Zzzzz, grumble. (RL & FFXI)

[thistlechaser]

I'm so sick of my brain. If stabbing it had any hope of helping, I'd be walking around with pencils sticking out of my ears. Four hours after I fell asleep, someone's alarm clock went off. (Some poor person had to get up at 3 AM!) Note: This is a totally different apartment than mine, so it couldn't have been all that loud. Yet it woke me up. And once I was awake, I was awake. I hear tell that some people wake up slowly, some even fall back asleep after waking up! (My mother does this wacky thing where she keeps hitting her snooze button and sleeping for 5 minutes after it goes off... over and over and over again.) Not me, when I wake up, I am fully, 100%, totally awake and alert. And know what? It sucks. Because once I wake up, I have no chance of going back to sleep.

So yeah. Four hours of sleep last night after three hours the night before. And I'm darned tired of that. (And tired in general!)

I couldn't make myself go walking this morning (too damned cold and tired), so to make up for that I'm going to go shopping for stationary exercise bikes at lunchtime. I can't figure out where the darned things would be sold, my only guess is sporting goods stores. Anyone have any other guesses?

--

FFXI: I was a big honking slacker last night and didn't XP. Bah. (I had RL stuff going on plus I'm trying not to XP every night because I don't want to get annoyed with the game again.) But Zub and I had fun going to Newtown for some keys for the coming CoP missions. I got about 1.5 levels of GS and 2 levels of evasion! Then I went out to level my NPC (which I hadn't done in weeks because I just don't find it much fun), but I got nearly a level of parrying skillups! *boggle*

Caboose emailed me last night! Apparently he still reads the CTY site. I tried to email him back, but AOL doesn't accept email from my address. Bah.

I think I'm going to XP tonight... I suppose. It's just depressing because it takes so long to level now (and it'll only get worse, I know.)

Getting from level 64 -> 65
11 hours of XPing + 2K XP from "other stuff" (Escort, skilling) not counted in time.
13 hours spent looking for parties.

That's 24 hours spent on game for one single level. And each level is going to take longer and longer to get... 11 hours to get a level wouldn't be so bad, but the countless (or counted! 13 of 'em!) hours wasted looking for a party is just horrible.

Note: Yes, I do make my own parties whenever possible (when a tank and healer is seeking). Only one random party was not made by me, every single other one I've been in I was forced to make myself.

...sometimes WoW tempts me back.

EDIT: And one last thing that's been bugging me a while now. The next mage who says "but you can sell your armor back! I can't sell my spells! So woe is me!" is going to take a scythe to the back of the head. No, I cannot sell my armor back. I have not sold a piece of armor back since I hit level 50. Why? They're called capped events. I bought one 4 million piece of armor (not HQed!) and then a 11 million (HQed) piece to replace it in later levels, but I cannot sell that 4 million piece back... otherwise what will I wear on capped missions?

And unlike you, I will need to store all this damned armor. I have a mule just for armor and weapons for capped stuff!

*bitchy*

Comments

[kelen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've always hated that armor selling 'argument'. It's so unrealistic, especially since the expensive stuff you'll pretty much always need. And really.. beyond the old Raise3, what spell costs 4+million each? :P All classes have big costs. People just don't want to believe everyone has it just as hard.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Grump. I don't begrudge what I have to buy, not unless someone else is going to belittle it by saying that they have it harder.

The only difference between jobs that's really bugging me is the time spent looking for parties. A healer type (or slightly less so, a tank) can actually be picky about parties, ask questions before accepting an invite. But me? I never want to leave even the worst party (like the other night) because it's so hard for me to get one in the first place.

[kelen.livejournal.com]

Sadly some melee always have a rough time getting parties, and Drk is one of those. x.x Doesn't matter you are a good player, you know your jobs limitations and have acquired the gear to balance things out.. there are hundreds of idiots out there who haven't, and never will, giving your job a truly bad name.
And now you have to pay for it. x.x It's so not right. I've never seen a drk hit as often/well as you do, Thistle. Too bad we can't have resumes for partying.

I've been avoiding blm because of those idiots. All those lamers who quit ranger because they can no longer wave their e-peens around and put no effort into the class, so they switched the blm. :P At least I'm getting good art done. x.x I haven't drawn so much in two years. It's scary.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Too bad we can't have resumes for partying.

That'd rock. And you could collect recommendations, too! :P

I'm hoping that sooner or later at least some folks will get to know my name and that I'm not a bad DRK. At least I'm not afraid to make my own parties -- the DRKs who I see never making parties are even worse off than me.

