April Update News Part 1!

"It is our pleasure to announce that the next FINAL FANTASY XI version update has been scheduled for early April. Development is currently in progress for a whole host of items, including the following:
- Thrilling new episodes of nation quests for Wings of the Goddess.
- Battle-related adjustments and additions.
- Large-scale expansion of the Moblin Maze Mongers and Fields of Valor systems.

Details will appear right here on Topics as they become available, so stay tuned! "

I'm psyched about it!  New missions!  New storylines!  New stuff!   :D

I can't wait to see what they do to Summoner.  Interviews have indicated that new Summoner stuff is coming out this patch.

Also, I hear that the mini-expansions are also coming out this patch.  I'm so going to get them.

Week Review

Not much to say, except that I really haven't had much of anything notable happen to me in the past week.

I've joined a Salvage group, so now I'm closer to getting full Usukane and Nirvana.

And that SMN/COR ROCKS!  It's so nice to seeing higher numbers, especially from my bloodpacts.

Hopefully, I won't wait another week before updating.

DORPS!

Well, it's been a good week so far for my PUP.

Sunday, I got my Puppetry Babouches +1, which is the best AF+1 piece for PUP. And then, on the following Tuesday, 2 PUP AF+1 pieces drop in Apollyon. Coincidence? Perhaps... Sometimes I wonder if there's a GM watching me and controlling my life. Maybe I should rename my character to "Truman".

Then, Yesterday, I got a Pantin cape. The best back piece for PUP. I am SO Happy! Pantin Dastanas and Pantin Babouches -1 also dropped, but due to linkshell rules, I couldn't lot them. Still...the best back piece.

So, I'm happy.

How to: SMN/COR

So, I'm going to be talking about something that I've been toying with for a while now.  This is what might be known as the "unusual" subjob.

When it comes to subjobs, the standard for Summoner is White Mage and Scholar, mostly because of the spells those two subjobs bring.  While in most situations those two subjobs are fine for what they do, I find myself asking if there's something better.  A good subjob, by definition, should support and enhance the main job.  So, what's another job that can enhance Summoner?  I present Corsair.

What does Corsair have that other subjobs don't have?  Rolls.  Specifically, rolls that enhance pet abilities.  One thing to be aware of with Summoner is that it isn't really a mage job at all, but a pet job, and at most times, should be viewed as such.  So, as a pet job, there are very few things that can enhance pets directly.  Fortunately, COR has just such a thing in both the Puppet Roll and the Beast Roll.

There are a couple of downsides, however, when using COR as a subjob.  First is that only one roll can be active when playing as a /COR.  This means that only one effect can be used, so only pet accuracy or pet attack can be enhanced, but not both.  Second, and this relates to the first, is that a bust is perhaps worse on a /COR than a main COR.  A bust amounts to not only not being able to roll, but actually puts on a Negative effect.  So, busting on a Puppet roll means not only not being able to roll for five minutes, but it also means that the avatar will actually lose accuracy.

There is also one more side effect to consider when playing /COR, and that is Healer's Roll.  Healer's Roll will increase the amount of MP per tick when resting.  This is important as it cuts down the amount of down time that the Summoner faces.

So, where would I use /COR?  In large man events like Dynamis or Limbus (or pretty much any event where there will be more than one alliance).  In events like these, pet performance matters more than what the Summoner does, and remember, COR is the only subjob that can directly affect pet performance more than anything else.  Another place where I would use it is in a Summoner burn party where these rolls won't just help the player himself, but everyone around him too.

Where wouldn't I use /COR?  Soloing, where running out of MP is tantamount to death.  Since while soloing, I can't rest, having another sub, such as SCH would help better in the long run as it can restore MP directly.  I would also not use it in small man events such as Assaults and Nyzule Isle.  There, I might need the utility of WHM and SCH to help move things along and to help keep my party alive.

