I want a Tizona D:

I want a banana sword, but I doubt I can throw myself in Mythic hell.

I wasted 3 years of my life playing this game to get a Mythic, missed countless real life interactions because Einherjar/assault starting D: Farmed a FUCK tons of gil from dyna solo(which is boring as fuck), got home early everyday for 1 month to attend LS delve runs when 1 stack airlixir +1 worth 2M.

In the end I got an item that I see little reason to 119. I barely use it, only situation I think I may use it is when I spam req. And even then it doesn't worth the effort. It's no where close to game changing item as majority of other RME.

2nd Mythic Y/N?

Fuck no.

But damn, I really want to attack 2~3 times on a melee job and WS that fast just for once.

JUST FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE D:

Maybe, maybe I picked the wrong mythic to begin with. A thought I'd never have 3 years ago. I changed, after all.

JP only invasion

Haven't play FFXIV for over 1 month, back then JP only mentality didn't exist in FFXIV, no issue joining JP /shout.

Rumor says it's a lot more JP only mentality in FFXIV now, a lot of them are quite rude/mean toward none JP players, just like FFXI. I guess that's another reason not to touch FFXIV again. I have enough JP only in FFXI, ended up having to play in the morning if I want to do group event. In FFXIV even playing in the morning won't solve the issue since English community barely exist on JP servers.

Continue to stay inactive in XIV w.

Goal

Got bored and play with spreadsheet a bit more, made a couple of "Goal set" again.

Last stand: This is the highest LS set I can find in full buff situation, no acc/attk issue. If acc is an issue, swap head to 119 AF head, stormsoul to Hajduk rings, back to Libeccio. Can swap nahtirah to Thurandaut +1 legs too if it's really that bad, although it's more dmg lose on that slot if attack far from capped.

Khepri doesn't seems to beat 119 AF even when LS doing 7.5k.

Req when fully buffed. If acc is an issue change body to mani R15 path A, hands to 119 AF hands.

Also, ideally gun slot should be 119 DP in req spam situations unless QD dmg is extremely bad or not using dmg shots.

TP:  When /DNC Uk'uxkaj+windbuffet is still the best. Can change to Whirlpool if acc is an issue. If subbing NIN then Thurandaut+1/twilight. Aphotic R15x2 seems to > eminent sword+ dagger due to 1 sec faster to TP 100 it seems.

Exen: Weak WS, can't get high number from it compare with LS/req, ditching it D:

After tons of qutrub kill for RoE, finally 119ed AF body. 4 more to go ><

AA battles and DD mode

Recent new content AA battle, COR is a viable alternative(but not a must have) in the BC. Most people including myself, just /WHM due to laziness. But I've been playing with the idea of using it as a DD in normal~difficult fights.

In order to do AA as a melee, it is required to have a very good DT- gears and /NIN to survive. The hard part is, if you turtle with DT- gears, it'd ended up suffering from acc issue even with sushi, especially if you don't have 4 song BRD. And COR doesn't have very good melee weapon already.

One advantage of going /ra mode is that COR can have full prelude+ min buff and full acc TP set without worrying about PDT- and march. Resulting higher accuracy and less cures. But another advantage melee COR has is, COR can get 10% PDT- in gun slot, basically a bit easier to cap PDT- compare with MNKs.

Super turtle melee mode:
Gun: 10%
Dring: 10%
Skirmish x5 perfect aug: 20%
Back: shadow
Neck: 5%
Waist: 4%
Ring2: Tojil HP ring

Total: Around 49%, but can't WS with gun and have to use req. Can probably reach cap with wiglen or something.

Another advantage of using gun slot for PDT- is, it is possible to use high HP Tojil ring to add more survive-ability. It's just that I'd have to stuck with req WS instead of last stand.


According to spreadsheet, on Tojil lv of target, I have around 152 DPS /NIN without chaos and SV, using sushi and turtle in my gimp PDT-.

Same target/debuff but full DD buff chaos+hunter+ prelude x2 and min, 142 DPS if I /ra /WAR in highest racc set if zerk up, zerk down has 118. /RNG is 115 DPS although I may* need to /RNG if doing VD anyways.

If using Exen build instead of req build and full of melee turtle rolls/gears, it's only 146 DPS.

Conclusion: Melee build is still a bit stronger than /ra with a BRD even in turtle like hell situation. Although I don't think it's possible to melee at all in VD. But ranged build requires less healing and less death.

