I was about to rant and rave about my expectations on other players in end game since this is my third time rewriting this entry, but… then I figured, maybe they are too high. Maybe it is too much to expect a panel of 4 – 5 leaders to actually take their own rules seriously and take care of the problematic people whom they themselves are aware about, to think that refreshing a single BLM is not too much trouble, that BLMs and anyone who has MP should be subbing /SCH so that the RDM doesn’t have to Refresh them, that WHMs should be meleeing in Dynamis, that it IS ok to dual box in Dynamis despite rules stating otherwise, and that people shouldn’t be getting hurt at all in Dynamis because the RDM doesn’t want to be burdened with having to always Cure people.

I think instead of me chasing down mages from now on to give them Ballads, I am going to sit on my fat cream puff’ed ass and just wait for THEM to get to ME. -_-;  /sarcasm

Anyway, I wanted badly to get that rant off my chest. I will probably write something later on about my BLM exploits~

Here are my answeres to the questions posted on JP Button.

1. Do foreign players have a lot of interest in joining social Japanese Linkshells? (Especially ones with only JP members) I ask because when I recruit for my shell in Japanese, I get a lot of tells from foreigners looking to join. Personally, I feel like even if they could understand my /shout, it still would be hard to keep up with regular conversation. They wouldn’t understand pop-culture references to old TV shows, for instance.

I personally wouldn’t want to be in a JP only shell. The language barrier is too great to want to join a social shell in which I would be unable to understand most of what is going on.

2. Parties that cycle in replacement members seem to be popular amongst foreigners, but a lot of times the party will just disband once the replacement arrives. Of course, there are times when the replacement is contacted before they get all the way there, but there are many instances when no one says anything. There are also many cases where inappropriate jobs are invited and the party can no longer function well.

To me, this is a big reason behind some of the negative images Japanese players have about foreign players. What do you think about this?

I am kind of 50/50 on the whole replacement thing. There are benefits to this, such as continuing to be able to get exp without having to stop after a short time because someone needed to leave. On the other hand, I feel that sometimes it can be quite disrespectful to the replacement if the party abruptly decides to disband after they reach camp. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does happen it feels better to have just disbanded than to have sought someone to replace the person who has to leave.

3. Why does it seem like many foreign players don’t bother to bring medicines and potions to Missions and BCs? Many Japanese players make sure to have Vile Elixirs, Hi-Potions and/or Reraise Earrings.

Personally, I like carrying a lot more medicines on me than I really need. I like making sure my bases are covered just for the sake of making sure I’m prepared in case things start to get bad. Doing otherwise feels as though I am just playing half-assed, and despite not being the best at anything… the idea still really bugs me.

4. Sometimes I see foreign pick-up parties recruiting for members using Auto-Translate, but then when I join the party, all the conversation and battle planning is in English. I’ll ask for them to {Please use the Auto-Translate function.} but nobody ever does. If you are going to /shout for help with the Auto-Translator, why not use it in the party? It feels like I was tricked.

If I am in a party and this happens, I try to use the Auto-Translate for the person who is unable to understand. I can understand the frustrations of not knowing what is going on, since this has also happened to me when I was in a Japanese party and they would not tell me what was going on despite requesting several times to use Auto-Translate.

5. How many NA and EU players do Campaign? Any thoughts about the recent nerf to Fortifications?

I do not know how many NA/EU players do Campaign, but I know that the recent nerf to the Fortifications were really frustrating to some of the people I did know. I, myself, am not willing to spend time at Fortifications battles for little to no reward. I have and continue to do Campaign for Allied Notes and EXP, but not getting these as a reward for Fortification battles makes me less inclined to do Campaign.

6. What equipment do you think has great stats but horrible looks?
What equipment do you think has the best graphics?

Assault Jerkin would be great if it did not make my Tarutaru look like a giant walking Pumpkin. On the other hand, I think that BLU AF/Relic is really awesome because it really makes the player look mysterious and intimidating!

