Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Some charity notes from the gaming blogosphere...

-- Another marathon of Mario games was just completed over the weekend, a third annual event...

This marathon, for Child's Play, raised $81,816.

Details here.

That's almost $140,000 between them and The Speed Gamers recent effort for ACT Today.

-- Oh, speaking of The Speed Gamers...

The Speed Gamers is attempting to raise awareness of ACT Today, with a possible $250,000 payoff at the end of the month from Pepsi, if the gaming community is supportive enough.

Details on their effort can be found here.

This is not, per se, a charity marathon, but they are going to have a "Month of Zelda" to raise awareness for a voting campaign through the Pepsi Refresh project, where they will stream every night for the next month in an effort to raise votes for ACT Today.

If they get one of the top two numbers of votes, the charity wins a cool quarter of a million dollars from Pepsi.

Am I then to assume another round of server mergers is to come this year?

FF XIV release date: Sept. 30 for the PC. PS3 doesn't get it til the botters run the damn game over in March 2011.

The playerbase continues to show it's ignorance...

Got this gem from Jud a few days back, and had been meaning to write about it:

"Chin continues to do more good for this game and community than you could even possibly comprehend."

Face it... You defraud players like me, you're a piece of shit in my book, and so is her "employer", (and that is why I call them) Pet Food Cheater.

But it got me to thinking about FFXI and all the other stuff going on therein, and I decided to come up with some analogous (and, frankly, if you believe Jud, equally true!) statements, and to show you why I believe those statements to be equally true.

#1:

"The creator of (Windower/App/NASA/other illegal third party software) continues to do more good for this game and community than you could even possibly comprehend."

Let's get right down to brass tacks here.

First, there are things in this game you cannot take part in without illegal software, and, as long as Square-Enix continues to fraudulently look the other way, that's not going to change.

Without claim bots, you basically are shut out of HNMLS's.

Without Windower, there are mobs that it is claimed you cannot kill (like those who do actions precisely on certain percentages of life totals which will kill the alliance -- PW's final form being one example).

Without other illegal bots, you basically are shut out of the weekly Kupofried's Ring quests, etc.

But we're all supposed to accept this, right?

Bullshit. BUT: If what Jud said is right, these illegal applications would be some of the most important peieces of code in the game, because the game, to many, cannot be played without them.

Which see the jackass who said that if we didn't play with Windower, we could enjoy our $1,000 PS2, because that is what we are playing with if we don't cheat our fucking asses off.

#2:

"The Astral Burners and other 'griefers' continue to do more good for this game and community than you could even possibly comprehend."

This should actually be even easier. In the day and age where the game does not even begin, now, until you hit at least level 75, anything to allow players to level faster is encouraged...

(And, in the day and age where the little Internet pigs basically run roughshod over everyone else, if it stops another player from doing the same, the victory to the AB party/etc. is double!)

So exploits and using those exploits to cockblock other players is actually _good for the game_ in the eyes of a lot of these people.

In fact, if I had a dollar for every person who said that the Salvage banned should never have been touched, I'd have a year's worth of membership fees and then some.

#3:

"RMT continues to do more good for this game and community than you could even possibly comprehend."

I cannot understand how anyone chooses to pat cheaters on the back, then turn around and condemn RMT.

Here's the thing: If you allow players to abrogate the Terms of Service without penalty, you basically are then giving up any right of ownership to the content therein, if you are Square-Enix.

RMT, sickeningly, provides a valuable service to more than a few players in this game -- not unlike the Astral Burn illegal bullshit.

And it provides it to the players in both directions -- buying material, and selling material.

RMT, in fact, offers players the opportunity to advance their characters faster -- the only reason, probably, it not being allowed is that Square-Enix at least puts down on paper their assertion of ownership of their content.

They put a lot of other things down on paper that they fraudulently have no intention of ever enforcing, too.

Anyone who believes the likes of Chinchilla still contribute to this game have to conclude that RMT does so as well -- both to the players in the game who use it, and to the players who, ostensibly, are getting out and want to sell their characters for an ROI.

---

These are just three examples I came up with.

There's a take-home point here.

If the social aspect of Final Fantasy XI is as important as many players indicate it to be, the Terms of Service are null and void, and the only people who can really act to remove players should be the player base themselves.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

And I see the GM's are in fine form...

Walk of Echoes post Dyna today...

Went in, got wiped, and got the message that all party members had fallen in battle, and that we would be removed in 3 minutes and 514000 seconds.

As GM Bublex later put it, that's almost a year, apparently.

But it's what he suggested we do after I told him we had all seen the same message -- after I had asked many of the players who were there...

He wants us to do File Checks, thinking it might be the files being corrupted...

