the plugin loads.
Technical limitations
The LOTRO plugin API does not provide all game data. This causes important limitations:
- CombatDash cannot send a chat message by itself. A Quickslot always needs your click.
- Many Quickslots work only when the LOTRO interface is locked.
- The API does not provide complete rank and infamy totals. CombatDash needs starting values.
- The API does not provide a safe, complete party roster. CombatDash builds the Roster from chat messages.
- CombatDash reads invite requests from tell and OOC. It accepts only narrowly defined phrases, so normal chat messages do not become requests.
- Your map position comes from
/loc. CombatDash cannot read it freely and continuously from the API. - The Effect API does not identify the source of a debuff. CombatDash therefore cannot prove that every effect under Tracker → INC came from a Freep.
- Some detection depends on the LOTRO client language. CombatDash intentionally ignores unverified text patterns.
The LOTRO plugin API cannot read whether a player is a Freep or Creep. CombatDash therefore classifies players automatically by analyzing visible combat events.
You can also classify unknown players manually. Right-click a player in any CombatDash player display. Then select Freep or Creep and set the class.
Automatic classification can be incomplete or incorrect. A manual classification corrects the current result. Later unique combat skills can correct side and class again.
CombatDash measures what your client can observe. Values can differ from another analysis plugin or another player's data.
The plugin prefers a missing value to an invented value. You can correct many classifications and timers manually.