7. Outside of your normal party gear, is there any equipment that you go out of your way to get strictly for looks? What are your favorite pieces of casual equipment?

I have a Gala Corsage because it gives my Tarutaru a touch of feminity that is otherwise lacking with other hats she wears. I also leveled up BLU primarily because I wanted to wear the AF, lol. Otherwise I keep around many hats (beastmen, Adventurer Recruitment rewards, event, etc) to wear whenever I feel like it.

8. I’m a Mithra, and I find that a lot of foreigners seem to be into Mithra fashion. They examine me and ask where I got my equipment and such. Do you think male players enjoy dressing up their Mithra in cute outfits?

I think that both male and female players enjoy dressing their Mithra up in cute outfits. If I had a Mithra, I would dress mine up in cute outfits, too!

9. I wonder if you calculate the XP/hr of parties, and if so, do you think that Skillchain/Magic Burst or Weaponskill spam produces the best results? Before parsing became widespread, Japanese players used to think Skillchain/Magic Burst was the best.

I cannot really say since I had leveled BRD, and didn’t really pay attention to the damage (too busy supporting my party) and when I leveled BLU it was with other BLU, too. Right now, I just like skillchain/magic burst because it looks pretty!

10. How come it seems like so many people don’t utilize Search Comments properly? Why don’t they write their camp location for others to see? Also, it’s strange to see so many people seeking without basic information written like available jobs and where they can access. Don’t you want an invite?

When I seek, I usually write out all my basic information because I feel that information is important to the party leaders to know when putting together a party. So it really frustrates me when a.) other people don’t do it when I am putting together a party and b.) when the party leader does not read my search comment and asks me questions that should have already been answered.

11. If you know you are going to be busy, how come you don’t alert people at the beginning of the party instead of surprising everyone at the last minute?

If I know I am going to be busy, then I will give advance warning at the start. I do not like surprises, and I expect to be treated the same way. That doesn’t always happen, but I will continue to try.

12. Honestly, the largest difference in thinking between Japanse and foreign players exists in the Merit party. You often say 5 DDs and a RDM is so good, but having a single, solitary healer is hard on the RDM. Japanese realize that healers can be in short supply, so we make sacrifices to lighten their burden, like subbing a mage job, or using Utsusemi. I feel like many people don’t show proper respect to healers.

When we say JP ONLY, it isn’t always an issue of language, but the fact that we feel there are other dangers and demerits associated with a non-JP party, stemming from our different play-styles, that we wish to avoid.

This key difference in thinking, more than any race or language issue, is what really sets us apart as players. They are just looking to sit back, relax and earn some decent XP.

Please feel free to provide your own insight and thoughts.

I think that its not just a JP, NA, or EU thing; I think it is a matter of personal preference as a human being and not of people from different ethnic/cultural backgrounds.  Personally, I would rather not be in a party with 5 DDs and a healer. As a WHM and BRD, I just find that while it is fun and challenging at times, it is also just exhausting to do this many times. I often end up taking a nap from such parties because I become so worn out and tired! My thinking on parties is that they should be fun and relaxing, because there are other times and places to be focused on maximum output potential (i.e. end game events) and I don’t feel that exp or merit parties is one of them. Haha, which is probably why it took me so long to get BRD to 75…

☆ボーナスQuestion☆

Since tackling that last question would leave anyone tired and hungry, here’s one more question, just for fun:

「あなたの好きな寿司ネタは?」

What type of sushi do you like best?

The question asks what ネタ (ne-ta) you like, which is the term for what is placed on top of nigiri-style sushi rice. Sushi overseas is very different than in Japan in that more often than eating a slab of seafood on top a bed of rice, patrons can select for an extensive variety of rolls. When mentioning your favorite, it may help to list the ingredients as well!

