Hey all, some new information about DPS and it resetting. After the last update, I noticed there was a combat timer that was preventing you from immediately changing channels or logging out. Curious, I wondered if the timer function technically existed before, so I asked @Excrulon to develop an add-on to constantly show whether or not you are in combat. This add-on is called Combat Timer and is now available on the add-on manager for public use (there may be some stability issues in regards to disconnecting when changing channels or changing maps).
What I learned thanks to this is that as soon as you perform any action that either deals damage or are attacked by any other source, you enter combat for 10 seconds. This will refresh upon either inflicting or taking damage, but it will constantly count down to zero seconds at which point you exit combat. Self-inflicted damage, such as through Bloodletting, will not reset the timer. Prevention of damage, such as through Safety Zone or Blessing of Ausrine, will not stop the timer from resetting (it will still go back to 10, even if the damage was negated).
Some buffs and healing do not refresh the combat timer. Some buffs will cause you to go in combat, such as Swift Step or Steady Aim. Being near the boss but not acting will also continue to run down the timer, until you perform any action that either deals damage or you are attacked.
If you happen to die, it also does not immediately remove you from combat. The timer will continue to run down to zero, so the attack that kills you will keep you in combat for 10 seconds, giving you enough time to resurrect via Soul Crystal to continue your current DPS on a boss.
[Edit: Fade and Cloaking and skills similar do wipe damage on bosses. I conducted the tests on a field elite whose ranking system is different than bosses, which created a discrepancy.]
Sitting and recovering HP still seems to wipe DPS rating, as evidenced by a test where no ranking was received after attacking and resting, despite still being in combat by the gameās standards.
After running a few tests with @Vheissu it seems that as soon as you exit combat through this timer, your DPS rank will reset. The short of this is that if you wait too long (maybe youāre running around the boss or something) your DPS will reset simply naturally. Always be attacking, or sponging damage.