--Parsing--
(If your first thought is "DPS parsing? Ugh. I don't want to do that," then don't read this! DPS parsing is *not* necessary to do ground combat. But some nerds with too much time on their hands might be interested.)
As you hit enemies, little numbers float above their heads that tell you how much damage you're doing. If you're Data, you can use a paper, pen, and a stopwatch to write down those numbers and calculate your DPS. If you're like the rest of us, you'll need a parser.
A parser is a third-party program that uses the combat log that STO produces to calculate your DPS. You simply download and install the program, direct it to the right file, and then toggle the combat log in-game, and the program will produce various statistics for you.
You do not have to parse. Really. You can just look up guides online (like this one!) and take people's advice and you'll probably do fine. If you feel like you're doing enough damage, then you probably are.
There are two main reasons to parse:
1. To figure out what gear is worth using. Cryptic puts out a lot of new gear all the time, but most of it is junk. Some of it is actually worth buying, and a parser is the best way to tell. Players parse their DPS with various builds and then see if their DPS goes up or down when they use the latest shiny.
2. To get into the DPS channels. For ground, there are 2 channels: DPS-G-200 and DPS-G-400. If you parse over 200 or 400 in NTTE, then you can
ask for an invitation to those channels. Mostly those channels are for forming groups to do elite ground tours, but people also use them for other ground PVE queues and to discuss ground gear and tactics.
--How to parse--
There are several parsers out there. The one I use is
STO Combat Meter (SCM). It has the prettiest interface and is the parser used by the space DPS channels. There is a
technical guide as well.
Download the parser and use the setup.exe file. When it's open, give it the location of the combatlog.txt file (C:\Program Files (x86)\Star Trek Online_en\Star Trek Online\Live\logs\GameClient on my machine). When you're starting a round of NTTE, write "/combatlog 1" in chat to start parsing (or just press shift+1 if you're using the keybinds above). At the end, write "/combatlog 0" to stop the program (or shift+0 with the keybinds). Then you'll get pretty charts!
And, of course, you can parse any combat you want. NTTE is just the one people use to compare. If someone says their DPS is 500 but you measure them in UIE and they have a DPS of 214, then they might not be lying.
--What is a good DPS?--
It really depends on your goals. If you just want to have fun, then forget about the whole thing and don't install the program. You don't need it!
If you want to know if you're ready for NTTE, DRSE, BHE, UIE, and BOTSE, then anything over 300 DPS is good enough. For NSDTE, everyone on the team should have at least 500 DPS. For HGE, each team member should get at least 600 DPS, plus they need to know the mission well.
If your goal is to set a DPS record, then more is better.