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Final Fantasy XI 2014 |OT| Kumhau, The Blackthorne Coven, and the Mog Wardrobe.

Played for like five hours last night. Feels like I am visiting an old friend who has had some additions made on his house. With FF XI 2003 I was visiting a cottage, and that has now morphed into a massive castle complex. Pulled my old Brady guide off the shelf and wondered what it would look like if it had been updated since 03'.

Now I am off to get my trust companions. I am assuming (hoping) that they don't run out after a time limit like my npc companion.

Probably still mostly wrong lol (It's notorious for having bad information for the period it was released in)

If you're on Sylph, find one of us for a pearl.
 

Seigyoku

Member
If you want an idea of updated guides, go to a Japanese bookstore and find their game section.

At one Book Off I found a guide from ToAU era that was nothing but crafting. Official crafting recipes and caps. Oh how I wish I was way more fluent at Japanese...
 
The game is VERY solo friendly now
Like, how solo friendly. Because the last time I played, they still deleted inactive characters, you couldn't level past 10/15 without grouping, and the only options for healing were a white mage, expensive as hell potions, or waiting several millennia while kneeling in /heal mode.

Chains of Promathia was still newish IIRC, and certainly it was before Treasures.

So uh

I think it'd be a hell of an adjustment.
 

Husker86

Member
Like, how solo friendly. Because the last time I played, they still deleted inactive characters, you couldn't level past 10/15 without grouping, and the only options for healing were a white mage, expensive as hell potions, or waiting several millennia while kneeling in /heal mode.

Chains of Promathia was still newish IIRC, and certainly it was before Treasures.

So uh

I think it'd be a hell of an adjustment.

Like "I went from 76-80 in maybe 4-5 hours of soloing in Sky" friendly...on PLD, solo. And I know that I wasn't in the ideal area. A lot of that was due to bonus exp from first time completion of the Sparks quests, but still, impressive.

I did 37-49 on DNC in under 3 hours, solo.
 
Probably still mostly wrong lol (It's notorious for having bad information for the period it was released in)

If you're on Sylph, find one of us for a pearl.

I'm on Sylph and will definitely be sending a tell for a pearl. Much of the game looks like a ghost-town from what I've seen around Jeuno and Bastok.

If you want an idea of updated guides, go to a Japanese bookstore and find their game section.

At one Book Off I found a guide from ToAU era that was nothing but crafting. Official crafting recipes and caps. Oh how I wish I was way more fluent at Japanese...

Next time I am at Japan Town in San Francisco I will hit up the bookstore. While I can read some Japanese I am hardly fluent. I would get one of those books as a curiosity more than anything else. I find everything about the evolution of FF XI to be utterly fascinating.
 
Like, how solo friendly. Because the last time I played, they still deleted inactive characters, you couldn't level past 10/15 without grouping, and the only options for healing were a white mage, expensive as hell potions, or waiting several millennia while kneeling in /heal mode.

Chains of Promathia was still newish IIRC, and certainly it was before Treasures.

So uh

I think it'd be a hell of an adjustment.
That was a long long time ago. The game did get one hell of an adjustment.

I'm trying to figure out what I wanna do as my second job while I work on PUP gear. I've always dreamed of having a COR but never went through with it because it required Empy building.

Do I still need Wildfire to be effective?

Also there's like no ammo on AH, lol.

EDIT: Ah they changed Empy path. Basically seems like you just need to farm WoE now. I heard that was also a nice source of gil for PUP. I may try soloing it, lol.
 

Seigyoku

Member
I really only needed help with escort missions (ugh, I hate escort missions) and the last boss of A Crystalline Prophecy.

You think Trusts will ever be allowed into KSNM fights? Wyrm is impossible to solo as MNK cause of his flying. Makes grinding for a Wyrm Beard pretty annoying.

Yeah, Aur and I were pondering yesterday about the ACP final boss. That is one of the few things we aren't sure about how it can be soloed due to its interesting mechanics.

As for KSNMs, hard to say. The main priorities for adding Trusts to content has been 1. mission progression that lets you unlock more alter egos and B. Current content (ie SKCNMs). And note that there are known bugs with summoning them in several BCNMs, so it isn't easy programming.

