Recently I changed my BLU G1 merit to CA recast 5/5 instead of macc 5/5. Main reason being needing higher dmg output in dyna for higher currency gain. I also cancelled Diffusion and make enchaintment 4/5. (But keeping Convergence as I rely on it alot even in dyna)
Personally I love CA recast for higher dmg in lower level content, macc isn't really all that useful for BLU IMO unless I'm in VW trying to land proc. IMO, CA merit is useful for lower level content like nyzul/limbus/Ein/Dyna, while macc more useful for VW since I have no macc issue in any lower level content nor abby. So the debate is really just VW v.s lower level. Considering hard to land blu proc doesn't pop that often in VW, and BLU just dominates lower level content but not so useful for higher level ones(that means higher chance to come BLU in nyzul/dyna/ein/limbus for BLU players), CA recast is, IMO, more beneficial for BLU.
I changed my Diffusion merit after a while though, I don't particularly notice a big difference between enchantment 3/5 or 4/5, but Diffusion AoE haste is almost too useful for lowmanning without a mage. And I can't live without convergence JA either, IMO having 1/5 on both diffusion and convergence for situations that needed offers greater benefit than small enchantment difference.
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
After update...........
Since now the new nyzul F100 set bonus was found, I tried to put together my new "goal" gear sets.
Yes, it seems that after every update I have to do a post like this.
Last year, and the year before last year, I also made my "goal" sets to work on no? With plenty of seems to be impossible to get gear on the list, and super pimp sets.
And same thing just repeat every year.
I complained, and still kept going.
I guess I'm just that masochist ;(
BACK TO THE TOPIC!
It seems my WF sets are completely dead with new nyzul F100 gears. Current best WF set involves 4/5 F100 gears and new shiny white armor:
Yes, it seems that after every update I have to do a post like this.
Last year, and the year before last year, I also made my "goal" sets to work on no? With plenty of seems to be impossible to get gear on the list, and super pimp sets.
And same thing just repeat every year.
I complained, and still kept going.
I guess I'm just that masochist ;(
BACK TO THE TOPIC!
It seems my WF sets are completely dead with new nyzul F100 gears. Current best WF set involves 4/5 F100 gears and new shiny white armor:
Wildfire set goal:
Well, technically my ring/earring/neck/back/waist still lives, but all the visible gears on head/body/hands/legs/feet slots are dead. And I did B.rex for 2 fucking months for nothing ;(
Nyzul F100 gears are also best Last Stand piece if 4/5.
Last Stand set goal:
Optimal QD set haven't change much. Optimal TP set now involves Nyzul F100 body for QA, which I should work on it for BLU anyways. Also a lot of new good /ra pieces added. Feet slot and body slot are replaced with khemper feet and gunman gambison.
Now my real question is, even if I have all those sets, how'd I supposed carry every fucking gear? ;(
Some of my old WS sets share slot with other gears, like Alruna is also my snapshot macro gear, Athos's body is also evasion and works on both WF and last stand. AF3+2 feet is also a QD piece and AF3+2 body is also JA macro. Now they're no longer the most optimal items for /ra and WS, how'd I have enough inv to carry everything ;(
I also realized finally need to toss some of the old abyssea gears...........I can't find any use for Loki anymore(which cost alot of gil, time and drama for me to got - -), if I ever obtain 4/5 nyzul set, Ambusher's hose is bye bye as well. I also found my athos's gloves are getting less and less useful when I look at some of the new gears for req/exe/last stand.....
Have a feeling that all those needs to be tossed unless we can store it( we still can't, no?), or unless I really can't get nyzul gears.
And of course, after tossed, a new update or WS introduced make it useful again so we tossed for nothing.
Now I feel the idea of gear swap in this game is getting more and more retarded ;< Probably SE's evil plan to make us pay for mules = (
Saturday, 24 March 2012
1/3
Finally managed to get more than 500 metals before March update, which is 1/3 done for lv 95!
As planned, about 500 metals a month. Although I often d/c in dyna and that made me lose massive income(since d/c in dyna often means death) and somewhat slowed down the progress, still slowly reaching the goal of 99 Arma.
I expect by next update my progress will slow down probably, since I'd be doing new content, and if new VW doesn't drop metals, price will probably increase.
Was hoping after BST TH nerf dyna currency price will go higher as well, so more income a day.
Either way, kinda stopped Project Death Penalty until lv 99 Arma finish, no reason to do an inferior and yet more expensive weapon before the best weapon is done no?