Like everything else, COR does have it uses, and it's great in some spots, and not so great in other spots.  It's situational, and it depends on if there's a need for the pet to perform rather than the master.

I'd be happy to answer any questions that pop up.

Blue Mage Blues

Yeah, it's been a while since I've actually posted, but hey, look, a post!  :D

I tried my hand at levelling Blue Mage, but it drives me batty.  At least I got it up to level 10, but learning those spells is a royal PAIN.  I don't know how people stand that job.  Here's a few of my recent experiences with trying to learn Metallic Body:

Crab uses Bubble Shower!

Crab uses Big Claw!

Crab uses Bubble Shower!

Crab uses Bubble Shield!

Crab dies!

Crab uses Bubble Shower!

Crab uses Big Claw!

Crab uses Bubble Shield!

Goblin Fisher decides to join the fun!  

Keyln dies...

Crab uses Big Claw!

Crab uses Bubble Shield!

Crab uses Metallic Body!

Crab dies!

Keyln earns 95 Experience Points.

(Keyln) What?  I didn't learn Metallic Body?

No, you didn't learn Metallic Body.

(Keyln) {/sigh}

Multiply this experience by about 50 crabs or so, and you can get the picture.  This job is just downright frustrating.  Give me something a bit more fun, like Corsair.

Speaking of Corsair, while I didn't level Corsair this week, but I did get Ranger up to 22.  I'm going to hold off on levelling Corsair a bit till I get Ranger up to 30.  But I did get my Trump Gun.

Also, other exciting stuff is that I got the PUP AF+1 feet Sunday.  One down and four to go!  :D  And my Nyzule Isle group is up to floor 75.  Maybe we'll finally hit 100 next week.

Doh!

So, today was a rather productive day. Went to Einjerhar with my crew, and we faced down Odin. I went as SCH/BLM (with an underlevelled BLM sub to boot), and we still won. If I had subbed RDM, I would have at least Stoneskin to play with. And then, even though we won, I warped out from the place. Yeah, big mistake. Turns out that you don't get the ampoules for winning if you don't leave by throwing the lamp away. >.< /sigh So, I've lost out on 1920 ampoules. Nirvana, I'm so sorry!

After Einjerhar, I joined my Limbus group and did Apollyon NW. I went with SMN/SCH, and tried out my new macros. I'm doing a ton of equip swaps, swapping in BP- timer gear, and then switching to Summoning Magic Skill+ before the BP goes off. So far, I seem pleased with the results.

Yeah, I pulled a Homer today. ^^;;

Soloing avatars for fun and profit

Didn't do too much, as I really wasn't feeling well yesterday.  I did some campaigning, and I now have the Wings of Altana SSSS!  :D

Got enough merit points now to max out Stormsurge, and now I'll be the permanent SCH in BLM parties casting out Hailstorm to everyone.  >.>  Not sure what to merit next.

Anyway, that's all of the report, now on to the lesson of the week.

Soloing Avatars for fun and profit!

Soloing a prime isn't really something new, as it's been shown that most any job can do it, especially subbing NIN and using resistance gear.  But what if it could be done using no items, no Astral Flow, Fox only, Final Destination *cough*.  I mean, doing it while using as few resources as possible.  The general idea is to defeat the avatars using only the abilities and spells that cost nothing to use.

There are two things that make this possible, first is the Sublimation from /SCH that allows MP to be stored in exchange for an HP drain.  The second is the Elemental Siphon that allows the Summoner to get MP from the spirits.

Having WHM up to 38 also helps in teleporting around to the various towns to pick up and drop off forks.  Now, obviously, there shouldn't be a fame problem, but do be aware that level 8 fame is required to even get the forks.  

For me, timing is important, as it allows me to fight the avatars at their weakest.  So, fighting Shiva on Fireday gives me an edge, as does fighting Ramuh and Earthday, and so on.  Pretty much, when I decide to fight an avatar, I take in account what day it is, and then fight the avatar that is weak to the day.

