Final Fantasy XI Then...

[Vanicent]

Surprise, surprise, there's network maintenance tomorrow.

From the POL Viewer:

At the following time, we will be performing FINAL FANTASY XI Network Maintenance on all worlds. FINAL FANTASY XI will be unavailable during this time.

Also during the time shown below, the use of Search and Auction House functions as well as login to FINAL FANTASY XI will be unavailable.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

[Date & Time]
Nov. 3, 2005 from 9:00 to 9:30 PST
*Maintenance time completion may be subject to change.

[Affected Services]
FINAL FANTASY XI

I think PST is 8 hours behind GMT...

If I'm right, then the maintenance will be 1900-1930 for us, assuming of course that it doesn't get extended for any reason (and I'll be amazed if that didn't happen!)

[C']

Van have you viewed that in POL viewer then typed it out yourself?

I read it myself this morning and could have sworn that it said FFXI WOULD be available during the time period specified (which is only 30 minutes anyway) and the only issues would be a lack of search and AH functions, and the inability to log in (yes this does sound contradictory but I mean if you try and log in between the specified times you won?t be able to, but those players already in game can continue to play).

[vwilsonuk]

Given that it relates to all the areas that are currently affected by the DoS, and that it is only scheduled for half an hour, it seems possible that it could be beneficial. Even if the downtime doubles its not really very long.

Edit - re Rare's observation:

At the following time, we will be performing FINAL FANTASY XI network maintenance on all worlds. FINAL FANTASY XI will be available during this time.

Also during the time shown below, the use of Search and Auction House functions as well as login to FINAL FANTASY XI will be unavailable.

PlayOnline.com

[Tobal]

Wedge, apathye said he would be making an exp party ready for 7pm, to exp till 12, after agreeing on Monday.

[mikewl]

Wedge, apathye said he would be making an exp party ready for 7pm, to exp till 12, after agreeing on Monday.

That sounds cool, although I might not make it to midnight.

[Vanicent]

Oops.

My mistake, I apologise, it does say it'll be available. Sorry for any confusion.

Rare, I did read it and retype it from the viewer, so I must have misread it.

[C']

Well phase one of my Optical Hat plan in Ifrit's Cauldron is complete. Got my Cauldron Coffer Key last night (getting itin 4 kills was pretty sweet) and this morning I took a look around and found the Treasure Coffer meaning I now have the map to the zone.

Also when I was coffer hunting I happened across an area where 2 of the hecteye type mobs that drop the Damp Hakutaku Eye spawn so I now know where I need to be (they are pretty close to the entrance and only need Invisible to get to if you go at daytime. They also only check DC to me so I judge there level to be around 65-68 and certainly don't need too much firepower to kill. I tried to solo one but got really unlucky with a Stonega 3 cast right at the start which removed Utsusemi and hit me for 300 damage (a lot less than I expected). However being shadowless meant I took another couple of hits and obviously the Blaze Spikes added up too. In the end I was at about 300HP when it started Stonega 3 again and I had to hit the Emergency Escape Button (Mijin Gakure ^^) and abort the fight. However I don't imagine this to be too much harder than defeating the Mindgazer in Sea Serpent Grotto. They even spawn in a tunnel away from bombs and bats so there is a camp free from aggro too.

Also, think I should use that Temple Cofer Key soon and get another map for the collection. This Teal Memosphere is also burning a hole in my pocket but I'm not sure how I go about using it yet.

[Tobal]

Last night started out as abit of farce, our Leader went took to the Golem pit thinking it was free, but after along trek and a couple of death?s thanks to Frust on the RNG and Whm, we ended up barging in on there area, setting up camp inside the pulling area, although that was bad sportsmanship, very team leader in sky didn?t have comment for there camp, so I guess it was fair game.

Wedge got the job of puller and asked pull everytime a mobs HP hit 1/4 which in some cases left the mages and wedge in a world of ****, still it worked out I was using my war so I switched target and provoked to take the beating instead. Wish I had remembered my exp ring, still got decent exp for the small amount of time we spent. 32k/40k.

If we exp tonight 10k exp should see wedge and i level to 74.

[mikewl]

I should be ok tonight for about the same again.

Once I get level 74 I think im going to take another break from bard leveling, try and get some more equipment I want and level bst more.

[Tobal]

I think i'll carry on for a 10-15k buffer, either on enm's or exp parties.

