It's Been A Wonderful Journey

With a sad heart, I write this post. I have decided to bid farewell to Vana d'iel. I have enjoyed my time there. I spent 4 years building my character, killing mobs, chasing bosses. What I will truly miss are the connections I made. I will miss my friends. Those who had helped me out along the way are truly precious. I even met my husband on the game. FFXI has played a very special role in my life. I will never forget my time and my adventures. I don't want to say I may be back (I've done it before). I am just going to say goodbye. 

To all my former adventurers, goodbye and I will miss you.    

Burn Party Newb

So I've been playing on and off. I believe the last time I said I got my DRG to 24. I have conditions to when I play: my fiancé is at work or he's off playing Phantasy Star. Any other time is not do-able. We are planning for a wedding. However, most of the planning will start up in January.

So the last time I got on I was soloing in Battalia Downs. I never got to finish my page because I couldn't find any flies. I was also selling gear in Jeuno. My brother, Kirinkage, has returned to the game. He has taken up doing burn parties. So he encouraged me to join one. I hopped on and made my way to Gusgen Mines after a battle with my computer.

I have never been in a burn party before. However, this new type of party includes some new features that the game provides. You choose a page from the FOV book and set it to repeat. Then you join a party, more like alliance, and you level sync to the lowest person. You fight and fight and don't realize when you level. By time I had to get off, I gained 4 levels. I was on for maybe 2 hours and I'm being generous with that time.




I had died twice in this party. 1 time because I was being attacked and a Mage couldn't toggle to me in time. I died again while I was resting up from being killed. This little Taru got aggro'd. Instead of running to DD's for help, he ran right towards the rest of he mages, in which I was healing behind. Smart move. Anyway, at some point I was given lead to my party in the alliance. I then had to deal with idiots who don't listen.

Overall the party was successful. I will do this again, definitely. Getting subjobs up and getting levels on main jobs. I will have to skill up somewhere after though. You don't get skill ups in Burn parties unfortunately, unless you are the person being sync'd to. I may want to do a raid in level 30 areas. That may be more fruitful. Let's see if I can make that happen when I do hit 30. The problem is where can we do that? I don't know a level 30 hideyhole. Maybe top floor Garlaige. We'll see.

Until next time.

A Love Story Born from FFXI

As my followers know, I was a big adventurer in Vana'diel for 2 to 3 years. During my years of dedicated time, I have developed some friendships. I really didn't try to develop any enemies. I did have one, but that was over something stupid. I put no energy in it. The group of people I hung around were fun and were down to help.

I believe a year & a half into my adventures, this player showed up in my linkshell. He seemed ok. Hung out with him on events. He even was in my Dynamis shell. I remember him helping me get a RDM testimony from the temple in Kazaam from some pots. I even helped him and his friend in a Tunnel fighting some cats for a NIN item. What is his name? Lordkaosu.

What made LK stand out to me, brightly, was one day when I just logged onto game, said hello to linkshell, he immediately sent me a tell asking me if I broke up with a fellow LS member. This was like the first time, well second time, that someone assumed I dated someone on the game. I had a rule about dating people on the game. Wasn't going to happen. But I understood where LK was coming from. The other LS member had "I <3 TK" in his Bazaar comment when you checked him. He had changed it to "I <3 Kitty".

This is when I really started to talk to LK. He piqued my interest. We talked on AIM a lot. We graduated to some Skyping. Then graduated to talking on the phone. When were were getting to know each other, he was going thru a hard time. I wasn't thinking of him in any way other than a best friend. I felt close to him. We decided on a camping trip together but instead we came up with a different plan. He came to Las Vegas and stayed with me and my dad. Then we went to New Mexico and we stayed with his parents then at a hotel. 

That trip turned our friendship into more. I didn't expect this at all. It was not planned. He is the 1st guy I've ever met on a video game. Soon after he moved to NY with me. And now we are engaged and planning our wedding in 9 months. This must be an act of fate or something. I never thought I'd find the "one" in Vana'diel, but I owe the game my allegiance for having me meet my future husband.

 FFXI in my world is the best game ever. To bad I can't play it regularly as I used to. On to my new adventure; planning my wedding.