I've been avoiding blm because of those idiots. ... At least I'm getting good art done. x.x

Yeah, totally understandable. Some of these BLMs (Dnar comes to mind) are darned scary players. And woo art! Your work is so amazing! I looked at that one sample page you posted (with the buildings and the classroom) and couldn't look away! Looked like professional stuff! :D

[abiona.livejournal.com]

Hell, I'm a mage, and I have the same armor "Can't sell it 'cause I need it!" and storing issues. I have gear for 30, 40, and 50 cap, am wearing 60 stuff. I would also have 25 cap stuff, but {Um ...} I got really tired of fighting the mission dragons, so I sold it all so I'd have an excuse not to go when people asked. XD

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Heh! That's a good excuse! (I just tend to fight the darned critter naked.)


Hell, I'm a mage, and I have the same armor "Can't sell it 'cause I need it!" and storing issues.

Yep, and I'd never say you didn't! My grumbling was directed at mages who say that melees have it easy because "woe is me, I can't ever sell my spells back!".

[yshyn.livejournal.com]

I think the armour argument is slightly reversed for mages. Whereas the expense for melee goes into good armor/weapons, the expense for mages is, more often, their spells. WHM can, for example, wear level 30 gear all the way to AF (and in some cases, I've seen 75 WHM still wearing RSE).

I still think it's stupid you have to buy raise and reraise separately, and four levels apart. ^^

[abiona.livejournal.com]

I'm just sayin' that I identify with ye, though melee hasn't been my main in ages. XD

[merrkitty.livejournal.com]

My armor for whitemage is pretty simple really.

40 cap or below? RSE and Seer's. -20k tops
60 cap and below usually consists of RSE/Seer's/AF. -Free if you take the easy way out.
75 and below? Nobels Tunic, WHM JSE, and some AF. - 19 mil. ;.;

I'd never sell any of these, and honestly, I rarely do capped things for WHM. Besides, the most expensive spell I bought was R3 when it was expensive, its now about 100k tops? If you think about all the spells, you could probably level WHM from 1-75 on a balance of under 1 mil. =\

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

If you think about all the spells, you could probably level WHM from 1-75 on a balance of under 1 mil. =\

Ha ha, that's funny. My DRK spells aren't far from 1M! (Absorb-DEX is like 600K, or was when I bought it. It's only gone up since then.)

I rarely do capped things for WHM.

Your BST is so uber, you should just do everything as that! Heck, you shoud sleep with me as BST! ;)

RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

I hate that armor "arguement". It's not. And you want to know what else you pissy lil whining mages? I HAVE Erase 'cause I need it for my /WHM (it's saved my tail plenty of time already.) I also HAVE Phalanx 'cause I need it for my /RDM (same deal). Oh oh, and guess what! I HAVE Utsu:Ni for my (c'mon, guess it!) /NIN! Zomg, that's 2mil in spells I have for SUBJOBS as a melee. And I have all the happy expensive Melee armor costs on top of that. World's smallest violin {You can have this.} --;

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*cheers you on!* You tell them!

Your rant is better than mine. I should edit it into the original post! :D

But as I replied to Draque: I'm not (and wouldn't ever) bitch about the money I have to pay for all that I need. It's part of my job! It just pisses me off that some "poor little mage" has the nerve to claim that they have it worse.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

Exactly, I do what needs to be done to play my job well. That's why I have the stupid expensive spells and every other spell I can learn. That's why I always have food, oil, powder, antidote, etc. so I'm ready for anything. Yeah, the costs add up, but please don't tell me you have it worse and I should feel sorry for you. That's just condescending and rude ._. I figure I spend ~200k a game week on "necessities". That isn't stuff like buying armor. That's consumables ._.;

Re: RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

ER.. not game week.. real week x.x damn work distracting me from my ranting ;;

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, I figured. :)

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I spend ~200k a game week on "necessities". That isn't stuff like buying armor. That's consumables ._.;

I can't imagine how much stuff would cost if I didn't have alchemy at 60. I make my own stuff whenever I can, but could you imagine buying stuff at market prices? It's like 30K for a stack of powder! And I bet oil is close to that, too! (I always, always carry a full stack of each of those on me.)

I've never priced out mage food, but melee food has to be more expensive. The food I should be eating (and will eat, once all my jacks are gone) is about 10K for ONE SERVING at the AH! (Thankfully Aurian makes it for me.) The mages I XP with all eat... cookies. 9.9 Most melees I've been XPing with eat sushi: 50K/stack, last I checked.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[yshyn.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I eat cookies because of the demands of the party. The party wants to get to chain 5, usually fighting fairly tough stuff, and the only way to do that easily is to knock back as much +HMP as possible to maintain chains. And even then you wind up sitting before the mob is dead and after it's been pulled, and often during fights if it's taking a long time.

