Old friends.

Sometimes this game is really neat. Last night I was skilling up Hand-to-hand for Salvage with Glacian and Pbdomenator in Kuftal Tunnel. A WHM runs by and sends me a tell, their name is Leha. We chat for a while after she explains to me that she was in the very first party that I joined in FFXI. She is the one that explained to me how to make a provoke macro. Although I had forgotten the name, I did remember the experience, and we talked for quite some time about playing the game, and how to best enjoy it. We shared several opinions, one being that the best part of the game is going into a fight not being assured that you are going to win, struggling to overcome the adversity and ultimately prevailing. We all die tons of times, but its the surviving that is the best accomplishment. ^.^ I enjoyed talking to her, and she seemed that she was the kind of person that actually still enjoys the game, and being around friends and accomplishing things together. It was inspiring.

Speaking of accomplishments I did get alot done this weekend, even though I was generally busy. Snoll Tzar, then two Airship fights. A little bit of Omega. Seemed a little tougher than Ultima this time, I was standing with the mages... shouldn't have been because I pulled hate generally on Barrage and Weaponskills. And that kind of hurt us at the end of Omega phase, because it skewed hate. So an unfortunate Pile Pitch and two of us were dead. So we basically started the Ultima phase with two weakened people. Fortunately, Omega was dead with no CCB's used, and we were onto Ultima. Ultima was actually not very bad at all. Mostly stuck to Nuclear Waste and the following elemental based attack. At 40% the CCB's came out and the fight was a breeze until about 10% when the CCB's wore and things got hectic but we got a ton of damage on it and by the time the natural wipe occurred Ultima was at 3%. Gordor got up, Bursted weakened, and that was the ballgame. Compared to the other Aiship fights I have done, this one was a breeze. Finished in 35 minutes.

Accomplishment two: So we had another Dynamis-Xarcabard run, this time to get the Holy fragment for Gawayne's Excalibur for real. Everyone brought an Icarus Wing (mine was the left over from the Airship which I never even got to use) and anything else they needed to put the hurt on this sword in under a minute. Considering that we got it to 6% the last time we did this fight, not too many people were concerned. And it turned out to be rightfully so. Gawayne just needs 31 more coins and he will have his sword. There is currently talk of borrowing/repaying coins just to speed up the process. Everyone wants him to get it as soon as possible, its not even an individual accomplishment anymore, this is for the whole LS. Until Gawayne quits two weeks after getting it because he beat the game. LOL This Holy fragment is for you Gawayne. Congrats! I can't wait to see Excalibur in action!


Wanted to ask something of the readership. I have already asked a couple of people but I wanted to get even more input. How should I start doing HP and MP merits? I have to think of a lot of different situations, like NIN/DRK and NIN/WAR but also other potential jobs like a mage job or even (a very heterosexual) PLD. So? 50/50? All HP? Remember I am an Elvaan with a limited MP pool, but more HP will always increase survivability. So, please, make some suggestions, I am listening.