Any reason you aren't spending all the login points on the pop items? Or are you? I know I need to go pop ALL THE BEHEMOTHS today, so I don't stay up till 5 AM come Sunday night/Monday morning using up all my login points.

(This ALWAYS HAPPENS!)


Some notes looking that over, I think (THINK) between last update and this one, the JPM waits for the Sandy mission line are gone, but ToAU still has a few. SAM AF gets their waits nuked come Monday night, but I think Dragoon is still stuck. (RDM and RNG got adjusted last updated.) Not familiar enough with ToAU job AF quests to know how bad those waits were.

However, pretty much every major time and fame roadblock to inventory expansion will be gone next week. They already adjusted the fame thresholds for Gobbiebag (or some they said, I haven't tested!) and they adjusted the fame formulas, as I saw last week when I went to check my fame on a mule that last I'd looked was at level 4 or 5 - and he'd already hit 9. Last update got rid of all the waits for Mog Locker expansion and this coming update removes the waits for the Mog Safe quests! So many of my mules will be getting that extra space this week lol.

Now I am off to get my trust companions. I am assuming (hoping) that they don't run out after a time limit like my npc companion.

Alter Egos have no time limits, they do go poof when zoning, but you can pretty promptly summon them back out.

Like, how solo friendly. Because the last time I played, they still deleted inactive characters, you couldn't level past 10/15 without grouping, and the only options for healing were a white mage, expensive as hell potions, or waiting several millennia while kneeling in /heal mode.

Chains of Promathia was still newish IIRC, and certainly it was before Treasures.

So uh

I think it'd be a hell of an adjustment.

Wow, that is like generations ago. Lemme put it this way. I got almost every job to 10-12 in Zehrun mines in like, umm, under two hours? Solo. My first job to 10, I don't even remember how long it took, I was mostly mad at my brother for beating me to it. Even before Trusts came along, you could easily get yourself past 15 with GoV if you picked a good zone. With Trusts and RoE, you'll probably get to 20-30 in a few hours. By yourself.

AND get sparks to gear yourself.

I'm on Sylph and will definitely be sending a tell for a pearl. Much of the game looks like a ghost-town from what I've seen around Jeuno and Bastok.

Next time I am at Japan Town in San Francisco I will hit up the bookstore. While I can read some Japanese I am hardly fluent. I would get one of those books as a curiosity more than anything else. I find everything about the evolution of FF XI to be utterly fascinating.

Sylph is one of the smaller servers (which is why our Salvage zones don't crash!) but much like Aht Urghan became the happening place for some years, a lot of people idle in Adoulin. Port Jueno is still an insanely popular zone to idle and bazaar. They can't seem to kill that.

I keep wanting to get a nice Japanese guide but keep not hitting the sweet spot of a price point I am will to pay for something I cannot read without a lot of work, and not being so out of date that it predates Aby. Someday I'll find a used guide from when I started playing... (1/1/11!)

Do I still need Wildfire to be effective?

Also there's like no ammo on AH, lol.

EDIT: Ah they changed Empy path. Basically seems like you just need to farm WoE now. I heard that was also a nice source of gil for PUP. I may try soloing it, lol.

You still want Wildfire for COR, and you want the Merit WS Last Stand, and you probably want to unlock the Mythic skill, though it shines the most with the Mythic lol.

And it's less that they changed the Empy path and more that WF and other Empy WS are unlockable if you have a 90 Empy or a 99 WoE weapon. They did change how you get the WoE weapons, you can either follow the old path, doing the NM trials, and that nets you a GIANT cost reduction in the amount of Coins/Dice/Residue portions, or you can bypass the trials and throw money at it using the old amounts.

As for ammo, that's been an issue for ages now, but now (at 99) you can get the Sparks purchased Eminent Bullets for a pretty decent price.
 
