I'll post more on it later, but just a quick point:
Over 3,000 people on Leviathan at 9:20 AM PDT this morning. Got the Allied Ring and added a couple more friends from C&D before I left Siren (with limited, though some, malice).
Dynamis in about 3 hours.
In the immortal words of Fang: "Unleash Hell!"
Showing posts with label Moving On. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moving On. Show all posts
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Friday, October 30, 2009
My Last Night on Leviathan, Part Three: Some Last Goodbyes
So, with that, I transfer worlds. I'll probably post these and send the profane rant to the STF first.
Then I have to take down everything in my delivery box and everything in the Auction House which hasn't sold yet. Then, I log out and transfer.
I guess, effective immediately, I'm a free agent again, and my Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings are now free.
To that end, I wish well the good people of Lengendary, my former Dynamis linkshell.
Kiana, the hard-working leader who takes no crap. I know I can be a bit of a pain, but at least I try not to be... Good luck on completing Ice one of these runs, and on getting your two remaining pieces of DNC AF2...
Hefty, our little sac-taru. Boats and hoes, eh? Here's one more ceremonial chuck into the snowbank on the way out, and best wishes to an entertaining little tarutaru.
Donbibo, our resident basketball. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, consider how many times a RDM dies in Dynamis...)
Palantor, our main PLD. Glad we got to talk during that whole sorry episode which sealed this decision.
Mickoftime, ditto.
Dogan, I hope the assault static can work well for you.
Indred, may you never be healed out of the yellow... :)
Gadwin, glad I could stand up for you on that last Ice run, and Mektar can kiss my motherfucking ass...
… and to all the other members I forgot, I'm sorry. It's just been a really tough go of it the last several months or so...
And, one more goodbye before I do slam the door in the fucking cheaters' faces:
Kobayashimaru, who suggested Leviathan: I'm sorry. That server has taken such a dive in the last six months.
ON EDIT: As Seymour said in FFX: It is done. As of about 1 AM this morning, PDT, the 30th of October: I am Starcade, now from Siren. Yeah, it's probably because of the Besieged record, but let's see if, as I suspect, this might transfer to a few more players who just MIGHT give a damn.
My Last Night on Leviathan, Part Two: A Little Word With the Special Task Force
Starcade, soon-to-be FORMERLY of Leviathan here.
And, to say I am not happy with you and how you guys run what is turning into, more and more, a dead and sham game would be the understatement of the century.
JUST WHOSE FUCKING SIDE ARE YOU GUYS ON, ANYWAY???
What rules am I supposed to fucking abide by, and what ones can I freaking ignore, because it's too goddamned inconvenient for you, as a company, to actually enforce the rules you put out in your own literature (online and otherwise)??!?!?!?
Just what constitutes “griefing” and monopolization if this Astral Burn Party bullshit doesn't??? These little punk-ass idiots can basically do whatever they want, as long as you get your $12.95 a month to basically grease your skids to release FF XIV (which you can forget about me even THINKING about playing, thank you very little...)??
Why should I abide by any of your goddamned rules if you guys basically only will choose to enforce any of them when it is either convenient or entertaining for you to do so???
And, as I got done telling your Senior GM Enkrateia, when the fuck are you banning Windower? When the fuck are you going to give your legal team a spine and shut down at least eight (and probably more like eight_y_) RMT sites which basically have taken over much of endgame, through one form or another of theft (of your proprietary property, if not of our characters on top of it!)...
Oh, I know what's going to happen... You're probably going to read this, know I transferred worlds, let the billing go through, and then ban me for this profane rant. You know what? You pull that garbage (which, given what you seem to pull, Square-Enix, would not surprise me!), and I can assure you the charge will be reversed. That's why I'm making this letter BEFORE I do the transfer.
This game stopped being fun to me after I saw how much the high-level contingent (which you have so slanted this game towards, it's not even funny!) spits all over the work you've done on it...
I don't play this game to “make friends”, Square-Enix. I pay my $12.95 a month, and I have one expectation: That you will enforce the rules you have written down, and not let these little punk-ass shitheads who have turned this game into little more than a fantastical-playground version of Second Life. If you can't maintain a sufficient player base without the cheaters, SHUT THE DAMN GAME DOWN.