Melee 4life for me, personally ._. What kind of pirate can't use a sword? :X

Carry, or not to carry, that is the question

Every once a while I see new/returning player complain on the forum about "server's dead, no /shout pt going on, can't find a party to do any content, especially delve. No LS accept me due to lack of good gear and I can't get gear without delve clears, every delve pt I joined sucked and failed, this game sucks blah blah."

As a XI mega fan, I wanted to prove to those ppl that delve really isn't hard with PUG and game don't suck, or at least not suck for the reasons listed by them. Also because I enjoy playing COR/DNC as a DD, and there really aren't many situation that I can do 13k WS on COR/DNC

over and over and over again using incomplete/gimped LS set(I don't think I can hit 15k goal for a while until I get better gear and get better at light shotting+ positioning though). I make pt usually to test and practice my performance in this zone as a DD.

So I've been making Ceizak 1~5+boss runs fairly often, with 1 DRG, 2 COR/DNC and 1 RNG setup, Muyingwa usually die in 2~3 min, even if alliance carry 2~3 leeches needing win. If pt is buff/debuffed properly, I'm usually ahead of MNK BLU on bee. Sometimes I'm ahead of Upukirex DRG sometimes behind, and pretty much always behind a RNG on bee.

I figured that alliance can carry 2~3 leeches needing win, so usually* there would be 1~3 leeches don't have win. The issue is, those leeches usually have extremely low performance that other ppl in the ally are doing more work to make up their subpar performance.

Quite a lot of "need win" DDs parse 6%~8%, some did 6% even with an Oat. Once I had a DRG parsed 0.4% and another WAR parsed 4%+ kept dying due to not turning away from shark spikes or doom aura. Eventually it turned out that those who did 15%~25% or even bring multiple character are doing 3x more works for leeches for pretty much no benefit. 

Further more, there are ppl that can't get in nor get into my alliance due to lack of proper job/gear/performance offering to pay for it. So me and friend decided it's probably better to charge gil from those ppl. Since we can totally beat delve boss with only 2 party or even less with such output.

I listed the price at slightly lower rate than RMT /shout, again, because I see it's a completely waste of gil to pay 20M for an NM that dies in 2~3 min. 

Then I got hate tells from ppl who used to join the run, for "using them to make gil", even though I've never make 1 gil from selling wins and pretty much hand out every wins for free to leeches in the past.

So there, now you see why returning players/newer players/can't get win.

1. They usually have subpar performance to begin with, due to lack of experience and gears. Any alliance worth a salt will ended up carrying them by doing 3x more work and get nothing in return. Since most ppl with enough gear/experience will cap on gears and gil gain from doing delve is bad.

If I invite them for free those who did 3x more work isn't happy for doing more work for them.

2. If I put merc ad on AH and sell wins, those who used to join run would start spreading false rumor for using them to make gil, and start assuming past leeches are buyers and I ate all the gil.(So I'm being accused for being greedy WHILE doing good deed to help ppl getting free clear)

All that made me feel I've been helping ppl get free win and still being accused for greedy for pretty much no reason. On the same time have to face one million casuals on the forum complaining about they don't get invite to the pt and can't get win. Some ppl who complained never even join the run, just making assumption and spread false rumor by reading AH comment.

Anyways Afania rant + rage mode on D:<

Fuck you if you make false assumption about other ppl and spread false rumor. I spent most of my time putting together a delve pt and helped tons of ppl for free clear, and have yet to make 1 gil from selling win in my life. D:<

And fuck you if you complain about ppl being a dick and not taking casual/new/returning player to delve runs. If you want invite and win don't come and parse 1%~4% thank you. D:< Wins don't come to 1%~4% worth of DDs, they belong to ppl that can do 15% or 25% thank you. D:< Nobody want to do 3x more work for other ppl's free win if they don't need delve already.

And fuck you if you never join my run but still spread false rumor and point fingers, basically you have 0 right to even question whether I use ppl to make gil or not to begin with. /blist added for such dick. D:<

Rage rage rage rage D: Rage at the reality that being nice and hand out free/cheap clear still being labelled as greedy and using ppl D:

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Btw, after many runs, I think a Ceizak ally can take 3 CORs with 1 /WAR and 2 /DNC in each pt. Something like MNK MNK COR/WAR COR/DNC. If debuffed properly, COR usually parse top 2~3 in all 6 NMs and usually ahead of MNK BLU Upukirex DRG on bee, that makes COR a DD on it's own. A COR/WAR with another COR/DNC doing haste samba should do even more dmg than COR/DNC according to spreadsheet, and every DD in that pt gets 4 rolls. 

