Where can I get a decent target dummy to parse on?

DanteTheDeviant · March 28

Anything in the game for free that's better than the Soul-Swarn Thall that only has like 321k hp?

Hard to learn the game without access to the right tools.

Aislinna · March 28

Many guilds seem to have various target dummies in their guild house. Maybe check if your guilds have one, or consider joining a guild to get access.

DanteTheDeviant · March 28

Aislinna wrote: »

Many guilds seem to have various target dummies in their guild house. Maybe check if your guilds have one, or consider joining a guild to get access.

Sure, but I would like to have my own. Is there no target dummy in game I can earn through gameplay? It's an essential part to the game, surely it's not completely paywalled...

Aislinna · March 28

Oh, sorry I misunderstood. There are some small target dummies you can earn in game, like the Clockwork City one, or the Western Skyrim public dungeon one, and probably others, but I think the big trial ones are from crowns only.

fizl101 · March 28

Western skyrim labrinthian dungeon, from memory its a 6m dummy. Collect the pieces that drop from mobs

colossalvoids · March 28

Guess you might be hinting on absence of trial ones earned in-game, and you're right.

PapaTankers · March 28

You can buy some directly from guild traders with 3mil hp.
Also there are trial dummies you can buy from guild traders (dwarven ones).
Alternatively you can farm writ voucers and craft them yourself.
They do not give buffs like trial dummy, iron astronach however which is standard for parsing.

SpacemanSpiff1 · March 28

there are dwarven centurian dummies (25 or 50 million health) and skeleton dummies (3 or 6 million health) that can be crafted and sold to other players.

DanteTheDeviant · March 28

Just wanted to say thank you all for the information! Guess I'm gonna start crafting haha (:

It is unfortunate though that zos hasn't given all players access to a trial target dummy since that's the standard for parsing... Fingers crossed they provide one in the upcoming DLC... It's bad enough the game doesn't teach you how to do light attack weaving, how to maintain uptime on DoTs, that sustain impacts your dps, etc etc, but to also not provide us the tools to teach ourselves unless we pay, that feels like pay-to-win to me.

Ingenon · March 28

DanteTheDeviant wrote: »

Just wanted to say thank you all for the information! Guess I'm gonna start crafting haha (:

It is unfortunate though that zos hasn't given all players access to a trial target dummy since that's the standard for parsing... Fingers crossed they provide one in the upcoming DLC... It's bad enough the game doesn't teach you how to do light attack weaving, how to maintain uptime on DoTs, that sustain impacts your dps, etc etc, but to also not provide us the tools to teach ourselves unless we pay, that feels like pay-to-win to me.

^This

Also, I would like ZOS to add this trial target dummy as part of a solo instanced training room that you could go to at any time for free. This training room would have an NPC that would talk to you while you were practicing your DPS, and the dialogue would be intended to teach you all the things you said above (how to do light attack weaving, etc.).

Necrotech_Master · March 28

PapaTankers wrote: »

You can buy some directly from guild traders with 3mil hp.
Also there are trial dummies you can buy from guild traders (dwarven ones).
Alternatively you can farm writ voucers and craft them yourself.
They do not give buffs like trial dummy, iron astronach however which is standard for parsing.

the crafted trial dummies i dont think come with all the buffs of a true trial dummy like the ones that are paid with crowns, but ive never actually crafted one so im unsure if they updated those to come with the buffs

Amottica · March 28

There are ones you can obtain in game that have decent HP but do not offer any buffs. They can be crafted with plans that can be bought with writ vouchers. The Centurion models are probably best but one probably has more HP than the other. The Robust Refabricated has more HP than the Dwarf one. Both require parts obtained from doing the weekly in HoF trial.

I suggest avoiding the target skeletons as they have a lot less HP but still work as test dummies.

Further, unless someone is using the iron atronach, only available for crowns, they would have to make adjustments to compensate for the lack of sustain. Adjusting the rotation when working to practice and refine it is not the best choice. Adding sustain via food/drinks helps.

So while the fancy one that provides the buffs and debuff is the best choice, free is free and always a good price.

kringled_1 · March 28

I don't think the dwemer construct dummies provide any buffs. They just have a lot of health and I think the original intent was for them to be used for a group to parse together.

Amottica · March 29

kringled_1 wrote: »

I don't think the dwemer construct dummies provide any buffs. They just have a lot of health and I think the original intent was for them to be used for a group to parse together.

Correct. They does not have the buffs.

Since the OP is looking for one that is available for free in the game the constructs that I mentioned are the best choices. The smaller of the two would be better for a solo parse. The skeletons and other dummies available for free in-game do not have enough HP for them to be worthwhile.

Sakiri · April 2

Ingenon wrote: »

DanteTheDeviant wrote: »

Just wanted to say thank you all for the information! Guess I'm gonna start crafting haha (:

It is unfortunate though that zos hasn't given all players access to a trial target dummy since that's the standard for parsing... Fingers crossed they provide one in the upcoming DLC... It's bad enough the game doesn't teach you how to do light attack weaving, how to maintain uptime on DoTs, that sustain impacts your dps, etc etc, but to also not provide us the tools to teach ourselves unless we pay, that feels like pay-to-win to me.

^This

Also, I would like ZOS to add this trial target dummy as part of a solo instanced training room that you could go to at any time for free. This training room would have an NPC that would talk to you while you were practicing your DPS, and the dialogue would be intended to teach you all the things you said above (how to do light attack weaving, etc.).

Light attack weaving was never an intended game mechanic but they've just left it alone because players made it work.

They're not going to teach you how to do something they didn't originally intend you do.

Zastrix · April 4

Sakiri wrote: »

Light attack weaving was never an intended game mechanic but they've just left it alone because players made it work.

They're not going to teach you how to do something they didn't originally intend you do.

Game combos were never an intended game mechanic. Street Fighter 2 had combos by accident (a bug) but players made it work, then later added it into future title.

Only difference and point on which I agree is that there isn't a tutorial, which they should add.

M0ntie · April 4

Sakiri wrote: »

Ingenon wrote: »

DanteTheDeviant wrote: »

Just wanted to say thank you all for the information! Guess I'm gonna start crafting haha (:

It is unfortunate though that zos hasn't given all players access to a trial target dummy since that's the standard for parsing... Fingers crossed they provide one in the upcoming DLC... It's bad enough the game doesn't teach you how to do light attack weaving, how to maintain uptime on DoTs, that sustain impacts your dps, etc etc, but to also not provide us the tools to teach ourselves unless we pay, that feels like pay-to-win to me.

^This

Also, I would like ZOS to add this trial target dummy as part of a solo instanced training room that you could go to at any time for free. This training room would have an NPC that would talk to you while you were practicing your DPS, and the dialogue would be intended to teach you all the things you said above (how to do light attack weaving, etc.).

Light attack weaving was never an intended game mechanic but they've just left it alone because players made it work.

They're not going to teach you how to do something they didn't originally intend you do.

The game does give a load screen tip that tells you about light attack weaving. For those that don't like it, there is the Velothi Amulet and a HA sorc.
Time to stop flogging the dead horse of "light attack weaving isn't a legitimate game mechanic".

Coming back to the OP's question. I agree 100% that the game should provide a trial buffed dummy in game. And also tell you how much dps you are doing. It is nearly impossible for people to learn without quantitative feedback.