Monthly Archives: February 2011

Omnomnom Pink Mandy-mallow

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Anyone who had read my blog when it was known as doink! will probably remember the banners I used to have depicting my battles with giant Mandragoras. I LOVE Mandies. I love them to bits! I had always thought the best HNM that could ever exist would be a Mandragora. Just imagine if it kicked you in the face!? Or if it used Dream Flower to sleep half the zone? If anything, I think it would be the coolest thing ever to exist! So I was pretty stoked when Kyoshin invited me out with TTGL to kill Chloris. Although I mostly sat and watched, I couldn’t help but feel giddy and excited. Pink + Giant Flower + Mandy = LOVE Just thinking about it makes me extremely happy and excited, and just in absolute LOVE all over again. Thanks again to Kyoshin + TTGL for allowing me to watch Chloris fun! :3

Needless to say, I have already bugged Orophen/Derrick to make me a new banner with Chloris in it. I <3 epic battles with me and Mandy. If only they brought in the other varieties of Mandragora from FFXII. My world would be utterly complete then! As for this weekend, I have been frustratingly trying to learn BLU spells in Promyvion areas. Yet no matter how long I spend in there, I can't seem to learn anything. It has gotten rather frustrating and if it weren't for the fact I am taking it into Dynamis... I would be apt to just not try for awhile longer. I'll probably go at it again tomorrow, but that will depend on whether or not I am feeling any better. Staying out in gusty 20 degree weather for long periods of time wasn't exactly a great idea for someone with as bad asthma as I have. : Despite my frustrations with trying to learn BLU spells, I have found that working on BLM has helped to alleviate my annoyances easily. I'm still far from being a decent BLM (I still have merits, gear, and skills to work on), but I'm pretty happy to see my damage spike at times. Doesn't seem to want to do so all the time, but I will take what I can get:

For the most part, I am able to solo dolls out in Altepa but… eh… I am tempted to stop accepting party invites out there. Its so horribly over camped and people who go out there with 30 minutes remaining is just kinda eh. Because then the PT leader gets antsy, people are cursing, and ah… I just don’t wanna deal with that kinda mess. Reminds me a little too much about work in some regards… After tonight, however, I may just end up being forced out of BLM. Seems like the seals that love to drop for me are the ones I need the least at the moment. I have plans for Orison, but seeing it in the lotting pools in abundance is darn frustrating. Couple that with the fact Orison feet dropped after killing Gieremund? I think the game is strongly hinting at something here… Orz

My Luck is Magically Delicious

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When I made my return to XI, I wasn’t sure at what capacity I would be coming back. After all, I have a full time job and its one in where I work extra hours because I both have and want to do so. There is also XIV to consider, which has been made into a weekly event between friends to do leves. So I am here chipping away at getting my BLU, BRD, and WHM to 90, getting Atma, gear, doing missions for friends and for myself, and doing Dynamis for gear and money. Its been a fun ride, especially since my little group has expanded to the people I met and played with on XIV, or have talked to during my short tenure at ffxivblog.com.

I am not even sure where to start concerning my adventures, so I will first start with Tuesday from last week and work my way down the week.

For a few weeks, a friend had been asking me to join her and a few of my other friends in another LS to do Abyssea NMs. At first I said I wanted to wait until I reached 90, then I held off on it for a few other reasons, and then decided to go on a whim just to see how it was going to be. To be honest, I was very worried at first. I think I am a so-so player, and I can be ok at times but… I hadn’t read up on anything concerning Abyssea NMs and knew nothing except for what my friends had told me briefly.

We did several NMs, ended up with clears to Abyssea – Konschtat and Abyssea – Misareaux as well as a slew of Atma I didn’t think would fall onto my lap. I even ended up helping to kill Arimsapi and freaking out when I found myself having to kite him around a few times since only a RNG and I were able to do damage to him. Needless to say, it was fun and I was really happy to be invited to tag along. It surprised me further, despite messing up a few times due to a misunderstanding concerning a Stun macro, that I was asked to come back and that I did an alright job. Then again, I had to interact with players that really made me want to face palm at times and actually helped change how I see myself as a player at times. Which, sad to say, is not as dumb and hopeless as I usually think I am.

