One step at a time…

There has been a lot on my mind lately, and when I get around to writing my thoughts down I often feel that they are disjointed and incomprehensible because of how jumbled they are. They don’t connect or mesh well with other thoughts, and I often become frustrated because then I will end up writing what amounts to gibberish. Not that I don’t do so already. It almost makes me wonder if doing a vlog would help, but then I’d have to worry about getting the images or props ready to show vs. my ugly mug on the screen. I’ll try to narrow my field of focus today to XIV, since that is the topic that has been popping up a lot as of late.

Currently in our little group we have myself, Orophen, Reiokyu, Frei, and Shouri. Two people have either recently left or have been kicked out because a.) they just stopped coming and have refused to engage in conversation with anyone from the LS when they do pop on Skype or b.) were only around to get power leveled and then proceeded to ignore us and only help our their other LS. I had a lot of choice words for the later and many more for the former, but none of that will be shared here. Then there is another guy, but he’s usually busy and hardly ever on. I’ve asked to team up with the Nightblades since, at the moment, they are also down a few of their members due to server lockout and to tag along with Jeff’s group if they will let me. It is a nice setup, I think, and it allows me to get to know the people who have been on my twitter list for awhile. I’ve already met Jeff in real life when he and Mai visited Seattle for a few hours. I often get worried, however, worrying if I am a decent enough player to be able to play with them. Even if I don’t have a lot of time to play like a hardcore player or have the achievements of one, I still worry a great deal about my abilities and skills as a player. I’m even making an attempt at leveling Weaving just so I can try to make my own triple meld gear for my BLM and WHM! Crazy considering that I am not much into crafting in the first place…

What is sort of driving me crazy right now, however, isn’t just the lack of people in our group to do end game content with, but the disparity of level between certain members and the core members. It reminds me of CoP and when we were starting the CoP group up with Reiokyu, Hiroshiko, and my brother. It was really different then, with half of us playing in a way that we could read each other and go into a fight without a huge exchange of words going on and then worrying about the other half and if they would be able to do what was needed of them. I still remember getting incredibly pissed off when people weren’t listening to directions on the Diabolos fight and causing a wipe that could have been prevented. Eventually two of the three became really solid players and I don’t think any of us felt the need to worry as much if our backs were being covered as much as we did the first half of our CoP run.

I find myself somewhat in the same place now as I did then, but not as ornery at the moment. There are several reasons for this: 1.) I am a lot more mellow then than I used to be. Anyone who knew me then knows I have a nasty temper. It is very explosive and volatile to the point I am heard outside and I’ve actually used weapons to hit people. ^^; 2.) I am a little more busier. Back then I was a full time student and was often too busy to play very often. I am back in school again but I have other commitments to take care of, too. Often they are on my mind while I am running other things at the same time. Which, to be frank, is probably for the best considering #1. 3.) I am a little more patient. I am trying to see where things are going at the moment. I’m concerned, yes, but I’m also willing to give the benefit of the doubt and look to see if there are improvements. If not, then… well… I guess I’ll cross that bridge when it gets there.

This podcast is rated M for Mature

For a long time I have been wanting to get back into podcasting. I like the engaging conversations and also being amazed at what stupid non-sense I can spout out. I won’t even hide it; I am a potty mouth. Not just because I like to curse, but because I can say the most absurd things and relate them to gaming. Breasts and male genitals are two off the top of my head that I have talked about. Not that I’m a pervert. Well, actually, I am. I am a darn pervert that can really let loose at times without a blush until I am awake enough to realize what I said and how juvenile I can be in comparison to my male counterparts. Don’t believe me? Just check out the new podcast on: zantetsuken.net.

I swear a lot, I laugh, and I like to bitch and complain about stuff I most likely outdated on. Do I do it alone? Heaven’s no! I have Orophen, Rubicon, and Lexshu/Frei to keep me company! Our focus will be on FFXI and FFXIV, as they are primary MMOs we play together as a group. Just be warned; you might not want your mom listening in on this cast!