Couple of Days Back

So I was able to play twice the past week. I was able to level in the Dunes. Day one I was able to duo with my old buddy Stormghost. We were in the Dunes together. He was a level higher than me but I wasn't too concerned. I made level 23. We did a page of FOV. They fixed FOV that you can set a page to autorenew. That is cool. I had to log half way too 24. I was in Charisma. Apparently half of my friends are in here. Day two I solo'd in the Dunes. I began to remember names if other friends. I found Rethem. We got to talking while I was soloing. He told me about the shell breaking up and then he told me he was in Crazyone's shell. By time he did, I had leveled to 24 and was in Jeuno gear hunting. I decided to try a page in Battalia Downs. That place is overrun by gobs and tigers. I was to kill 5 straplings and 3 mayflies. I was doing the straplings, but couldn't find any mayflies and I didn't want to run the risk of aggro. While out Minibasta came and gave me a pearl of ProclaimedInsanity. I had the pearl still. After all, it used to be my dynamis shell. Half if my friends are in this shell too. So I guess I'll be popping into both shells ocassionally. It was nice to see that people are still playing. I feel like such a newbie to game. A lot has changed apparently. I'm just working to pass limit break 5: Maat. I've been gone way too long and way too rusty to fight the old man on RDM. 36 more levels to go on DRG. I may give up on DRG and just do RDM. We'll see. Until next time. Tah tah.

I'm Back Once Again

I logged on yesterday since May. I found my linkshell was abandoned. So I started saying hello to couple people on my friend's list. Kakida my faithful friend gave me a pearl to his linkshell. So I'm now part of Charisma. I spoke to another old friend Lordgrim. He offered me a pearl for another LS too, but we couldn't meet up.

So what did I accomplish? I op'd to the Dunes and did a page from FOV book. Had to kill 5 flies and 5 sheep. Mind you I'm still leveling DRG. In middle of my run I leveled to 22. 38 more levels to go. Yay. I also finished my page.

At this point my boyfriend finished playing his game so I logged off. But at least I accomplished something fo the time I was on.

What I did notice was how dead the old places are. There were only 4 of us in the Dunes. I also only saw 5 people in Aht Urgghan. Then I heard Beseoge was popping off so that may be why.

I hope to play a lot more. I will probably play when my boyfriend's playing his game or when he's at work. This all depends if I don't have work from a client to do.

If anyone is in need of Tax, Accounting or Computer needs contact info@cleighconsulting.com.

Re-Post: Rage of the Red Mages

Had to Re-Post this: My favorite Post on RDM
----------------------------------------------------------

You may or may not believe this, but I play FFXI a lot.

I know. You're shocked.

The Thing is I don't think you quite understand how much I play this game. I don't think you, a perfectly reasonable, normal person, can fathom just how much time I spend playing.

A rational brain probably can't even perceive it.

I have leveled so many characters, a countless legion of warriors and mages spread across all of the races.

Okay, maybe not countless. There have been like 16 or 17 of them.

Still, that's a lot of freaking characters.

Some of them started out as crafting mules that I leveled up enough to farm their own materials.

Some of them started out as a flicker of thought in a moment of boredom.

One started out just so I could see what my main would have looked like as a chick.

Answer: hot.

I'm not sure I should be proud of that.

I am proud, but I'm not sure I should be.

Anyway, one of the side effects of this process is that I have spent an exorbitant (spelled that correctly on the second try) amount of time playing most of the jobs available in FFXI.

Most of you know my main job is Dragoon. All of my characters eventually end up spending some part of their career as a Dragoon.

But not their entire career.

No, to add some spice to the mix, I like to mix up my job classes now and again, just to see how the other half lives.

Or the other 95%.

I've dabbled in the magery (totally made that one up) from time to time and I must admit I have spent a hell of a lot of time playing as a Red Mage.

This has everything to do with their versatility and absolutely nothing to do with their awesome freaking pimp hat.

Absolutely nothing.

Nothing at all.

During my time playing Red Mage and leveling several characters as Red Mages, I can come to an interesting conclusion: I am not an expert at being a Red Mage.

