Ischemia IV

Today's post comes live between fights as my LS takes on its very first Sky god. Like most starting LSs, we began at the easiest of the four NMs: Genbu.

Genbu (in order killed)






































Sadly, only one pair of Zenith Mitts dropped, and I did not want any of Genbu's other drops aside from the money items that were not available to lot. Next week, my LS will either attempt Seiryu or Byakko, so hopefully we do the latter because I could really use some Byakko pants.



Notes:
a) Genbu, the Divine Guardian of the North, is one of the four Sky gods in Tu'Lia. Like the other three gods (Seiryu, Byakko, and Suzaku) that reside in Tu'Lia, each god has a stone that corresponds with one of the four seasons and a gem representing a cardinal direction (north, south, east, or west). In Genbu's case, a Gem of the North and a Winterstone are required to summon the god.

Warrior vs. Beastmaster

A heated argument nowadays is whether BSTs should stray away from soloing and partying exclusively with other BSTs, and instead, gear themselves to parody their WAR counterparts as Damage Dealers (DDs). This post examines some of the arguments for and against the idea:

Why you should:

1. Being able to party for experience points is more efficient than soloing.
2. You have two options for earning experience points rather than just one.
3. Strong pets are not abundant in many lvl 75 areas, leaving BSTs to be reliant on weak jug pets. A BST that has access to DD equipment can help alleviate his or her pet's shortcomings.
 

Why you should not:

1. Effective BST DD equipment is very, very expensive.
2. BSTs lack the job abilities that allows a WAR to hit faster, more accurately, or harder over time. It is commonly thought a BST DD is far less efficient than a WAR DD.
   
3. Outperforming your pet in damage can lead to your own demise.

As one might have guessed, most BSTs do not gear themselves to melee, and I have had many players scoff at my "attempts" to do just that. Phrases such as "[q]uit trying" and "[s]eriously, why bother?" are just some of the comments that I have received regarding my BST melee optimism. Apart from my reasons above, there is one additional reason as to why I want to deal damage on BST: I am tired of leveling only with other BSTs. While some might point out that I lack the ability to group with other BSTs, I will counter with the fact that I have leveled my BST to 75 otherwise solo, and soloing on BST is not very different than the mechanics of a BST duo.

While other BSTs find their challenges in conquering NMs, exp mobs, or events that require them to band together, mine lie in testing my combat abilities against other melee jobs. Both challenges are respectable in their own rights, and whether or not I will be able to parody a WAR DD is still a big question. Either way, I have decided to continue improving my BST DD even if that limits how strong my DRK can become.



Notes:
a) Soloists can level-up independently of other jobs. Generally BST, BLM, SMN, BLU, and PUP are considered soloists, but the efficiency of each varies on the situation. In addition, non-soloists can gain better soloing capabilities when subbing that job as a sub-job.

Ischemia III

More LS events with me on BLM.

Operation Desert Swarm


















This ODS run was originally in hopes of funding a new Juggernaut (valued at 1.8M gil); however, I was quite disappointed at the sheer amount of garbage that was inside my treasure chest. My ODS run was easily the worst of of the batch, sigh.

Limbus - Apollyon SW














Luckily, an almost canceled Limbus run helped make up for the poor drops above as I netted four more ABCs towards earning my Brutal Earring (putting me at 17/75 ABCs total). Hopefully, I will be getting closer to purchasing a Juggernaut by my next post, and I should have more pictures of my BST soon. Stay tuned for a possible Boyahda Tree raid.



Notes:
a) My KSNM run could not have been much worse drop-wise. In total, all six items netted me approximately 10k, and that is approximately the price of the food I used.

Ischemia II

What has Khaki been up to lately? Has he done anything new, daring, or exciting to captivate fans with his blog? Unfortunately, I have not done anything of the sort, but here is what I have been doing besides referring to myself in third person.

Leveling DRK on the side














Finally, a picture of my new DRK, and he happens to be pacing up jagged hills in the Buburimu Peninsula. Although my DRK reached level 55 today, my party invite rate seems to be on the decline; however, I am still optimistic about reaching level 75.

Zilart Mission 4: The Temple of Uggalepih














After my LS proposed that Sky should be a priority for all members, a bunch of us gathered in the Sacrificial Chamber to help our less fortunate members out. As you can tell, Snippy grew impatient waiting for the others and even impaled me with one of her claws! The fight itself was rather easy for a group of 75s, but keeping myself awake was another story. 

