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…

Changing the Game — A New Direction for Eorzea

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When Square-Enix announced changes to its staff almost a month ago, its former Director/Producer, Hiromichi Tanaka, had left a message that left some people wondering if the game would take a complete overhaul in the stead of Naoki Yoshida. In fact, Tanaka had clearly stated:

We are aware, however, that in many cases, addressing these issues will call for a reworking of game elements.

At the moment, I never gave this much thought. I knew some were worried and some were excited, but it didn’t seem to really hit me until the clock had hit 12:00 on January 1, 2011 and I received the e-mail on my phone. I took the poll not too long after that and was floored when I read the very last question:

Would you welcome changes to FINAL FANTASY XIV that would drastically alter the rules already set in Eorzea?

Now, I was stumped for all of a minute. I was really torn on how to answer the question. Part of me was getting used to how Eorzea was. Yes it was clunky and frustrating. I don’t make it hidden my disdain on the targeting and how utterly useless and awful I feel as a healer in the game. On the other hand, I have also grown used to several things. I realize I am one of the few people who like the Market Ward system, retainers, and the like. I have a disdain for Auction Houses, and I can’t imagine myself liking the game any better when one is finally implemented in the game. I LOVE the crafting in this game despite a good friend of mine making constant complaints of wanting something to similar to WoW. However, if I wanted something like that then I would be on WoW and not on XIV. Soloing has never been a problem and party play? I get that with friends easily and have thoroughly enjoyed playing with them, and once in awhile the random stranger.

I know there are many other problems with the game that can’t go unnoticed. When retail version came out, I was puzzled beyond belief as to why my friends and other people couldn’t understand simple mechanics of the game. If one had actually read the dialogues it seemed easy to figure what to do or where to go. Then there is the biggest problem of the UI; targeting makes me want to pull my hair out, sometimes my own keyboard doesn’t respond in the game (it works fine in other games), and even the way macros work is slow and very clunky.

There are other numerous quirks in the game I know that could be improved upon or changed entirely, and no matter how much I loved the game… it could not get any worse than what is already set. There is a community that needs to be brought closer together, there needs be a clearer and more defined focus, and the rough edges need to be smoothed out and polished. It is with that thought, I clicked yes.

Do I regret this? No. Does it make me any less of a fan of XIV? I know supposed “fans” would argue that I am not. I am, after all, listing things that need to be fixed in the game vs taking it in for what it is. However, I want to see this game do better. I want the PS3 players to come and want to stay in Eorzea vs. saying, “I’ll come back when it gets better” or saying they don’t want to come back at all. I also want to see this game do as well as XI; a MMO I’ve loved for many years and have many cherished memories from.

Am I scared of what the changes could entail? You bet I am! Even the poem left to us at the end of Yoshida’s letter has left me wondering what would be in store for us:

Ne’er till land consumes sun can sea bear moons,
Heavens spew crimson flame, hells seep black dooms.
Stray seeds quicken in ash’s grey embrace,
Valiant blades forged under the Twelve’s good grace.

– Seventh Verse of the Divine Chronicles
Mezaya Thousand Eyes

If it were references to the in game atmosphere, I am all for nuking the Black Shroud and restructuring the place from the ground up. But even the keywords left by Yoshida’s New Year’s message (fun, live, reboot, and rebuild) has left me and others wondering if a complete overhaul of the game is in Eorzea’s future despite what our last answer could be on the poll. Even if this were so, I am eagerly anticipating what the future will hold for Eorzea. At the moment the only place to go is up and I am hoping Yoshida and his new team will take great strides towards that path.

Marching Past 2010 and onto 2011!

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As of writing this entry, 2010 is officially behind us and it is now 2011. So what does that mean for me, this blog, and the future? Most definitely I plan to write more in AstralCandy than I have during 2010. 2010 was a weird year since I had taken a hiatus from XI, dropped Aion, and was kinda playing WoW but not hardcore. In fact, it was mostly a year of waiting for XIV, working on ffxivblog.com, leaving ffxivblog.com, and then working on launching zantetsuken.net.

Things are different now and I hope to be much more settled in both working on my joint pet project, XI and XIV, trying out other games, watching more anime this year (gasp!), and -of course- blogging more here. Most likely you will see a cross posting of things from zantetsuken.net on here, as well as a recap of other things I have played, and maybe even things I’ve watched or listened as well. It is pretty much a return of many things. I know I have been feeling lost lately, and in the days leading up to the end of 2010 I realized that a big part of what I’ve been missing is doing the things I love to do: read, write, and be the wannabe geek I love to be.