I like Nigirizushi, Makizushi, and Inarizushi. Though my favorite is kappamaki… /blush

Most of this entry isn’t as much about my progress or frustrations in the game, as it is about some weird things I have been thinking about concerning the game. I have been doing a lot of writing and doodling about some of the things I have been writing for my personal enjoyment, and one thing I always found strange was just explaining how the hell armor and weapons are fit to size of a particular race or how weapons magically shrink and expand.

If you are a Taru and EVER wielded a great sword, you will kind of know what I am talking about. If you don’t but are a Taru, try this: equip a great sword and then engage in an enemy and see the size difference! I could equate it to something rather perverse, but I would rather not…

And what about the wyvern helm? One of the ingredients is for a wyvern skull that drops off of Hurricane Wyverns that, if I am not mistaken, are able to swallow a Taru in one gulp. So, how the heck can a Taru fit that thing on their head without being crushed by it? I already came up with an explanation for that, but I think I will be pelted by hardcore DRG lovers if I told them that maybe their pet could one day end up on the head of some large headed Taru melee trying to up their damage a little more than a toothpick stabbing into your foot (which actually hurts if you do it hard enough).

Anyway, I was going to write about BRD, BLM, and um… stuff… but… now I think I am going to be running away after seeing blood spurting out after watching Grey’s Anatomy (I don’t usually watch TV; I was just here with my laptop trying to write). Yes, I am squeamish. BLECH!

Yesterday was one heck of a crazy day, and not of in-game things! Most of the day was spent waiting (well, I napped), to see when people would free up because of real life on goings and one in game event that I hadn’t fully accounted for until the very last minute. Oops. Despite the ups and downs, I had a pretty fun day overall. I have been really into writing as of late; a hobby of mine I had put aside during my Montessori training. I am not that good, but I feel great pleasure knowing my friends enjoy it and get a good kick out of it. I even did a free write (writing non-stop and whatever came to mind) on Calaera and in a more story kind of setting. The only goal I had was to try to make it seem she wasn’t all THAT bad and cruel, and when I had posted the link on Twitter… I nearly choked with how many hits my new forum had received in such a short amount of time. Its nothing stellar to other people, but I really hadn’t expected more than maybe 2 people to read it….

Anyway! Yesterday we went through the final two missions of ACP. We were extremely fortunate to have caught the tail end of another group making their way there and hadn’t had much trouble around the seed spawn areas with Gobs because… well… there were none! I don’t visit the old tower often, so it was really nostalgic to go through all the floors while sneaking and being invisible. Made me remember the two times I had to do Rank 4, but worse when it came to the final two floors and Reiokyu (our guide) also had to sneak and invisible.

Our fight set up for the final battle was PLD, BRD, WAR, WHM, RNG, and COR. Reiokyu (PLD) was to tank the seed or something, but to be honest it looked like he was being made into a pinball game. Mekare (WAR) was to take on the copies of us, and Orophen (RNG) and Tamika (COR) was to handle taking down that damned ugly crystal. If you don’t know what a BRD or WHM does, then I’ll tell you that we danced, laughed and had great merriment all to ourselves.

The fight was going well until we hit the time for Judgement and then all hell broke loose. I don’t know all of the spells and abilities being used because of chat filters, but the next thing I knew people were dying or already dead and Mekare’s copy was making a beeline to my doom and destruction. And then… and then! I got turned into a Mandy! *insert squeeing here* The others said I had really turned into the dark side, but you know what? If I were able to, I would so totally try to Head Butt someone without any apologies.

After the wipe, we regrouped and talked about ANNMs but decided instead to do some leveling off of FoVs in Western Altepa Desert. It was level capped at 41, and I decided to switch jobs with Hiroshiko. It was totally weird and actually… not as fun as I think it could have been. Maybe because I was falling asleep or maybe the party itself was making me fall asleep. I don’t know. We managed to get 2 levels for each 40ish leveled person there and the three Taru managed to get one level each. The FoV itself is for page 3 and requires for 10 Beetles to be killed and 1 Cacutar for an added 1k bonus exp, which isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

All in all a rather good night! Though makes me wonder if I will ever get WHM to 75 without falling fast asleep…