Dynamis - San d'Oria














Another visit to San d'Oria, and another perilous experience for my BLM. Luckily, we managed to clear the zone this time, and six AFv2 dropped compared to only one last time. Although several BST AFv2 legs dropped in this run, I have zero interest in AFv2 at this time, so I passed them once again. 

Limbus - NW Apollyon














Unfortunately, another BLM event; I hope to visit this place on my BST soon. However, the good news is that I gained five more ABCs on this run, and I am now 13/75 ABCs towards earning my Brutal Earring for BST.



Notes:
a) "AFv2" refers to the rare/ex armor dropped in Dynamis only. Since there is no way to guarantee a specific armor piece from any Dynamis zone, competition for AFv2 remains rather fierce.
b) FFXI models can overlap one another at times; this can lead to one model being impaled, engulfed, or assimilated into another.

Behind the Smile

For the most part, I have only been blogging about my accomplishments, and perhaps to some of you, it might appear that I complete events effortlessly and walk off smiling. This is not the case. After completing scores of quests, missions, pop item NMs, and etc., I have died thousands of times, been screwed out of drops, and been insulted for being a BST in one regard or another. I have developed a personal policy regarding such incidents nowadays: any BST who jumps back into the fray after his/her mishaps is a true BST.















This was a solo attempt at the DRK AF headpiece. I only managed to bring the BLM NM down to 10% HP before my Crab fell, and I was slain by all three NMs shortly after. My second attempt involved a duo with a DRK friend, but he died, bravely, just as I hacked down the Evil Weapon NM with 500 HP remaining. I then managed to lure the BLM Skeleton away from the WAR Skeleton and proceeded to battle the BLM to the death at low HP. Although I managed to slay the BLM, I was down to 100 HP, and I had to resummon another Crab pet to prevent the WAR from crushing me. It worked, but it was one of my bloodiest battles ever.















This would have been my third Swift Belt run; however, I was robbed of that chance. Blugun (the leader), Skylie, Nuvian, and Timro all had to leave after popping their NMs, and their associates decided to leave within an hour after that. The moral of this story is that I lost 30k in gil, two hours in time, and I even came on NIN (because I could not go as BST) to tank the NMs, but I did not get a chance to fight my own NM.

Being a BST is not easy in any regard. There have been numerous cases where cruelty, greed, and/or a lack of tolerance for BSTs have prevented me from achieving my goals. These incidents often leave me slamming my head against a wall or fantasizing about avenging myself with the claymores in my living room. In summary, please be nice to BSTs if possible; I might snap and place you at the center of my rage if not. 



Notes:
a) "AF" stands for "Artifact Armor," and there are five pieces (head, body, hands, legs, and feet) per AF set.
b) The claymores are wooden.

Khaki's Status

This entry denotes my progress on completed jobs, crafts, missions, and quests.

Pictures Updated: 04/10/2008





















Missions:
San d'Oria: 10, No current mission.
Bastok: 10, No current mission.
Windurst: 10, No current mission.
Zilart: 18, The Last Verse
CoP: 8-5, The Last Verse
ToAU: 48, Eternal Mercenary
Assault: Captain
WotG: 15, Crossroads of Time 


Quests: (Incomplete)

San d'Oria:

Bastok:

Windurst:

Jeuno:

Other Areas:
Waking the Beast
In the Name of Science
A Moral Manifest?

Outlands:

Aht Urghan:
Scouting the Ashu Talif
An Imperial Heist

Crystal War: 


Quests: (Complete)