As planned, about 500 metals a month. Although I often d/c in dyna and that made me lose massive income(since d/c in dyna often means death) and somewhat slowed down the progress, still slowly reaching the goal of 99 Arma.
I expect by next update my progress will slow down probably, since I'd be doing new content, and if new VW doesn't drop metals, price will probably increase.
Was hoping after BST TH nerf dyna currency price will go higher as well, so more income a day.
Either way, kinda stopped Project Death Penalty until lv 99 Arma finish, no reason to do an inferior and yet more expensive weapon before the best weapon is done no?
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Practice makes perfect
Long time ago when Ager told me he can solo 200+ coins on BLU in dyna bubu, I didn't really believe him.
My first time solo in dyna-bubu at lv 99, it was less than 100 coins a run, which is only 50% of 200 coins, and 200 coins was just not possible for me.
However, after a bit of practice, and more practice, I'm able to solo 174 coins in bubu if competition is low. I even d/c for 5 min during the run, and I didn't team up for TE with anyone(so it's a true solo). If I didn't d/c and gain extra 5 min, it's entirely possible to break 180 coins. If I team up for TE, it's also very likely to gain 10~20 more coins, since TE5 in bubu is a pain when they pop on entirely different side(and I spent at least 15~20 min running across the whole map to find TE5).
And if I have TH sash for TH2, it's entirely possible to solo as many as an average BST.
I always believe that jobs are like instruments, the more you play it, the better you'll get. I never believe those who claim they can leech a job to 99 and be good at a job within a few hours of practice.
Ok, maybe some ppl is more talented, and able to be good at it within a few hour......like how some ppl able to master piano faster than an average person. But not everyone is that talented, at least not me.
After weeks of soloing dyna, I'm starting to get used to the tempo of killing EP mobs in bubu. The recast time of 2 major DD JAs, the TP speed and MP regeneration rate, the most efficient and balanced way to DD and cure with TP and MP..... My hands is part of the job now, this job called BLU/DNC. Which I can DD and cure with both MP and TP, and plenty of time to recharge them while getting proc and moving around. When to use self-SC, when not to use self SC, when to use low MP cost spells like HS/delta thrust. When to use big (but costy)spell like QC, and when not to use it.
Basically, if I have CA up, I do darkness SC if mob has high HP(which can one shot EPs), and save it if mob has low HP. Depending on my remaining MP, I sometimes use it without WS. If Efflux is up, I almost always use it. If mobs only have half HP left, HS+delta+E.thrash(which can hit more than one mob at once too) can kill it. I use a lot more costy spells like A.spike and QC on crabs, which I can MP drainkiss, and typically only MP drainkiss while waiting for JA recast. I also use those costy spells on none-crab mobs if I have 70+% MP.
Sometimes even if MP run very low, and there's a risk of running dry, I still burn quite a lot of MP(although only use MP efficient ones). It can be risky, but I typically chain pull in dyna, proc, kill right away. Proc, kill right away. And recharge MP while waiting for red proc since they often take ages to proc. If I encounter a serious of lucky proc, then MP bound to run low, and vice versa. So any MP saved may result MP overflow and reduce the kill speed when next mob gets unlucky on proc again.
The main reason is to kill the mob as fast as possible after getting proc, since sometimes it takes so long to proc and I ended up getting near full MP again while getting proc, the faster the mob dies, the sooner I can grab next mob and start procing next mob.
Ever since empy became popular and BLU melee build became stronger, many BLUs spam spell a lot less and rely on melee/WS dmg a lot more, like MP is some sorts of precious that shouldn't be used. However, IMO on EP mobs there are very little reason to slowly melee TP it to death when MP can easily be recharged while waiting for proc and moving around. Able to deal large outburst of dmg in very short time on EP mob is still one of the biggest strength of BLU outside of VW, there are no reason to play it like a NIN or DNC.
Cure with TP or MP is entirely depending on the JA recast time, and if it's proced. Since I don't have CDC, my MP typically do more dmg, and more efficient to use TP cure. However, if JA recast time is up, or I'm experiencing MP overflow, then I still use MP to cure(and use TP to healing waltz or haste samba).
Note that a while ago when I first time tried to duo SSR alex farm with Zeig on BLU, we barely killed 4th NM with 1 min to spare(Alex farm in SSR need to kill A LOT of mobs for all NMs to pop), after weeks of dyna solo practice, we were able to clear SSR including brainjack boss duo with almost 15 min to spare.
