Why Blog When I Can Play?

The problem with blogging on FFXI is that time spent blogging is time not spent playing. And we all want to squeeze in as much play time as possible, don't we? ;-)

So here's a recap (more or less in order) of things I could have blogged, but didn't because I was just too darned busy playing. Pay attention -- I'll be moving pretty quickly. I hope I don't miss anything. Ready? Here we go!

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Got tired of soloing my BLM sub in the Ronfaures and decided to haul my WHM Taru ass to Jeuno. Ran into an old friend in Selbina who agreed to escort me there. En route, settled an old misunderstanding with said friend. Got an impression of the Stone Monument in Rolanberry Fields. Made it to Jeuno! Found out what it's like to be broke in Jeuno after spending all one's gil on Gausebit Grass. Learned how to quickly raise gil when broke in Jeuno. Got my chocobo license! Leveled WHM to 25 in Qufim. Learned Raise!

Realized I was woefully unprepared to go to Kazham. Leveled BLM sub to 20 in Valkurm Dunes. Learned how to Magic Burst. Learned that BLM is much more fun in a party than solo. Quested in San D'Oria. Harvested in Sarutabaruta. Had an LS mate help me get the Kazham keys. Visited Bastok for the first time. Killed Spiny Spipi! Leveled cooking to 14. Started a mule and discovered that playing a Mithra takes some getting used to. Returned to Jeuno. Finally got some sensible +MND/+MP equipment. Got the Kazham airship pass!

Leveled WHM to 29 in Yuhtunga Jungle. Purchased the first piece of my equipment that cost me over 10k (Seer's Tunic). Got killed and delevled the instant I set foot in Yhoator Jungle. Leveled WHM to 30 in Yhoator Jungle. Had a heart-to-heart with an LS mate to work out some RL problems. Helped another LS mate get his Giddeus key. Said goodbye to a friend quitting the game. Got an unexpected message from a very good friend who hasn't logged on in a long time. Learned that my best in-game friend will be taking a month's hiatus from the game.

Went hunting for Carbuncle's Ruby in Buburimu with some LS mates. Soloed gobs in Valkurm Dunes. Met up with a former LS member whom I thought had emigrated. Stumbled upon a friend who keeps turning up when and where I least expect it. Learned the hard way how difficult it is to Sneak/Invis through Ranguemont Pass. Watched our LS leader open a serious can of whoop-ass on some bats. Completed the Summoner quest! About to start over as SMN01/WHM01...

Current plans: Level SMN -- but at a nice leisurely pace. Raise cooking skill. Take up clothcraft. Take up goldsmithing. Quest. Fish. Harvest. Mine. Do some more Windurst misisons. Take up gardening. Get that Mog Safe upgrade. Buy some nice gifts for my friends. Max out +MP gear. Fill in the gaps in my WHM/BLM spellbook. Wonder how the heck I'm gonna afford all this. Stand outside Windurst Woods and revel in just summoning Carbuncle over and over and over and over...

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And now you are up to date with Nupinu. Enough blogging -- I gotta go play.

Feelin' Better

After getting myself thoroughly worked up (see previous post: Maintenance Blues), I decided to go look for a party in the Maze of Shakrami, and solo Canyon Rarabs en route. But after getting my a** handed to me by a Rarab (that be no or'nary rrrabbit!), and failing to find many party prospects in the maze, I was beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just pack it in and head for the dunes instead.

At that moment, by providence or design, my linkshell buddy, Stump, happened to run by, in pursuit of Windurst Mission 2-1. Having the same mission myself, we decided to complete it together, with the help of the level 26 WAR that I met in the maze (thanks, Akbear!!). Despite getting slaughtered by a Ghoul and chased by a Maze Scorpion, we managed to complete the mission. Finally, before calling it a night, we returned to the Horutoto Ruins to help Bableubiont -- who has agreed to take me to Jeuno (thanks, Bable!!) -- with a misison of his own.

When all was said and done, I had been defeated three times (by a rabbit, a ghoul, and a lord-knows-what in the Horutoto Ruins), with a net EXP loss on both my main and support jobs -- but you know what? I had an absolute blast doing it!

And that, my friends, is what it's all about...

Maintenance Blues

One disadvantage of being one-and-a-half hours ahead of Eastern Time is that the PlayOnline maintenance period typically doesn't end until about 10:30pm. So with a couple hours to go, and the kids in bed, I decide to dig around Allakhazam.com in the hope of finding some information on how to reliably synthesize Witch Kabobs. (If you can help, please send info.) Instead, one of the first things I stumble across is a rather touching little story about losing touch with one's friends in Vana'diel.

At this point, I had been soloing my Black Mage support job for what feels like ages, and hadn't partied with my online friends for quite some time. I was already feeling a little blue at seeing their names show up in Jeuno or Qufim or Rabao while I was still stuck in Windurst, and was starting to feel the call of the Valkurm Dunes all over again, so reading this story put me over the top and I bawled like a baby. (Okay, not really, but I admit it did bring a tear to my eye.)

So -- I'd like to extend an open invitation to my online friends and linkshell members: if you see me online and want to party or complete a quest together or just go exploring somewhere, send me a /tell and I'll be there.

The servers are back up. Think I'll go party...