But I don't think I can try that for a while, I've decided not going to do this zone for a while unless someone paying the ally a bunch and ppl stop making false assumptions and spread false rumors about others.

Well, maybe after I 119 every AF and have confidence to do 15k last stand next time.

First 119!

Been in gimpland since SoA released, finally got my first 119 after boulder got super cheap.

After DP nerf it's currently the strongest COR DD weapon, so sorry DP, Zebra gun revived again :)

DP: :< /rage

Afania: D:

DP 119 next I suppose :X

2.1

Read a bit of 2.1 patch note, actually liked nearly everything except BRD change. Although I'm not exactly interested in housing.

Still worried about PVP though because of inherent server/battle system issue, will see how it play I guess.

Can't afford too many sub atm, need to cancel XI sub if I want to try 2.1 :X Maybe after Jan. Still have a bit to do in XI and wanted to go back to SWTOR if I feel like it.

Shark lead

First time trying to make a PUG for shark T1~5NM+B, got win in 2nd try with 15+ min left. First win timed out at 10% because I tried to carry leech for free win again, and this zone kinda has less room for leeches, especially for first time leader.

I felt this zone is always the hardest with PUG, because all that mayhem and dmg+ debuff can be too much for PUG.

I mostly follow MPLS's strat to deal with shark, go turtle, make mayhem macro. Even then the support was slightly worse than LS, with much slower cure and status removal speed....I guess this can't be helped with PUG!

I think this complete my desire to lead a winning /shout ally for all 3 zones. Proved that delve wins is really NOT that hard with PUG. I really don't understand why there's still PUG beading 3 NM everyday and still can't clear.

Maybe time to write a "How to make PUG" guide next time, lol.

FFXI....and not really FFXI....and Ceizak note

If anything I don't like last update is the fact that you can solo mythic/119 AF without making friends. I've noticed that plenty of ppl avoid party in FFXI like a plague.

I've been making ceizak NMT1~5+B party often, just for fun. I hand out plenty of free wins to ppl needing clear, but even then sometimes I don't get tons of reply when I asked around. Some even rather pay 20M for win, instead of making a PUG or joining a PUG and get win for free, and the win is very easy, with bee usually last 2~3 min even with avg geared group. It's almost like:

Player A: Fuck I need Ceizak win.
Afania: Hey anyone need Ceizak win? Ill make an ally :D
Player A: I'll farm 20M and buy Ceizak win.
Afania: Comeeee :(
Player A: Nah, I have gil I'll just pay.


Nobody want to play the game anymore D:


Made me wonder if this game somehow discourage group content way too much. Group content is supposed to be whats fun about MMORPG, if doing group content with friends/LS = pain in the ass, it's either MMORPG not for them or group content haven't reward player enough.


Anyways on to Ceizak! After a few runs, I've got some parse data about DD hierarchy in Ceizak 6 NM runs. I never get to pt with high end DD like Ryuno DRG, relic RNG nor Koga+yoichi SAM, so I don't know their potential. I usually only get to pt with Donderbuss RNG, upukirex DRG, Buramenk'ah BLU and Oat MNK.

Hierarchy is usually Donderbuss RNG> Upukirex DRG> COR/DNC> Buramenk'ah BLU> Oat MNKs. I believe ryuno DRG, relic RNG and koga yoichi SAM has potential to do much higher due to higher WS frequency and epeen barrage. The fight usually last 2~3 min depending on who you have, may hit below 2 min IF the setup is absolutely the best, so it benefits Mythic AM3 or barrage. This zone also has plenty of room for error. I had mages sit in wrong pt, or BRD went afk and wasted 1hr, or have wipga at start AND 3 leeches in the ally, but usually ended up getting clear anyways.

Ranged WS totally rape in this zone, even with surefire rank 0 I can spike 12k WS on COR/DNC. My WS frequency is about the same as MNK and BLU but no where close to 2h DDs. I think it's very possible to break 13k with khepri + better gun and better buff.

RNG is usually a bit weak on T1~5 NMs, better to have a melee set if bringing a RNG.