I said it in January, and I say it now.
As it is, I'm World Transferring, because the political climate on Leviathan is a bunch of little cheating punks. I just want to know if it's basically down to that you will only enforce the rules on an arbitrary, capricious, and pseudo-random manner, so I have ZERO CONFIDENCE that you are willing to make the playing field fair and equal, as I told Enkrateia again and again.
Because, if that's the case, you may not want me on Final Fantasy XI, and you definitely DON'T want me on Final Fantasy XIV.
My Last Night on Leviathan, Part One
I didn't think I would have to do another one of these posts, but I can't say, given what I have experienced, that I am surprised that I do.
Tonight (Thursday, essentially, though it'll be Friday morning before I get these posted and make the actual World Transfer) was my last night on Leviathan.
I've made several intimations that I was about to leave, but what I saw tonight and the abject lack of support on the part of those enforcing the damn rules (or, probably more correctly now, only stating they are) makes the political timbre impossible for me even to continue to the point where I would be able to even make it to the next billing period on Sunday.
Tanoshii (or, as I probably should've called him, Ton-of-Shit) decided it would be nice to form an Astral Burn Party in the Korroloka Tunnel. He got his puller, at least (by the information I was writing down to report their asses) 5 SMNs, the obligatory COR, and some support staff to basically monopolize the zone.
About 9:30 or so (PM PDT), they pull their first 50 monsters or so. At that point, my message to the Help Desk (as I threatened the bitches with) is put up.
What happens then makes me wonder whose side Square-Enix is actually on...
I get exactly what some of the flamers told me in February: In the eyes of both GM Svaoilfari and Senior GM Enkrateia, this Astral Burn shit is apparently legal!!
And both got an abject earful for even suggesting as such, as well!!
I still maintain that the very act is illegal through zone monopolization, but I really do begin to wonder, now, whether the only rule Square-Enix chooses to enforce is that rule which will give them just enough money to fund their Online Division to the release of FF XIV.
I can only say that, since it now appears that the cheaters are getting the open endorsement of Square-Enix (and let's not forget, also, the Apathy Linkshell on Remora – I haven't forgotten your cheating-ass skullduggery, either!), I can't stay on Leviathan. It would appear that cheating wins on that server too (just like it does on Asura, at least until it is no longer convenient enough for Square-Enix to ignore!), so I'm gone.
The next post I make (probably above this one) will be a statement to the Special Task Force, telling them exactly what I feel about tonight's stupidities.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Final Fantasy XI has officially died.
It's now just a matter of when Square-Enix pulls the plug on the corpse.
Yes, the game still profits, but it is now clear that Final Fantasy XI has, once and for all, died.
How did I come to this conclusion?
Kimiko (from /panic Button) commented to me this morning by saying that we now apparently have our answer vis-a-vis whether Square-Enix really cares about Final Fantasy XI.
(JP Button has the details at http://www.jpbutton.com/?p=2122)
It's not "dying", given the statements made here. Final Fantasy XI is dead. It's just taking up space in the apartment, paying the rent off of its legacy and "estate" until Square Enix can get Rapture up and running.
Several interesting things seem to be coming of this:
1) The online division is still turning a profit of somewhere north of $50,000,000/year. I am somewhat surprised that it appears as if Square-Enix can do Final Fantasy XI on only about $20,000,000/year, it seems, but that isn't the most disturbing part.
2) The information on the supplementary report, starting on page 9, is the real news:
They are officially in development of the game which will completely REPLACE FFXI.
It's over. The fears of the player base, when discussions began leaking out of Square-Enix' new MMO, Rapture, are true. Rapture is replacing Final Fantasy XI.
Corinth of JP Button says that the scenario probably is that they will continue to support FFXI until Rapture's release.
Why?
Why would they even care, at this point? Better, why should Square-Enix care?