Eh????

Another nice deflection by the GM Force...

---------------

Quickie update:

No Dynamis either Sunday (Father's Day) or Wednesday (Dreamer did Abyssea instead).

DRG now to 76, DNC to 77.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Two things which don't completely negate the goodness, but temper it a little...

-- Presto (the DNC 77 ability which makes two levels of step effect in one shot for an extra finishing move) shares the same timer with Steps. So not only are you expending two rounds of time for the three finishing moves and two levels (one less than if you did two steps), but you don't have long not to have lose the effect whatsoever.

-- Spiritual Jump and Jump work in the same manner.

Doesn't make them suck, mind you...

Thursday, June 24, 2010

OK, WHO came up with THIS fucking idea???

As I'm waiting to see if the bitch and the hoarding moron actually got me GMed and banned or not (and they better have...), I see (more, hear) one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen on the Internet.

YouTube.

On the bar below the video screen, there's an extra button, with what looks like a circle...

The button is actually a Jabulani, I think it's called -- the World Cup soccer ball.

YOU CAN NOW PUT THOSE DAMNED VUVUZUELAS IN THE BACKGROUND OF ANY YOUTUBE VIDEO???

O M F G...

Mog Bonanza Bullshit

Rank 5 -- Alexander Statue. Not that it's going to matter anyway.

Two away from a Rank 3.

Part Deux: I might just have finally gotten banned from the game tonight...

And you know what?? That'll just show Square-Enix' true colors.

Had another run-in with ghetto trash on the game tonight. Biggysmallz from Crenshaw, LA... )He gave me his address. He'll regret that one day... That's two for The List.)

(At least that's his claim. Watch, it's probably Adam the bitch.)

But he's not the one who's going to get me banned.

He's just the hoarding bitch who got me to basically call him (and he admitted as such to me) a "hoarding asshole".

That got Angelskiss (more like "Angels' Bitch"!!) involved.

You see, Angelskiss, I'm a threat to all of you. When I told you that you better hope they ban me from the game -- if you want to take that as a personal threat, so be it.

My very presence in Vana'diel is a threat, to one degree or another. My very presence is infringing on your enjoyment of FFXI, because I'm not going to accept your degree of bullshit.

So you better hope they ban me. I said it to you personally, and I say it here now, generally, to the cheaters who have overrun this game.

I'm done respecting the rank-and-file players, in any real capacity.

I was done with that shit when ChinCheater and the other cheaters got banned almost 18 months ago.

And I fully expect, 18 months from now: I'm in prison or dead.

I have no place in your Vana'diel. None.

You would not want me to act in the same way as you would.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Had a bit of an altercation during Abyssea today....

Had another one of those conversations today. And I think it was with Edwyth (on an alt). (If I am wrong and the person I spoke to was not Edwyth, then I apologize.)

Anyhoo, I first thought it was that shithead Adam Westwood, who said he was coming on Leviathan to take potshots at me...

Turns out that the person I did talk to was talking to Chinchilla on Skype or such, and wanted to know how I felt about her still being allowed on FFXI at all...

Needless to say, that didn't start my Abyssea run on a good note.

At this point, the allowance of Square-Enix to allow players like Chinchilla and Keichan/Kaeko/Kanichan to continue playing this game at all is not only an act of fraud on the company's part (as well as on the parts of the individual players), but is probably the only reason FFXI still exists.

Additionally, the only question as to if to sue Square-Enix would come down to a question of standing -- vis-a-vis,( in a legal sense) what damages, if any, would be allowed.

Especially with the amount of cheating and illegal shit running rampant in FFXI, these "players" are probably adept to advance further and faster than the legitimate players even after they get banned.

In fact, the person I talked to today had the audacity to say that it was entirely Square-Enix' fault the Salvage exploits took place, and that they should not have banned anyone for the duping.

Realize, at that point, that you basically kill two cardinal rules of the game:

Q12652, which bans all conduct within the game which is not done within intended parameters.

and the exploit rules, which disallow all conduct which exploits code for illegal purposes.

The latter is the reason I GM'ed the current Campaign XP situation -- 3 times now without appropriate response.

You know, I realize, within the context of a social game which the players want to destroy the balance of (simply for their own benefit), that it is considered insanity to demand the rules be enforced.

As I told the person: I feel not only condemned because I vociferously speak out, I feel condemned because I refuse to use 3PP and bots and exploits and the like.

This is not a democracy -- the players should have zero say as to what is allowed and what is not. That they appear to have that says basically allows:

-- Windower
-- bots, completely destroying any hope that non-RMT players have of taking part in several functions of the game
-- RMT itself
-- etc.