So far I've been just messing with Trusts and leveling jobs for fun and having a good time with it. I'm not sure if I'll get too deep into the game again but I can see myself spending a lot of time just level jobs I never got a chance to experience (PUP, BLU). After reading through some ways to get new weapons and armor, though, it seems like it wouldn't be so bad to pursue some equipment because it seems relatively easy, like Records of Eminence. Before I left I was working on a Kannagi and got about 15 or so Helms of Briareus and it kind of seems like I should probably drop that. Doesn't seem like I'll be able to use Trusts for anything Abyssea. I wish I didn't have so many things going on this holiday weekend. I just want to play lol
 

jae

Member
Yeah, Aur and I were pondering yesterday about the ACP final boss. That is one of the few things we aren't sure about how it can be soloed due to its interesting mechanics.

I went and did it recently on BLU, I ended up just using AL/UW with Bloodrake, killed it in like 30 seconds. Certainly doable with normal methods, I just really wanted to go to bed.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
I went and did it recently on BLU, I ended up just using AL/UW with Bloodrake, killed it in like 30 seconds. Certainly doable with normal methods, I just really wanted to go to bed.

ACP boss has been soloable on BST since 99, back then you needed a fair number of dawn mulsum's to keep the pet up between rewards, but nowadays I suspect you could probably just AFK and win.
 
Edit: Suddenly remember this little story, from a long time ago. It was someplace else before YouTube, can't remember where. Hits me in my emotional Achilles Heel every time, as it reminds me a lot of the things my LS went through. I was the explorer left behind at the time.

Like "I went from 76-80 in maybe 4-5 hours of soloing in Sky" friendly...on PLD, solo. And I know that I wasn't in the ideal area. A lot of that was due to bonus exp from first time completion of the Sparks quests, but still, impressive.

I did 37-49 on DNC in under 3 hours, solo.
Ok, see, that blows my fucking mind, because I remember barely making any progress in that same amount of time. Wrangling a group together just took forever.

That was a long long time ago. The game did get one hell of an adjustment.
Man, it's just so weird to think that whatever arcane knowledge I have from this game is all irrelevant now. It was my first MMO so I never got far, not even past 30 I reckon. I just had a blast travelling the world and socializing.

Man, was it crystals that were used in crafting? Different element crystals like fire? I remember those going for like 2-3k+ a stack. When I quit I remember that had fallen sharply.

Wow, that is like generations ago. Lemme put it this way. I got almost every job to 10-12 in Zehrun mines in like, umm, under two hours? Solo. My first job to 10, I don't even remember how long it took, I was mostly mad at my brother for beating me to it. Even before Trusts came along, you could easily get yourself past 15 with GoV if you picked a good zone. With Trusts and RoE, you'll probably get to 20-30 in a few hours. By yourself.

AND get sparks to gear yourself.
Wait, it took 2 hours to get a job to 10-12 (repeated however many times), or 2 hours to get every job to 10-12? Either way, that's a bit nuts, but if it's the latter, then fuck me that's ridiculous.

Are there any good resources for people starting it fresh? I'll need it given how much has changed in almost a decade.

I still remember when PC players at launch were thumbing their noses at everyone who got in post-Christmas that year.
 

SilverArrow20XX

Walks in the Light of the Crystal
Any reason you aren't spending all the login points on the pop items? Or are you? I know I need to go pop ALL THE BEHEMOTHS today, so I don't stay up till 5 AM come Sunday night/Monday morning using up all my login points.

Well, the login price for a pop item is the same as the price for 100 Kindred seals, which can buy me a Themis orb and allow me to go for the KSNMs which have much higher drop rates for the Black Belt items than the NMs have for the HNM pop items. Plus they have a 100% drop of the pop item themselves and give me 50k to 300k worth of loot. I just passed on Wyrm and have been killing Chlevnik and Behemoth over and over. Went from completely broke to 3M from all the no drops though.

I went and did it recently on BLU, I ended up just using AL/UW with Bloodrake, killed it in like 30 seconds. Certainly doable with normal methods, I just really wanted to go to bed.

Yeah, the BLU I had help me just wrecked him. Draw In just completely nullifies Monks though. He used it right at the beginning and I couldn't do a thing. Everything is just "Can't see the target".
 
Just got a couple of pieces of 109 reforge, just new a few moe rem's tales and I'll have two more 119s yay.

I really haven't accomplished much else. Still trying to get COR to 99 and just farming Limbus/WoE/Dynamis in between. I don't need the gil, but I find it relaxing.