I'm still not convinced BLU is optimal DD in Ceizak unless terror is really, really needed. Saevel is just BLU verson of pchan :) It has about the same WS frequency as COR, minus 12k epeen WS. Not convinced that BLU can be top since there's Ryuno DRG and Koga SAM with ranged WS build joining the DD hierarchy competition recently

IMO an avg geared pt with COR/DNC DDing in avg gear shouldn't have issue on gnat at all. Even with no BRD pt swap and only 2 songs, LS still spike 8k easy on gnat. I think the trick to make a fast kill pt with avg none RME gear pt is to stop having COR sub WHM and start DDing. Plenty of PUG bead 3 NM and still complain about lack of dmg, it's usually because the setup is wrong to begin with.


I wish FFXI go back to group focused content next update. It's just not very FFXI anymore to have content such as RoE. It's really, really not THAT hard to do group content. Plenty of ppl just exaggerating the difficulty.

Going to challenge shark PUG next. I have a feeling that this is the hardest zone to deal with PUG.

Will FFXI shut down in 2014?

I keep hearing FFXI doomsday talk recently, some say it has 1 more year left, some say 2. As if FFXI will shut down soon.

I can't say much about 3~5 years later, but from what I've seen now, it's quite unlikely that it will shut down in 2014. I'd say a good 95% of chance it won't shut down in 2014, 5% of chance for "never say never".

There's a couple of reason that lead to such conclusion.

1. It's Final Fantasy, and it's SE.

It's a FF title that means the IP is owned by SE. Quite a lot of titles shut down in the past, such as WAR and SWG, had license expiration issue. AFAIK WAR shutting down is due to license agreement, on top of low population. Dark Age of Camelot by same company still exist now.

If the IP is owned by SE, they can run it as long as they want. Hell if they want they can keep the game going even with 5k sub left.

The next question is, WILL SE keep running even if there's 1 server left(Not that I think FFXI will have 1 server left in 2014 unless SE do something silly anyways, need a few more years for FFXI to reach 1 server left status IMO).

We're dealing with SE, and the way they deal with FF franchise is something you can't predict using Asian/western MMO company logic. When FFXIV 1.0 turned into fail launch, every media predicted it's going to shut down or enter F2P mode, using Asian/Western MMO company logic. Asian/Western MMO logic= server shut down when it's no longer profitable, F2P or bust. But SE didn't do that, instead they remade entire game, for 1 single reason: It's FF, they can't lot FF rot.

Another smaller Asian MMO company that I have connection with, one of their policy is they will always update and keep running their titles no matter how small their player base becomes. And they launch 1~2 titles every year. There's a reason behind that though, shutting down a MMO is bad record in the industry, if a company shut down 1 title every 3 years, players would be less willing to spend money in cash shop in future titles.

Keeping a title alive is not as expensive as everyone thinks, if small Asian companies can do it, SE certainly can, especially for games like FFXI, few new re-skinned NMs every year. It's not like they need to pay the license fee for IP.

It's ass easy to keep the game running, and SE may release more MMO titles in the future. I see it more harm than good if they choose to shut down in 2014. I mean, EQ is older and has same core mechanic as FFXI, and it's still alive with 20th expansion released 1 month ago. At one point of time FFXI had more sub than EQ. If FFXI shut down before EQ, what a shame to SE!

2. Force grouping/Community based MMO still has it's market

Majority of none hardcore MMO player may think WoW/WoW clones like FFXIV are better MMO than pre-WoW era titles because it's "easier and you don't log on and do nothing".

But the fact is, titles like EQ and FFXI still has it's market....and a less competitive market. Games like WoW and FFXIV, is mostly about killing stuff, and none stop killing stuff with little to no downtime. Games like EQ and FFXI has plenty of downtime you can't do shit and are force to interact with community. You know, can't progress without friends.

However, if you often lurk on older MMO community, EQ is often praised to death and any new title that looks or plays like WoW will be bashed to death.

https://www.soe.com/status/

This site shows that EQ still has 17 servers, and some of them able to reach medium, nearly 15 years after release. Other titles by SoE has less....idk each game's server capacity though, so it may not be irrelevant to current active players.

It's not because EQ is actually that much better than other WoW clones, but because there are too many wow clones on the market. Casual MMO titles has bigger market and more competition, games that requires stronger community connection like FFXI has smaller market, but less competitor. And there ARE ppl who still doesn't like to log on, click pt queue, DING and enter instance.

I'm one of the player that find "getting ppl to do stuff" is part of challenge, and sometimes frustrating and yet rewarding experience. I often want to cry on my bed, kick myself, bash my head against the wall when I can't find ppl to do stuff and sit in town doing nothing, then I go "Fuck, I need more friends and bigger connection". I go out and be nice to everyone(that I usually don't), find ppl with similar goals, remember their names, and in the end managed to get shit done.

