It's so hard to come up with subject lines... (FFXI only)

[thistlechaser]

(EDIT: PokeMUSH people: I got an email from Nails this morning asking about the game and if it was still running. I told him it closed long ago and he could delete it if he wanted to. If you still need/want anything, you should log on and get it ASAP.)

It's funny how "not bad" turns into "good". Last night's party wasn't anything special or outstanding, but it was also neither bad nor insane, so it counts as "good". It's also very strange that JP players are on at odd times. Shouldn't they all be asleep or at work or something at 5 PM PST? Yet lately all the parties I make are 50% or more JP...

Our JP RDM amused me on many levels:

How fitting is it that Slash is a RDM? Heeheehee.

There were three "firsts" in last night's party:

1) Our SMN healer actually used Earth Ward (that group stoneskin thing) on a regular basis! No SMN healer has ever done that for a XP party I was in before! Darned nice!

2) Our first PLD used Cover. I have no idea why PLDs don't use that more, it's a really nice tool...

3) My first experience with MPK. :/ I've been thinking about it since last night, and I'd like to think it had just been a mistake or a mis-pull, but I don't think it could have been. We were in that "tunnel camp" and these higher level folks camped right behind us (on top of us). Their puller came back with 3-4 gobs from the higher level area. Of course he pulled them through our party as we were fighting (one left him right away and started beating us up). Somehow that higher level group vanished (must have teleported out?) and so of course all the gobs come wandering back through our party (while we were just finishing the bird kill). 4 of 6 of our party died, though luckily not me (thanks to Flee and Powers).

If higher level folks were XPing on those tougher gobs, why would they camp in the low level area? And why directly behind us? They could have teleported out if it had been a mispull, but it makes no sense for them to have brought the higher level gobs into the lower level area... into us.

But once we recovered from that, we went back to fighting.


Yay!

Okay, a question: I had always thought that 2K/hour in an XP party was really bad, but that's the only rate I've gotten since random partying. Is that normal for random parties or have all of mine just sucked thus far?

Time seeking before getting (making) party: 30 minutes (woo!)
Time spent XPing: ~5 hours
XP earned: 12,819
TNL (66): 10K! Yay!

It'd be nice if I could get (make) another party tonight and hit 66.

Oh, and one thing about all this random partying that makes me sad: All the JP/NA stuff. The only people who ever ignore my party requests are JP folks. I always use the auto-translator and I try to be polite about it:

{Hello!} {Experience points} {party} {Bibiki Bay} {Do you need it?}

Last night one JP person replied with "{English} {I don't know}" and I was sitting there like... buh? I didn't /tell in English, and it's not like the party needs to be able to have casual conversation or something... I replied telling her (through the auto-translator) that half the party was JP and half NA, and did she need it? Eventually she accepted, but still... buh?

But it's not like this sort of thing only goes one way. By the end of the night, 4/6 of the party was JP. Just the PLD and I were NA. I had to leave but few people were seeking. I asked the PLD by /tell if she thought a second MNK in the party would be okay (I figured so, but wanted to be sure). She replied that she had to go too, so we should just break the party. I replied that there were four other people and they might want to keep partying, and that there was in fact a PLD of the same level as her seeking... but she just wanted to break. *boggle*

I hate to be cliche about it, but I always feel like "Can't we all just get along?". I can deal with the JP players who put "JP party only" in their search comments (you want to restrict the number of invites you get? You're just hurting yourself...), but why ignore people if you don't want to party? Just reply with {Thanks for the offer but I'll have to pass.} or {No, thanks.} or whatever. And why should NA players not be considerate of JP players? We're all here to XP, can't we just work together to do that?

Comments

[niffy.livejournal.com]

2k/hr is below average, in my experience randompartying. :x Once you can make level 3 chains, things go so so much faster, though.

[merrkitty.livejournal.com]

Thats true, once you get light skillchains you it can kill the mob faster, but don't forget the other chains. A lot of DRKs think that once you get spinning slash thats the only weaponskill to use. 9.9 Last night we were doing Dragon Kick > SATA Cross Reaper with Wateraga 3 (I think it was three?) MB and it could kill the Ladons in Kuftal quickly. o.o

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's too bad (or maybe good, since one day my average might increase then!).

Thanks!