Honestly, the job is so freaking complex. It takes a massive attention to timing and detail, and requires a lot of focus.

I love Dragoon, but that's like hit attack, hit jump, go make a sandwich. You come back, thing is dead.

Boom, exp.

Also, boom, sandwich.

When I'm playing Red Mage, I just feel like there's too much shit to do. You're always watching this timer and watching that guy's mp.

Don't get me wrong. I kick freaking ass as a Red Mage. I don't do this shit half-assed. When I'm in the pimp suit, I'm always bringing my A game.

But I still don't conisder myself an expert. Even after so much experience.

Funny story: Do you know who is an expert at being a Red Mage?

EVERY OTHER FREAKING PLAYER IN THE GAME!

Never play Red Mage before? Have a barely passing knowledge of the job mechanics? Have you accidentally visited a Red Mage forum? Did you own a Brady Guide?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are APPARENTLY an freaking expert at being a Red Mage.

I know this because every time I play Red Mage, EVERY FREAKING TIME, I am surrounded by people who want to explain to me how I should play my job.

Oh, you need a refresh now? Thanks for telling me. I have no way of figuring that shit out. They should really put a little bar underneath your hp that could go up when you have refresh on.

I will speak to the devs about that.

You know, after I HOP IN MY TIME MACHINE.

When exactly did the logic train derail and kill everyone on board here? When did it become normal practice to explain to other players how to play their job?

You don't see people giving Paladins helpful F&%@ing hints.

Hey, Dark Knight. You should try missing less.

You don't do that. You join a party and you assume everyone knows how to do their freaking job. You assume the tank is going to keep hate. You assume the healer is going to keep you up. You assume the melees are going to lay down damage.

Oh, wait. There's a Red Mage in your party. You better tell that bastard what to do.

What the hell is that?

Red Mages are an integral part to many party dynamics and provide an important resource to any group.

They are not the retarded kid next door that needs to be reminded to wipe his ass before he gets on the little yellow bus.

We got this. We are well in control of the situation.

If you don't have refresh for three or four seconds, maybe we're busy doing something. Maybe we're doing something else and you can wait.

Hold your breath, too. That helps.

Either you'll calm down or you will pass the F&%@ out and won't be able to type any more.

I was in a party earlier and this one guy, a WAR/NIN, just wouldn't shut the F&%@ up. The whole time we were in a party together, all he did was bitch.

HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE MP AND/OR REQUIRE REFRESH.

All he did was tell me how to do my own job better. He questioned my timing, my refresh cycle order, everything.

He even questioned my equipment.

WAR>> Why are you wearing that earring?
[GM]Dave>> It's the best earring for my level.
WAR>> No, it's not.
[GM]Dave>> Yes.
[GM]Dave>> Yes, it is.
WAR>> You don't know shit.
WAR>> I'd never wear that earring.
[GM]Dave>> What level is you Red Mage?
WAR>> 23.

This is a level 65-67 party, mind you.

[GM]Dave>> You need to shut up now.
[GM]Dave>> Forever.
WAR>> What a noob.
[GM]Dave>> Psssttt. Hey, leader. We should totally boot the WAR.
WAR>> You moron.
WAR>> You said that in party chat.
[GM]Dave>> I know.
[GM]Dave>> If I whispered, you wouldn't see it.
WAR>> Man, you're a joke.
WAR>> You're the worst Red Mage I've ever seen.
[GM]Dave>> Wait a second...
[GM]Dave>> How about now?
WAR>> A sword?! You equipped a sword now?!
WAR>> What the hell are you going to use a sword for?
[GM]Dave>> Well, if you don't shut up...
[GM]Dave>> I'm going to F&%@ing cut you.

He quieted down after that.

At least, I assume he did. It was hard to tell after I fed him to Jormy, booted him off the server, and then permabanned his account.

I like to imagine that he then took his own life.

I have no way of verifying that, but it makes me smile.

posted by [GM]Dave @ 8:25 PM

Did I Say I Was Back?

Life has derailed my comeback. My mother has come back to town for 3 weeks. When she leaves, I leave for vacation. I won't be back until June.

Just funny how things come up to make you stray from the path. See you again. I'll be nice and tanned when you do.