The other problem is... sushi is fairly easy to find on the AH. WHM food for example, mushroom stuff, is very rarely on the AH, and when it is up, it's bought up straight away for very high prices. Given preference, I'll eat mushroom stuff (-Enmity is nice, not to mention a slight MND/MP boost...) and in fact made a load last night since it was my turn in and I HQed a lot... but it's not so much cheapness on the part of (most good) mages, than it's far easier to chomp down on cookies that helps you maintain chains, versus hard-to-find food.

I'm not gonna say one job type has it easier than another (which is rubbish), but there's more to it than being cheap.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

My opinion is, in general, that leveling some craft can be a part of playing your job right. Long, long, long ago, when I was WHM-main, I leveled cooking so I could make my own food and drinks. Thankfully I have alchemy behind me, so I can make all the stuff I need as a non-mage (oil, powder, etc).

Personally I don't buy availability as a reason not to eat the right food for your job (within reason). If you can make the food you need by taking cooking to level 60, then you should do that. Sadly my coeurl dishes are 60+, so I'm stuck on those. (But I do still put in hours of farming so I can get the stuff Aurian needs to make them.)

And in case it's not clear, I don't mean you when I used "you" in this post, just people in general.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[yshyn.livejournal.com]

And in case it's not clear, I don't mean you when I used "you" in this post, just people in general.

Well, good because I was about to point out that my cooking /is/ at 60 and it's still hard to make because the ingredients are hard to get in more than singles. (danceshrooms, coral fungi, etc.) Although since the Tribune just gave a Big Ol' Hint as to where to find mushrooms, I'm gonna try that.

You could use the crafting argument for anything. Why can't you make your own weapons? Why can't you make your own ammo? Why don't you make your own armor? Some people do. But a lot don't (which is how folks make money). Some people hate crafting, remember. Some people can't stand it. But they'll buy stuff.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

Trust me, I cut every corner I can and my costs are still stupid high ^^; I usually dump piles of materials on Xal and beg him to HQ well when making me Powder and Oil. (I usually get those in quantities of 4-5 stacks at a time and store them.) Food, Auri makes for me most cases. (I need to get her more sushi fixings o.o; ) Shihei, Ead makes for me :3 I make my own Ammo for RNG. (The boltheads were made by various Alchemists in the shell.)

As for the Armor part, that doesn't always pan out. Most of my 'good' MNK armor is quested/drops ^^; I almost wish more of it *was* crafted, though, people would probably price gouge just as bad. (But then we can go for market saturation. That Ameret Mantle I have cost me 100k when I bought it and now they go for under 5k due to saturation.)

And if you use mushrooms a lot, I'll send you the ones I get from random Escorts and whatnot o.o; Usually I toss them on mule or away 'cause they're clogging my inventory ._.;

Re: RAWR! >:|

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

What kinds of mushrooms do you need? Sleepshrooms, or something fancier? I have a few sleep/dance/woozyshrooms sitting on Izaku that I can send you if you'd like.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[yshyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and as a little additional to the comment above that I forgot... while mushroom soup, for example has a little MP/MND... ginger cookies are still simply /better/ for maintaining chains. +5HMP for cookies versus +1HMP. ;)

WHM Food!

[philia.livejournal.com]

In Junger Forest, there's a spot on the map called Spore Hollow. Visit it. :3 I managed to walk away with six stacks of various mushrooms to make roasted mushrooms. As long as you have two of the same type, the recipe works. And in that particular spot, there's no less than ten spawns that come back /very/ quickly. *nods*

Re: WHM Food!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's good to know! Mushrooms sell well on the AH, too.

*plots and plans*

Re: RAWR! >:|

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Beanie, could I ask some melee food advice of you? (And maybe Thistle and Auri and others can chime in, too.)

When should I switch to using sushi instead of mithkabobs? Right now I'm 47 and have no trouble hitting things. I've heard that things can get really hard to hit after 50.

I've got a Life Belt for when I hit 48. Sniper's are... very unlikely, since last I checked they were up to 1.7 million each and I just don't have the time to raise money for something like that. ^^; So right now I'm using a Venerer/Deft Ring combo.

I'm kind of dreading the upgrade because of the 50K per stack. I know, I know, everyone has it hard, but my RL schedule severely limits game time some weeks and I worry about being able to keep up with just that. (Need to find time to level my alchemy, too, as that will at least help with saving and possibly making money.) But I take pride in being able to perform my role in the party to the best of my ability, and I don't want to suddenly be able to stop hitting things.