The game has deteriorated badly in the last 18 months. The attitudes of the player base, even more so. Why not just set a relatively short, but with some fore-notice, time frame to end it gracefully before the game essentially descends into an online riot that only the 2chan and 4chan fuckers are going to want to keep playing?
If it's clear that they no longer desire to keep FFXI going, it would be better to end it short-to-medium term, sending the Dev Team toward Rapture full-time, than to string it out, have the game become even more a shit-hole than many of the players have already made it, and then Square-Enix will get nobody from FFXI to try out Rapture.
Of course, that might not matter... It's clear, now, to Square-Enix that any future real market share and future profit stream is going to have to come outside of FFXI -- FFXI has run its course. They're clear that they have to, now, find different revenue streams because Final Fantasy XI is not going to grow any further from the 500,000 players it has had the last three years (which is down from previous totals).
Then pull the damned plug. Now, if plausible. But before your experience degrades that every one of your players will take one look at the words "New Massively Multiplayer Online Game from Square-Enix" and not throw the article away without one more word...
But I am not as optimistic as Elmer: The game officially died when they decided to state to their investors that there was not only a game to replace it in development, but that they admitted that FFXI had run its course in the MMO marketplace.
Yes, the game still profits, but it is now clear that Final Fantasy XI has, once and for all, died.
How did I come to this conclusion?
Kimiko (from /panic Button) commented to me this morning by saying that we now apparently have our answer vis-a-vis whether Square-Enix really cares about Final Fantasy XI.
(JP Button has the details at http://www.jpbutton.com/?p=2122)
It's not "dying", given the statements made here. Final Fantasy XI is dead. It's just taking up space in the apartment, paying the rent off of its legacy and "estate" until Square Enix can get Rapture up and running.
Several interesting things seem to be coming of this:
1) The online division is still turning a profit of somewhere north of $50,000,000/year. I am somewhat surprised that it appears as if Square-Enix can do Final Fantasy XI on only about $20,000,000/year, it seems, but that isn't the most disturbing part.
2) The information on the supplementary report, starting on page 9, is the real news:
They are officially in development of the game which will completely REPLACE FFXI.
It's over. The fears of the player base, when discussions began leaking out of Square-Enix' new MMO, Rapture, are true. Rapture is replacing Final Fantasy XI.
Corinth of JP Button says that the scenario probably is that they will continue to support FFXI until Rapture's release.
Why?
Why would they even care, at this point? Better, why should Square-Enix care?
The game has deteriorated badly in the last 18 months. The attitudes of the player base, even more so. Why not just set a relatively short, but with some fore-notice, time frame to end it gracefully before the game essentially descends into an online riot that only the 2chan and 4chan fuckers are going to want to keep playing?
If it's clear that they no longer desire to keep FFXI going, it would be better to end it short-to-medium term, sending the Dev Team toward Rapture full-time, than to string it out, have the game become even more a shit-hole than many of the players have already made it, and then Square-Enix will get nobody from FFXI to try out Rapture.
Of course, that might not matter... It's clear, now, to Square-Enix that any future real market share and future profit stream is going to have to come outside of FFXI -- FFXI has run its course. They're clear that they have to, now, find different revenue streams because Final Fantasy XI is not going to grow any further from the 500,000 players it has had the last three years (which is down from previous totals).
Then pull the damned plug. Now, if plausible. But before your experience degrades that every one of your players will take one look at the words "New Massively Multiplayer Online Game from Square-Enix" and not throw the article away without one more word...
But I am not as optimistic as Elmer: The game officially died when they decided to state to their investors that there was not only a game to replace it in development, but that they admitted that FFXI had run its course in the MMO marketplace.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Extensions of Earlier Comments, and Questions at FanFest
Basically, some comments on my first weekend on Leviathan, and some other stuff:
First, the blog is now on the Tarutaru Times Online – http://www.tarutarutimes-online.net/.
A whole bunch of nice blogs on there with a lot of thoughts on Final Fantasy XI. Check the Times and some of these other blogs out.