One of the most important thing is avatar perpetuation.  Pretty much the less MP used in fights, the longer the fight can go.  When a summoner runs out of MP, pretty much that's the end of the fight.  So, keeping up MP is really important, and running out is paramount to death.

During the fight, using Sublimation takes approxiamately 5 minutes to fill out.  During that time, it's important to keep HP up.  If the HP gets below 50%, Sublimation stops working, and it will automatically appear as filled.  I suggest using Penury (50% cost) and Regen II to keep up HP, and be sure to use Earthen Warp before the fight, as it'll help prevent HP loss.

Another tool to keep up MP is Elemental Siphon.  Elemental Siphon will allow the Summoner to take MP from the elemental spirit summoned by the Summoner.  There are two important things to keep in mind with Elemental Siphon.  First is that the amount of MP is influenced by both day and weather.  In these battlefields, there is a constant double weather, and this should be a guiding factor in which spirit to summon.  For example, if fighting Ramuh on Earthday, a Thunder spirit should be used because of the double thunder weather.  The other thing to be aware of is the timing.  First is to move as far away as possible from the prime so as to not get beaten.  Second is that if release is used, wait 3 seconds before using the elemental siphon macro.  Hopefully, if enough distance is between the summoner and the prime, then there can be plenty of time to do an elemental siphon, and get the avatar out for the next round.

One final note to make is that when soloing primes, it's important to realize that this is not a race to see how fast to kill these primes, but an endurance race to outlast the primes.  So, the key is MP conservation.  When using bloodpacts, be aware of how much MP they use, and use them conservatively.  Remember that running out of MP is paramount to death, especially since the Summoner has absolutely nothing else to fall back upon if the MP runs out.

And finally, it never hurts to be prepared for the worst.  It's a good idea to come with an elixir or three for instant MP boost, and Astral Flow, while not needed, is very useful, especially if MP is low, and time is running short.  An Astral Flow BP can do up to 15% of the prime's HP, so use it to end a fight quickly!  But if things are running the way they should, this shouldn't be needed.

I'd have a video up, but it's about 15 minutes long, and about 3 gigs in size.  I'm working on splitting it up and sharing it on Youtube, but I have no idea if or when I'll be done.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

The Weekend Report!

So, I've done a few things over the weekend, and rather than go day by day, I'll just bring up the highlights.

Levelling : I got Ranger up to level 20, and I'm going to work on levelling it more.  I also got Corsair up to level 41, and I'm going to hold it there for about a week until I can get my AF gun, and Ranger up to a more suitable subjob.  I also did a little bit on Scholar, and got my Scholar XP buffer and a merit point.  Only 2 more merit points left to max out Stormsurge.  

Einjerhar : We did Wing I, and whipped it.  Not sure how many ampoules I need for my mythic weapon.

Limbus : We faced Proto-Ultima, and wiped at 8%.  Once the tanks and healers went down, we got whipped.  Hopefully, things will get better soon.

Dynamis: Did Dynamis-Bastok, and the Argute Pants dropped.  Only 16 more bills to go before I can upgrade the Argute hands.  I'm happy with that.

Nyzul Isle: Nyzul went great!  Started at floor 46, and made it all the way to floor 60.  Nyzul cheated though, by restricting weapon skills and giving us hydra as the boss.  Needless to say, we lost because we couldn't do enough damage against its regen.  Still, despite the loss, we're making great progress in climbing.  Not even flayers scare us now.

Other stuff: I got all the dice I need for Corsair (At a steep price of 600k...ouch!), and now it's just a matter of levelling it.  I'm going to wait till next week to restart levelling it though, since I want to get my AF weapon, and I need the bone key.  Unfortunately, it won't be available till next week.  Also, no progress on getting that last medal.  I haven't been doing much campaigning as of recent.