San d'Oria:
A Sentry's Peril
Waters of the Cheval
Rosel the Armorer
The Pickpocket
Father and Son
The Seamstress
The Dismayed Customer
The Trader in the Forest
The Sweetest Things
The Vicasque's Sermon
A Squire's Test
Grave Concerns
The Brugaire Consortium
Lizard Skins
Flyers for Regine
Gates to Paradise
A Squire's Test II
To Cure a Cough
Tiger's Teeth
Undying Flames
A Purchase of Arms
A Knight's Test
The Medicine Woman
Black Tiger Skins
Growing Flowers
The General's Secret
The Rumor
Her Majesty's Garden
Introduction to Teamwork
Intermediate Teamwork
Advanced Teamwork
Grimy Signposts
A Job for the Consortium
Trouble at the Sluice
The Merchant's Bidding
Unexpected Treasure
Blackmail
The Setting Sun
Distant Loyalties
The Rivalry
Starting a Flame
Fear of the Dark
Warding Vampires
Sleepless Nights
Lufet's Lake Salt
Healing the Land
Sorcery of the North
Messenger from Beyond
Prelude of Black and White
Pieuje's Decision
The Holy Crest
Eco-Warrior
Souls in Shadow
A Taste for Meat
Exit the Gambler
Old Wounds
Escort for Hire (San d'Oria)
A Discerning Eye (San d'Oria)
A Timely Visit
Fit for a Prince
Over the Hills and Far Away
Signed in Blood
Tea with a Tonberry?
Spice Gals
Lure of the Wildcat (San d'Oria)
Atelloune's Lament
Thick Shells
Forest for the Trees
Trial-Size Trial by Ice
Trial by Ice

Bastok:
The Siren's Tear
Beauty and the Galka
Welcome to Bastok
Guest of Hauteur
The Quadav's Curse
Out of One's Shell
Hearts of Mythril
The Eleventh's Hour
Shady Business
A Foreman's Best friend
Breaking Stones
The Cold Light of Day
Gourmet
The Elvaan Goldsmith
A Flash in the Pan
Smoke on the Mountain
Stamp Hunt
Forever to Hold
Till Death Do Us Part
Fallen Comrades
Rivals
Mom, the Adventurer?
The Signpost Marks the Spot
Past Perfect
Stardust
Mean Machine
Cid's Secret
The Usual
Blade of Darkness
Father Figure
The Return of the Adventurer
Drachenfall
Vengeful Wrath
Beadeaux Smog
The Curse Collector
Fear of Flying
The Wisdom of Elders
Groceries
The Bare Bones
Minesweeper
The Darksmith
Buckets of Gold
The Stars of Ifrit
Love and Ice
Brygid the Stylist
The Gustaberg Tour
Bite the Dust
Blade of Death
Silence of the Rams
Altana's Sorrow
A Lady's Heart
Dark Legacy
Dark Puppet
Blade of Evil
Ayame and Kaede
A Test of True Love
Lovers in the Dusk
Wish Upon a Star
Eco-Warrior
The Weight of Your Limits
Inheritance
Escort for Hire (Bastok)
A Discerning Eye (Bastok)
Faded Promises
Brygid the Stylist Returns
Out of the Depths
A Question of Faith
Return to the Depths
Teak Me to the Stars
Hyper Active
The Naming Game
All by Myself
Chips
Bait and Switch
Lure of the Wildcat (Bastok)
A Proper Burial
Trial-Size Trial by Earth
Trial by Earth

Windurst:
In a Pickle
A Pose by Any Other Name
Acting in Good Faith
Say It with Flowers
Hat in Hand
A Feather in One's Cap
Making Headlines
Scooped!
Glyph Hanger
Early Bird Catches the Bookworm
Chasing Tales
A Smudge on One's Record
Food for Thought
Overnight Delivery
Water Way to Go!
Blue Ribbon Blues
Toraimarai Turmoil
Teacher's Pet
Reap What You Sow
Making the Grade
A Crisis in the Making
Hoist the Jelly, Roger
Wondering Minstrel
Heaven Cent
The Postman Always K.O.'s Twice
To Bee or Not to Bee?
Curses, Foiled Again!
Curses, Foiled...Again!?
Curses, Foiled A-Golem!?
Mandragora-Mad
Star Struck
Blast from the Past
Nothing Matters
Something Fishy
To Catch a Falling Star
All at Sea
Truth, Justice, and the Onion Way
Know One's Onions
Inspector's Gadget!
Onion Rings
Crying Over Onions
Wild Card
The Promise
Making Amends
Making Amens!
Wonder Wands
Catch It If You Can!
Creepy Crawlies
Paying Lip Service
The Amazin' Scorpio
Twinstone Bonding
Chocobilious
Mihgo's Amigo
Rock Racketeer
The All-New C-2000
A Greeting Cardian
Legendary Plan B
The All-New C-3000
Can Cardians Cry?
The Fanged One
Flower Child
The Three Magi
Recollections
The Root of the Problem
I Can Hear a Rainbow
The Moonlit Path
Orastery Woes
Blood and Glory
Tuning In
Tuning Out
One Good Deed?
Eco-Warrior
Escort for Hire (Windurst)
A Discerning Eye (Windurst)
Waking Dreams
Lure of the Wildcast (Windurst)
Babban Ny Mheillea