Wednesday was a Dynamis San d’Oria run, and had me rushing due to a work place meeting. I usually take at least an hour nap before hand, but was yawning so much and so tired I had dozed off a few times for a minute before realizing what was going on. Sleep = good and it seems as I age I do need more than the typical five hours of sleep I get. Either that or I end up waking up with a corner of drool wanting to dribble out of my mouth…

What I was really looking forward to anything else was Thursday and helping Lexshu/Frei and Rubicon finish their CoP mission. The last time I had done this was when I did the clear for myself, Reiokyu, Hiroshiko, my brother (Makai), and Orophen. I was BRD at the time but I remember clearly how my brother had helped save the day thanks to my BLM. Its sort of funny how I had came back to fight Promathia not as a support job but as the very job my brother used to irk me as. It was most definitely shorter than the run I had gone through, and made me miss the longer and much more epic fight we had to endure when we were still 75. It didn’t help any that we didn’t even get to see Promathia deal any of his deadly attacks, since most of the time we were just whacking away at him and watching him poking someone and keep going on.

Afterwards we decided to go hunting down my BLM shoes in Abyssea – Attohwa and then got my WHM to 70. Of course, getting to that level meant a whole new stress and worry with wanting to get Raise III. Although it isn’t as necessary due to the fact EXP is a non-issue with Abyssea, I get uneasy not having spells. Heck, I’m still distressed that I don’t have Fire V, Blizzard V, and Firaja. I could and might buy it, but knowing I could potentially get it free is what prevents me from wanting to fork over the cash that could be used to gear up my WHM for leveling or what have you. Anyway, back to the talk of spells, Reiokyu, Lexshu, and I decided to go tackle E-VASE-ive Action for a chance at Raise III.

It took three tries and the scroll dropped! I find this amusing especially in light of last night. Orophen has been going on and on about my luck. I used to joke about it before because I would sometimes out lot just about everyone in the party with insanely high lots. I was even accused of cheating some how because of how consistently I would lot high numbers and gank just about everything from the treasure pool. I had even (for kicks) put myself into the same party as my friends so that someone could have a chance at Peacock Charm dropping. It dropped then, much to my astonishment, because I didn’t really think much of it. So its with surprise that we managed to go into Assaults the other night, found Jaggedy-Eared Jack for the second time during our second run, and found that the ??? Necklace that dropped was actually a Rabbit Charm. Its the item that my friends have hunted out of principle (the rabbit has usually bested them), and here I was seeing the mob for the second time in my time on XI and seeing the item get into pool easily. Needless to say, it was that very reason I was asked to go Blizzard IV hunting in KRT and found 2/3 of the scrolls we needed dropped. Luck? Maybe. Considering my friend claims that he’s bad luck, maybe it is. Or maybe someone in XI heaven decided to smile upon us and treat us to something good?

I just wish that whatever luck people think I have would apply to my ability to learn spells. Cause BLU spells? Yeah. Not really happening unless I get help. -_-; And even then its not even me who will learn the spell…. /facepalm

I’m really enjoying my time back in XI though. I just wish there was more time in the day to do more stuff. Even more surprising is how much I have fallen in love with BLM. I had come back with the intention of being more in love with my BLU but am more enamored by my BLM and am wanting to do nothing more than dote and learn more as BLM. I still have a long way to go in terms of pushing my damage numbers, but in the meantime? I’m having a blast, and am really happy to have more friends to surround myself with. <3

BLM 90 get, but the laundry list grows…

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At the pokings of Kyoshin, I am here writing an entry for AstralCandy. So shout out to Kyoshin for reminding me of what I usually forget only until I turn off my computer for the night, haha.

Since writing my last entry I have leveled BLM to level 90 with an under leveled subjob (will be remedied soon enough), the addition of Sorcerer’s Gloves from Dynamis – Windurst, and my desire to level BLU lessened a little due to my want of capping out my skills, getting more lunar abyssite, more Atma, and essentially doing more damage and proving Reiokyu right as to my lust over spike damage. Not that I am totally disinterested in BLU. I think more than anything I am just daunted by the idea of having to farm exactly 39 spells. I know that’s not really a lot, but whenever I look at that number and I can’t help but feel exhausted.

There is another problem I have on my hands, and that is the possibility that we will have our main healer (Hiroshiko) going on hiatus due to computer problems. Although we have two or three capable healers on our hands, nothing can replace WHM… or at least a person I can pick on at will while cackling with pleasure. With that in mind, I have been thinking of leveling WHM more despite my reservations of doing so. I am not as comfortable in the primary healer role as I was before, and I worry plenty if I will do a decent job on it. The last thing I want to be is one of those healers that just doesn’t know what the hell they are doing. Not to mention, I have no incentive of doing well since I typically compete with Hiroshiko in performing WHM duties.