From 96 coins in dyna to 174, from 1 min left for 4 SSR NM to 15 min left for 4 SSR NM+boss, I didn't get any new gear for BLU in the process, heck doesn't even learn new spells.
Just that after a lot of practice, my output increased, for sure. Even though my gear set didn't change at all.
Proves that jobs in FFXI does need practice, not just to get good gear.
Mannnnn haven't play COR for a while since I'm saving gil, I feel I'm going to be bad at it again next time I job change D;
My first time solo in dyna-bubu at lv 99, it was less than 100 coins a run, which is only 50% of 200 coins, and 200 coins was just not possible for me.
However, after a bit of practice, and more practice, I'm able to solo 174 coins in bubu if competition is low. I even d/c for 5 min during the run, and I didn't team up for TE with anyone(so it's a true solo). If I didn't d/c and gain extra 5 min, it's entirely possible to break 180 coins. If I team up for TE, it's also very likely to gain 10~20 more coins, since TE5 in bubu is a pain when they pop on entirely different side(and I spent at least 15~20 min running across the whole map to find TE5).
And if I have TH sash for TH2, it's entirely possible to solo as many as an average BST.
I always believe that jobs are like instruments, the more you play it, the better you'll get. I never believe those who claim they can leech a job to 99 and be good at a job within a few hours of practice.
Ok, maybe some ppl is more talented, and able to be good at it within a few hour......like how some ppl able to master piano faster than an average person. But not everyone is that talented, at least not me.
After weeks of soloing dyna, I'm starting to get used to the tempo of killing EP mobs in bubu. The recast time of 2 major DD JAs, the TP speed and MP regeneration rate, the most efficient and balanced way to DD and cure with TP and MP..... My hands is part of the job now, this job called BLU/DNC. Which I can DD and cure with both MP and TP, and plenty of time to recharge them while getting proc and moving around. When to use self-SC, when not to use self SC, when to use low MP cost spells like HS/delta thrust. When to use big (but costy)spell like QC, and when not to use it.
Basically, if I have CA up, I do darkness SC if mob has high HP(which can one shot EPs), and save it if mob has low HP. Depending on my remaining MP, I sometimes use it without WS. If Efflux is up, I almost always use it. If mobs only have half HP left, HS+delta+E.thrash(which can hit more than one mob at once too) can kill it. I use a lot more costy spells like A.spike and QC on crabs, which I can MP drainkiss, and typically only MP drainkiss while waiting for JA recast. I also use those costy spells on none-crab mobs if I have 70+% MP.
Sometimes even if MP run very low, and there's a risk of running dry, I still burn quite a lot of MP(although only use MP efficient ones). It can be risky, but I typically chain pull in dyna, proc, kill right away. Proc, kill right away. And recharge MP while waiting for red proc since they often take ages to proc. If I encounter a serious of lucky proc, then MP bound to run low, and vice versa. So any MP saved may result MP overflow and reduce the kill speed when next mob gets unlucky on proc again.
The main reason is to kill the mob as fast as possible after getting proc, since sometimes it takes so long to proc and I ended up getting near full MP again while getting proc, the faster the mob dies, the sooner I can grab next mob and start procing next mob.
Ever since empy became popular and BLU melee build became stronger, many BLUs spam spell a lot less and rely on melee/WS dmg a lot more, like MP is some sorts of precious that shouldn't be used. However, IMO on EP mobs there are very little reason to slowly melee TP it to death when MP can easily be recharged while waiting for proc and moving around. Able to deal large outburst of dmg in very short time on EP mob is still one of the biggest strength of BLU outside of VW, there are no reason to play it like a NIN or DNC.
Cure with TP or MP is entirely depending on the JA recast time, and if it's proced. Since I don't have CDC, my MP typically do more dmg, and more efficient to use TP cure. However, if JA recast time is up, or I'm experiencing MP overflow, then I still use MP to cure(and use TP to healing waltz or haste samba).
Note that a while ago when I first time tried to duo SSR alex farm with Zeig on BLU, we barely killed 4th NM with 1 min to spare(Alex farm in SSR need to kill A LOT of mobs for all NMs to pop), after weeks of dyna solo practice, we were able to clear SSR including brainjack boss duo with almost 15 min to spare.
From 96 coins in dyna to 174, from 1 min left for 4 SSR NM to 15 min left for 4 SSR NM+boss, I didn't get any new gear for BLU in the process, heck doesn't even learn new spells.
Just that after a lot of practice, my output increased, for sure. Even though my gear set didn't change at all.