...and I find it a laugh my discussion partner believes that all RMT should be jailed, as I do.

Face it: The players want to use any means they can (cockblocks, bots, exploits, Windower, etc.) to advance in the game (often at the expense of other players).

If Square-Enix does not have the right to ban conduct as it sees fit (but then has to enforce what it makes a Term of Service), then what ownership do they have of anything?

*sigh* One of these days...

No, no, no! I was asking a legality question!!

Got a message saying the GMs can't give game advice, etc.

Should explain: There is a possible exploit (said also because I pretty much have an idea as to how it was coded in the game) with Campaign XP.

If you are a 76, you are now getting 120% of the "maximum XP" you would've gotten for Campaign.

The code has it that, every 15 levels, you get 20% of the "maximum XP" you would've gotten (double the Allied Notes) for a Campaign battle assessment.

The problem is, I don't think they ever accounted for a 76-99 situation.

So, it's a THIRD GM call on this subject (don't get me wrong -- they're fucking swamped!!), because I want it on record that it's "intended" so there's no screwing around later.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Some early thoughts, now that I've had the chance to play some of the new material

-- Genkai VI is not unreasonable, though those who recently merited might think otherwise.

-- Actually got a meritpo with five other people, and ran like Hell to Caederva (after all bird camps were already taken 10 minutes after the restart!!), and did imps and the like til I got my 3 merit points.

Then, with a Besieged starting, ran out to kill a couple birds. DING 76 DNC! Return, change, repeat. DING 76 DRG!!

Already a number of 77s on Siren.

16 78's on, as of 2:30 AM PDT.

3 79's.

NO 80's.

-- Started the Bastokan finale line, and need a Castle Zvahl Baileys [S] cutscene next. But I got a bit sidetracked.

-- Walk of Echoes. You have GOT to be kidding me.

Campaign on Steroids.

A bunch of antlions ran over about 10 of us for breakfast. :)

It's got potential, though -- let's see what happens with larger groups.

-- Abyssea is a TRIP!! Did Konschtat for my first run. If you go in alone, or use one Traverser's Stone, you get 30 minutes before you get kicked out. Another stone cannot be given to you for a full 24 hours, it sounds like (minimum 20).

Lower level monsters con EM-DC to a 76, meaning they probably are 74-76. Fought three Shadow Lizards -- quite a challenge, but no real danger. Just think of a 75 as a level 1, and you get the idea. :)

They do spawn chests, which can have items! Combination quests apply here as well.

(Got Eft Blood and a Giant Bugard Tusk, which are used in crafting L76-80 items.)

However, they do tell you the amount of time you have left and the number of guesses left, and the list is only 11-77 -- you must guess to get a clue. A guess gets you an additional clue, other than higher or lower.

Heard a rumor some of these chests are mimics!!!

One possible bug I saw: In the chat log, it will show the maximum number of attempts allotted, but will not decrement that number when an attempt is made. In the mini-game window, it will decrement, however. Has been reported to a GM.

There are quests here, and I completed about two of them in the time allotted.

-- Interesting ninja addition (pun intended, in this case): The Utsusemi icon now shows how many shadows you have left in your last casting.

More later. My bed calls me... :)

One quick EDIT before bed:

Sounds like there are two BCs in each finale line. The reward is an L80 ring. San d'Oria's is HP +25, Reduces Critical Hit Rate.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Well, another 90 minutes, I guess...

... and that's not for the download and install. That's the maintenance.

What was supposed to be a 1 PM PDT restart is now 6:30 PM PDT, after several extensions.

Taking bets??

So screw me for having a real life...

This is reminding me of the updates before the last year or so...

Had RL business to attend to this morning, and now basically CANNOT get in to do the goddamned update.

And I know if I wait, it'll be Thursday or so, because of a combination of emergency maintenances and every damn player downloading all the new stuff.

Literally spamming the Retry for 20 minutes now (now over a dozen POL-1160s, and the occasional POL-1161), and I've gotten to start the download ONCE.

EDIT #1: 3:17 PM. 25 more minutes, one more try in, got frozen out the moment everything got checked before the first file could be downloaded. Two reboots, a de-crapify, and a disk defrag later, trying to get back in to where I was to start the process AGAIN!

EDIT #2: Two hours after I finally got in, sounds like it's almost done!! Off to get Merit Points, sounds like!! :)

New Update Quickies

-- THERE IS A SIXTH GENKAI QUEST.

SE lied to us on this one, saying there would be no sixth Genkai. From the official update news:

To increase character job levels to 76 and beyond, players must complete the new limit break quest "New Worlds Await" offered by the Nomad Moogle stationed at the Ru'Lude Gardens.