Jeuno:
Crest of Davoi
Save My Sister
A Clock Most Delicate
Save the Clock Tower
Chocobo's Wounds
Save My Son
A Candlelight Vigil
The Wonder Magic Set
The Kind Cardian
Your Crystal Ball
Collect Tarut Cards
The Old Monument
A Minstrel in Despair
Rubbish Day
Never to Return
Community Service
Cook's Pride
Tenshodo Membership
The Lost Cardian
Path of the Beastmaster
Path of the Bard
The Clockmaster
Candle-making
Child's Play
Northward
The Antique Collector
Deal with Tenshodo
The Gobbiebag Part I
The Gobbiebag Part II
The Gobbiebag Part III
The Gobbiebag Part IV
The Gobbiebag Part V
The Gobbiebag Part VI
The Gobbiebag Part VII
The Gobbiebag Part VIII
Mysteries of Beadeaux I
Mysteries of Beadeaux II
Fistful of Fury
The Goblin Tailor
Pretty Little Things
Borghertz's Healing Hands
Borghertz's Sorcerous Hands
Borghertz's Shadowy Hands
Borghertz's Wild Hands
Borghertz's Lurking Hands
Axe the Competition
Wings of Gold
Scattered Into Shadow
A New Dawn
Searching for the Right Words
A Reputation in Ruins
Ducal Hospitality
Hook, Line, and Sinker
In the Mood for Love
A Chocobo's Tale
Empty Memories
Unlisted Qualities
Girl in the Looking Glass
Mirror, Mirror
Past Reflections
Blighted Gloom
Blessed Radiance
Mirror Images
Chameleon Capers
Regaining Trust
Storms of Fate
Mixed Signals
Shadows of the Departed
Apocalypse Nigh
Lure of the Wildcat (Jeuno)
The Road to Aht Urghan
Chocobo on the Loose!
Lakeside Minuet
The Miraculous Dale
Clash of the Comrades
Unlocking a Myth (Black Mage)
In Defiant Challenge
Atop the Highest Mountains
Whence Blows the Wind
Riding on the Clouds
Shattering Stars

Other Areas:
Rycharde the Chef
Way of the Cook
Unending Chase
His Name is Valgeir
Expertise
The Clue
The Basics
Orlando's Antiques
The Sand Charm
A Potter's Preference
Fisherman's Heart
Trial-Size Trial by Lightning
Trial by Lightning
Donate to Recycling
Under the Sea
Only the Best
An Explorer's Foosteps
Cargo
The Gift
The Real Gift
The Rescue
Elder Memories
Test My Mettle
Inside the Belly
It's Raining Mannequins
Recycling Rods
Picture Perfect
A Hard Day's Knight
X Marks the Spot
A Bitter Past
The Call of the Sea
Paradise, Salvation, and Maps
Go! Go! Gobmuffin!
The Big One
Fly High
Unforgiven
Secrets of Ovens Lost
Petals for Parelbriaux
Elderly Pursuits
Behind the Smile
Knocking on Forbidden Doors
Confessions of a Bellmaker
In Search of the Truth
Uninvited Guests
Tango with a Tracker
Requiem of Sin
Bombs Away!
Mithran Delicacies
Missionary Moblin
For the Birds
Better the Demon You Know
Give a Moogle a Break
The Moogle's Picnic
Moogles in the Wild

Outlands:
The Firebloom Tree
Greetings to the Guardian
A Question of Taste
Everyone's Grudging
You Call That a Knife?
Missionary Man
Gullible's Travels
Even More Gullible's Travels
Personal Hygiene
The Opo-opo and I
Cloak and Dagger
A Discerning Eye (Kazham)
Trial-Size Trial by Fire
Trial by Fire
Forge your Destiny
Black Market
Mama Mia
Stop Your Whining
Everyone's Grudge
Secret of the Damp Scroll
The Sahagin's Stash
It's Not Your Vault
Like a Shining Subligar
Like Shining Leggings
The Sacred Katana
20 in Pirate Years
I'll Take the Big Box
True Will
An Undying Pledge
Trial-Size Trial by Water
Trial by Water
Wrath of the Opo-opos
Wandering Souls
Soul Searching
Divine Might
Don't Forget the Antidote
The Missing Piece
The Kuftal Tour
The Immortal Lu Shang
Indomitable Spirit
Chasing Dreams
The Search for Goldmane
Trial-Size Trial by Wind
Trial by Wind