Besides getting shit done, I ended up making connections that still exists after I log off. That is the real reward that stays forever even after I exit to desktop. With an auto pt finder like WoW clone games, I kill shit with random strangers after a few min of wait, then disband pt and log off. After I log off there's nothing left, like every other single player titles, beat the boss, turn off the power and every accomplishment gone. And FFXI is just different from those single player MMOs.

If I just want to log in and kill shit to have fun, there are other titles I can play. But if I want to log on and make meaningful connections, or have a reason to force myself making friends, FFXI is probably my only choice.

And I believe I'm not the only one. Because if I am, it will be EQ that's being bashed to death by MMO community, not WoW clones.

Again, EQ is just as outdated, hardcore and terrible as FFXI with similar game mechanics. But even to this day it's still loved, praised, being played, even though it's older than FFXI.

If EQ still lives, why can't FFXI?

3. F2P, last resort.

If SE really, really, really want, they have their final limit break they can use to save FFXI, that is F2P.

F2P is known to be most effective method to save a title. No question asked.

http://www.gamesradar.com/dc-universe-online-revenue-700-after-f2p-switch/

http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/26/dcuo-has-11-million-registered-users-soe-explains-f2p-strategy/

One example is DC universe online instantly gained huge player base increase after going F2P, and revenue up by 700%

What will happen if FFXI go F2P? Noobie zone will full of ppl lving jobs again, you will see mission /shouts again, towns will full of /shouts, and much easier to find ppl to do stuff no matter what you do.

I started EQ and Mortal Online recently just because I have enough of wow clone MMOs, and one main reason I can start new MMO is because both titles are free to try. If I have to pay for an account I won't even bother.

That being said, I'm against pay 2 win. If FFXI ever going F2P it requires serious consideration about HOW to do F2P. Maybe restrictions on free accounts, such as less content access per week.

Or at very least, better free trial. Such as free trial for unlimited time but no access to endgame content and so on. But they can do stories to see how FFXI works.

Either way, I see smartly done F2P can save this game without pissing off old players. As long as SE done right and no pay 2 win, it's really not that bad.


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Personally, I think it's pointless to predict when will XI shut down, cuz ultimately it's SE's decision. They can shut down tomorrow, or they can keep it running for 10 more years IF they really want to. Just reason No.1 and 2 alone is enough to keep FFXI survive past 2014 if SE doesn't enter retard mode IMO.

FFXI in fast pace mode

I played FFXI for a few days after I decided to quit XIV finally, and realized how fast it is to obtain most of the gear now. Like, probably faster than Abyssea and NNI era. I was fairly gimp before coming back to FFXI, now I'm almost done with armor sets(armor sets I was aiming for, at least) after a few days of casual playing, only weapons has long way to go.....fuck Beitetsu :(

TP set:
Quiahuiz Leggings dropped 1/1, that should complete my TP set.

LS set:
Uk'uxkaj Cap also dropped 1/1, and finished new AF body in 1 day. So LS set done.

QD:
Picked Hurkan bullet after WKR done. So QD set mostly done(only thing missing is from Abyssea augment) Still waiting for grip on AH to drop price. New AH back piece saves life for those with shitty JSE cap luck.


WF set:
Used spare point on Path B mani body, AF legs done in 1 day. Bought new mattk back and earring from AH for fairly low price. WF set also done.

Besides weapons, got pretty much every armor set I want from SoA done in like 4 days, while spending most of my time doing trial. Only gears missing are from pre-SoA or mission augment redo.

I still remember I started dyna at 2009/8, and got AF2 hat in 2010/10. More than 1 year of work just for 1 piece of item. Now it's possible to get everything in SoA in weeks or even days probably.

If anything, I don't think it's a good direction, killing sense of satisfaction is 1 thing and pretty personal reason, hard for SE to produce content fast enough to keep up with players is bigger issue that will affect everyone. I prefer harder/slower gear progression over handing every item to delivery box, I know plenty of ppl prefer easy to obtain gears. But in the end both sides will suffer if everyone just cap gears in weeks and quit, or cap gears, got bored and all there left is Mythic.

Now SE needs to produce content at much faster rate than it ever was, which is something I doubt they(or majority of MMORPG dev for that matter) can accomplish.