I can only hope that this doesn't turn ugly real fast. No fetch quests -- for the love of God, no fetch quests...

EDIT: CONFIRMED through the dat mining: Five Kindred Seals, Three Merit Points.

-- Walk of Echoes

Battle time limit is 30 minutes (clock starts on engagement). The transport there is in Xarcabard [S], and you must purchase a key item to access WoE -- however, the limit is one per _Vana'delian day_.

Five minutes from either victory or chest-opening to leave.

Because of a "known issue", you need ToAU installed for the time being to do Walk of Echoes.

Perhaps something having to do with the code being somewhat Besieged-like???

-- Aquaveil now prevents against a certain number of interruptions of spells.

-- Emnity generation on Sleep, Bind, and Blind spells has been adjusted.

-- New VNM's

Probably above Yildebegan.

The title screen has been changed. The expansions will be on the right -- the menu will be below the main game title now.

That'll take some getting used to.

Victory, in spite of ourselves...

Well, on "Adieu, Lilisette"...

That's right -- finished with the main mission line to today's update. Wow.

Took a long time to traverse all the bullshit in the Keep (S), but the fight was surprisingly easy...

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Oh, get THIS crud...

There are days that I wonder if there is one player who doesn't use the illegal shit other than me -- and those days are about when I see the rank idiocy of a lot of the players.

Don't believe me??

We try to do "Into the Beast's Maw", and this idiot SAM mistakes his Instant Reraise for his Instant Warp and warps out. We lose, he has to leave for 90 minutes, and we now have 2 hours more to wait (that I probably won't be able to, thanks for nothing!!) for him to come back to try again -- because this was a group set up a couple days ago by Sephina!!

Who's the dummy writing this show??

Update before the update, again...

Well, unless something unforeseen happens tonight, I should be 1 TNL 76 on DRG and DNC, as planned.

Doing "Into the Beast's Maw" at the moment as we speak. A victory there basically puts me at "Darkness Descends". Hopefully, I can get that done tonight too and be on "Adieu, Lilisette" to be on the final nation quest set tomorrow.

No Dynamis today, last Wednesday was Buburimu -- another win, DRG belt dropped, and the OTHER Dragoon got it.

Did some VNM's with a new all-DNC linkshell that Kiana put together -- did a couple Urds, got another DNC a Choeria Earring...

Tried to get some of the Sunday Dyna shell caught up on WotG, but Adelheid was being stupid again.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

It finally ends at 189 hours...

The Speed Gamers took it as far as they could, but the final total (needed $59,000 for two more hours) was $57,268.60.

Congratulations.

(or is it: Confederate Icon-ulations ??) :)

Wings progress!!

Thank you to Darkmage of my Wednesday Dyna shell, Husband and a third I forgot the name of (sowwy). We got two of the three Battle of Xarcabard missions done. Now the Count Bifrons (or whatever his name is) and then the second Help-Lilisette fight...

----

Speed Gamers
(just to tell you, because no one reading this is probably up now):

They're STILL going. Extensions will continue for the foreseeable (at least until 5 AM CDT this morning) because they now have exceeded their goal and reached $51,000. Another $1,000 before 5 AM CDT (3 AM out here) adds two MORE hours.

After that...

Friday, June 18, 2010

So how long will the update be?

Three days to go, and they have not told us.

Of course, this is just a lame excuse to do the following:

The Speed Gamers are now in OVERTIME.

How far do they go? Your decision through your donations.

They ended 168 hours at $40,874.34. They want $50,000.

$42,000 in the next hour gives you two more hours.

By 9 PM CDT, they continue two more if they're at $44,000.

At that point, it's $46,000 for two more hours.

Then to $49,000, then $51,000, $52,000 -- and then, we see...

Check em out at the link.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Couple of little bits of stuff...

1) Blogger acted up today -- sounds like a couple of Volkai's comments got eaten.

*Blogger burps*

2) Speed Gamers now in the homestretch.

$33,121 with about 20 hours to go. Can't see them making it to $50,000 -- $40,000 might even be a reach... Good work on them in any event, but I do think they have to be disappointed.

And here come the job adjustments...

They basically wrapped up the update info today (at least the non-ninjanerfs...) with job adjustments, mostly for the 76-80 crowd. Now, I don't play every job, so I don't have expertise in them all, but it sounds like everybody gets at least one.

Info taken from the official site.

Abilities and some comments:

Restraint (WAR 77) Increases your weaponskill power with each attack, but disables critical hits.

Risk-reward. Problem is, you better be able to consistently hit to get to a weaponskill against the L80s of the world.

Perfect Counter (MNK 79) Next attack within 30 seconds gets countered.