Thanks in advance!

~Cydori

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

When should I switch to using sushi instead of mithkabobs? Right now I'm 47 and have no trouble hitting things. I've heard that things can get really hard to hit after 50.

I know there are web pages out there telling you what food to use when (but I don't have any URLs handy). My thought on it would be: Switch when you start missing more. :) Or if you never miss much, you could move to a higher attack food than kabobs (like coeurl, when you get into your 60s).

Re: RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

Thistle's got the right idea of it, stick with what you've got until accuracy becomes an issue. There are a ton of place you can pick up more ACC without Snipers. The career DRGs like Auri, Yun, and Bara could probably give you a more thorough list than me, but look at getting a Merman's Gorget. I know they're kinda spendy (around 300k when I last checked) but you'll use it for the rest of your DRG life. If you can't afford that, the NQ one is pretty reasonable (about 50k) or you could even wear a Reraise Gorget (about 90k).

As for food, I think the list Thistle was thinking of is this one (http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/food.php). If you're looking *only* at ACC, you could stick with Jack o'Lanterns for the static +10ACC. The sushi foods are 15%, but cap at +14 or +15 ACC (there's a limit). If you're wanting something that's a *balance* take a look at Rice Dumplings:

HP +17
Strength +3
Vitality +2
Agility +1
Attack +20% (Cap: 45@225 Base Attack)
Ranged Attack +30% (Cap: 45@150 Base Ranged Attack)
HP Regeneration While Healing +2
MP Regeneration While Healing +2
Accuracy +5
Resist Paralyze

These things are made of pure love and are an excellent "transitional" food IMO. I used them a lot in my 40s and 50s as Samurai. I've highlighted the characteristics that you're most likely interested in, but with the HHP and HMP on them, it helps out if you're soloing DRG/Mage too.

Last I checked, Rice Dumplings were about 20k/stack and could be kind of rareish. (They're a level 90ish synth ~.~; ) You might be able to work out something with Auri to make them less expensive :3

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Cy: Too bad you weren't looking into foods last year!

you could stick with Jack o'Lanterns for the static +10ACC.

Jacks were given away at Halloween last year, so I stockpiled nearly 60 of them! (Almost no one thought of them as food back then, and I bought them at the AH for as little as 100 or 200 gil! I had to make a new mule (Fishingbot) just to store them all.) Alas my stockpile is almost gone now, but I'll probably be making/buying more. (Making likely, since last I checked they go for about 6K at the AH.)

Jack o'Lanterns for the static +10ACC. The sushi foods are 15%, but cap at +14 or +15 ACC

Huh... I hadn't realized there was so little difference between Jacks and sushi. I guess I'll stick with jacks instead of dealing with the sushi prices. (Cy: Jacks last three hours, too! Which is really nice. But they don't stack, which isn't. :P )

Re: RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

Yeah, on a pure acc/per gil basis, you can't beat Jacks. Sushi does have other redeeming features like +5 DEX and +5 STR/VIT/AGI/CHR (depending on flavor). And they have RACC as well. But if ACC is the *only* thing you're looking at improving, Jacks are the way to go :3

Re: RAWR! >:|

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

A DRK can't go wrong with added DEX or STR, but just +5 for the difference in gil? I can pass. And once I hit 68/69 and get all my Thick armor on? Mmmmmm, it'll be a whole different story. I'll be able to eat food that's only ATT/STR, I'll have ACC coming out of my ears!

Re: RAWR! >:|

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Merman's Gorget is definitely on my "to-buy" list. Spending 300k for that doesn't seem too horrible; if I'm feeling daring I might get the ingredients and ask Lothiriel to try her luck.

Jack O'Lanterns are a level 38 recipe, and my cooking is level 32, so I can conceivably make my own if I wait for the right day and get guild support. I can even skill up on them!

Rice Dumplings sound lovely, and the only ingredient that looks like it would be hard to get is the Coral Fungus. I'm sure I can work something out with Auri.

Thanks for the advice! It's nice to know I have lots of things that I can pick and choose from based on my budget.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

I saw Yun on IRC and bounced your question off him. He suggested I point you to a guide he wrote on CTY:
http://www.cursetheyagudo.org/db/db.cgi?function=prof&name=Yunchang

It's entry #30 (about 6 down on the page). Helpfully titled "Yunchang's guide to cheap Acc+".

