Final Fantasy XI Then...

[Tobal]

yeah i was expecting us to go somewhere new as the exp was dropping to 130-170 a kill, nice but we're use to much better

[mikewl]

I know a Thf lvl 56 interested if we are going to lvl tonight, name is Aeoner.

[?pint]

Bwahaha another cool pic to take a look at:

[talizker]

Frustrating...

...that's what I am thinking after 3 day in Yhoator Jungle. I actually quite liked the area after first arriving in Kazham. Some reasonable parties with OK experience. Then after having an invite to go to Yhoator I had a great few hours with a well balanced, experienced party. Since then it has been down hill for the 2 evenings. Poor parties, poor experience (well good exp, just not much of it) and death /sigh.

Then after all that, I get annoyed at myself for not being able to do a particulaly good job as a party leader... I waited about 30 mins for an invite last night then get one with what appears to be a reasonable party (NIN, BLM, WAR, RDM & SAM) and all was well for 30 mins. Then the BLM (leader) leaves without giving leadership to anyone. Everyone starts walking away with there flag up so I invite everyone back, get another member, and start again. As there are 2 RDM's I suggest roles so we don't end up doing the same thing - this apparantly got totally lost on our (french?) RDM who was enfeebling away after I had done it instead of healing and seemed to want to cast blazing spikes on herself all the time... We then had a DRK who could not get a reply from our NIN about the SC so he was getting fed up, a THF who died from sleep and gob aggro on his 3rd pull, and so the comedy of errors goes on... There was so little choice of people, we finally ended up with 3 RDM's, a WHM, WAR and DRK which is when I decided to call it a night.

So, no more leader for me at the moment, I don't know enough about melee jobs to organise people who don't know what there doing. I think when I get to 30 I will try a melee job both for knowledge and to give the RDM a break for a while.

I just hope I can get these last few levels fairly quickly and get the hell out of here... (I would even settle for a good party tonight!)

[talizker]

Bwahaha another cool pic to take a look at:

I think I would have been happy just to see EXP chain #1! last night

[Pliskin]

After being stuck at 39 for 3 long nights of 4 hours waits for a party. I eventually made 40 last night ! I'm really really pleased.

/bow

[Darwock]

I did Yhoator in one massive session (28-30), as I was against the clock to become a summoner before the UK release. At the time I thought it was great, as it went relatively smoothly and even party deaths weren't the huge calamity they used to be now that we had white mages over lvl 25.

However I kept my BLM hovering around 30 for so long that I had to make two return visits, and now I absolutely loathe the place. Not just Yhoator, I hate the whole damn island of Elshimo. Sea Serpent Grotto was good but finding the sodding place is a nightmare - even WITH a map.

And I'm going back again over the holidays to fight Ifrit... oh joy!

Talizker I'm afraid I'm 33 now so a little too high to join you - still can't believe how quickly you've progressed through the game btw!

[Marvelon]

To build a party:

Start with a Tank: PLD or NIN(x2) or WAR at lower levels.
Add healing: White Mage, or RDM(x2)
Puller: RNG, THF, DRK, WAR, SMN, make sure this person is of the higher level range in your party (otherwise they will pull mobs that are weak and will thus give less exp)
Damage Dealers (DD): WAR, MNK, THF, RNG, BLM, SAM, DRG, DRK

Best it to build on what you've got. Say you start with a NIN tank, you'll require less healing, so WHM isnt strictly necesary, RDM, BLM/WHM(x2) SMN/whm become options. Adding a THF will snap hate onto the ninja much more easily. then 2 DDs will fill out your party.

Start with PLD or WAR tank, which also more or less requires a WHM, a support player (RDM) and 3 DDs to fill out.

A BRD is always a good idea, as they buff the entire party (Regen, Refresh, accuracy and attack up and specific job requirements can be enhanced.)

[talizker]

I think the main problem I had last night was the apparant total lack of choice in the whole of the Elshimo region. There just didn't seem to be the right people looking for parties. I have generally picked up who makes up a good party and who doesn't from my past 30ish levels of partying (RDM & BLM) but the areas I am struggling in are.

1. How to make an effective party when the right ingredients are not to hand.
2. Lack of experience on certain jobs (things like who/what will SC and certain advanced ones - ie. awesome, we have a DRK! No what the hell can a DRK do...)

When you are a leader in a party of people with jobs you wouldn't ideally put together, who don't appear to be able to figure out things like SC's between themselves, then throw in the language barrier (we had a Japanese and French), add in a bit of new area with dangerous mobs, it all adds up to a frustrating time...

That said, I can't wait to get back on tonight

[mikewl]

I decided to go to Sandoria to do the xmas hat quest.

On the airship I saw another Bard, same lvl as me, he asked me to follow him to his MH as he had something for me.

He come out and gave me a lvl 59 scroll, I was amazed he gave it to me for free.