Are there even any 119 gear NMs I can fight with just sparks gear? I think one NM has a good PUP h2h that would be nice, but I suppose I just have to wait.
 
Just got a couple of pieces of 109 reforge, just new a few moe rem's tales and I'll have two more 119s yay.

I really haven't accomplished much else. Still trying to get COR to 99 and just farming Limbus/WoE/Dynamis in between. I don't need the gil, but I find it relaxing.

Are there even any 119 gear NMs I can fight with just sparks gear? I think one NM has a good PUP h2h that would be nice, but I suppose I just have to wait.

If you're just in sparks gear, look into doing adoulin content to get bayld, acquire gear from peacekeepers (117 gear is available with better stats), and unlock / access wildskeeper reives (which drop really good 115 gear). You can also do skirmish for 113 gear that upgrades to 119 (Yorcia to get gear, Ra'Kaznar to upgrade) which is good for making pdt sets.
 

Loona

Member
Official page mentions a new login campaign, although the current link is broken - it does feature a pic of the Star Sybil though - if she's a new Trust, I wonder what kind of skills she'll have... and if we can expect equivalents from the other nations in the future... it's really hard to imagine her, Karst or Destin in the frontlines... now ol' Ranperre, on the other hand...
 

Seigyoku

Member
Well it's that time of the month, where my timesheets for the previous month are overdue, and people are breathing down my neck, and I HATE DOING TIMESHEETS, so I've already done work that is due in two weeks to avoid them and HEY let's make a post about FFXI events!

First of all, hope you spent your Login Campaign #12 points already because they are GONE. Sei got a D-ring to my insane shock, but don't worry folks, I'll still be dealing with Behemoth. Brother doesn't have one yet!

TONIGHT (in the US) is the July Version Update. It is set to begin at 10 PM PDT and is schedule to take 1.5 hours. Update notes typically go up fairly early into the maintenance window, and the folks at BG will start dat mining the moment the check version goes up. Pan chooses to go to sleep and treat this like Christmas morning.

Two events that are currently going on are set to end at 1 AM PDT (7/8). These are the annual Celestial Nights event, patterned on the Tanabata holiday, and a Mog Garden Campaign. If you've never done Celestial Nights and want to get your Bamboo furnishings and Yukata, it's probably best you do this BEFORE the update. A new fireworks prize was added this year if you are a masochist. (They are pretty awesome.) As for the Mog Garden, I hope all of you step inside it EVERY DAY, cause stars and flotsam anyway, but if you haven't during this event you've been missing on a second flotsam pool, which sure, will probably give you ANOTHER mannequin body, but hey! Some people get 100 pieces.

Also at 1 AM PDT is THE MOG BONANZA WINNING NUMBERS ANNOUNCEMENT. Or as most of us like to call it - inventory +10 (or more.) GL everyone who got marbles. I look forward to my second Atomos statue because I am insane and have nine mules. Marbles must be turned in by 1 AM PDT on 7/29.

Currently going on is the Summer Alter Ego. Pan posted about this before, but there are four new Trust Ciphers and four returning ones to pick up. You have till ROUGHLY JPM (8 AM PDT) on 7/31 to get them, but really, just go do it now.

But wait! There's more. Starting at 1 AM PDT are two more events (they can't stop). The "Alter Ego Expo" is going to boost the HP/MP stats for them and increase their resistances. Why? WHO KNOWS. This event will go for exactly two weeks.

Also starting is the Campaign Festa. Wording on this one is a little bit fuzzy, but for certain Campaign Battle evaluations will give more EXP/AN and coffers will give more spoils. Those rarely seen BCMN Ops will get extra rewards in their drops pools, and go figure, Sylph has Fiat Lux, Plucking Wings and umm, the Orc one open. (Bastok (S) did better than in ages but didn't QUITE pull it off.) I'm saving my Credits for these. :p This event will go for exactly three weeks.

And then this morning SE attempted to announce the now renamed July Login Campaign but... they kinda failed. If the Japanese twitter is to be believed (and it at least lists a date that is real) it will start JPM (8 AM PDT remember) on 7/10 (in the US.) More details when they FIX THEIR OWN LINK.