Proves that jobs in FFXI does need practice, not just to get good gear.
Mannnnn haven't play COR for a while since I'm saving gil, I feel I'm going to be bad at it again next time I job change D;
Friday, 16 March 2012
Soloing in dyna
After I started empy 95 challenge, I started to solo in dyna on BLU to farm gil.
Personally I'd say BLU is actually not a bad solo job in dyna at all, although not top tier either.
Pros:
Extremely fast kill speed on EP mobs.
Have access to all 3 proc type.
Decent TE kill speed with Heavy strike and Dark Orb.
Self-haste and AoE sleep.
Good at steal mobs from greedy BSTs holding 1000 mobs =D
Cons:
Only have TH1, which is extremely weak.
No widescan for TE.
Can't proc as fast as BST.
It's probably not as good as DNC and BST which has access to higher tier TH, I'm not sure how it is compare with THF, since I'm not sure how fast a well geared THF can kill.
My highest solo was 158 coins in bubu with bad competition during Byne time(if no competition, breaking 170 is very possible), and 34 coins per round(so if 5 round all soloed 34 coins, that's 170)
Although that's under 100% focus, I can't really focus this much in dyna anymore, and often started to listen to music, muti-tasking while soloing in dyna, resulting major decline in solo result D;
BLU's advantage is extremely fast kill speed on EP mobs after proc(fairly sure I kill faster than every other jobs in dyna, including BSTs). With enough refresh gears and long proc time, MP isn't an issue to spam spells and do self SC. Biggest issue is TH1 is just too weak, it's a pain in the ass to spend that much time to proc a mob, and only dropped 1 coins. It's kinda hard to imagine BLU can solo as many as BST(which is a job that can solo 240+ often) with 1 coin dropping this often.
Sometimes I envy relic jobs.
I'm starting to face difficulties in building empy 95 as well, every time when I spent 2hr and made a Qilin pt, there are always a few other person buying metals in alliance, it gets a bit frustrating to get 0 metals after 2hr of /shout. Price of metals and alex are rocking sky high, with demand getting higher and higher, while supply getting lower and lower. While dynamis currency, my main source of income(tried to farm other items for sell, sell brew and do merc business, no other way offers as good gil/hr as currency farm), is falling price like a trash on the sidewalk.
Relic is almost too easy, log on everyday, still 130+ coins while multi-tasking on a none-optimal job and 150+ if I focus, even under heavy competition. It's also slightly cheaper than empy/mythic, with it's price falling everyday. I realized I can't really finish empy 95 in 2 months when supply of plates this low, but I'm confident to be able to finish a relic in 2 months by farming 2M a day.
While farming plates requires taking risk of spending 2hr to make pt, and got 0 plate from alliance because nobody is selling. And farming alex requires 3 ppl to enter, pain in the ass D;
Maybe I should go make an Excalibur....a sword I've been wanted for a very long time...just for the sake of having it D;
Personally I'd say BLU is actually not a bad solo job in dyna at all, although not top tier either.
Pros:
Extremely fast kill speed on EP mobs.
Have access to all 3 proc type.
Decent TE kill speed with Heavy strike and Dark Orb.
Self-haste and AoE sleep.
Good at steal mobs from greedy BSTs holding 1000 mobs =D
Cons:
Only have TH1, which is extremely weak.
No widescan for TE.
Can't proc as fast as BST.
It's probably not as good as DNC and BST which has access to higher tier TH, I'm not sure how it is compare with THF, since I'm not sure how fast a well geared THF can kill.
My highest solo was 158 coins in bubu with bad competition during Byne time(if no competition, breaking 170 is very possible), and 34 coins per round(so if 5 round all soloed 34 coins, that's 170)
Although that's under 100% focus, I can't really focus this much in dyna anymore, and often started to listen to music, muti-tasking while soloing in dyna, resulting major decline in solo result D;
BLU's advantage is extremely fast kill speed on EP mobs after proc(fairly sure I kill faster than every other jobs in dyna, including BSTs). With enough refresh gears and long proc time, MP isn't an issue to spam spells and do self SC. Biggest issue is TH1 is just too weak, it's a pain in the ass to spend that much time to proc a mob, and only dropped 1 coins. It's kinda hard to imagine BLU can solo as many as BST(which is a job that can solo 240+ often) with 1 coin dropping this often.
Sometimes I envy relic jobs.