Aht Urghan:
Keeping Notes
Arts and Crafts
Olduum
Got It All
Get the Picture
An Empty Vessel
Luck of the Draw
No Strings Attched
Finding Faults
Give Peace a Chance
The Art of War
A Taste of Honey
Such Sweet Sorrow
Fear of the Dark II
Cook-a-roon?
The Die Is Cast
Two Horn the Savage
Totoroon's Treasure Hunt
What Friends Are For
Rock Bottom
Moment of Truth
Three Men and a Closet
Five Seconds of Fame
Saga of the Skyserpent
Ode to the Serpents
When the Bow Breaks
Fist of the People
Soothing Waters
Embers of His Past
The Prankster
Delivering the Goods
Vanishing Act
Striking a Balance
Not Meant to Be
Led Astray
Rat Race
The Prince and the Hopper
Promotion: Private First Class
Promotion: Superior Private
Promotion: Lance Corporal
Promotion: Corporal
Promotion: Sergeant
Promotion: Sergeant Major
Promotion: Chief Sergeant
Promotion: Second Lieutenant
Promotion: First Lieutenant
Promotion: Captain

Crystal War:
Lost in Translocation
Message on the Wind
The Weekly Adventurer
Healing Herbs
Redeeming Rocks
The Dawn of Delectability
A Little Knowledge
The Fighting Fourth
Snake on the Plains
Steamed Rams
Seeing Spots
The Flipside of Things
Better Part of Valor
Fires of Discontent
Hammering Hearts
Gifts of the Griffon
Claws of the Griffon
The Tigress Stirs
The Tigress Strikes
Burden of Suspicion
Evil at the Inlet
The Fumbling Friar
Requiem for the Departed
Boy and the Beast
Wrath of the Griffon
The Lost Book
Knot Quite There
A Manifest Problem
Beans Ahoy!
Beast from the East
Storm on the Horizon
Fire In the Hole
Perils of the Griffon
In a Haze of Glory
When One Man Is Not Enough
A Feast for Gnats
Say It with a Handbag
Quelling the Storm
Honor Under Fire
The Price of Valor
Bonds That Never Die
The Long March North
The Forbidden Path

Quests Updated: April 16, 2009

Khaki's BST Leveling Route 1-75

Often, I will be asked where I leveled at for a particular level range. Luckily for those persons, I have written down everywhere I have visited and where I think would be best for newcomers. This guide is based on the options available at FFXIclopedia (link#1, link#2), so try and match up the areas and critters below to make sense of my suggestions.

2008 Update: There are some new WotG sites at link#3.

Lvl 1-10

Area: South Gustaberg/North Gustaberg (anywhere)

Prey: Anything that is not T or higher in general.

Pets: Optional; you can use pets if you wish.

Difficulty? Easy exp.

Alternate Sites: East/West Sarutabaruta (anywhere)

Lvl 10-12

Area: Konschtat Highlands

Prey: Rock Eaters

Pets: Strolling Saplings

Difficulty? Easy exp.

Alternate Sites: Tahrongi Canyon (lower portion)

Lvl 12-14

Area: Konschtat Highlands

Prey: Tier 2 Goblins, Tier 1 Quadav, Mist Lizards, Mad Sheep

Pets: Mist Lizards, Huge Wasps, Strolling Saplings, Mad Sheep

Difficulty? Rough site; easy to get agro due to uneven terrain.

Alternate Sites: Tahrongi Canyon (middle portion)

Lvl 15-18

Area: Valkurm Dunes

Prey: Hill Lizards, Tier 2 Goblins

Pets: Hill Lizards, Star Bats, Night Bats, Sand Bats

Difficulty? This camp was slow and rough.