Second, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my social linkshell from Asura, Monkees. They were basically the only non-financial reason I stayed on Asura the last six months. They were a lot of fun to be around, and we had a good time. Littlemunkey, Soop, Hectorxx, Clatuu, shell leader Vipreubaud, and, of course, the “den mother” of the group, Wilmakitty. Thank you all, and those who I did not name. Keep in touch with me.
Third, at least two other players were the ones who actually gave Leviathan as a recommendation as the writing came, more and more, on the wall. Kobayashimaru is one of them, and I thank him for that. The second was the last person I talked to on Asura, and I didn't get his/her name. Sorry.
Also thanks to all the Asurans on my friend list, and bricks to all those I had on my blacklist.
Goals for the week? Kinda continuing the holding pattern – farming the promies as Dragoon, Besieged as Red Mage, Dancer gets Sharlene to help in Kuzotz, and the 75 Beastmaster is around for Campaign for merits. Waiting for the new update.
Speaking of, that gets to the main part of today's message.
The North American Final Fantasy XI Fan Festival is this weekend.
Wished I could've gone, but didn't have the $40 ticket price for the three-hour time frame that tickets were actually open. I really have to wonder what drew so many people to this event so quickly this year as opposed to the Wings of the Goddess sneak peeks at last year's event (which I did attend).
Obviously, the news about the mini-expansions for 2009 will be one subject, and another will be all the goodies in the soon-to-come December version update (which is NOT tomorrow's maintenance).
I do think the Salvage item abuse exploitation will be a major subject in this event, especially when the efforts of the Special Task Force are brought up. Also, effects to combat RMT PlayOnline message spam (which will probably mean that such messages can only go to and from friends on your friend list, real soon now...) will be high on the list.
I have some other questions that I, personally, would put into the pot for the development team and the like:
Given the present state of the real-life world economy, can you give us a general idea about the stability of the future of Final Fantasy XI?
I realize that this isn't a question a lot of people want to hear. But it's reality, especially given present events.
When the three expansions are all out, will the total content added to the game essentially equal one of the larger (previous) expansions?
That's about the price we'll end up paying ($10 per), about the equivalent of the original release-date prices for the expansions.
Can the new Treasure Caskets be opened by any player “on the hunt”, or are they simply tagged for the player (or the party) who made the kill to spawn it?
For those who do not know (and we're not quite 100% clear whether this is a “Fields of Valor” situation or a general “in the field/hunt” situation), there will be a new feature in the December update for Treasure Caskets, basically drops on any and every fight (whether there might be an “only for monsters who grant XP” restriction is unclear) which can be temporary items for the players, or even the possibility of gear only to be found in such Caskets.
You can understand the concern if these Caskets are openly available to any player who comes upon them. “Thief” would take on a whole new meaning.
To the Special Task Force: Will the recent revelations about end-game players' conduct make the administrators of Final Fantasy XI reconsider the drop-rates (or even the very existence) of some of the end-game mechanics like Salvage?
I have a feeling, save the December update stuff, this will be one of the hottest topics of FanFest. As a player who does not RMT, use exploits, nor use third-party software to play FFXI, I can only hope the “banhammers” rain fast and furious on this. If the amount of kvetching by these end-game cheating bastards is any indication of the number of players who abused these exploits knowingly, I expect the number of bans to be in the thousands.
I think you could even make a case, if it is as prevalent as is feared, that the entire future of Salvage as a game mechanic might be in danger. I've never played Salvage – have not that much desire to after seeing how much cheating is going on. The Special Task Force has to come down hard on this, and I expect some degree of question of this regard to be one of the hottest topics come Saturday.
For the record, a number of FFXI Premiere Sites will be giving continuous updates from the Hollywood Renaissance this weekend, so check them out.
First, the blog is now on the Tarutaru Times Online – http://www.tarutarutimes-online.net/.
A whole bunch of nice blogs on there with a lot of thoughts on Final Fantasy XI. Check the Times and some of these other blogs out.
Second, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my social linkshell from Asura, Monkees. They were basically the only non-financial reason I stayed on Asura the last six months. They were a lot of fun to be around, and we had a good time. Littlemunkey, Soop, Hectorxx, Clatuu, shell leader Vipreubaud, and, of course, the “den mother” of the group, Wilmakitty. Thank you all, and those who I did not name. Keep in touch with me.