[merrkitty.livejournal.com]

2k an hour isn't bad, but isn't great. Once you start leveling off the dhalmels in Bibiki the EXP will probably pick up. The best I got there as a WHM was around 69 with a /good/ ninja tank, 5k an hour.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking that. Right now parties can go either way: I can make them in the 63-65 range or 65-67. I'd rather make the higher grouping, but I have to make it based on what's seeking. (Last night I was actually higher level than the PLD. c.c ) We're still fighting birds/gobs in the lowest level area, I'd really like to move on to dhalmels full time...

[barahir-ffxi.livejournal.com]

Since I play really early on weekends I have found myself in a good number of JP parties. I make dilligent use of the translator and what little I can type in romanji ^^ This is another one of those things that solely depends on quality of players. There are bad JP players just as there are bad NA and EU players. But with the right people, anything will work.

During my multi-hour DRG seeking days, I was on with a slew of JP players seeking. I got this adventuresome feeling and said "why not." Spent the next 1/2 hour or so putting together a PT of all JP but me. Most came back with an initial "{English} {I don't know}" but once i was able to convince them that the rest of the party was JP. I put together an awesome group that got most of us 2 levs... I may have set myself up for some silence as far as PT chat goes, but they turned out to be some of the most fun people I've played with yet.

JP/NA animosity is just stupid... I think anyone that gives into it is missing out on a lot.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

but once i was able to convince them that the rest of the party was JP.

Heh, yeah. Which (in my case) was odd, since they didn't even talk to each other on /p anyway. Unless they were /telling each other, what's it matter what language someone speaks if no one talks?

And honestly, with all the "lol" and other crap that NA people tend to toss into their conversations ("lol we raped it gud!!!") I don't mind silent parties.

JP/NA animosity is just stupid... I think anyone that gives into it is missing out on a lot.

Fully agreed. I love playing with EU and JP people!

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

Hm, 2k is a wee bit low, I think. I think my static averages 3k-4k exp per hour on a good day, closer to 3k/hour on average. We're also not getting like 200+ exp per kill and get happy if we hit 175xp or so on a chain, so 4k or more is probably do-able at your level when mobs are still giving good exp per kill.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

We're also not getting like 200+ exp per kill and get happy if we hit 175xp or so on a chain,

That's what I'm seeing, too. On our chain 3/4s (5 is so rare) we're getting about 175-ish, maybe 180. Non-chains we're seeing like 110-130. 9.9 Slow, slow, slow.

Maybe I can get a dhalmel party together tonight, but so much depends on who/what is seeking... :/

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

Our static's XP rate has been on the low end of 2-3k/hour for a while. However, if my log parser's calculations are correct, last night's session was much better than usual: ~14k limit points in 2.5 hours! (Including Empress Band) That's a ton better than we usually do, so naturally I'm suspecting my calculations :P

[aelice.livejournal.com]

When I was leveling, I'd get upset if we weren't taking 4-5k an hour. XD Bards are so stuck up.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Personally, I have to be happy to get anything/hour. It's so sad. :/

[southern-hell.livejournal.com]

When I stay up late and seek I get pretty annoyed by the JP only. However, people will tell you that JP HATEhatehate it when American's try to "act JP" by using romaji or even the IME, when they don't actually know Japanese but are only reading from a basic guide how to say hello, nice to meet you, etc. When I put Hiragana in my comment, saying "I don't speak any Japanese" I get more invites from JP players. It doesn't really justify their blatant racism, but you do have to admit that the general number of NA retards vs JP retards is balanced towards NA, and I guess they like to see some sort of effort agasint being... completely retarded. Sometimes there is a bit of confusion in them thinking I know more Japanese than I do, so they just treat me like I'm a bit slow until they figure it out, which is fine with me, because in situations where they think of me as English only they don't bother to tell me what's going on. I really think that even if it seems to them like I'm silly, making grammar mistakes etc, they appreciate the effort.

2) Our first PLD used Cover. I have no idea why PLDs don't use that more, it's a really nice tool...
I know!!!! I leveled my friend's pld from 74-75 because he completely gave up on it at 74 and leveled rng to 75. I had never played pld before, but I used all my abilities as often as I could, including cover. I dont usually see a pld use cover even when someone is getting hit, but I did whenever I lost hate period because it has what a 3 min recast? And I basically got made fun of for it (wtf?). It was originally a longer recast and SE shortened it to help out plds, but they never even use it! Boggles the mind.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

but you do have to admit that the general number of NA retards vs JP retards is balanced towards NA

Totally, yes. But I wouldn't want to cut off so many party invites, even if that was reversed. (Though I suppose some jobs could do that and still level fine...)