Alternate Sites: Buburimu Peninsula (roam near the middle area)

Lvl 18-20

Area: Maze of Shakrami

Prey: Maze Makers, Tier 2 Goblins

Pets: Stink Bats

Difficulty? Easy Worms and Goblins to slaughter.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 20-23

Area: Buburimu Peninsula

Prey: Carnivorous Crawlers, Bull Dhamels, Tier 3 Goblins

Pets: Carnivorous Crawlers, Zu, Thread Leechs

Difficulty? OK site.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 22-25

Area: Maze of Shakrami

Prey: Carnivorous Crawlers

Pets: Combats, Carnivorous Crawlers

Difficulty? OK site; watch for Scorpions.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 26-30

Area: Qufim Island

Prey: Wights, Gigas, Dancing Weapons

Pets: Glow Bats, Clippers, Dark Bats, Greater Pugils

Difficulty? Only nice for first few levels.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 30-33

Area: Carpenters' Landing

Prey: Sabertooth Tigers, Spinous Pugils, Birdtraps, Spunkies

Pets: Sabertooth Tigers, Spinous Pugils

Difficulty? Another slow spot; terrain is uneven here too.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 33-36

Area: Bibiki Bay

Prey: Efts, Island Rarabs, Marine Dhamels, Ravens, Tier 4 Goblins

Pets: Efts, Island Rarabs, Raven, Marine Dhamels

Difficulty? Nice, quiet, and easy site.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 37-40

Area: Sea Serpent Grotto

Prey: Tier 4 Sahagins, Undead Bats (37)

          Tier 4 Sahagins, Undead Bats, Royal Leeches (38)

          Ghasts, Ironshells (39)

Pets: Royal Leeches, Ironshells

Difficulty? Not too bad; watch for nearby Undead at lvl 39.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 40-41

Area: Yuhtunga Jungle

Prey: Tier 5 Goblins, Soldier Crawlers

Pets: Soldier Crawlers (these do not agro)

Difficulty? Crawlers die fast, but so do Goblins if "Bomb Toss" fails.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 41-44

Area: Garlaige Citadel

Prey: Siege Bats, Borer Beetles (41)

          Fallen Evacuees, Borer Beetles (42)

          Fallen Evacuees, Borer Beetles, Clockwork Pads (43)

          Fallen Evacuees, Clockwork Pads (43)

Pets: Wingrats, Siege Bats, Borer Beetles

Difficulty? Ok site. Watch for Undead, and be careful around Bombs.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 44-47

Area: Yhoator Jungle

Prey: Worker Crawlers (44)

          Tier 5 Goblins (45)

          Master Coeurls, Tier 5 Goblins (46)

Pets: Young Opo-opos, Worker Crawlers

Difficulty? Ok site; Crawlers die fast.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 47-48

Area: Labyrinth of Onzozo

Prey: Tier 5 Goblins

Pets: Labyrinth Leeches

Difficulty? OK site; you might require multiple pet swaps.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 48-51

Area: Western Altepa Desert

Prey: Sand Beetles (48)

          Tier 6 Antica (49, 50)

Pets: Sand Beetles

Difficulty? Easy, but still a grind by all means.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 51-52

Area: Sea Serpent Grotto

Prey: Tier 6 Sahagin

Pets: Sahagin Parasites

Difficulty? Not too bad; you will need multiple pet swaps.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 52-53

Area: Quicksand Caves

Prey: Sand Spiders, Helm Beetles

Pets: Sand Spiders, Helm Beetles

Difficulty? Easy site; it will be a long level unfortunately.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 53-55

Area: Garlaige Citadel

Prey: Hellmines, Borer Beetles

Pets: Funnel Bats, Borer Beetles

Difficulty? Nice exp, but it is a competitive site. Do not melee Bombs.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 55-58

Area: Labyrinth of Onzozo

Prey: Mushussu, Flying Mantas, Tier 7 Goblins

Pets: Mushussu, Flying Mantas

Difficulty? Slow but quiet site.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 58-59

Area: Toraimorai Canal

Prey: Mindcravers, Fleshcravers

Pets: Impish Bats

Difficulty? Not too bad; multiple pets required.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 59-60

Area: Quicksand Caves

Prey: Tier 7 Antica

Pets: Sand Lizards

Difficulty? Melee with pet after first swap; avoid PLDs.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 60-62

Area: The Boyahda Tree

Prey: Death Caps, Bark Spiders

Pets: Death Caps, Bark Spiders

Difficulty? Not too bad; melee with your pet.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 62-64

Area: Wajaom Woodlands

Prey: Lesser Coblibris

Pets: Worker Pephredo, Soldier Pephredo

Difficulty? Nice exp; easy kills.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 64-65

Area: Caedarva Mire

Prey: Marsh Murres, Orderly Imps, Puktraps

Pets: Marsh Murres, Treant Saplings, Caedarva Leeches

Difficulty? Not too shabby; stick near the pond.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 66-67

Area: Upper Delkfutt's Tower

Prey: Tier 7 Gigas, Magic Pots

Pets: Dire Bats, Incubus Bats

Difficulty? Magic Pots can be dangerous; watch for -ga spells.

