Advanced Combat Tracker

Advanced Combat Tracker (ACT) is a free Windows MMO combat log parser that uses plugins to process game logs. Hosted plugins are listed for EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XIV, Rift, Age of Conan, Aion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and The Secret World. ACT can parse logs in real time, import entire log files, or search its History Database for older encounters. Tables and graphs show information from an encounter overview down to individual combat actions, while Encounter VCR and Encounter Timeline provide graphical encounter views. Spell timers and custom triggers can match log lines, capture text, play sound alerts, or start timers. ACT exports tables and encounters as formatted text, HTML, XML, or web pages, and supports FTP uploads and ODBC database connectivity. Its .NET plugin system accepts precompiled assemblies or C# and Visual Basic.NET source files. The maker offers an installer and ZIP archive. The download page points users to Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.1; .NET Core and .NET 5–8 will not work with ACT.

ACT offers log parsing, encounter review, alerts, and export options in a free Windows application. Check the framework requirement and game plugin availability before installing.

ACT may suit Windows players who want to parse combat logs, review encounters, or configure alerts through plugins. Its hosted plugins cover several listed MMO titles.

Advanced Combat Tracker is a free Windows MMO combat-log parser for players who want to examine fights in detail and configure tools around their game’s logs. Its combination of live parsing, encounter review, alerts, and export options is strong; the Windows and .NET Framework requirements, along with plugin-dependent game support, narrow its fit.

Overview

ACT can parse combat in real time, import whole log files, or search its History Database for older encounters. That makes it useful both while a fight is underway and when revisiting a session. Tables and graphs move from an encounter overview down to individual combat actions, while Encounter VCR and Encounter Timeline offer graphical views of how an encounter unfolded.

Game support is provided through plugins. Hosted plugins are listed for EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XIV, Rift, Age of Conan, Aion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and The Secret World. This reaches across several MMOs, but it makes plugin availability a prerequisite rather than a bonus: players should confirm support for their game before committing to ACT.

Key features

Encounter review

The combination of detailed tables, graphs, replay analysis, and session history is more useful for post-fight diagnosis than a damage total alone. Players can narrow an overview to individual actions and use the visual encounter views to follow what happened. That depth favors people looking to study a fight; it is more machinery than someone wanting only a quick live readout may need.

Alerts and timers

ACT can track countdowns for parsed skills or events. Custom triggers can match log lines, capture parts of a line, play a sound, or start a timer. This makes the parser useful as an event-alert tool as well as an analysis tool, although the triggers depend on matching events in game logs.

Exports and extensions

Tables and encounters can be exported as formatted text, HTML, XML, or web pages. FTP uploads and ODBC database connectivity give players ways to move results beyond the application. Its .NET-based plugin system accepts precompiled assemblies or C# and Visual Basic.NET source files, giving technically inclined users room to extend it without making that flexibility necessary for basic parsing.

Pricing

ACT is freeware. The Advanced Combat Tracker plan costs nothing and is a Windows desktop download; there is no paid tier or free trial. That keeps the full application accessible without a subscription decision, but the zero price does not remove the work of finding and configuring a suitable game plugin.

Platforms

ACT is a Windows application. The download page directs users to Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.1 and warns that .NET Core and .NET 5–8 will not work with ACT, so users should check that requirement before installing. The current setup is version 3.8.5.288, modified February 15, 2026. The maker offers both an installer and a ZIP archive; portable mode stores files relative to the program folder, and the ZIP is recommended for that use. The ZIP also contains the files from an ACTv3 installation and the ACTv3 Clipboard Sharer.

ACT creates a configuration file under the user’s %APPDATA% folder on first execution and does not specifically save data to the Windows Registry. The maker says it does not intentionally collect personal information, though server logs retain IP address, UserAgent, and URL request indefinitely. The main website does not serve ads or use cookies; its forums may use cookies to keep users logged in.

Who it's for

ACT is a good fit for MMO players who want to compare encounters, review individual combat actions, track event timers, or export results for further use. Its plugin model and extensibility particularly suit players comfortable checking game-specific support and working with configuration. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs a non-Windows application or whose game lacks a suitable plugin.

For help, the ACT forums ask users to identify the game they play. FFXIV users are directed to a community Discord and setup resources, a useful distinction for a tool whose setup depends on the game.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Real-time parsing, full-log imports, and a History Database cover both live monitoring and retrospective review.
• Pro: Tables, graphs, VCR, and Timeline views support analysis from an encounter summary down to individual actions.
• Pro: Custom log triggers, timers, several export formats, FTP, and ODBC make it useful beyond a basic damage meter.
• Con: Plugin-based game support means users must verify a suitable plugin for their MMO.
• Con: The Windows and .NET Framework 4.8.1 requirement rules out other platforms and requires attention to the runtime version.
• Con: Cactbot requires the latest OverlayPlugin and does not support ACTx86, a constraint for users considering that plugin.

Alternatives

Game Damage Meters is a category to browse if you want to compare options rather than start with a specific application.

• Combat Metrics is a free ESO addon; choose it if you want an ESO-focused option and are prepared to download its required libraries separately.
• AwowLab Overlay is a free Windows option with no paid tier required for its core job; consider it if that core job, rather than ACT’s broader log review, is your priority.
• CombatDash is a free Windows option for Creep classes through an unofficial Lord of the Rings Online community plugin, so it fits that narrower use case.
• Elite Insights is free, provided as-is under MIT license conditions, and supports Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows setups; consider it if those platform choices matter more than ACT’s Windows-only setup.
• EQ Zera is free on web and Windows with no purchase, account, or sign-in required and no locked features; choose it if that access model suits your needs.
• eqdps is free for Linux and Windows, with optional EQLDB uploads; consider it if you want a free option on either platform.
• EQL Meter is a free MIT-licensed macOS and Windows app with no account or cloud backend; it may suit users who prefer that setup.
• PQ Companion is free for Windows 10/11 and Project Quarm; consider it for that specific game and platform combination.

Verdict

Choose Advanced Combat Tracker if you play a supported MMO on Windows and want detailed encounter review, configurable alerts, and flexible exports without paying for the application. Its strongest reason to choose it is the breadth from live parsing through historical analysis; its clearest reason to look elsewhere is the combination of plugin dependence and a specific Windows runtime requirement.