He then checked my equipment and said to wait for him, he came back and gave me a Tacticians Magicians Coat and jesters Cape +1 for free, that is about 200k worth of equipment, I was amazed.

He said he is quitting soon and moving onto EQ2 or WoW, I said to him if he ever changes his mind he just has to let me know and the equipment is his again, he said it would be unlikely and told me "Now go get lvl 75" ^_^

[Darwock]

Speaking of the xmas quest - what the hell is actually required. I have all 3 trees set up in my moghouse, and the moogle told me I had delivered 'caravans full of ludicrous amounts of joy' to the children. No gifts for me though from my moghouse moogle. As time passed I also noticed my caravans became barrels, then became ridiculous, then droped to a fair amount of joy. So I spent more cash on presents and bumped it up to caravans again... but nobody online could tell me what I had to do to finish the quest so I just logged off before my rating dropped once more.

What did I miss?

Also speaking of charitable people - somebody in San D'Oria asked what the xmas thing was all about - one person responded, to which the question asker said "Stop right there - you've just earned 20K for being willing to help out". I asked the guy later and he really was given 20,000 gil for answering the question. Innit nice

[Darwock]

This is really frustrating me now - I even called a GM to see if something was wrong but they just gave me some "we can't tell you how to do quests" answer.

I can't get any higher than caravans of joy, and everyone has told me that's all you need (along with the trees). I've had it in every nation - but it does go down as time passes.

[Marvelon]

Damn good weekend, we went from just into lv 57 into halfway past 58. Me and Mahl will be going to holland for 5 days on thursday (to see my family for xmas), and we have loads of familty to see on this side of the water before we go, so this will be a busy 3 days. I've no idea if and when we 'll be online, but when I am I'll be trying for a Beadeaux Coffer.

[Darwock]

Can anyone tell me what jobs and what lvls of those jobs are able to use protect II and Shell II? I am gearing up for my avatar fights over the holidays (summoner is currently at level 19) and I would like to know who to seek out for buffs before entering the arena...?

[C']

Weekend wasn?t as good as that but was a milestone moment for me.

Friday night was farming until 9pm then our visit to Ifrit?s Cauldron to pick up my coffer key. Drop rate was pretty nice and we managed to get it before Toxicforce and his Treasure Hunter 2 trait even arrived. Then when Bayan spied a coffer my heart raced and whilst waiting at the Flame Spout for 5 minutes plus was annoying but it was worth it to obtain my Old Gauntlets. Full AF was near.

Logged on early morning Saturday and Tox sent me a tell asking if I needed to do Dark Spark. Obviously, I leaped at the opportunity and was the 6th member of the party (which had a 75 WHM and RNG so victory was assured). Sadly our BLM in the group died as someone failed to follow the ?stay in the middle? advice and pretty soon a train of 20 demons swarmed us. It was a really cool fight actually. Dark Spark was simple after that.

I took the Shadow Flame to Lower Jeuno and the ghost of Borghetz completed his work and left a pair of Ninja Tekko for me. I checked the stats and was amazed.

DEF:14 HP+13 DEX+3 Throwing Skill+5 Ranged Attack+20

I had to get these on as soon as possible so bought stacks of enfeebling tools and heading to the Altepa Desert near to Kuftal Tunnel and spied a decent challenge manticore. Took it out in a few minutes and grabbed 50EXP. Not bad but with 350EXP to go this wasn?t going to be fast and when I tried a BLM Antican and got hit by Firaga2 for 350DMG I ran for Kuftal and rethought my plan. However, by a stroke of luck Wedge had just been in Kuftal helping a DRG find his coffer so was kind enough to off his services and I chose a Tough lizard as my prey.

Well the BRD and NIN PT proved to be a mighty combination and the lizard fell easily netting me 120EXP. We pulled another and the result was the same and third got me lvl60.

/hurray

I put on my new gloves and the full AF effect was complete, but I wasn?t done there. With my katana uncapped and only 2 skill levels to go until Blade:Jin was available me and Wedge moved our attention to Robber Crabs. Again, the enemy was not strong enough to put up much of a defence and the first crab got me to katana skill 199. Pulled another and got it down to half health with no skill gained. However it all came in a rush and I got my new weapon skill just in time to fire it off and kill the crab.

A milestone had been reached in my NIN career. Blade: Jin was definitely worth the wait. A splendid 3 strike attack with nifty special effects and does good damage (for a katana).

My plan now was to level my WAR (I?ve even bought some of the more expensive equipment pieces in preparation) but completing two out of three parts of Genkai 3 last night has made me decide to go to 61 where I will finally get a new katana in my main hand, Sakurafubuki, which is the cool looking katana with a serrated blade. This is the blade that I want to use to battle Shadow Lord. Therefore, a few nights of farming to get the gil I need for the +1 version of this blade then level again to 61.

I just think full AF, Sakurafubuki and the black and gold Kageboshi is going to look the business.