I suppose I could trick myself into thinking I will be training myself to be a better WHM than him, but I think seeing him there and beating him to other things is what I enjoy more than anything…

Yet I will probably press on forward with BLU, finish up BRD, and then finally get around to WHM when I have leveled SCH to use as a subjob. Oh, and after I get a slew of RL obligations taken care of as well.

On the XIV front, I wasn’t able to play with the gang on Thursday like I had wanted to. Stress from work had prevented me from sleeping well and wanting to enjoy myself, and I had decided instead to take an extended nap and do activities that were a little less intense. It doesn’t help I feel like I am at an impasse when it comes to leveling CON. It would help if I didn’t have to play awkwardly with a controller in one hand and switch from mouse to keyboard, or even if my keyboard could work with XIV (for some reason it doesn’t). So I am left wondering if I should level THM on the side once in awhile, or if I should just wait until they do something to “fix” CON to something more palatable. I know that changes are coming, but who knows what that will entail or when it will come.

On a non-MMO front, more things should come out of vending machines in the US! I went to Tacoma Mall today and in a little area in the middle of the mall, I found this place called the Pokemon Center. Its a cute little set up with a display of plushies, cards, and figurines alongside vending machines and machines with touchscreen games. On my way out of the mall I decided to buy a little Pichu plushie from the vending machine that also housed video games, cards, and figurines. Needless to say, I was in love. Not just with the convenient machine but with the fact I got to walk home with an adorable Pichu plushie. Unfortunately my phone is being a pain, but do look for the picture of the plush on my twitter sometime soon!

My right isn’t your right; its your left.

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As many people know, I have come back to the world of Vana’diel. I haven’t really abandoned Eorzea, but Vana’diel IS holding my interest more firmly at the moment and has brought about much amusement with old and new friends.

Since my return in late December, I have leveled a little bit here and there, tried to skill up here and there, joined a Dynamis shell, and tried to help along friends so that we can tackle more things together. First off, the jobs I’ve leveled:

BLU 68 > 84
BRD 76 > 81
BLM 64 > 81
WHM 62 > 69

Yeah, I’ve flip flopped a lot and had a hard time focusing for awhile. I’m a little more settled on BLM at the moment, since I am enjoying the idea of nuking things to death. I have a LONG way to go, however, in order to be a competent and better BLM. I’m hoping to get there one day, but so far am pleased that I am able to get my nukes up past 200 in Abyssea Ule. with the help of Teal armor and Ascetic’s Tonic. Though, despite what Reiokyu and Orophen are claiming, I am STILL deciding to hold my right to complain. They state I can’t with the damage I doled out, but I say I can since its not nearly as consistent nor as high as I would like for it to be.

And that damage was done while I was level 80 or 81. One of the two. Atma of the Beyond, however, is my friend sometimes and is probably the only reason why I was lucky enough to deal out those numbers along with Ascetic’s Tonic and the Teal gear. Now to work on getting more Atma and Lunar Abyssites to push that damage higher…

I am still intent on wanting to level WHM. It sounds sadistic of me, considering my good friend Hiroshiko has told me numerous times NOT to fall into that trap and to just run away. Yup. Not walk. Run. Run far and fast. I don’t blame him, really. He is usually stuck as that job and has reminded of me of the times I’ve wanted to stuff dirty diapers into the mouths of needy DD who think their needs is more dire and of importance than of the entirety of the party. Though I think I’d need to take it slow since the very idea of main healing sometimes gives me anxiety attacks. Sort of like when I was summoned to be a BLM in Dynamis last Wednesday and was worried to death I was playing like a total noob. I’d rather play as BLU but some part of me wouldn’t mind attempting to play as BLM again in the future.

As for XIV adventures, I think Reiokyu is really putting himself in the position of a sheep/goat conspirator. It is the ONLY way to explain how the hell he has managed to walk by a NM goat in Nophica’s Wells and not get a single scratch on him. Or the fact that sheep were spamming Sheep’s Song like it was no one’s business in Dynamis today. I’m thinking maybe he has beat them on the head too many times that they are scared of him and have offered instead to be his evil little minions…