And with a 60 second recast, you can see that up quite a bit, I think.
Mana Wall (BLM 76) Allows damage to be taken with MP.

Oof. Rendering the Black Mage all but useless, I fear, with one good hit. One hit and there you go with your mega-magic.

Despoil (THF 77) Steal + Status Effect

Nice! Same delay as Steal (5 minutes), but now they make it MORE useful.

Divine Emblem (PLD 78) Increases next divine spell's accuracy and increases emnity.

Hate mechanics always help PLD.

Nether Void (DRK 78) Enhances Absorb-??? spell.

Still trying to figure out the point of the Absorb-statistic stuff -- the enhancement better be quite nice.

Double Shot (RNG 79)

Pretty much self explanatory.

Sengikori (SAM 77) Bonus to chains and bursts with next weapon skill.

Sengikori and Sekkanoki??? SICK!

Futae (NIN 77) Double the tools for more damage.

Never have been a fan of the Ninjitsu elemental spells.

Spirit Jump (DRG 77 -- 90 s) Jump + suppressed Emnity. Additional effect if Wyvern is present.

Nice. A third Jump to gain TP with for my DRG, and I won't grab so much hate with it!! :)

Blood Pact: Holy Mist (SMN 76) Light elemental damage. (Probably Carbuncle)
Lunar Bay (SMN 78) Darkness. (Not sure on this one)
Night Terror (SMN 80) Darkness. (Probably Diabolos)

Yeah yeah... Not like that many SMN 75s didn't commit TOS violations to get there. (I didn't say they all did...) Useless like Holy, frankly.

Bolter's Roll (COR 76) Enhanced movement speed. (to party members in AoE)

Something most players want, but might be of more limited use than some other COR rolls.

Caster's Roll (COR 79) Enhanced "Fast Cast". (ditto)

This, however, could be of quite some use to casters, especially the higher up you go.

Tactical Switch (PUP 79) Master TP <-> Puppet TP

That's got some nice possibilities.

Presto (DNC 77 -- can always be up) Enhances next step effect and grants an additional finishing move.

OH HELL YES!!! Not just the extra effect enhancement, but now it's 2 step hits to get 5 finishers than 3 for DNC 77+ main.

Divine Waltz II (DNC 78)

Self explanatory -- and ABOUT DAMNED TIME!

Climactic Flourish (DNC 80) Allows you to perform critical hits. Expends finishing move.

What is this? Limited Mighty Strikes?? Next hit you do after a Climactic is automatically critical??

Libra (SCH 76) Examines the current emnity level.

Of all individual players in the combat, or just the SCH?? Kinda semi-useless if the latter.

Some other changes:

-- Six new BST Jug Pets, probably at least 80 cap.

-- Sekkanoki is going from SAM 60 to SAM 40.

Wow. That's going to be interesting. DNC 80/SAM becomes a possible play.

-- DRG Spirit Link now will give the Dragoon half the wyvern's TP!!

WOW!!! That's huge!

-- The bonus on a COR roll of 11 is that the effect will be increased to ten minutes.

This was what they were probably talking about at VanaFest to increase the gambling aspect of CORs.

-- DNCs can now Cure Waltz non-party members.

Part II of "IT'S ABOUT DAMNED TIME!!" Lengendary and Dreamer may want me to come DNC more often again.

-- DNCs to get Dual Wield at 20, with increasing job traits as levels go up.

Sounds to me like DNCs might be the big winners here of this round of adjustments. I won't complain about that!!

Restrictions on support jobs for abilities:

-- WHM and NIN won't be available at all. (No Yonin, Innin, or Afflatus)

-- Shadowbind gets an accuracy penalty.

-- SCH Accession and Manifestation will triple the casting time for /SCH.

New job traits:

(I have to be careful on some of these -- the way they listed them might make it confusing as to which jobs get which traits...)

Critical Attack Bonus (WAR, THF 78; DNC 80)

Critical Attack Defense (PLD 79, BRD 80)

Tactical Parry (NIN, DNC 77): Grants TP upon a successful Parry.

Tactical Guard (MNK 77, PUP 80): Grants TP upon a successful Guard.

Shield Defense Bonus (WAR 80, PLD 77)

Stout Servant (BST, PUP 78): Reduces damage taken by pet.

True Shot (RNG 78): If from an "appropriate distance", increased damage by ranged attack.

Blood Boon (SMN 60): Decreases (sometimes) the MP costs of Blood Pacts of non-Astral Flow abilities.

Skillchain Bonus (DNC 45, SAM 78)

But why DNC 45 if SAM (the King of the Skillchains) has to wait to 78 to get the bonus on SC damage?