Before you continue to read, if you haven’t finished CoP or you hate being spoiled then don’t read any further. Screenshots and everything all contain spoilers, so don’t go crying later on when I told you otherwise!
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Still here? Good. We started off Saturday morning with the damned twins being late despite me saying they needed to be there at 9 a.m. PST sharp. Sharp to Hiro meant 2 minutes late, and sharp to Orophen meant being in another zone but on time and then forgetting to get the medicines I had sent him. Go figure! I was actually wrought with a lot of worry and anxiety beforehand. Years ago, I never really expected to get this far especially after the drama that had occurred with a few former friends at the time. I still remember making a plea of help to my other friends to help get Promyvions done after I was accused of being a spoiled brat because I wanted to get another Promyvion done than what someone else wanted… despite me saying over and over again we were going to do Dem and not Holla after Mea. -_-;

Now that we had gotten this far, I built myself up to finishing the last two missions that day due to the limited time we had with my brother available and because I really wanted to get the rings for everyone. I worried we would mess up somewhere, things would go bad, or something. Its not that I don’t have faith in my LS; because I really do trust them all to do their best because they are an awesome group of people. I just didn’t want to go in with foolish expectations and end up disappointed.

We did dry runs for both the last two missions, and on the second “real” run we were able to pull through wonderfully with the exception of Promathia that nearly had my heart stop a few times with worry we were all going to wipe after Orophen’s EES was more like an EED (Eagle Eye Dud).

I am actually sad we can’t easily redo that last fight. I have seen screenshots, heard the stories, etc, but witnessing the battle and arena for yourself is a totally and completely different thing altogether. It was hard NOT to want to take screenshots of the place like crazy because it was a jaw droppingly beautiful arena and the battle itself was just hair raising and intense! Sure it was easy compared to the other battles, but seeing some of our favorite characters there fighting alongside us and then our favorite spells (go go Meteor!) crashing upon us was just… :Q

Ok, so Meteor was scary as hell at times because being Muted sucks… but I think it was still part of the fun and I actually wish I could do that fight over again just because of the sheer fun of it.

While watching most of the last CSes, I could help but think back on a lot of things. CoP brought a lot of us closer together, as most of us never really played with each other so intensely before CoP save for myself, Orophen, and Mekare. The three of us were used to each other play styles, could read each other, and basically play with each other knowing that our backs were always covered. So playing with my brother, Hiroshiko (other little brother), and Reiokyu was quite different for the rest of us. I still remember playing with Hiroshiko and gnashing my teeth because I kept thinking “I could do a better job…” or “Why the hell is he doing that and not this!?!”. Now I am not so sure of my skills as WHM, because he has grown to be quite competent over time and is actually one of the few people I would trust to take care of us if I’m slacking. Plus, its nice not having to main heal as BRD and still keep up songs on everyone. Even Reio makes me feel self conscious at times now, and I keep thinking the guy thinks of me as a loser now than the other way around.

Now that its done, I am still hoping we get to do things together. Reiokyu is ahead on a lot of things, Hiroshiko needs to get caught up on RotZ, Mekare wants to do ToAU, and I want to do more WotG. I don’t know what order we will do things, when they will get done, or what… but I am hoping to continue to do more things together even after getting our long awaited goal accomplished.

Oh, and I’m sure you want to know what ring I chose…

:3 Now time for sleep~

Despite finishing CoP, getting close to finishing ACP, and having my birthday yesterday… I have something more important to post about. Yes, that’s right. As of now, /echo is now live although not completely finished.

What is /echo and what about doink!?

/echo is a side diary from doink! I say diary because we are disabling comments on the entire journal itself due to the nature of this project. This project is taken as a view point from our characters or how we imagine our characters to be in the game. That said, whatever Calaera writes in /echo isn’t what Calaera in doink! actually thinks or feels (such as MNKs being uncouth gorillas). I am just merely portraying the harsher and more domineering personality that is Calaera and not Calaera/Marella of doink! Make sense? Not only this, but /echo will have more than one author participating in it to help give a more indepth feeling as to how or what is going on in the lives of the people interacting or slaves friends of Calaera.

