Food, FFXI/WoW, Lost, life

[thistlechaser]

nonuglies_food is evil. I might have to take them off my flist. ; ; I have no breakfast and come across fruit tarts and more fruit tarts. Mmmmm, tarts. (Ha ha.)

Last night worked well, in a Keeping-Thistle-Unbored sort of way. I played WoW for an hour, then got bored and played FFXI for a couple hours, then played nothing while Lost was on (eh, except stupid card games on the computer, see more on that in the next paragraph!), then checked back in to FFXI to say goodnight to folks.

For some reason I couldn't concentrate on Lost at all. I mean really, I couldn't even make myself do more than glance at the screen now and then while I was playing a card game on the computer. I've gotten out of the habit of being able to give the TV my full attention (it's boring! You just sit there and watch! You don't have to do anything!), but usually I can mostly watch the screen when Lost is on, just not last night. :/ Unsurprisingly, I didn't get "into" the ep at all. Though I'm glad the two guys found what they did at the very end of the ep (vague to avoid spoilers).

WoW: Okay, WoW dudes. Is there any way to make the map go full screen? I know it zooms in and out, but a two inch by two inch map does not do that much good! I'm pretty sure I need to get to the next town (I haven't gotten out of the starting village yet, but the job trainer there has no more skills to sell me (plus the mobs around the area are too weak), so I'm sure it's time to move on.) *looks up area names* I'm in Camp Narache now. I can get into Brambleblade Ravine, but the tiny little map you get sucks, and I have no idea if I'm supposed to be able to pass through that area or if it's a dead end. (Edit: Ha ha ha! I found an online guide. You actually have to follow a path to get to the next town! And you're safe on a path, too! That's so simple, I totally hadn't expected it. Imagine, a path leading you somewhere useful! Hee.)

* It's amazing. I'm level 6 now (nearly 7) and I've only had to sit to heal like twice. Boggles my mind. HP/MP regen is lightning fast.
* I'm muchly hating the bag/storage system. (FFXIers: You get a basic bag with 15? slots. No safe, no storage, that's the grand total of what you can hold. I got a bag drop, so got an extra 6 slots (you can have up to four extra bags). Supposedly when I get to a larger town there will be a "bank" or something where I can rent more storage space... Luckily the armor you're currently wearing does not take up slots.)
* Those Hearthstone things rock my socks (in an "oh my god, this is SO cheating" sort of way). I never need to worry about getting lost, I never need to worry about getting somewhere safe to log off. Just use the stone and whoosh! Back to your homepoint!

I sort of worry that WoW is going to "ruin" me for FFXI -- make me lazy, make me forget stuff. :/

FFXI: Wonderful woodworking Eadwyn made me my third tank! Now I have all three! Saltwater tank, freshwater tank, goldfish tank! The freshwater tank is the best of them all, hands down. Freshwater tank details. The spotted fish are so cute! And they swim better (more realistically), too. For some reason the fish in the saltwater tank swim backwards half the time: They swim to one end, then swim "backwards" back to the starting point. The freshwater fish swim in one direction, then turn around and swim forwards when they go back to their starting point.

Hm. Other than that, I just made lumber on FFXI. Yeah, not exciting, but I hate the idea of selling a stack of wind crystals for 3-4K when I can use those crystals to make lumber and sell that for 10 or more times the cash. However, as of this morning, every single mule I have is down to having 0 left to sell. :/ That feels like such a waste of space! I suppose I'll go farming sooner or later.

Comments

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

WOW Map: Hit 'M'.

It's usually clear where to go next. Once you run out of quests in your newbie town, go to the next town (the 'second' stage newbie town.) When you're done there, you're free to explore.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, woo! Thanks!

[yshyn.livejournal.com]

You need to stop talking about WoW. I so do not need to get interested in another MMORPG. *cough* >.>

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

If you like FFXI, I really, really couldn't recommend WoW for you. For me its function is a time-killer, just something to get me over my current FFXI... whatever I'm currently having there. I highly, highly doubt I'll be playing it a few weeks down the line (or if so, no more than an hour here and there).

I know a kazillion people play WoW, but if you're looking for another MMORPG, there has to be a better one out there. No insult intended to any players who read this comment, but: It really is like a game for five year old children. Bright colors, loud noises, requiring ZERO work or attention span to play. I don't get one speck of fulfillment from it.