Third, at least two other players were the ones who actually gave Leviathan as a recommendation as the writing came, more and more, on the wall. Kobayashimaru is one of them, and I thank him for that. The second was the last person I talked to on Asura, and I didn't get his/her name. Sorry.
Also thanks to all the Asurans on my friend list, and bricks to all those I had on my blacklist.
Goals for the week? Kinda continuing the holding pattern – farming the promies as Dragoon, Besieged as Red Mage, Dancer gets Sharlene to help in Kuzotz, and the 75 Beastmaster is around for Campaign for merits. Waiting for the new update.
Speaking of, that gets to the main part of today's message.
The North American Final Fantasy XI Fan Festival is this weekend.
Wished I could've gone, but didn't have the $40 ticket price for the three-hour time frame that tickets were actually open. I really have to wonder what drew so many people to this event so quickly this year as opposed to the Wings of the Goddess sneak peeks at last year's event (which I did attend).
Obviously, the news about the mini-expansions for 2009 will be one subject, and another will be all the goodies in the soon-to-come December version update (which is NOT tomorrow's maintenance).
I do think the Salvage item abuse exploitation will be a major subject in this event, especially when the efforts of the Special Task Force are brought up. Also, effects to combat RMT PlayOnline message spam (which will probably mean that such messages can only go to and from friends on your friend list, real soon now...) will be high on the list.
I have some other questions that I, personally, would put into the pot for the development team and the like:
Given the present state of the real-life world economy, can you give us a general idea about the stability of the future of Final Fantasy XI?
I realize that this isn't a question a lot of people want to hear. But it's reality, especially given present events.
When the three expansions are all out, will the total content added to the game essentially equal one of the larger (previous) expansions?
That's about the price we'll end up paying ($10 per), about the equivalent of the original release-date prices for the expansions.
Can the new Treasure Caskets be opened by any player “on the hunt”, or are they simply tagged for the player (or the party) who made the kill to spawn it?
For those who do not know (and we're not quite 100% clear whether this is a “Fields of Valor” situation or a general “in the field/hunt” situation), there will be a new feature in the December update for Treasure Caskets, basically drops on any and every fight (whether there might be an “only for monsters who grant XP” restriction is unclear) which can be temporary items for the players, or even the possibility of gear only to be found in such Caskets.
You can understand the concern if these Caskets are openly available to any player who comes upon them. “Thief” would take on a whole new meaning.
To the Special Task Force: Will the recent revelations about end-game players' conduct make the administrators of Final Fantasy XI reconsider the drop-rates (or even the very existence) of some of the end-game mechanics like Salvage?
I have a feeling, save the December update stuff, this will be one of the hottest topics of FanFest. As a player who does not RMT, use exploits, nor use third-party software to play FFXI, I can only hope the “banhammers” rain fast and furious on this. If the amount of kvetching by these end-game cheating bastards is any indication of the number of players who abused these exploits knowingly, I expect the number of bans to be in the thousands.
I think you could even make a case, if it is as prevalent as is feared, that the entire future of Salvage as a game mechanic might be in danger. I've never played Salvage – have not that much desire to after seeing how much cheating is going on. The Special Task Force has to come down hard on this, and I expect some degree of question of this regard to be one of the hottest topics come Saturday.
For the record, a number of FFXI Premiere Sites will be giving continuous updates from the Hollywood Renaissance this weekend, so check them out.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Last night was my last night on Asura.
Game over, Asura. Game – over.
After another Besieged loss, some introspection, and a check on my December finances. I finally made the move.
Here's the account of my last material night on Asura.
We were about to go into a double-header Besieged. Maximum force level (a rarity for Asura, the last four months), Undead first, then Trolls.