And don't worry, there is more to look forward to in August, they've already started dropping hints about what the August Version Update will entail, and August is time for the Sunbreeze Festival. Which means Murmor. Altana save us.
 
I don't understand most of that post and it's really bumming me out. Was some of this high level stuff in there before Treasure that I just never saw because I didn't get to end game before quitting?
 

ZetaEpyon

Member
I don't understand most of that post and it's really bumming me out. Was some of this high level stuff in there before Treasure that I just never saw because I didn't get to end game before quitting?

Which post, Sei's?

Most of the stuff there is just the limited time events that SE has been cycling through - login campaign, mog bonanza, holiday events, etc. Most of these give you a chance for some neat free stuff, but nothing earth-shattering for the most part, so I wouldn't worry about it too much if you've missed out on them in this go-around.

The Campaign Festa thing is pretty interesting, and it saddens me that I won't be able to get a rank high enough to do Fiat Lux before the event ends (stupid 5 day campaign evaluation!). These are interesting because they require the server to do a lot of campaign to even be able to access them, which hasn't happened in a long time, despite unique rewards that are available. If you stopped during the Aht Urhgan era, it's not something that was around then - campaign was added with Wings of the Goddess.

Can anyone explain to me what a theme park MMO is? lol.

Generally speaking, the opposite of a sandbox mmo. One where you're guided on a path from area/event to area/event as you level up, like going from ride to ride in a theme park. FFXI is sort of theme-parky in some ways, but not nearly as much as FFXIV. WoW is sort of the default example.
 

Kandinsky

Member
Generally speaking, the opposite of a sandbox mmo. One where you're guided on a path from area/event to area/event as you level up, like going from ride to ride in a theme park. FFXI is sort of theme-parky in some ways, but not nearly as much as FFXIV. WoW is sort of the default example.
Damn that makes a lot of sense, I feel dumb now.

Thank you.
 
I don't understand most of that post and it's really bumming me out. Was some of this high level stuff in there before Treasure that I just never saw because I didn't get to end game before quitting?

Can you be more specific? There's like 3 expansions worth of content you have never even heard of because they came out after treasures. I'll happily elaborate if you can give me some more details on what you're actually wondering about. There have also been almost as many midgame additions as there have been endgame ones since you last played if it was prior to TOAU.

Looks like talym covered sei's post.

Also, you stragglers need to get on sylph! Join us!
 

Gojeran

Member
This thread pulled me back in. Name is Gagegil on carbuncle. Been working on leveling my rdm to 75 using trusts in the older exp areas... ie yesterday I was leveling on Colibri :) went and got myself a PCA from Argus and picked up an assault jerkin too from Ose lol just cause I wanted to. Plan to do some old school capped 75 rdm solos while working on gearing my 99 mnk. Just got all the espial gear from seeker sparks. Nice to be back enjoying doing what I want to do with my trust buddies.
 

Seigyoku

Member
I can't stress enough how much better of a time you'll have playing with other people. For those of you starting back up on servers that are not Sylph, please consider transferring or starting up anew. Server transfer link has been added to the OP and can be found here: http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/intro/optional/wd_transfer01.html

Note that in typical SE fashion, that page got updated to show the reduced time between transfers but NOT the reduced cost. It's actually $18 now, not $25.
 

Loona

Member

Seigyoku

Member
The mailing restriction is pretty silly, since it's not like there aren't ways around it anyway.

In an odd way I get it. Since you have to work to get around it, it reduces the number of them since some people will be like EH, I won't bother.

Doesn't explain things like Forgottens, Dyna currency, Alex, HMPs and ESPECIALLY WoE currency - which you can SEND TO YOUR MULES, but NOT TO OTHER PEOPLE.

Edit: Two timesheets down.
 

Jijidasu

Member
Aw bugger. You guys are making me really want to play right now. I was planning to re-sub earlier but my new credit card hasn't arrived yet :(

I should be back on whenever it arrives. I still have to cap skills on BLM though, ugh.
 
Looking at the Trust NPCs has me really wanting to join in. $13 a month isn't sounding that bad. I just really wish they had some way to lower the price down to $10.
 