Alternate Sites: Pso'Xja, see link#2.

Lvl 68-71

Area: Bhaflau Thickets

Prey: Colibris

Pets: Red Kissers, Wajaom Tigers

Difficulty? The fastest exp site, ever.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 71-72

Area: Bibiki Bay

Prey: Tier 8 Goblins, Tragopans

Pets: Tragopans

Difficulty? Easy but slow exp site.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 72-73

Area: Ru'Aun Gardens

Prey: Flamingos, Sprinklers

Pets: Flamingos

Difficulty? Watch for -ga spells from Magic Pots.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Lvl 74-75

Area: Bibiki Bay

Prey: Tier 8 Goblins

Pets: Tropical Rarabs

Difficulty? Easy but slow exp; do not melee Goblins at high HP.

Alternate Sites: N/A

Return to DRK

It all began as a DRK, or so the legends say. In ages past, Khaki made it to level 71 before being banished to real life. Bathed in assumptions to never return, he deleted his original character and entered an era of bliss; until one day, he changed his mind. That day was in early January, 2005. 

Actually, there is one more reason as to why I deleted my first character: SE warned of automatically deleting characters that went untouched for three months after cancellation. I was somewhat furious to learn, several years later, that had I not manually deleted my character, I could have restored it through a new service designed to bring old players back to FFXI. I now regret deleting my original character and not reaching level 75.















A) My old character as a high-level DRK.















B) My new character, reposing the picture above as a BST. 

It has been three years since I left Vana'diel, and upon my return, I decided to recreate an Elvaan nearly identical to the original. However, I wanted my new character to appear different, so I opted for red hair instead of blonde. Although I wanted to play DRK again, I remembered facing hardships with my original character, so to make things easier, I decided to level BST first.

The benefits of leveling BST first became immediate upon starting a new DRK. For one, my new DRK would have capped Scythe skill until the high-70s, so I could focus on leveling my Greatsword skill early on. In addition, I could also solo a great deal of quests and farm gil with ease on BST whereas my DRK struggled. What has taken me two years to prepare for is finally being set in motion. Although I leveled BLM to 75 before DRK, DRK is next on the list. Currently at level 52, I am slowly climbing back to the top, so here are some highlights as to what has been going on:















This NM is for one of the DRK AF pieces. He did not last very long before the might of Snippy's claws and my Axes. Surprisingly, the Sword NM (above) was much easier than the Axe NM (not shown).


DRK AF Spoilers below!














Usually, Artifact Quests (AFs) are for obtaining job-specific armor that is iconic of the FF series. Most AF quests involve bashing creatures or opening treasure chests; the quests also introduce a brief background surrounding the job itself. The picture above shows that the creatures I just beat up are actually slaves to the weapon itself.
















A close-up of a powerful Evil Weapon (the rapier) and its slave (the Koboid) inside the Shrine of Ru'Avitau. Both the Koboid and the rapier can attack, but only one at a time. 



Notes:
a) Green text denotes linkshell chatter, and only members of the same linkshell can exchange linkshell messages.
b) Vana'diel is the planet where all the fictional beings of FFXI reside.

Ischemia

The name of my new endgame linkshell. My new LS organizes events under a calendar system, so members are expected to gather together at specific times (usually sometime after school for me). Here is a glance at some of my recent accomplishments with Ischemia:

Dynamis - San d'Oria














An Orc from Dynamis - San d'Oria; note the black skin. 

Dynamis is an alternate reality (created by the terrestrial avatar Diabolos) that depicts a reality where the Allied Forces lost the Crystal War. The cities here are dark and gloomy while monsters are vastly stronger than their Beastmen counterparts. Groups of players must synchronize their efforts in order to raid a Dynamis area, usually for AFv2 or Dynamis currency. Our LS collected roughly 130 coins on this run, an amount more than enough to cover the 1M gil entry fee.















For comparison, here is a normal Orc that I encountered during my lower levels.














Why Dynamis groups must keep avatars slept at all costs. If you line up the deceased carefully, you will discover I am the only survivor; thank goodness for my Fire Staff.