Fencer (WAR 45, BST 80): Increases critical hit rate and adds a bonus to weaponskills, but must only be wielding with the main hand.

Conserve TP (DRG 45, DNC 77, RNG 80): Occasional reduction in TP cost of weaponskills.

YEOWCH!!!

Occult Acumen (DRK 45, SCH 78): TP bonus when doing damage with dark or elemental spells.

Magic Burst Bonus (BLM 45, SCH 79, NIN 80)

Divine Benizen (WHM 50): Speeds up any status recovery magic (Esuna, Erase, etc.), and grants a bonus to emnity reduction.

Resist Amnesia (BST, PUP 15; COR 30)

New Spells:

Baramnesia and Baramnesra.

Protect V, Shell V, Cure VI.

Stone V, Water V

Aspir II for DRK

Foe Requiem VII, Army's Paeon VI, Knight's Minne V

Aisha: Ichi (effect currently unknown).

PLD gets Phalanx and Shell IV

RDM gets Regen II

DRK gets Stone and Water III

RDM gets Stone and Water IV

(All past 75)

and more BLU spells.

Monday can't come fast enough!!!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Walk of Echoes announced...

As one of the final update things before the big update to take us to level 80, they finally announce Walk of Echoes, what it will be, and what restrictions...

First off, the restrictions:

You must be level 70 or above.

You must have progressed at least to "Cait Sith" in the Wings of the Goddess storyline.

(But I think that's like mission 3 or something...)

What is the Walk of Echoes?

Basically, from what I read, a combination of Campaign and Besieged...

There will be a number of progressive battlefields, each with fearsome foes. There will be a participant limit AND a time limit.

While the participant limit has not been reached in a battlefield, anyone can join it, much as in a Campaign or Besieged battle.

There is a series of foes, and, at the conclusion, three (apparent) levels of booty:

1) Items dropped by monsters (lotted by any and all participants in that fight)
2) Items dropped at the end of a successful run via a Campaign Union-style chest...

(OH FUCKING GREAT!! JUST GIVE THE FUCKING BOT-LOTTERS FIRST REAL CHANCE AT THE 76+ GEAR... WHY NOT JUST TELL US ALL WE NEED FUCKING BOTS TO PLAY THIS FUCKING GAME???)

*rant over* Where was I...

3) Sufficient participation can give individual players further loot (*perhaps to combat #2*).

I think you see my main complaint above. Will be fun to _try_, but...

-----------------

Couple of other things:

Forgive me, Aneiro, if I have no sympathy for your "open letter". First off, we have our strong differences. Second, you've got graduation and beyond come August. At some point, much like some of the other programs, new people are going to have to come in.

But make no secret: I have very little respect, now, for the people who represent us, the players. I know there's at least one podcast AND the main information portal for the game which openly coddles cheating and misconduct. I just seem to find that it's more important in life to have friends and to have people with you than have any sense of integrity or reality in this world.

That's fine. It's one of the reasons I'm certain that something is going to come up -- and I'll be banned from this game in about three months. Someone is going to finally piss me off (and I estimate it'll be about the time of second Abyssea), and I'm going to be gone when I finally tell them to, bluntly, piss off.

I do not trust the FFXI community, nor the rank and file playerbase.

Speed Gamers: Two hours short of halfway. $17,152 -- probably about $7,000 or so short of where they need to be (I'm not certain they can get the "end of telethon" bump that's going to make up what probably is going to be the difference between getting their goal of $50,000 and getting a more realistic idea of $35,000...) if they want to make the $50,000 they made in last year's Final Fantasy marathon.

Monday, June 14, 2010

What Price Loyalty FINALLY complete...

Oh geez... Finally got it done tonight.

Almost was going to pass out tonight after some early mornings (watching soccer in South Africa), but decided to take a flier on forming a What Price Loyalty group...

Taruknight and Minotauro immediately responded (one a PLD, the other a SMN with Alexander).

After a few minutes, one of them went to Sandy in the past and got Hagmos (who I made a RDM, all /NIN because of Klara's crazy hate mechanics).

Then I get a tell from nowhere from Faithful (WAR), who then convinces his wife (WHM), who also needed the situation, to do it with him.

So we head north and KICK -- HER -- ASS!!

Thank you to the aforementioned!! Really...

And thanks to the Wednesday Dynamis shell for organizing a Bahamut V. 1 run Saturday, which we won, though I died at the end of it.

-----------

Speed Gamers update:

They're a bit behind. 56 hours in, at an average of about $300/hr over the marathon, they should be at about $16,800 to get $50,000 by 4 PM PDT Friday.

They are at $13,745.05 right now.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Couple of updates...