That said, doink! will still be updated but with MY voice as the real player and not the character. It will also continue to be solely updated by myself and have other game/real life entries posted onto it. Comments, of course, will also still be accepted here since it is a blog and not a diary.

Anyway, feel free to take a look for yourself what is going on in /echo and I hope you enjoy our new project! https://astralcandy.com/echo/

Since completing my Montessori training last week (whew!), I have been busy in the game with odds and ends that I feel my head will spin off. The last time I played the game this much was… well, er… uh… I can’t really remember! And by “this much” I mean almost every day while being productive and not using FFXI as an over glorified chat program.

Anyway, first things first! Skill ups! I have miraculously capped my Healing and Divine magic skill on my level 61 WHM. I am hoping by having it capped now, I won’t have to bang my head on the desk as many times later on when I decide to pick it up again. I have also managed to skill up Fishing 2 levels over the weekend and bring my moat carp count to a measly 408/10,000. Not that I really care that much (sorta), since Fishing is an activity I enjoy participating in to mellow out. I have been having Fishing withdrawals since I’ve been grinding away though, so I am looking forward to getting back into it next week if I am not busy with other things.

I am kind of bummed out about being unable to skill up in Campaign without tags anymore, but I figured it was getting abused in a way S-E didn’t intend and had to be nixed. Still… it drives me bananas not having capped skills and I just have to hope for a Besieged to roll around whenever I am on so I can recap my BLM skills whenever I level.

Speaking of BLM, project BLM DUO has commenced this week! We started off at level 37 on Monday and dinged level 41 last night (or was it 42? I forget…). Our plan is to level BLM a few times a week for a few hours (2 – 3 hours), and hopefully get to 75 without too much trouble. BLU leveling is still on weekends or whenever, and WHM will be leveled after I finish BLM. I think I might be stretched out, but at least two of those jobs are already in their 60s and don’t have much more left to go. We won’t get to level next week since Orophen is attempting to finish up the doink! layout before my birthday, but I think that will give me time to focus on other things such as Fishing and finishing up my RDM subjob.

Last Dynamis-Bastok, I finally received my second piece of BRD relic! Woo hoo! I even had the pleasure of having my own cat (Sakurasama) during Dynamis! She is an awesome pet that nukes, hugs, and noms me when I bite her too. But Dynamis doesn’t like pets and ended up killing her a few times and forcing me to rescue my poor beaten up cat. D;

More than anything I am looking forward to hopefully getting CoP done next weekend and getting my Tamas Ring. I know Rajas would have been great for my BLU (and part of me still wants to get it), but I figure I can change it if I really want to and that I have more mage/support jobs than I do melee anyway. Though I know a certain someone is hoping I go towards DRK or SAM, stating its a better fit for my blood thirsty personality~

LOS ANGELES (March 24, 2009) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, today announced the upcoming launch of the Square Enix Account System and Square Enix Security Token in Japan, North America and Europe on April 7, 2009 PDT. Offering additional account safeguards to players of FINAL FANTASY® XI, these new initiatives provide for a higher level of account security. The new system will utilize the Square Enix Security Token, which will be available to purchase for $9.99 via the PlayOnline® Viewer.

Creating a Square Enix Account is free and can be done by anyone via the official Square Enix website. With this new system in place beginning April 7, 2009 PDT, Square Enix Accounts will be compatible with FINAL FANTASY XI and PlayOnline, as well as future online services.

After registering a Square Enix Account and purchasing the Square Enix Security Token, players can then assign the token to their PlayOnline ID(s). Using the token will generate a one-time password every 30 seconds for the account. Implementation of these new features is an extension of Square Enix’s commitment to continuous service for our customers.