Login Campaign Details:

12854.jpg


http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/campaign/login/login13.html
 
Ugh the fact that this game is still going just makes me even madder that they kept the exact same races and just changed the names around in FF 14. Where is the Ivalice MMORPG???
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
ACP boss has been soloable on BST since 99, back then you needed a fair number of dawn mulsum's to keep the pet up between rewards, but nowadays I suspect you could probably just AFK and win.

Did you try it back then? I ask because keeping your pet alive was the easy part of that fight a few years ago.
 
Reposting because this is important:

Login Campaign Details:

12854.jpg


http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/campaign/login/login13.html

The 200 point items are all the empyrean +2 items, in French for some reason. So if you want to get your empy sets complete before they 109 them, this is a good chance.

Just make sure you log in every day and you should be able to get at least 4400-4600 points. That's more than enough to complete a set of empyrean +2 gear. If you have mules, you'll be in an even better position.

Campaign times are:
Thursday, July 10, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. (PDT) to Saturday, August 2 at 7:00 a.m.
 

Pastry

Banned
Probably still mostly wrong lol (It's notorious for having bad information for the period it was released in)

If you're on Sylph, find one of us for a pearl.

I bought the game today, figures I get it on the day there is maintenance, but I can't seem to find a server called Sylph.
 
Almost done with Rank 4 Mission- Magicite, and I totally forgot how long this one was. The faith NPCs are making the world of difference in being able to handle this stuff. Even though they are AI controlled they seem to be doing what I want them to. I was even doing some cool skillchains with them with relative ease. Square Enix really did a good job with this aspect and I look forward to collecting all of the NPCs. Love being able to take on NMs out in the wild I would have never been able to before. While I enjoy playing with others, I think this will be a great way for me to experience the FF XI story at my own pace.

Also started listening to "Limit Break Radio" today starting with the 06' first episode. Didn't know there was a podcast for FF XI, but this one sounds pretty good so far. They are talking about bad dune party experiences lol

Started my Mog Garden stuff and see this as being really addictive. I can already tell it's going to be a nice and relaxing way to make extra gil. Beautiful spot too.
 
Bah! Maintenance:(



Can you explain this?



And this? I know there are some ex stuff you can mule on the same account now but what are the rules/restrictions?

AF and relic are upgradeable to ilevel 109, and then to 119. Empyrean gear has not been upgraded yet. But when it does happen, if you have your gear +2 already, it will probably be a cheaper upgrade (based on the established pattern thus far). Empyrean +2 items (jewels of ardor for example) can be dboxed on the same account, so if you have mules that's extra login points and more easy items.

Basically it's in your best interest to +2 the empyrean gear you care about, and being able to do so with login points is easier than grinding abyssea.
 
Update notes:

The July Version Update has Crossed the Finish Line! (07/07/2014)

12858.jpg


The July version update has crossed the finishing line, bringing along with it a new monster rearing system for Mog Gardens!

For its victory lap, the July version update also shows off high-tier mission battlefields featuring the Shadow Lord and the Shikarees; a synthesis history feature, where players can select from the past ten syntheses they have undertaken; job adjustments, including new spells; quality of life adjustments; and a vast array of new content and changes.

Read on for the particulars.

New items:
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/July_2014_Version_Update_Changes

BG Dat Mining Discussion:
http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/122939-.DAT-Mining-7-7-2014-Update-Findings-and-Discussion
 

Jarekx

Member
Ah, downloading now. It's been several years since I've tried to play this but something about it is dragging me back in. Never got very far but we will see how it goes this time. :)
 
Fuck, Haste II on PUP is really sweet. One it hits you you're just like @_@ BAM BAM BAM.

....Then you realize it's stuck on RDM head and will never be used for soloing anything worth a damn. I only use RDM head for farming and things with a low tier of difficulty. Dynamis, solo EXPing, reives, etc. It has too much in its list of spells to cast to consistently keep all the buffs up. Plus only having once source of erase REALLY sucks.

I would have really liked to have gotten Distract as well.

That and it's bugged in the chat log. "Jackstraw starts casting MAGIC 511 on Eudaimonia", lol.
 
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