About ten minutes before the Besieged, real life takes precedence. My friend and roommate (who is about on her last nerve with the entire planet, and no blame to her for it – with three people dead due to Black Friday, frenemies thinking they (or the NFL – I'm a sports fan, but sick of the corruption garbage) are more important than her grief over the loss of the one person who has loved her in the last number of years, and all that crap which has been imposed on her this year...) basically was being undercut and harassed by people in a simulated club that she is the assistant manager of over the last several weeks. She cares about this very deeply and works very hard there. And when she gets angry, she's worse than me, and not only is that saying something, but I don't want to see her like that. So she gets precedence over even a FFXI Besieged at that point.
Friday's event, she had been harassed, to the detriment of the entire club, by an idiot who basically thought it nice to basically (in pro wrestling terms) “go into business for himself”. He's more important than anyone else, and no one is taking the ultimate actions to get rid of this bastard. Basically, it's either people like that, or her. She can't take this anymore.
What does this have to do with Final Fantasy XI, Besieged, and Asura?
The same damn stuff happens there too.
Once I get my friend settled down enough that I can rejoin the game full-time, the Undead Besieged has been going for about 20 minutes. And, sure enough, party requests and all this garbage are going full-tilt. And my blacklist is filling quickly – I must've put 12 people on there tonight.
I'm also keeping the people abreast, in shouts, of the status of the generals. About 20 minutes after I rejoined, even with Wizard's Drink and a Convert, I run out of MP and rest just as I had told the people that Mihli was 100% health.
2 minutes later, Mihli falls.
15 seconds after that, Zazarg follows her.
Basically, at this point, people are STILL trying to recruit for parties, and the whole thing just begins to degenerate. Especially after about 3-5 minutes, Najelith bites the dust. It is now apparent that the Undead who can even one-shot the Serpent Generals themselves are doing so!
I shout to try to find out the last general's location (Rughadjeen), but, before I can buff up and run there, he's gone too.
Hall of Binding opens, and it's a tense 15 minutes to keep the lamiae and the like from taking the Astral Candescence. Basically, Lamiae #2 and 3 basically are having their way with us, but none of the Undead basically have the idea to just turn around, grab the Astral Candescence, and win the Besieged.
People were basically still trying to zerg (overwhelm) the damn Nemean Lion while the Hall of Binding was open. It was clear that a host of players didn't give two damns about keeping the Astral Candescence, and I let them have it for it.
We actually do “win” that Besieged, if you can call that winning – they did retreat.
Problem is: 2nd half of the doubleheader, Trolls. No generals left, Hall of Binding open, we are toast.
Finally, when it became clear we were completely toast, I lost it and basically asked how many of these players had basically cheated their way to all their Salvage gear.
15 minutes after the Trolls entered, they had the Astral Candescence, for the 49th loss of Besieged for Asura, the most (or 2nd most, depending on updates) of any server.
And the venom was flying. I got several very inflammatory tells from one player, and told him, less than politely, to go screw himself as a sanctimonious... Got a couple players to support me raising Hell, but I had finally had enough.
Well, anyway... At that point, I had to leave for some other real-life issues... But this is all the same thing. Everyone's into business for themselves – no regard, of any kind, for the greater good. Whether it's the simulated club my friend busts her ass for, the Wal-Mart where shoppers murdered this 34 year-old overnight stocker because they just had to have their fucking TV for $40 or whatever..., or this server's Besieged “tactics”, it's clear this is not an uncommon thing. I know I'm not perfect, but, for the dear love of God, at least try!!!
After I logged off, I had some time to think. Wait a minute... If my check gets direct-deposited today... At that point, I ran the numbers, and realized that all I had to do was wait for the check to get direct-deposited, and do some research on the World Transfer Service.
The only reason I had stayed on Asura this long was that I could not afford, because of tight funds, to leave. This month, I finally had enough wiggle to do it.
So... As of a little after 4 AM Pacific Daylight Time this Saturday, November 29, 2008 – I am no longer Starcade on Asura – I'm Starcade on Leviathan.
We'll see how it goes. I hope it goes well.
After another Besieged loss, some introspection, and a check on my December finances. I finally made the move.
Here's the account of my last material night on Asura.
We were about to go into a double-header Besieged. Maximum force level (a rarity for Asura, the last four months), Undead first, then Trolls.