Limbus - Temenos West














Limbus is another endgame area where high-level adventures raid for AF upgrade items or Ancient Beastcoins (ABCs). Instead of the giant, laid out maps in Dynamis, Limbus maps are comprised of a series of floors that groups must scale, in order, to reach the top. In addition to receiving rewards on the way up, reaching the top floor yields additional booty in the form of a treasure chest. For this particular run, I received a share of 8 ABCs, so I am now 8/75 ABCs towards my Brutal Earring. Since the entry cost for Limbus is 30k/person and since each ABC is worth 7k or so, I think I made a good haul with this run.



Notes:
a) There are two common metric abbreviations for gil in large quantities: kilo (k) and mega (M). For example, 1k gil refers to one thousand gil while 1M gil refers to one million gil.
b) A Fire Staff provides resistance to Ice Magic. In a picture above, the Orc's avatar used "Diamond Dust," a powerful Ice-based attack that would have slain me outright had I not equipped my Fire Staff.

Aftermath

The only thing I feel is angst: I lost my bus pass yesterday and just skipped a chemistry class to determine whether someone had found it. Luckily, someone on the bus decided to turn it in, so I am able to breathe a small sigh of relief. Since I have got some time to kill before my next class, I have decided to blog a bit to calm my nerves. 

Now you might be wondering what this post has to do with FFXI. Along the tangent of radical surprises, my BST has also seen several surprises in the aftermath of this August's update. For one, the price of Axes have fallen sharply, and there are new jug pet recipes that allow chefs to HQ jugs at a lower level. In addition, I have been reading up on new hunting grounds for BSTs, so maybe this update created some positive effects after all.

In addition, my BLM has earned a good amount of gil, which I have invested into buying new gear:









I have also invested several merits into Elemental Skill (not shown) and STR:


A new LS and "Rampage" record:














I am off to catch my calculus class now; peace out!



Notes:
a) HQ stands for high-quality. These items have a white border around their image and are generally better than their NQ (normal-quality) counterparts. There are also different tiers for HQ items. HQ3 (yellow border) is the highest, HQ2 (blue border) is the next highest, and HQ1 (white border) is the lowest. Some NQ items might lack higher HQ tiers or HQ versions altogether.
b) "Rampage" is a five-hit, Axe Weapon Skill (WS) available to BSTs.

Isn't Snippy Cute?

Whew. I have been adding to this picture little by little between exp PTs and have finally finished despite starting three days ago. Unfortunately for me, I start my first day of university tomorrow, so I will be updating less while I focus on getting my schoolwork done. Perhaps I will level DRK a little whenever I can find a spare moment to myself.

Draw Yourself in MS Paint

Okay, I lied a little. The picture above is actually drawn in Paint.net because Microsoft no longer supports Paint. Now you are probably wondering why would anyone want to draw themselves in MS Paint in the first place, and the answer is, I started this picture after bumping into a certain post on Allakhazam requesting players to do just that.

After a ten-minute practice sketch for a friend on MSN, I started using the lasoo tool and color mixes on a new picture to draw the picture above. There is still a little more I want to add to Byakko and Courier Carrie, so consider this a sneak peek at my next post!



Notes:
a) Carrie or Courier Carrie (CC) is a version of Snippy that carries three jugs on her back.

Coronation Day

Warning! The following post contains spoilers from ToAU44: Nashmeira's Plea!

Finally! After three failed runs and days of frustration, I was privileged (read: lucky) enough to join Tahla's group for ToAU44. This battle forces you keep an eye on time and is difficult to clear without a PLD, but my persistence has finally paid off! As a BLM, I managed to deal over 5k damage throughout the fight, and I even landed the killing blow.



















My new TP set. I have replaced my old acc. rings with an Ulthalam's/Rajas Ring combo for quicker TP gain.


















The rewards for finishing the ToAU storyline along with...








.... my choice at 1 of 3 rings. It is a good day to be a BST.



Notes:
a) "ToAU" stands for "Treasures of Aht Urghan," the third expansion pack in the FFXI storyline. A number following the abbreviation denotes a particular mission from that expansion.
b) "Acc." is short for Accuracy.
c) 5k (or 5000) damage is probably mediocre on this mission for any fully merited BLM, but I am not too disappointed because I believe Alexander only has around 20k HP.