Dec update review

Recently FFXI server population increased a bit, due to free campaign and new update. So how's the new update? Here's my opinion.


Trust: Shit.

It's basically the same thing as mercenary in EQ, to help players solo in a force grouping MMORPG. Except it's implemented way too late. Further more, it's not implemented very well.

Although it's supposed to be a "Help player solo better" addition, it doesn't really help me much due to their terrible stat, not swapping gears, using wrong WS. I tend to solo in Kamihr drift for 3~4k+ EXP per kill. My trust can barely hit anything there, their 300 dmg WS doesn't help either. The DRK(which cost 500 log in point to get) would cast absorb spell over and over again, then get resisted - -.

Which DRK in FFXI casts lolabsorb spell over and over!

In the end I don't solo faster with trust NPCs. That being said, it's quite fun to have NPCs in FFXI story fighting beside you.

(Would be fun to have Shantotto got ass kicked/MPKed)

RoE:

I have mixed feeling toward this. I'm against being able to solo 119 AF entirely, since FFXI is supposed to be a party centered MMORPG. I can go play single player RPG or GW2 if I want to solo play in a RPG. In fact unless you have a very organized LS/friends that would pop on right time and farm a group in less than 1hr, I ended up solo 119 AF faster than making a group to farm pages, just because it takes much longer to find ppl to do stuff, plus the time to farm pops. The fact that you can solo pages made everyone and their mother unwilling to team up and farm pages too.

However, I also believe that recent population increase is mostly because of RoE. Some ppl may return to FFXI during free campaign, go "OMG I CAN SOLO 119 ARMOR AND MYTHIC NOW, GOING TO SUB YEAHHHH".

I guess it's time to accept the fact that deep in our hearts, nobody want to play with other people in an MMORPG :(

It'd be much better if you can't exchange the pages without getting clear at least once though.

I avg 1k sparks in 5~6 min killing Qutrubs in Abyssea doing 500+ dmg trial, however outside of Abyssea may* ended up better for sparks since you can also do crystal and EXP trial. I haven't try though, and I'm planning to try none-Abyssea camp soon.

Note that I tried qutrub with several weapons I have, only Buramenk'ah(DMG130) and Eminent Scimitar (DMG 122) can hit 500+ dmg in Abyssea on Qutrubs without having to crit. Halachuinic sword(DMG 104) and Aphotic Kukri(DMG 91) are mostly less than 500 dmg a hit without crit.

That means dagger class weapon are kinda out since highest dagger base DMG is only 108. However, Pamun has DMG 124/125, which should be able to hit 500+ dmg a hit. NIN/DNC using pamun x2 may ended up farming sparks faster than I can due to faster melee hits. MNK probably can farm faster than me too.

AA:
A pain in the ass to farm pop, more pain in the ass to /shout 6 person. AA fight is kinda "Get right job and easy mode and vice versa" thing.

(Fatfania again due to aspect ratio)

Can clear VD very easy with RNG setup, but normal can be a lot more pain in the ass if going melee setup and DD don't have enough DT-.

Most ppl don't want to bother with normal anymore, so AA= RNG strikes back kinda. A lot of friends of mine recently been shitting anni out of nowhere.

I find RNG not the hardest to find for VD, BRD is ._.


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Overall I don't find Dec update very amazing due to several reasons, but I think it's one of the best update in 2013 just because 2013 FFXI sucked so much. I hope Matsui don't fuck up next update again.