About ten minutes before the Besieged, real life takes precedence. My friend and roommate (who is about on her last nerve with the entire planet, and no blame to her for it – with three people dead due to Black Friday, frenemies thinking they (or the NFL – I'm a sports fan, but sick of the corruption garbage) are more important than her grief over the loss of the one person who has loved her in the last number of years, and all that crap which has been imposed on her this year...) basically was being undercut and harassed by people in a simulated club that she is the assistant manager of over the last several weeks. She cares about this very deeply and works very hard there. And when she gets angry, she's worse than me, and not only is that saying something, but I don't want to see her like that. So she gets precedence over even a FFXI Besieged at that point.
Friday's event, she had been harassed, to the detriment of the entire club, by an idiot who basically thought it nice to basically (in pro wrestling terms) “go into business for himself”. He's more important than anyone else, and no one is taking the ultimate actions to get rid of this bastard. Basically, it's either people like that, or her. She can't take this anymore.
What does this have to do with Final Fantasy XI, Besieged, and Asura?
The same damn stuff happens there too.
Once I get my friend settled down enough that I can rejoin the game full-time, the Undead Besieged has been going for about 20 minutes. And, sure enough, party requests and all this garbage are going full-tilt. And my blacklist is filling quickly – I must've put 12 people on there tonight.
I'm also keeping the people abreast, in shouts, of the status of the generals. About 20 minutes after I rejoined, even with Wizard's Drink and a Convert, I run out of MP and rest just as I had told the people that Mihli was 100% health.
2 minutes later, Mihli falls.
15 seconds after that, Zazarg follows her.
Basically, at this point, people are STILL trying to recruit for parties, and the whole thing just begins to degenerate. Especially after about 3-5 minutes, Najelith bites the dust. It is now apparent that the Undead who can even one-shot the Serpent Generals themselves are doing so!
I shout to try to find out the last general's location (Rughadjeen), but, before I can buff up and run there, he's gone too.
Hall of Binding opens, and it's a tense 15 minutes to keep the lamiae and the like from taking the Astral Candescence. Basically, Lamiae #2 and 3 basically are having their way with us, but none of the Undead basically have the idea to just turn around, grab the Astral Candescence, and win the Besieged.
People were basically still trying to zerg (overwhelm) the damn Nemean Lion while the Hall of Binding was open. It was clear that a host of players didn't give two damns about keeping the Astral Candescence, and I let them have it for it.
We actually do “win” that Besieged, if you can call that winning – they did retreat.
Problem is: 2nd half of the doubleheader, Trolls. No generals left, Hall of Binding open, we are toast.
Finally, when it became clear we were completely toast, I lost it and basically asked how many of these players had basically cheated their way to all their Salvage gear.
15 minutes after the Trolls entered, they had the Astral Candescence, for the 49th loss of Besieged for Asura, the most (or 2nd most, depending on updates) of any server.
And the venom was flying. I got several very inflammatory tells from one player, and told him, less than politely, to go screw himself as a sanctimonious... Got a couple players to support me raising Hell, but I had finally had enough.
Well, anyway... At that point, I had to leave for some other real-life issues... But this is all the same thing. Everyone's into business for themselves – no regard, of any kind, for the greater good. Whether it's the simulated club my friend busts her ass for, the Wal-Mart where shoppers murdered this 34 year-old overnight stocker because they just had to have their fucking TV for $40 or whatever..., or this server's Besieged “tactics”, it's clear this is not an uncommon thing. I know I'm not perfect, but, for the dear love of God, at least try!!!
After I logged off, I had some time to think. Wait a minute... If my check gets direct-deposited today... At that point, I ran the numbers, and realized that all I had to do was wait for the check to get direct-deposited, and do some research on the World Transfer Service.
The only reason I had stayed on Asura this long was that I could not afford, because of tight funds, to leave. This month, I finally had enough wiggle to do it.
So... As of a little after 4 AM Pacific Daylight Time this Saturday, November 29, 2008 – I am no longer Starcade on Asura – I'm Starcade on Leviathan.
We'll see how it goes. I hope it goes well.
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