And I basically got made fun of for it (wtf?).

What the hell? I love cover! When something goes wrong (usually a TA not lined up perfectly), cover can really save my butt. I wish every PLD would use it! Sheesh...

[niffy.livejournal.com]

I don't use it too too often, to be honest. If Val or Beanie get hate, I try to use every trick in my bag to claim hate before cover. Otherwise, I waste a lot of time positioning myself and going through stpc. I could've spent that time curing them or voking. >.o;

A lot of melee like to get really really close to the mob, too, so getting between them in a hurry can be difficult. .-.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hmm. When the random PLD last night did it (and the one time... Zub? or Niala? did it) they stayed in place and I moved behind them. Their macro said something like "Cover being used! (Name) get behind me!". I see that and I'll go scurrying into any position you want me in!

Is stpc the one that lets you use F1-F6 for picking the party members? Between that and you staying in place and letting he hate-getter move behind you, maybe it'd make it into a more useful tool.

[niffy.livejournal.com]

I don't use the keyboard, I've gotta use the D-Pad up and down till I get the right person. XD; Though, yeah, them running behind me would save a lot of time. Most people don't do that. ;~; I've gotta train val better.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I don't know about Val, but I know I learn really well when my HP drops into the red. :P

Joking aside, I know I'll do whatever I can to help a PLD keep hate. It helps me as much as anyone else! Cover's an odd thing though, and I hadn't run into it until a couple weeks ago. Val might just not know how it works yet! (Zub (or Niala?) finally had to explain it to me, heh.)

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

I try to stay behind the PLD (typically) unless the mob is using a directional AoE (which Crawlers do with their damn poison and slow ;; ) But yeah, Val has a bit more to learn and he's really good at absorbing it if you /tell him :3

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I try to stay behind the PLD (typically) unless the mob is using a directional AoE

Hm, interesting. I move around a whole heck of a lot (sometimes I feel like I'm in constant motion!), but behind the PLD/tank is the very last place I want to stay. Not only are cone AoE things an issue, but I need to see when/if I get hate. Seeing the mob turn towards me is faster than waiting to see damage taken by me (amazingly somehow they actually miss me now and then, even though I have like -45 evasion).

If given my choice, I'd stay directly behind the mob and swing to behind the tank just to TA+WS, but often there's another person SAing in the party, so after I SA I swing to a side to free up the back position for someone else.

[southern-hell.livejournal.com]

I dont even care if they're behind me, just popping a ja is spike hate.

[phoenix-leandra.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the really long reply...^^;;

However, people will tell you that JP HATEhatehate it when American's try to "act JP" by using romaji or even the IME

I never really understood this. I speak Japanese. I studied it for several years before studying abroad there. I think it safe to say I'm proficient. Not fluent, but I can hold conversation and read common kanji just fine.

When the game first came out in America my knowledge was a boon for where autotranslator fell short. But nowadays somehow understanding Japanese is something that makes them all paranoid. When I get an invite to a JP party (them knowing I'm NA) and they're talking amongst themselves in Japanese, then I pop in a question in romaji (about the battle plan or whatever) everything in party then goes dead like it freaked them out.

I recently aquired IME through the windower (yes, I confess I use it. I like my Blood Pact timer thank you) and got into a JP party. All was going well until they found out I spoke English too. A NA party had wiped near us, and I was talking to them while helping with raises and such. They asked how I knew English so well, and seeing as I wasn't about to lie, said I was American. Party convo went dead and no one talked to me for the rest of the night.

I had thought that maybe they felt like I had "tricked" them into thinking I'm Japanese but I never said I was. In fact I said to the contrary. But just being able to type Japanese is an impersonation now? Yes I know SE doesn't technically support NA being able to type in Japanese, but hell, I could have bought the Japanese version of FFXI over Ebay or something. It does have those awesome smiley faces the NA version doesn't... *feels very jipped about that*

This actually raises a side question of why DOESN'T SE have a patch or option to allow the NA version to type in Japanese if they wish? From what I've heard, the JP and NA versions of FFXI are IDENTICAL. That's why you can see the characters. It's only POL that sets the language (so you get the English version of NPC scripts) and restricts your input. It shouldn't be hard at all for them to implement NA to be able to type in kana/kanji. So are they just trying to enforce a text-based system of racism? Yes, I know they're a JP company but still... that's sketchy. I'm hoping it's just a technical problem I'm underestimating...

