Why is the role called "dps"?

[Armourboy]

The way I've always looked at it, as this has crossed my mind. While every class is a DD (technically), only certain classes are brought specifically for their dps. This lead to people calling damage specific roles 'dps' so as not to confuse them with other classes that do damage but are not being brought specifically for their dps.

Makes sense. Like back when people used to look for a " CC ". Generally it was understood in WoW at least, that individual was going to be a Damage Dealer, but the damage part was secondary, what they needed was someone that could control a mob.

[Tolian]

because ´people who stand in fire and say gogogo´ is too long.

I lol'd.
/10char

[Count Zero]

Why is anything anything ?

I just know I'll always say "characters" or "main"/"alts" instead of "toons".

[Amnaught]

A lot of people are saying that it used to be DD before WoW was released, but I distinctly remember using DD throughout vanilla, then going through a whole phase making fun of the idiots who started calling them DPS. A seriously stupid acronym if you ask me. We should go back.

[Halicia]

Why is anything anything ?

I just know I'll always say "characters" or "main"/"alts" instead of "toons".

i avoid toons... it sounds childish, imo.... but i'll alternate between chars/alts depending on which is more appropriate. "chars" includes actively played characters and mains... whereas "alts" sounds more like characters you play when your mains bore you.

[meroko]

because DD sounds like your moms tits. DPS sounds better.

[Eleccybubb]

Because it's role is to DPS?

[Somarlane]

This thread was made, because the term DPS annoys some guy, so he wants everyone to stop using it and start using DD instead.

It was also made back in March 2013.

[Deleted]

What does the DD do? DPS!


It's the same thing.

[kaintk]

your rôle is to do X damage by second, not just do 'damage deal'

[Teri]

I'm pretty sure it didn't take 12 years for damage meters to come out. I was using one at the end of Vanilla. The term "DPS" was, in fact, in use before damage meters, but I have no idea why you claim it took over a decade for damage meters to come out. That would mean we got damage meters in 2016... aaand, yeah, that's false.

Unless you're talking about some other game? But I'm not sure how that would be relevant to this discussion, so I assume you're talking about WoW.

It took like a year for damage meters, ok bad grammar maybe, should have said "people used the term for 12 years, and not purely because of damage meter addons"

I used one in Molten Core/BWL

But really "damage per second" is written on all weapons, and I believe that's where the wording came from.

[Stormcall]

I can't speak for the history of the term, but I know in some games "DD" is "direct damage", vs "DOT" which is "damage over time".

[Daffan]

DPS > DD

Nuff said

[Rudkobing]

It means damage per second. DD means DD breast size.

[Deleted]

In Germany we say "dd" for "damage dealer". Why do most people in other countries call it "dps"?
What sense does "looking for a damage per second for xxxxx" make?

I remember when I started playing fantasy MMOs like 15 years ago and DD usually meant Dungeons and Dragons, that's why people were using DPS.

[Pony Soldier]

To me, and this may just be because I'm used to the term, "DD" just looks too generic and there is just so many things that can come from that abbreviation. I can't help but see Daredevil or jokes about double D sized boobs. "Looking for a pair of DDs". DPS may not make sense when it's spelled out but it's more recognizable. Again this may just be because I'm used to it. Whenever I see DPS the first thing that comes to mind is...well a DPS, a damage dealer if you will. Because of WoW I use the DPS term for almost every game.

[Kaosadvokit]

I am going to go out on a limb here, but I am predicting that Everquest had some other use for DD. In UO, we never used ´damage per second´ because the game wasn´t balanced around it. Weapons had benefits besides ´dps´ which were usually more important than the longterm DPS. Every mage used a Halbard.etc etc. In any event, I am pretty sure ´dps´ became popular in EQ1, both as a measure of your damage, but also as a term for your role.

In Everquest, DD was a term for a type of spell. It meant "Direct Damage". Basically a single target nuke.

[Constraint]

It's called DPS because people got used to saying the wrong thing. Nothing more to it really. Damage dealers want to do as much DPS as possible. That doesn't physically make them "DPS" any more than it makes a tank a "TPS" or a healer a "HPS".

But no-one uses DD anymore, at least on US/Oceanic servers. So we're stuck with "looking for 1 more damage per second for H. Nighthold".

Does no-one stop to think that 1 more damage per second is not going to make a scrap of difference when bosses have approximately a billion hitpoints..?

[xgm541]

It's called DPS because people got used to saying the wrong thing. Nothing more to it really. Damage dealers want to do as much DPS as possible. That doesn't physically make them "DPS" any more than it makes a tank a "TPS" or a healer a "HPS".

But no-one uses DD anymore, at least on US/Oceanic servers. So we're stuck with "looking for 1 more damage per second for H. Nighthold".

Does no-one stop to think that 1 more damage per second is not going to make a scrap of difference when bosses have approximately a billion hitpoints..?

No, most people are not as anal retentive.

Similar reason why people call ATMs ATM Machines.

[Vaerys]

Also, a lot of people on german servers call their alts "twinks". That's kinda strange because it's a term from gay porn industry. Just a sec dude, I'm on my twink right now ... yeah.

It makes sense, though. Low level, geared = young pretty boy.