FFXI is like a meal, WoW is like cotton candy (what do you call it in your end of the world? Floss candy? Floss sugar?) -- sweet and bright, but little to it other than air.

[epyonmk3.livejournal.com]

You don't have to -work- to eat a meal. :P

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Right. But would you rather sit your family down to a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner or one bought ready-cooked from the local supermarket? :)

You're correct that work doesn't necessarily make something fun, but having to earn something does make it more satisfying than being handed everything on a plate -- a plate with instructions printed on it in big, bold letters.

[peppygrowlithe.livejournal.com]

Man, if you think WoW is cotton candy, you really need to roll an undead.

The other continent is creepy. Ryan and Troy love it, but I stay far far away.

It's dark, gloomy, and depressing, and I therefore recommend it. ;)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Heehee, maybe I'll check it out one day! I found a place that would take me for a flight somewhere else, but the NPC wouldn't let me go. :/

(Or, eh, I suppose I could play an undead character, but I can't really wrap my head around this whole multiple-character thing.)

[wanderingscribe.livejournal.com]

Candy floss = cotton candy. Why I know this, I do not know. Blame HP or something.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Candy floss! Ah! Thanks! I was sort of close. :P

[socksofjello.livejournal.com]

Completely unrelated to your post, but:

Could you please, please stop appearing in my dreams? It's getting really weird.

To make this somewhat relevant, I really do enjoy reading your MMORPG entries. I don't have any cash for these online games that require I pay monthly, but I do at least get a very small taste through your journal.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

... Ha ha! It's sort of scary to appear in someone else's dream, let alone more than once!

And thanks for letting me know! I always feel like I'm spamming folks with all this game-babble I do. :)

[phoenix-leandra.livejournal.com]

Though doesn't it say something about FFXI if WoW can "ruin" you for it? I myself picked up WoW a couple weeks ago and haven't played FFXI for more than 10min since. I haven't canceled FFXI because I'm still on the fence but it's like, I can actually get on, spend maybe only a half hour, and feel like I've accomplished something. That and OMG YOU CAN ACTUALLY SOLO!!!!!!!!!! I really hope SE rises to the competition and tweaks jobs so they are more solo'able than just bst or rdm/nin. Forced partying is really starting to get frustrating. It's cool to party if you want to, but not because you "have" to to get anywhere. And hopefully they'll make better use of players' time. Waiting 45min for a barge is just stupid. So is waiting an hour for an NPC store to open (guild holidays).

BTW, there is a difficulty curve so you won't be able to keep leveling w/o healing much for long. My 22 druid has to stop and use drinks all the time to get MP back. And my 26 warlock has to be VERY careful. Warlocks have little crowd control so a link is often death. If you think the game is cotton candy, get a bit higher level. I'm sure level 50s have it even harder than me. Or I dunno what server you're on, but try a PvP. Now THOSE are a challenge (F*&^ing undead rogues in Redridge ganking me invis from behind while I'm fighting something. *grumble* I hate rogues!!!!) Yeah, there's banks in all the major towns that have like 40 slots or something, and if you ever play on sargeras, I can have my warlock make you some 10slot bags if ya like. Yay tailoring! My only complaint is you can only have 2 professions. Bleh. Eep this comment is wicked long. I'll shut up.

[whren.livejournal.com]

I tried WoW for 2 months and got to endgame, and then I quit right when I was allowed to go for endgame raids and went back to FFXI ;p

In 2 months of FFXI, I made tons more friends than I ever did in WoW -- in fact in WoW I didn't even make any new friends; my ingame contacts were mostly FFXI retirees and people I had known from FFXI. When I quit WoW, no one came to say goodbye. It was a lonely world for me out there and it felt more like a solo game more than a multiplayer game all too often.

Sure it takes skill, but while grinding those levels (if you've been doing a lot of quests, you run out of them by the time you near 60) and not haviing a lot of people to talk to and interact with, it kinda gets... lonely. I was charging into that greenish pond in that rotten wood (forgot the names) and killing those goat demon things (can you tell I've totally not tried remembering WoW lore?), and it took some skill, but I was entirely alone.

Sometimes, even the simple act of needing a friend to come bail you out of a bad situation in FFXI draws you to the community like no other. Maybe I died on my paladin, and I need a Raise 3. Having a friend come over and raise me (and me raising them in future accidents) brings so much more to the game than just raising at the Spirit Healer.