I'm starting to face difficulties in building empy 95 as well, every time when I spent 2hr and made a Qilin pt, there are always a few other person buying metals in alliance, it gets a bit frustrating to get 0 metals after 2hr of /shout. Price of metals and alex are rocking sky high, with demand getting higher and higher, while supply getting lower and lower. While dynamis currency, my main source of income(tried to farm other items for sell, sell brew and do merc business, no other way offers as good gil/hr as currency farm), is falling price like a trash on the sidewalk.
Relic is almost too easy, log on everyday, still 130+ coins while multi-tasking on a none-optimal job and 150+ if I focus, even under heavy competition. It's also slightly cheaper than empy/mythic, with it's price falling everyday. I realized I can't really finish empy 95 in 2 months when supply of plates this low, but I'm confident to be able to finish a relic in 2 months by farming 2M a day.
While farming plates requires taking risk of spending 2hr to make pt, and got 0 plate from alliance because nobody is selling. And farming alex requires 3 ppl to enter, pain in the ass D;
Maybe I should go make an Excalibur....a sword I've been wanted for a very long time...just for the sake of having it D;
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Guilt
After I started 2 months empy 95 challenge, I've been doing all sorts of event/activities for gil and plates, mostly dyna and VW, sometimes I merc stuff, sometimes CW burn or solo for pops and sell them.
Then I realized, I pretty much play BLU 24/7 nowadays. Even in VW, mostly so that I can save money to buy more plates.
I've been playing FFXI for almost 3 years now, look back my life in FFXI, at least 95% of achievement I've done are done on BLU. I finished ALL the mission fights(besides ACP at 75 cap) on BLU, finished old Nyzul climb at 75 on BLU, then grinded enough token in Nyzul mostly on BLU too. I also did a LOT of campaign for AN on BLU too. I solo dyna for currency on BLU, and solo/CW burn abyssea pop for gil on BLU too to fund my Armageddon 95. If someone need help with something, I'm mostly helping on BLU too, unless it's something like B.rex. I also mostly play BLU in salvage to farm Alexandrite, and farmed almost all Abyssea gears/empy on BLU during Abyssea era.
That's why I felt a sense of guilt when I started to sell my BLU stuff for gil now. Tbh, I really treated this job badly, despite I rely on it so much, it never really got any attention it deserved, which somehow made me sad. Even Zeig been saying that I just use BLU to make COR weapons.
Then I realized, I pretty much play BLU 24/7 nowadays. Even in VW, mostly so that I can save money to buy more plates.
I've been playing FFXI for almost 3 years now, look back my life in FFXI, at least 95% of achievement I've done are done on BLU. I finished ALL the mission fights(besides ACP at 75 cap) on BLU, finished old Nyzul climb at 75 on BLU, then grinded enough token in Nyzul mostly on BLU too. I also did a LOT of campaign for AN on BLU too. I solo dyna for currency on BLU, and solo/CW burn abyssea pop for gil on BLU too to fund my Armageddon 95. If someone need help with something, I'm mostly helping on BLU too, unless it's something like B.rex. I also mostly play BLU in salvage to farm Alexandrite, and farmed almost all Abyssea gears/empy on BLU during Abyssea era.
That's why I felt a sense of guilt when I started to sell my BLU stuff for gil now. Tbh, I really treated this job badly, despite I rely on it so much, it never really got any attention it deserved, which somehow made me sad. Even Zeig been saying that I just use BLU to make COR weapons.
Do I love the job? I honestly don't know, personally I can't live without it in FFXI, it's almost too useful for me that I can get anything I want done besides getting proc. But considering it still has incomplete spell list and shitty sets I never spend money to upgrade, maybe I don't love it as much.
If jobs have soul and personality, I'd want to say "thank you" to my BLU, I can't be who I am today without it.
Thank you.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
95 empy challenge
I decided to start 95 Arma after all.
More like because I was disappointed at how nyzul update actually made alex more expensive now. And it's probably easier to do 95 Arma since it's cheaper and I can do it whenever I have time.
Currently I'm at 219/1500. If I push I can farm 100 plates a week, that's 3 months to finish.
Push a bit and maybe can finish in 2 months I hope!
Thanks to all the gil spent on alex/plates, need to play COR less to save money now ;<
More like because I was disappointed at how nyzul update actually made alex more expensive now. And it's probably easier to do 95 Arma since it's cheaper and I can do it whenever I have time.
Currently I'm at 219/1500. If I push I can farm 100 plates a week, that's 3 months to finish.
Push a bit and maybe can finish in 2 months I hope!
Thanks to all the gil spent on alex/plates, need to play COR less to save money now ;<
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