Additionally, players who purchase a security token will also receive the brand new in-game bonus, the “Mog Satchel.” The “Mog Satchel” provides additional inventory space and benefits all characters on the PlayOnline account(s). The space provided by the “Mog Satchel” is equal to the character’s Gobbiebag capacity and can expand along with it. In order to utilize the bonus, it will be necessary for the customer’s PlayOnline ID to be linked to a Square Enix Account.
Square Enix Account

Registration Launch: – April 7, 2009 (Mon)
Registration Location: – Square Enix website
Compatible Services (Initial): – FINAL FANTASY XI, PlayOnline

Square Enix Security Token

Release Date: – April 7, 2009 (Mon)
Price: – $9.99（Includes tax and shipping）
Where to Purchase: – Available for purchase via the PlayOnline Viewer
Bonus with Purchase: – The ”Mog Satchel” will be included as an in-game bonus for FINAL FANTASY XI players who purchase a security token(*1). The “Mog Satchel” will provide up to 80 additional inventory slots and can be accessed anywhere whether the player is in the Mog House or out adventuring in Vana’diel®. (*2)

*1 It is required for the PlayOnline ID to be linked to the Square Enix Account that has a security token associated.
*2 The space provided by the Mog Satchel is equal to the character’s Gobbiebag capacity.

Am I getting one? Hell yeah. Already planned on it when it was initially announced! The Mog Satchel is even more of an incentive, and totally worth the few extra bucks it costs over the WoW Security Token. Portable Mog Space? YES, PLEASE!

edit: Yes, that emphasis is mine. Just annoyed as hell people can’t read something so simple….

I am making a really hard choice here, but it has to be done unless I wish to pay my workplace back all of the tuition they paid for me attending training. Basically, unless I am checking plants or doing something that allows me to be AFK *most* of the time; I am not touching FFXI. Dynamis will be on hold next week, and I’m am crossing my fingers that BRD relic doesn’t drop or I’m going to cry like the big baby I am. Which is kind of ok, since my sister’s birthday will be next week and I KNOW I will get an earful if I choose to play a videogame over her.

Anyway, Dynamis-Windurst was a lot more fun compared to last week’s run despite being unable to get the clear for the second time in a row. Last week was just an utter mess for us, primarily due to someone being unable to listen to directions and standing on bridges when they weren’t supposed to and then demanding a R3 for every single time he died. The last half of the run was what really got us, but overall its been a lot of fun without the unnecessary stress from people wanting to cause chaos during a run. I even played in Dynamis with all of my settings still intact because I had forgotten to tone them down. It played rather smoothly, even with all the other edits I made to the registry to get it to look good awhile ago.

Now, for awhile I had made the edits but I didn’t really notice the difference as I often play with my brightness and contrast settings on my monitor down. My screen is bright as hell and it often hurts when its late or when I have a pounding migraine. So Saturday evening I finally raised it up and I was so surprised at how different the game really was! Haha. I just wish I knew what to do when the sky occasionally looks kinda… weird and patchy. It doesn’t happen all the time but it looks like that sometimes and tends to bug the heck out of me.

So, yeah. I need to stop messing around and actually get my work done. -_-;

After reading some comments about the Security Token, I can’t help but be utterly confused as to why there is such resistance against the attempt to add on security with this device. Maybe its the fact people would have to buy it? I know some people feel its enough to just use Firefox, its add ons, and a firewall. Personally, I don’t feel safe enough just using those if I am on my laptop and roaming around. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I think to me its like safe sex with some random stranger you are hooking up with (my analogy for hooking up my laptop to various Wi-Fi hot spots)? Better safe than sorry! Which is especially true after I had my credit card info stolen late last year… /sigh

Anyway, Advetures of a Taru BLM by vxsote on Livejournal has written up an excellent FAQ concerning the Security Token. I think its worth a read for those who still have questions about the Security Token or just to read in general. Probably the few things I am worried about is: battery and what to do if it gets out of sync. Though I guess as vxsote has said, it will probably suck to be me given S-E’s track record. :