My accomplishments in WoW always felt very superficial; getting a blue (above average item) doesn't make me feel any special. There's just TOO much reward for me, it doesn't make me feel at home with it.

Also, the problem with WoW's PvP is that... that's like 50% or more of the gameplay once you get up there. In endgame, you basically do PvP and raids, and that's it -- since crafting is so easy to max out anyway it's not enough of a sidequest to keep you occupied. In FFXI, even in the endgame you find people still doing crafting and missions (because there are so many) and other things in addition to raids. Ballista is getting larger and larger now with rankings and Ballista Royale.

Level 50s don't have it much harder than you, level 50s have it much more boring. <_<

It's both funny and sad because when WoW first came out, many of Midgardsormr's premier endgame players with high standing in FFXI left entirely for WoW -- only to return to FFXI some months later with much of their prestige gone. From riches to rags, from fame to zero recognition, heh. Those who still play WoW also pick FFXI up again and just log in a few times a week to do endgame raids (they are made like FFXI Dynamis so you can't raid in an instance immediately after you have done it and have to wait some time to do it again), and play FFXI in their other time.

WoW is fun at first, but the thrill quickly wears off. It's suitable for some people, but a large majority of the people I know who shifted and waxed lyrical about WoW eventually came back -- I did too.

Have fun soloing =)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wow, I agree with everything you've said, down to the last detail.

I've gotten no sense of accomplishment from any of the (few) rewards I've gotten thus far, and I get no thrill when I level up. Everything is just so darned easy, how can I be proud of something I didn't work for?

I did my DRK AF ages ago, and yet I'm still proud every time I put it on. I still smile seeing myself in it. I earned it! It was hard work, work I had the help of good friends to do.

since crafting is so easy to max out anyway it's not enough of a sidequest to keep you occupied.

I half-laughed, half-cried about that today. I got skinning to 60+ in two hours on WoW! And that was just doing it while I was XPing! It took me months to level leathercrafting and millions upon millions of gil to do it on FFXI. But know what? I'd take the FFXI way any day, because I can be proud of the time and effort I put into it.

I can understand where the happy WoW payers are coming from: they don't want the same thing out of the game that we do. It's nice that there's an option for both types of players, but for me FFXI will always have my heart.

[phoenix-leandra.livejournal.com]

Then maybe WoW is geared like some of you say toward a younger audience, or I'd like to think to a busier audience. ^^ I've only got like 30min chunks of time to kill between class and work, or free time before needing to crack down and do homework. For that WoW has been pretty good to me whereas I can't get anywhere in FFXI. Despite SE's disclaimer to not want to interfere with your school/work/family/etc., they definitely punish you for not having large blocks of time to devote. Frequent small chunks doesn't do it. So I guess for now it's WoW. Maybe I'll be able to actually get somewhere in FFXI come winter break. =/

P.S. It's all in who you know I guess. I feel like I've made more in WoW than FFXI. /shrug. Though again it's probably just due to time constraints. I can party in WoW and meet people whereas in FFXI if you left after 30 they'd all hate you. Not a good way to make friends. ^.^;;

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Then maybe WoW is geared like some of you say toward a younger audience, or I'd like to think to a busier audience. ^^

I'll buy "a different audience". :) It's understandable that some people might not like to work as part of a game! I actually put a lot of time (hours) off the game just studying this or that. I could see where some people might not want to do that. Plus, like you said, the whole difference in how much time you can put into it.

Despite SE's disclaimer to not want to interfere with your school/work/family/etc., they definitely punish you for not having large blocks of time to devote.

Exactly. While WoW does just the opposite: With that rested/normal XP system, it's like they encourage you not to play for long periods of time! That just boggles me. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Though doesn't it say something about FFXI if WoW can "ruin" you for it?

No, not at all. Tonight I noticed something that WoW messed me up for in FFXI: Before playing WoW, I had an exact sense of how far I could shoot things from, I never go the "too far away" message. WoW not only has a longer range on my weapon, but that range appears to change when I get new weapons. o.O I'm afraid I may never get my FFXI distance-sense back. :P

Waiting 45min for a barge is just stupid. So is waiting an hour for an NPC store to open (guild holidays).

Agreed with you on those, but there needs to be a balance. WoW's "free" deaths (oh nos! Your armor got a little worn out! But you can fix it for money and you'll never lose the armor!) is just way, way, way too easy. (In my opinion.)

Yep! I'm going to try a PvP server one day. :) Thanks for the comment!