A Calaera-style Welcoming Party

Well, probably more of a… “Here, let me show you how I can lower your IQ points by THIS much.” If you are following me on twitter, most likely you have seen how I refer to my LS as #teamderp. That is not just because I have a separate LS named TeamDerp, but because Reiokyu has made claims we can severely lower IQ points if we really go at our hijinks I get tired and just go to the deep end. The sad thing is, I barely remember what I say and I’m pretty sure I will be horrified when someone does tell me the specifics! On the other hand, I do remember laughing! Laughing and lots of fun! I just hope Kimiko and Chakura’s friend decide to come back and not be scared off cause I was undeniably crazy last night.

mreh/TeamDerp has had a wonky time for the past few weeks. Hiroshiko had left for a two month break (the little snot lied about coming back mid June!), people traveled, I had found my hands full of work, and in genera things were a little crazier. Thankfully it picked up again thanks to Rubicon simply voicing what I had been thinking for awhile: we needed to go back into the swing of things. Though we are pretty much a casual LS, we still have our laundry list of things to do that we would like to get done! There are a few of us who still do not have complete +1s on our primary jobs and there are some who want to get more atma. Thursday and Friday was a push towards those goals by getting more Limbus out of the way for fabricated atma, and then going off to Vunkerl Inlet to hunt feet seals. Mekare has now completed her WAR feet, Orophen has his RNG feet completed, Lexshu is now 6/8 on DNC, and (sadly) Rubicon had barely made a dent on his by netting only one or two last night.

To try and make things a little better for the Ragin’ Cajun, we had also made a venture into Dynamis-Bastok late Friday night/early Saturday morning. It was the first time I had gone inside since the update to Dynamis and Rubicon’s first time in there at all! My thoughts on the new version of Dynamis? It was definitely not what I had expected at all! We got the boss within minutes of entering, we were able to get time extends without demolishing an entire zone (just having to deal with nasty pulls and links; something we were dealing with quite frequently in Vunkerl anyway), and even netted some gear and a few coins for people. It also just felt really nice to wander in without having to kill every. single. damn. mob. in existence. I’m looking forward to more ventures into Dynamis with smaller parties and walk away with old but still attractive gear!

Hidden Trait: Vs.Mandragora DMG+60%

No, that’s not a real trait. Well, maybe in the minds of Kyoshin, Hiroshiko, and Reiokyu who know my strong desire to one day have a ginormous Mandragora (larger than Chloris mind you) try to destroy the world and me fighting it in amazing glory. Because there is no one else better to rule the world than moi and I ain’t letting no damn onion do it! Unless it wanted to be my pet, then that’s another story!

These numbers don't really exist. It is just a part of your imagination!

The comment about my supposed hidden traits came last night after a fluke which I will stay firm on until the day I die. After all, the mob was DC AND an onion! So of course it would just magically spike up that way! That is going to be my reasoning and excuse for Reiokyu who just laughed with the others when I feebly cried help after I aggroed a mob and didn’t have buffs up after I pulled those numbers out of no where. TT_TT I swear, maybe it was just the whole Friday the 13th vibe because I did damage that I normally wouldn’t do that night.

At any rate, since the merger I’ve seen so many new faces on the server that I have to at times take a double take because there are either names close to people I actually know or knew formerly. One name that had me nearly choking on water was the thought that Cozma had come back. I distinctly remember so many people practically celebrating with delight when they found she was leaving the server so many years ago. To think it was that long ago that I was playing, too!

The numbers itself on Ragnasith is in and of itself phenomenal. It has been such a long time since I have seen the server so full of people that it had brought back many memories of being a lowbie in the crowded areas of Lower Jeuno for the first time and being awestruck at the higher level gear at the time. I had that nostalgic feeling seeing more people in decked out +2s and Level 90 Empyrean weapons and being in the gear that I am in. Though I am only thankful I haven’t been told outright I am a gimp because I know that has happened to a few friends of mine since the merger…

The increase in competition hasn’t affected us so far though, since we were able to get Orophen and Newbus their +1 hand seals, get Lexshu a zone clear, and even fulfill my desire of killing Amarok. Didn’t get the seals I was hoping for, but at least I have the Steaming Cerberus Tongue for when Hiroshiko returns and we can get people in the LS their Atheling Mantles. I just hope I can get the seals before I get 9/9 on Jewel of Ardor from Prophecy…

Oh, and one last bit of news! I am back on TTO! Thanks to the admin (Erik) for getting my details back onto the server! Huzzah!

My Luck is Magically Delicious

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 inĀ 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