But overall, what the hell has happened in 2 years? 2 years ago my ability to understand both languages was appreciated within parties to facilitate communication. I translated for both sides across to help things along. My needing to do that has dwindled over time to nonexistent as people started "keeping to their own" but now it's gotten to where me just understanding Japanese is somehow dangerous? Apparently I missed something, but could someone fill me in on when being multilingual became a bad thing?

[kawaru.livejournal.com]

Your Japanese is probably better than mine, but what usually happened with me was everyone thought I was Japanese too(even the other NAs in the group just thought I was Japanese and spoke good English), until they said something I didn't understand. Then I would have to say "sorry, I don't understand very well, Japanese isn't my first language." Then they would say things like "no way, where are you from then?" And when I said I was American, they would say "oh, so that's why you can speak English well" and then stuff like "スーパー凄い". I never had an experience where the Japanese acted like that after finding out I wasn't Japanese(I also never claimed to be), guess you just met people who are more racist than normal. -_-

As for why the IME isn't in the English version... for the PS2 version, the IME used is ATOK, so S-E has to pay them a licensing fee for every copy of the game, and in the English version it won't be used that much. People use this as their reasoning for the IME being completely absent when the truth is, the PC version will use whatever IME is alread on your computer. My best guess as to why the PC version doesn't have IME support is because S-E wanted to keep the PC and PS2 versions exactly the same(which they already aren't, because the PS2 version can't change the resolution, can it? And I thought some other things were different too.) Let's just say S-E sucks for not making it available.

[southern-hell.livejournal.com]

Well the way you describe that situation is you used only Romaji or Hiragana from the start and no English. Not that I am justifying their attitude, but to them it might have seemed like you were pretending to know more than you did. When I have gotten the most politeness from JP parties is when I tell them at the very start I can only read a little romaji, and even less hiragana, and if one of them is proficient in English I tell them I am trying to learn to recognize at least common words and phrases.
You still have to deal with the fact that they generally hold a superior attitude towards the rest of the world and they look down upon people as a culture who would rather use English than Japanese if they know both and don't have to. As well as look down upon people who try to act like they can carry on entire conversation in Japanese when they can't.
Of course, I can't read anything they are saying about me so they could be making mad fun of me, but they act completely polite in what I can understand so I guess that's the best I can ask for.

I believe 1 reason for JP game having both language support and NA not, is that not only do most Japanese know English, and not the other way around, but for such a complex PC game they need the keyboard support for both languages. I am only basing this on knowledge of a Chinese keyboard however, so I don't know if it's the same, but you can't fit all um... what's the word... [variations of a language]... on one keyboard and the way that the Japanese IME allows extra [same word] support is the same way the one we use does- it allows you to enter a Romaji word and translate it from there with the dictionary.

[kawaru.livejournal.com]

In general, Japanese can read English a lot better than they can write or speak it. Just comes from the way English classes are taught here. And the reason you get a lot of {I don't speak English} a lot of the time is because most Japanese seem to be really self-conscious about messing up. I tell all my students that language learning is about messing up so you can be corrected and remember to do it right next time. Like a music teacher of mine used to say, play your mistakes as loud as you can, otherwise they'll never get corrected.

And the Japanese really appreciate it when you try even a little to communicate. Sometimes it seems patronizing when someone asks if you speak Japanese and when you reply "chotto dake"(just a little), their response is usually along the lines of "waa, sugoi!"(wow, amazing).

But yes, Japan is a blatantly racist country, and there's nothing I can say(or would want to) to defend them there.

[sylf.livejournal.com]

In my experience...

< 2000/hr : bad. {Run Away!}
2000-2500/hr : below average
2500-3000 : about average
3000-4000 : above average
4000+ : excellent (this is where our static is generally)

You hear people shouting about 5000+ xp/hr parties and such, but IMO unless the area you're EXPing in is completely devoid of people and you're chaining non-stop, that's just not possible (unless it's a manaburn, which is a different, cheesey thing entirely). I've never made more than 4500xp/hr in a standard party. And I've had plenty of great parties. So yeah.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Problem is, even if I was getting 1K/hour, I doubt I'd leave. I've gotten a grand total of two party invites in 4 levels/2 weeks of leveling. Unfortunatley DRKs are a dime a dozen, and no one wants them to begin with. :/

One day I'm going to level RDM, just so I can be a job that every party wants. :P

And I hear tell it's your birthday? Happy birthday!