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.