This World Cup has SUCKED, by the way... Level of play far down...

-----------

Speed Gamers update: Slightly behind, and this is the weekend part. Goaling for $50,000 in 7 full days of Mario gaming. 2 full days in, and about $12,700. Stream, donating link, and more info here.

-----------

Updates:

SAM to 66

2nd Evasion merit taken care of.

WHM to 43 or 44 -- got a level on that, forget which.

Dynamis 6/6: None. Locked out of all relevant zones.

6/9: Very boring Snow run. Got a win.

6/13 (today): Sandy win. 2 100s dropped, got neither.

---------------

Update in a little more than a week.

Friday, June 11, 2010

The Speed Gamers Mario Marathon starts today...

Something other than the World Cup is starting today...

The Speed Gamers are starting their one-week marathon, all Mario, all week -- for ACT Today.

Ambitious goal to match the $50,000 they raised for the Final Fantasy marathon last August.

Good luck.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Abyssea trailer released -- sales begin. Update is June 21.

That's pretty much all, but it does sound like that we will not have to have Walk of Echoes access to get Abyssea.

Trailer, on the add-on site, seems to show both Meriphataud [A] and La Thiene [A], seeming to indicate that we are looking are more "alternate reality/timeframe" zones of what we already have.

Also, introduction of the third mega-weapon set -- and it is basically Magians... The Emperyal Weapons are the third mega-weapon set, and they do appear to be Magian-based. Probably Abyssea, after the current content.

Update IS the 21st -- preparatory update is on the 10th, but no change in game til the 21st.

Abyssea on sale now.

Monday, June 7, 2010

I don't know why I even try with Campaign Unions anymore...

It's really about as worth it as hitting a Moonfang Warrior today...

I think I've truly seen where RMT shitheads and botlotting fuckwads have basically ruined what was supposed to be a good incentive for people to do Campaign.

I mean, when hasn't there been a time when, in about a 7-way lot with 7-10 people in it, one or two people run off with all the meaningful stuff, leaving the rest of us to battle over the Slug Eyes and Silver Ores of the world.

Can't wait to see how they're going to with Abyssea in a couple of weeks...

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Starcade falls under several Temporary Effects

Minutes of My Life I Want Back +20. That's how long it took me to get everything straightened out on the service once I saw I had the opportunity. Enforced vacation over.

Inventory Space -10. Got my Mog Bonanza Marbles.

Sanity -10%. For various and sundry reasons. (Including my next-door (out of building) neighbor who is TOO FUCKING LAZY TO GET OUT OF HIS CAR!! HONK HONK at 8 AM!!! Forget me -- there's a baby below us trying to sleep too!)

Oh *guh-roan*...

Friday, June 4, 2010

Day 3 of my enforced vacation...

Several things...

Got to listen to some of the "Promathia Unchained" episode -- otherwise known as the "Donkey Fucking" episode. To me, unless they basically super-charge all the monsters in Promathia areas to make it implausible for a solo 75-80 to basically run through and get their Swift Belt, etc., I can't see how this does anything but help, especially with everyone heading toward Abyssea.

Weaponskills: We'll see on those. What conditions, what weapons, etc.?

If they don't pull the double-charge from my "pending transactions" tomorrow, I'm out of the Mog Bonanza. Not that I'd win anything more than a statue anyway, so it's not the end of the world, but the longer this goes, the more I agree with my roommate, who said I (and all others so inconvenienced) should get June for free.

(I still have a World Transfer to take care of though.)

Square-Enix, get the fucking hint yet? The only way to get rid of RMT is to JAIL RMT!!!

---

Have downloaded and started to play Pangya during my little vacation. Fun little game, but someone has to explain to me how these multiple-account pros are allowed to put up -31 and the like on the Rookie Server...

The free clubs *SUCK*.

---

All those Chinese/Japanese blog-spammers who try to get advertising on my comments, please GO THE FUCK AWAY!

---

Two charity efforts in the next couple of weeks.

The Returners are back, and they're doing all the MegaMan games through Monday. You can check them out here. Donations (which, as of now, total about $180...) benefit The Alzheimer's Foundation.

And, from next Friday to the following Friday, we have The Speed Gamers in their one-week marathon of the summer. One full week of Mario. Charity is ACT Today. You can check them out here.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Yeah, it DOES sound like someone got in...

The website domain listed on the purported e-mails that players have received, mentioned in the last blog post IS the Square Enix North American support web domain.

The website they post is:

http://support.na.square-enix.com/jump/chat2/

and support.na.square-enix.com IS the North American support web domain.

So this almost certainly means someone got in to the registration server, and several passwords have had to be reset.