It also means changes to possibly the domain and most definitely its layout. No, it won’t be like what I have set for zantetsuken.net, but most definitely something new and refreshing. I need that. 2010 was such a shitty year and I really want it placed far behind me as possible. Granted there were many things that have happened during the year that made me stronger in some aspects, but it is also a year filled with memories that I would rather leave behind and pretend never happened. So… onto 2011! I am hoping it will be better and am already making plans on what needs to be changed and how I will go about making such changes. ^-^v

Another set of changes for this blog?

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At first this blog was hosted on Livejournal, then briefly on Vox, then became doink! on my own domain. The very recently I found I didn’t like some of the other definitions of doink, moved to AstralCandy.com, and thought that would be that. AstralCandy was previously my short lived personal blog, but that had gone due to my neglect. However, Orophen and I are now in the process of creating a new joint project. We haven’t done this for a few years now and I’m hoping beyond hope he will take it seriously or that it will be some what successful.

So then comes the problem of… what am I going to do with this site? I’ve considered actually archiving old entries and restarting my character blog fresh since the game is still very new. I’ve already started to think about what I would want to write and how, and what Calaera Smith’s background would be like. Let’s hope it works out~

Welcome to the land of Eorzea!

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Now that the collector’s edition for Final Fantasy XIV has been out for a few days, I feel like I have gotten the initial rush out of my system and can safely blog about it without feeling hyper anxious about staying on the game for hours on end. Well, and it helps that my wrists are a tad sore and I am in dire need of doing other things at the moment. That said, I am incredibly excited for what is to come with this game in the coming months and beyond.

First of all, I was utterly floored when my best friend decided to take a break from the land of Azeroth and come check out the world of Hydaelyn. I have been keeping my WoW account active every so often so I can go on and chat with her when I can, but its been hard since I was not really into WoW. It was a great time waster, but nothing I could feel really invested or immersed in. That’s what I have been missing terribly since I’ve pulled away from Vana’diel; the whole immersion experience of feeling like you are in a living, breathing world instead of having to feel the intense pressure of going from one quest to another without wait. I don’t know how she feels about XIV so far; I know its buggy, I know it has its flaws, and I know it lags as hell on the Lindblum server. I do hope she is enjoying herself, but I am also keeping my WoW account active in case she doesn’t. I told her I’m ok with her leaving XIV; which is true. I would rather her be happier elsewhere than frustrated playing XIV.

Second, 8 hours leveling!? Who would have thought! I am usually not one to enjoy sitting down for long periods of time, but I found myself doing so the other night to team up with people from Save Point doing leves and behests. It was kind of insane, a lot of fun, and also really exhausting as it started to get to 2 a.m. and Naked Moles were hunting us down and knocking us down dead. Then I started to fall out of my chair, and well… lets just say I needed a serious break after that because it was the first time in a very long time I had sat down and just gamed so seriously. Will it happen again? Who knows. Maybe. Maybe not. I did have a lot of fun, and am looking forward to getting a chance to play with the people I’ve met from FFXIVblog and Save Point.

By the way, I seriously think either I’m very well liked or I am the sore butt of jokes with some of the guys on the LS. You guys know who you are!

Anyway, the only problem I have, really, is with the complainers. I guess its because after following this game so intently, working on FFXIVblog, doing the Orzcast, playing the beta, and what have you… it feels like XIV is in a way my child. Now this is a problem; when a parent really loves their child, it is easy to get annoyed and get into downright denial when someone says there is something wrong with your child. You come up with excuses, you defend remarks made against your child, and sometimes you just want to strangle the other person and tell them they are wrong. I’ve had to catch myself a few times, because it is SO easy to feel frustrated with some people when the things they are complaining about has already been mentioned to be future fixes. Then I have to remember… not everyone has been following the game as intensely as others and there is a disconnect of information and what not.

Eorzea has its rough sides right now. Its new, its shiny, and those who have been playing the other games right now tend to forget where their beloved games originally started out; which wasn’t always at a pretty place.

I do hope people give it a chance, and that people who are like me and getting impatient with the complainers remember that some of us are coming from different perspectives and might have a harder time seeing what a beautiful gem we see before our eyes. XIV is new and has the potential to build a great community like XI, and definitely better than the mess that is known on WoW forums and chat channels. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of what is to be offered us, and to be able to enjoy the journey with new and old friends alike for some time to come.

Wanted: New Friends in Hydaelyn

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So, opening day for Final Fantasy XIV is coming near and I can’t help but be excited. I remember the last game I was excited about was Aion, but it had quickly become such a bore for me that I didn’t really stay too long to get too high. The grinding, the idea of knowing I’d HAVE to do PvP, and the fact that RMT were spamming the areas left and right didn’t help any. Even if the problem was solved quickly enough, it was the culmination of issues that just left such a sour taste in my mouth that I worried I would never find another MMO to enjoy again after FFXI.