Re: RAWR! >:|

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Ah, cool. I'd forgotten about this, but it's a nice, helpful thing. ^^

I have all my equipment mapped out through level 60. Am I a geek? ;p

Re: RAWR! >:|

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna agree with Thistle too, use sushi when you start missing more. X3 To be honest, Dragoons can get away with not using it longer, but probably around 55 you'll start feeling the strain of stronger mobs being harder to hit. Of course... Back in the day, Sushi didn't exist. ;3 And you will get to a point that you have so much +ACC stuff that you can just eat +Attack foods. I have no idea what kinna +ACC gear you can get for your level now, there's been a lot of armor introduced since I was that level. :x Basically try different things and see what works. If you want to try the accuracy thing, toss me sushi makings and a squid or something. Same ACC bonus as sole sushi and much cheaper to make, so it'd give you a feel for how 'good' it is for your level.

Re: RAWR! >:|

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, squid. ;p

Right now I'm at ACC +13 between my Venerer Ring and Life Belt. I think I don't get any more +ACC gear until 56 with the Merman's Gorget, which I will definitely be getting.

I'll see how my hit ratio goes in a few levels and try a couple things out. Thanks! ^^

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

I never understood how people could use the snooze button either. I can't use it because it just makes me groggy if I try to fall back asleep for the 5 minutes or so that the snooze allows. Actually, whenever I try to go back to sleep after waking up unintentionally, I usually end up groggy if it's not for at least 3 hours. *sigh* I wish I didn't have such annoying sleeping habits that make it so difficult for me to get well rested. I'm sure you know how that is. Good luck with getting more sleep though!

As for exercise bikes, hmm, you could always look online and have it delivered? Even if you get it at a sporting goods store, you'd still have to get it delivered, right? I can't imagine that it'd be an easy thing to haul back home.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Good luck with getting more sleep though!

And the same to you! :)

The bike would have to be delivered, yeah. I'd love to order it online (I always shop online whenever possible, I hate going into stores), but for something like this I'm assuming I'd want to try it out first... But there's no way it'd get home in my car, and I do not want to have to put it together!

If only riding it home were an option. :P

[morinotokei.livejournal.com]

Where is my brain today? You're right, that's definitely something that you'd want to test out in person. Hmm, I think Sears has exercise equipment if you can't find any you like at sporting goods stores?

Ahaha yes, convert-able stationary-to-outdoor bikes. xD

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hey, Sears is a good idea, yeah! I can even check online to see if they have them... *does that now*

Thanks!

[pomr.livejournal.com]

Any major department store is likely to have them, other than that you'd have to probably go either to a sporting goods shop, or do the shopping online. :) Online is probably cheaper, though the shipping costs might make a liar out of me with that.

As to the gear thing -- bugger anyone that says they have it rougher than anyone else. :) The game is expensive. That's the nature of the game. If you want pity -- tough. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I'm going to hit a sports store at lunchtime and see what they seem like. Maybe I can get some ideas of brands/models I like, then shop online... (I'm more concerned about the comfort than about prices/shipping, really. This is (hopefully) something I'll be using for a long time, so I'd like it to not be more painful than necessary. :P )

[aelice.livejournal.com]

How much faster is leveling in WoW? Is it solo-able?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

WoW is lightyears faster, almost no exaggeration. I'm only level 28 in WoW, but going from 27-28 took maybe an hour, and in FFXI 27-28 would take multiple hours. Plus yeah, I 100% solo in WoW, and nothing after level 10 or so is solo-able in FFXI (except if you're a Beastmaster).

Keep in mind that those earlier levels in FFXI are much easier than the post-50 ones. I find it utterly insane that to get one level in FFXI it takes 24 real hours spent on the game...

[aelice.livejournal.com]

I had an easy time in FFXI because I was a bard. XD I'd log in, and immediately get like 2 JP invites, 3 NA invites. D: On the day I quit, people kept trying to beg me to stay in game for a few more hours. It's insane if you're a mage job, I felt SO sorry for melee friends who put 200% more effort and gil into their characters, only to be shafted and have to wait long hours for PTs. O_O

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yep. I'm thinking about leveling RDM or BRD next, just so someone would actually want me...

[aelice.livejournal.com]

Sadly, that's what a lot of people had to do on my server, but I'm so glad that SO many are realizing that Bard can be hella fun. :D You just will get SO sick of the same little toot for wind and string. T_T All Bards go crazy and kill their neighbors when they reach Maat.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

All Bards go crazy and kill their neighbors when they reach Maat.

Eh. I sort of like my neighbors, so maybe I'll stick with RDM instead. :P

I'm not sure when I'll do this... right now I can't see putting my XP time into anything besides DRK. :/ Maybe once I hit 75 (or get burnt out on it) I'll start up a second job...