Goals: My goals for next week-

- Maintain a profit by farming CCB Polymers and selling them on the AH.

- Continue doing well in Limbus and Dynamis.  We're doing Dynamis Beaucidine and Dynamis Tavnazia this week.  Nothing I really want from Beaucidine, as I got all the armor for all my jobs.  Tavnazia...I pray that more -1 stuff drops.

- Level RNG up.  Hopefully to 25.

- Get more Marbles so I can do more stuff with it.  There's an interesting link that shows people getting 10k-12k PER RUN in MMM.  It'd be interesting to try.

- Have fun.  A game isn't a game if it isn't fun.  :)

And here's to a productive and fun week.  :D

- 

Ever notice that I'm getting later and later...

That's because when I'm done, it's usually around midnight, and I'm sleeeeepy...so I don't want to write posts with my eyes shut.

Anyway, yesterday I did Dynamis-Valkrum.  We did get the win, barely, but outside of that, nothing exciting really happened.  Aggroed a Nightmare Manticore, well, not me but someone did, which closed off a quarter of the people in there.  Good thing Scholar has Reraise II.  I didn't get anything by way of relic drops, but I did get some currency for my upgrading relic.

Afterwards, I did Nyzul Isle.  We finally got up to floor 46, but failed past that.  Flayers are the devil, I tell ya, the DEVIL.  Flayers + Gears = might as well give up.

I really need to rebuild my buffer for my SCH now...

Bastokian Frustration

So today, I did Wing III in Einjerhar.  We started off with Imps, which I have a hatred for.  To make things worse, I came as a SMN, which is rather unusual as I'm usually asked to come as SCH.  Anyway, we beat all the imps, and then the Taurs came in, and the large bats completed the group.  The boss was the Hydra, and we beat him down rather easily.  From what it sounds like, we'll be facing Odin on Friday.

We did Limbus next.  We went to Appollyon floor where there were fomors/trees/mimics/elementals.  I went as SCH, and we won rather easily.  PUP item dropped, but it's too bad I have that item already.  I want the Temenos item so I can update the feet.  :<

Earlier, I did some CCB farming.  Not as lucky as yesterday, though.  I went through a dozen chests, about 9 diremites, and about 5 lizards before I got the chips I needed for a single set.  Before where I got two sets in less time, today I wasn't so lucky.  Disappointing really.

Now, my rant is Bastok.  Why did SE make the city so hard to get to?  I mean, compared to San d'Oria or Windurst, Bastok is a PAIN to get to.  Getting to Bastok without using airship requires going through a number of zones, no matter which way I take it.  And getting to Bastok [S] isn't much better, as it requires transversing the ENTIRE zone to reach the city.  Compared to Windurst [S] or San d'Oria [S], it's really inconvienant.  I with SE would set up like they did before WotG, where they had moogles in the cities to teleport people to the various cities.  I miss that.

Ka-Ching! $.$

Nothing exciting happened today really.  This morning, I was playing around with my SMN/COR, when I saw this shout for CCB Polymers.  After a quick jog to the ye ol' Auction House, I discovered that not only were none up, but they were selling for a pretty decent pace and for 30k each.  While it's a decent piece of change, and I remembered that back in the past, I farmed chips to fund my automaton attachments.

So, I decided to go SMN/SCH and start farming the monsters for the chips.  Somewhere along the way, SE must have really upped the drop rate on those chips.  I killed a grand total of 3 mimics, 2 diremites, and 4 lizards to get 2 sets of chips for CCB pumps.  After getting to Bastok (honestly, they need to make an easier way of getting to that city...), I got one CCB pump, when to Jeuno, put it up for auction, and went back to Bastok, got the second CCB pump, and returned to Jeuno.  Amazingly, the first CCB sold before I got back to Jeuno to list the second one.  And I put both of them up for 30k each.  And they were sold before I got back.  