[mikewl]

That's probably a good idea, I might do the same.

[talizker]

Good night in the dunes last night. Spent the whole night in decent party made up mainly of higher level players leveling subs (Rank 6+ etc) and a PL'er (not usually a fan but it worked well and didn't really effect how we went about things). I started the evening 1000exp into Lv13 and finished 1000exp into Lv16 so hopefully a few sessions over the weekend will put me ready for the next COP mission.

One thing I wanted to ask is about Ninjitsu skill. You don't really start rasing this until Lv12 which means I doubt it will be capped at Lv20. What effect does this skill have on Utsusemi Shadows and do I need to try and cap it before the next Mission?

[Tsingtao]

Nah Ninjitsu skill has little effect for Utsusemi, I beleive it has more of an impact on the lemental spells in terms of resists etc. So in sort no you're not going to have to spend a small fortune on Tsurara and sit these and spam on low level mobs till you get it capped.

As for CoP sounds good, I suggest that some of the rest of us go do some wyvern farming one night so we have our scales ready to get up to the BCNM on the night we go for it. Reckon it will take us 1 - 2 hours to get the 2 scales we need on floor 2 in Rivern Site A#01.

The other one is ZM4, who's in on this one I have

Mosley, Tsingtao, Darwock, Talizker, Rarehero giving us one open slot for either a WHM or another DD. Suggest we want a mellee DD to chain with Rare? There are a few people we could ask unless anoyone in the LS wants to volunteer?

[C']

The only thing that S-E has confirmed about Ninjutsu skill in relation to Utsusemi is that in the event of a physical AOE attack, which have the potential to remove multiple shadows, the number of shadows removed will take into account your Ninjutsu skill level (i.e. the higher your level the increased chance there is of the AOE removing a single shadow as opposed to 3 or 4). However this only became the case with the Sept 2004 update so whether it has any further effect no one is sure.

However as a RDM/nin your Ninjutsu skill is going to be so low anyway (as it will be capped at whatever it caps at for a level 20 NIN) that it won?t really matter.

Your Ninjutsu skill doesn?t start levelling consistently until 19 onwards (when you get the first useful offensive debuff spell) and casting becomes a regular part of your battle cycle.

Personally last night was slow. Tried coffer hunting in Temple of Uggalepih but got bored and ended up back in Jeuno and bought a Fudo for 740k (lvl70 katana with the highest damage for a katana in game apart from relic) and Warwolf Belt for 10k (lvl71 belt with ridiculously good stats, STR+5 DEX+5 VIT+5 Emnity+3).

Also had another attempt at soloing the Hecteye in Ifrit?s Cauldron. Got it down to half health before Blaze Spikes took it?s toll and a Stonega 3 took me down to 60hp and gave up again. I have no doubt with a bit of mage support these are beatable as a duo.

[Tobal]

Started the night by bidding for Anemet+1, 5 on sale, but 1m bid and nothing, then added another 10k on to it and got the Bid to my surprise, now I?m down to 460k and well have to started farming again until the next Bcnm60 which I been slowly eating into since the last one we did. Need to get some money together for +5 str lvl74 rings which I think are around 1million each and then get some kind of +STR for my head which I currently not macroing in so either Shura Helm(god drop/abjuction stuff) or Dragon helm for +5 at lvl75? I need to start getting serious about my gear again, Tox?s +59str compared to my +41 was making about 100-300damage difference in WS when we both used 300tp and equal ws (gecko/kasha), attack was equal, but my TPgain based gear let me building up TP faster was the only compensation.

Also Wedge and I hit lvl74 last night with Tox and kasha Ls party, very good until a party decide to camp on top of us, and we got the treatment the party wedge and I were in 2 days ago did, and it wasn?t nice. I really can?t understand why people do it, it just ****s over both parties in the end we ended up in a pulling race with them until they gave up 1hr later.. after they left we got the exp flowing again until the Blm d2 herself by accident, I manage to get lvl74 just after and then the Hnm poped and another hnmls claimed it, which lead to much discussion about Mpk?s which in the end didn?t happened but very nearly did. Anyway after that diversion we got the party back together for the final 4 mobs Wedge needed to lvl.

Also I think It about time I starting getting myself into Hnmls/dynamis scene, as there stuff I can no longer do by myself gear wise.