(This, probably, also might explain the double-billing -- as my bank explained to me, they look for "out of pattern" situations -- the single billing to Square-Enix on that date is not out of pattern, even with the World Transfer thrown in. A double billing, OTOH...)

Well, it sounds like I'm off the game for several further days... Square-Enix is incompetent.

I just spent 40 minutes waiting to talk to a brick wall.

Let's see: They have had "emergency registration server" maintenance on the North American side for two whole days and part of this morning.

They have said NOTHING vis-a-vis what caused this.

In fact, the less I hear, the more I think it's one of two things:

1) Either someone MAJORLY fucked up the June billings (which would explain being double-billed -- and, quite correctly, the SafeSecure, etc. flags going up)

OR

2) Someone got in, leading to 1).

And then I get the dose of the vaunted Square-Enix customer service, in which it would appear as if I knew more about what was going to happen before I got in touch with them. Speaking with "Agent Chris F." was like speaking to a brick wall!!

You would think these guys would at least be given a general understanding of some of what goes on in such LM-21 situations, or would be given some information regarding the nature of the emergency maintenance.

He, apparently, got neither.

So, I'm off FFXI until the pending charges wipe. And THEN I have to hope that that particular card has not been locked off the system. If it is, I'm gone from FFXI, and I'm going to raise motherfucking Hell.

It's clear they don't want their currently paying customers, as I've said now for about a year and a half.

ON EDIT:

RUH - ROH !!!!

There is no confirmation at this time whether the e-mails several players have been reporting as receiving today (Source: BG) are real or fake.

If they are real, then someone got into the registration servers (probably DURING THE BILLING PROCESS). Basically, the e-mail purports that this was from an "external source", but it's clear they got in!

Be very careful proceeding until further confirmation comes from Square-Enix.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Boy, is this a 300th post to remember...

Because, as of the moment, I don't have an account on FFXI.

Well, not really, it's been frozen for an LM-21 nonpayment on a credit card, declined authorization.

They double-charged my credit card (including a second World Transfer Fee) -- and the money is in my account, waiting to be taken out. The credit card company correctly

EXCEPT: They didn't take it out.

Now, for the last two days, we've gotten reports that the North American Square-Enix Support Center has had to have limited access during their business hours (basically, anything requiring authentication of who you are and all that stuff), so that means I'm off the game til they fix it -- and THEN I probably have to fish something out after that.

And it's for "emergency registration server maintenance". You don't think that's the reason it's gone wacky? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... Of course it is!!!

Something in the ether wants me out of here this week. I can see that. Before I got yanked last night, I was running to do a quest in Oldton Movalpolos (or however that's spelled -- that's how often I go there), I get pulled into a VNM group, and the Lamprey Lord wipes us -- twice.

So, anyhoo... Off to see if I can glean any information as to what the problem is, and we'll go from there.

ON EDIT: Agent Tiffany, bless you, but I already knew before I submitted my information for the Web Chat that nothing specific could be done because of the maintenance. So that's 20 minutes of my life I won't get back (seemingly banging my head against the wall to explain that to her....). No information gleaned at all.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

"Awakening"? More like, put to sleep this week so far...

Urgh... Why don't people get that I don't trust a lot of people in this game...

First, we got this whoever-wanted-to-show-up-and-shoot-his-mouth-off... This person seems to forget one very important thing: The bulk of my group progress in this game outside Dynamis was done under false pretense -- my Siren LS had to lie to me about the identity of the person behind most of the expertise in doing so.

Second, we got Fiat Lux back this week. So I'm basically getting the Allied Ring run out, but made one attempt...

Now I'm 0/3 against the Big Guy. This one to about 45% when I hear the most feared words in any fight:

"DAMMIT, I FORGOT MY RERAISE!"

Shoulda warped out then and there.

I swear on all that is holy: If I live to be 100, I will never understand how someone can come to an advanced fight like Fiat Lux and forget, as Wakka called them, "the basics of the basics".

I mean, come off of it? No Reraise to Fiat Lux? No shihei for /NIN??

It's not like the mages are sapped enough for MP... Nooooooooooooooooooo...

Are you guys really that stupid not to understand basic game strategy?

Given your reliance on bots, exploits, and shit, the answer is clear: YES!

Third, Dyna-Xarcabard didn't go so well -- we killed nine NMs, and got one drop -- WHM, from a standard monster. :P

Fourth, just did a Limbus with Dreamer. To Hell if we could grab a timer to get beyond floor 2...

And more "Besieged is for skillups." shit. You know what?? They should ban every person from the game who simply uses Besieged for skillups. And if that means no more Candy, then the playerbase shows how full of shit they (as a group) are.