Frankly, I'm rather amazed that the whole thing took 2 hours, and I could probably find ways of cutting down on time.  I made enough money from killing all six avatars and in the third of the time.  I should do this more often, so I can fund my Dynamis and Limbus runs...which also fund my relic improvements.

I got home tonight, and decided to seek on my SCH while playing Dissidia.  After a few hours, I got an invite, and the party didn't last long until our leader lost connection.  From what I understand, he's been doing it for a while, and after the fifth time, we gave up and went home.  Never learned if he came back though.  While it was short, at least I got a good ~6k buffer on my SCH now.  With Reraise II, hopefully it won't mean that I'll be delevelling if I die.

Tomorrow should be fun.  We're doing Wing III in Einjerhar, and who knows what we're doing in Limbus.

I need a good Salvage group...

Hello to the TaruTaru Times Online!

Just a quick post to add in that I've been added to the Tarutaru Times online.  /wave

Assault, Campaign Ops, Dynamis, Einjerhar

So, I've got a few days to catch up on.

Thursday I didn't play much. I did some Campaigning, and I got the Wings of Integrity, as well as got caught up on some of my XP.

Friday I did Einjerhar with my group, and we cleared Wing I. Won that one pretty easily, and ended up fighting a reject from an anime porn (don't ask).

Afterwards, I did some Limbus. We did Temenos West (Beastmen). We won that one pretty handidly, but we got 4 MNK pieces and a THF. Sorta disappointing as we only needed one MNK piece. And I still need the PUP and the SCH pieces to drop. :<

Saturday I didn't do too much. I more or less played around with the Campaign Ops, and leveled COR some. Did the same thing on Sunday, and now I have COR up to 39. Unfortunately, my RNG is only at 17, so that means I should probably hold off on levelling COR until I get my RNG up to 37 or so first. I really enjoy playing COR, as it appeals to the gamer inside me. (Haha...). I also want to level DNC so I can get the relic (it looks really nice!). Unfortunately, that'll mean levelling NIN, a prospect I simply dread.

Also on Sunday, we did Dynamis-Buburimu. We wiped once or twice, but we did get some decent drops. Of note to me is the Pantin Hands -1 (still don't have the Pantin Hands yet, and it's the one relic piece that I'm missing), and Argute Hands -1. Also saw Summoner's Hands -1, but due to lotting rules of my linkshell, I couldn't grab them. Next time, gadget, next time.

We did Nyzul Isle/Assault. Tried climbing past floor 40, but we failed twice. First time, we got up to floor 45, but failed because we had to kill a chariot...and with White Magic restricted. Needless to say it didn't go to well, and we couldn't kill it in time. On our second try, we had to find another chariot, but it was behind several gears that we couldn't destroy, along with other very nasty monsters. Our sixth member dropped out, so we had a helper, but she only had two tags. The other two tags we did some assaults that one of our members was lacking. We did Shooting Down the Baron, whcih involves finding and killing this teleporting imp. Both Elfi and I were Summoners, so really, the trick was finding the imp. Once we did that, the avatars followed the imp around and killed it. The other assault that we did was the Shanara Grass Conservation assault. We had to kill bunnies. Lots of bunnies. That love to link. I died trying to kill that last bunny. I should have gone PUP/DNC instead of PUP/COR. But we won anyway, and now I know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow. ^^;; Anyway, he has three more assaults to finish, then we can go up to the next level of assaults, which is the Corporal assaults.

Goals for this week:

- Sacrifice Taru to the great gods of Dynamis for good drops. Hopefully I can get the SMN Cape to complete my relic set, and I also want Argute feet to drop from Bastok.

- Keep working in Campaign so I can get the fourth and final wings medal.

- Get all three silvers from the Promyvion areas.

- Level RNG to 20 at least.

- Have fun in Limbus and Einjerhar.

- Get Abdhisayana the other three assaults completed so he can rank up to Corporal.

- Not get broke.

Here's for a fun and productive week this week!