Sure, I played and sometimes still do play WoW but it was mostly a way for me to keep in contact with a friend and to pass time with. Final Fantasy XIV, on the other hand… lets just say that if it isn’t apparent how excited I am then maybe you aren’t the one looking at me foaming at the mouth in anxious anticipation.

The only part that I’m truly sad about is the fact I would not be able to play with two friends. I knew that one would be iffy and the other would be unable to join until the PS3 launch. I know its not THAT bad, but I guess I was just so focused on continuing the adventures from Vana’diel to Hydaelyn that I forgot that not everyone can make the trip. I should and most likely will make new friends, but… most will be male and hardly the female friend I’ve managed to keep over the years. Which seems so strange; the idea of being so worked up over a person whom I have never met, never really exchanged e-mails with, and only know through a digital avatar via experiences in a virtual world. It has made me wonder about the meaning of friendships and such… and how I should probably try to branch out more even if I detest the idea of it.

But I realize that in the end, my friendships I build really have helped in whether I stay in a MMO or not. After all, it is a rather social game whether people want to admit it or not. When you get to the end of things, even if you are as much of a hermit as I can be at times… teaming up with people is what will really help you get through the hurdles that are placed in the game that are just a virtual representation of hurdles that one might face in real life. Sure, losing a job and needing moral support from friends isn’t the same as needing a team of people to help you get a shiny piece of equipment… but in the end, you still need someone to watch your back, right? Right.

Final Fantasy XIV Open Beta

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As some may know, I have been in the Final Fantasy XIV Closed Beta since the tail end of Alpha. It has been amazing to see the game grow and change since its alpha testing stages to the current stage it is at right now in open beta. Yeah, sure, there are bugs, but what MMORPG isn’t buggy upon release? And that hasn’t even been in another country for a year to work out those said bugs? I think its fine. Sure, people are complaining about this and that but I’m not particularly worried that it will affect my enjoyment of the game. Even in its current state, I find myself having fun with what I am able to play with. Others may not feel the same way, which if fine. In the Western MMO market there are other options (both free and pay to play) people are able to choose from that doesn’t have to be FFXIV.

Though I have to admit, after not having really played Final Fantasy XI actively for a year, it was a little hard getting used to the pace of enjoying the journey vs. getting to the destination (though, from my current understanding of the XI environment, getting to the destination quickly seems to be made easy due in part of the Abyssea expansion). The hand holding experience of WoW and Aion almost had me fumbling over Final Fantasy XIV, but it was quick and easy to get back into the groove of things and settle into the rhythm Hydaelyn had to offer. The environments itself made me remember why Final Fantasy XI was such a special gem and why I felt that magical return to me for Final Fantasy XIV; it was so easy to feel so immersed in the world itself and not feel that it was a game where I needed to quickly hit enter to get to the next thing. Even though finding an NPC can sometimes be like finding a needle in a haystack, it is in successfully finding those NPCs or learning something how to craft that just tickles me with delight and wonder at what else I can learn and accomplish.

Crafting, by the way, is the most fun I had ever had in any sort of crafting system I have tried to date. Granted there are still some aspects I feel could use tweaking (I’ve never been a fan of having to individually select my items to craft with), but in general I’ve found myself wanting to craft. Yes, that’s right. I WANT TO CRAFT. Not often does that happen or that I’m not just willing but excited to do something like crafting.Stranger still? Me like a hand-to-hand job. Yes, that’s right, a hand-to-hand job. Hard to believe, yeah? But here I am! Playing a hand-to-hand job and loving every moment of it!

I’m actually trying very hard not to play too much because I don’t want to ruin how things will be when the game finally comes out for its retail version. There is so much I want to do and try out, even though I know that in two weeks time all that data will be wiped clean. ( ;^;) Still… I’m really excited to play Final Fantasy XIV and to be more full immersed in its community than before. The people I’ve met and talked to have been generally great and supportive of not just the game but of each other. Even better is being able to reconnect with friends from Final Fantasy XI whom I have missed during my absence. ♥ I definitely feel at home in this game compared to WoW and Aion, and am eagerly looking forward to seeing how the game will develop from here on out.

No telling secrets!

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So, if you have found the other places I blog at or have followed my twitter closely, you would have known that I’m kinda involved with XIV at the moment. The sad thing is, I can’t really talk much about it. Sorta frustrating since it is what my interests lie in when it comes to MMOs despite having reservations and some frustrations during the testing periods leading up to official launch. That said, expect doink! to be revived in the future. I honestly haven’t found anything to blog about because I haven’t really done much lately that I CAN blog about. So… yeah. Expect to see changes! Soon. I hope.