Thursday, May 29, 2008

Awaiting the update

As the time grows near for the next version update of Final Fantasy XI, I can't help but wonder what the new changes will do for the game.

The moogle in Selbina is obvious: No more raise shouts. With so many people having leveled other jobs, you're bound to get someone in your party with raise on a sub job at the very least. That alone will eliminate the Dunes as I once knew it.

When I started, the dunes were the leveling area, no exceptions. Trains could stop everyone from leveling for a half an hour or more as people zoned in and drew the train back to everyone again. Parties were plentiful and awful. And the only way home was to walk.

Now players are on easy street, and I'm not mad about that. I'm disappointed they won't get the same experience I did. It made for some hilarious memories. However, the game should have been like this from the start. Often, the game feels like punishment, not a game. You'd spend hours trying to level and wind up losing experience points.

So why, then, are people still powerleveling? Still baffles me with all the ease of use of the dunes now that people even need powerleveling...

As for the new job abilities, I really don't see much in them except for PLD. The BRD ability is interesting I guess, but MNK sticking to just kicks? Huh? Who came up with that idea?

Were MNKs in forums all over saying, "My arms are getting tired, I want to just kick stuff!" Or, "Let me sacrifice my ability to attack up to three times to just kick at a mob instead." Granted, it looks cool when you kick but... still what the hell?!?

As for Campaign, totally disinterested in it. The long waits make it hard to keep my medals. Why they changed it, I have no idea. It was fine the way it was. Campaign was my favorite thing to do because it didn't take hours to find yourself in a heated battle. The EXP was a nice bonus, but not at all why I went. Now you sit for hours and wait at one location, or jump place to place trying to get into a battle. So I'm really not interested in higher medals.

The new merit additions are interesting as well, I guess. I don't merit much so... meh.

It will be interesting regardless.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Irony

Defined as a combination of circumstances or a result that is the opposite of what is or might be expected or considered appropriate.

As in me bitching about people asking for help, then asking and receiving help myself.

Big thanks to Caylst and my baby Bratia for coming to assist me with BST and NIN AF runs!

Real life rant to follow about other stuff.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Asking for help

In a game like Final Fantasy XI, you need help.

Not of the psychological type. Well, maybe that, eventually. But not usually.

No, you need help to do quests/mission/farming items or spells. The game is so designed in order to build a sense of community and comradery. We're all supposed to be one big happy multilingual family.

In practical applications, nice people become the bitch of greedy people. Much like in real life.

I cannot count the number of times I have seen people go to extreme lengths to help people, only to have trouble getting help themselves or being completely screwed by the person they are helping.

Now some might be wondering "Why Pawk, what makes you make such a bitter post?"

Quite frankly, it has nothing to do with something that happened to me personally in recent history. It has happened before, frequently. I did run a linkshell of my own, if I never mentioned it. And as the shell owner I regularly got screwed over helping people. It would normally work like this:

- n00b joins shell
- n00b asks for help
- I help
- n00b thanks me
- n00b ditches shell, never seen again

Now that I didn't mind. Helping newbies to the shell can result in long term friendships and valuable shell members. However not everyone cares to be loyal to a shell that helps them. But again, this hasn't happened to me in a while.

No, what makes me upset this time is seeing it happen to nice people I know. This almost upsets me more that it happening to me. I mean, if someone is nice enough to help, try to return the favor.