First, a quick Weekend Update:
DRG 65, RDM 58, MNK probably 50 by the end of the night if this whole situation doesn't frustrate me.
Sunday Dynamis: Bastok -- no win.
Wednesday Dynamis: Only Sandy available -- win (my 3rd) -- almost got a Big Money, but was beaten on the lot by one other player.
============
Now, back to the carnage. This will cover other than Blue Gartr -- sounds like they will merit their own consideration.
Read the comment from MogKnight to my last post. And understand that I, in a very rare move, have no apology to make to him or anyone else for actually making them regret something they should have regretted ever wanting to do in the first place.
And then I go on Pet Food Alpha and I find out that one of the four hosts of the show has been terminated from the game, Chinchilla.
(http://petfoodalpha.com/2659/square-enix-morality-police -- she doesn't like it. As far as I am concerned, maybe the game needs more morality police...)
I will make the statements, some specifically about Chin, but they apply to any other prominent player so penalized:
You have no idea what kind of damage you do to the game and the like when you actually get caught like this. None.
I've already basically gotten the idea that the end-game crew on BluGartr has gone "QQ" -- apeshit that they got caught, many are either forced to or wanting to quit the game, and that this might be the end of FFXI.
I will say this without hesitation:
Any player who involved themselves in this cheat (or any such bannable misconduct) should be in no future position to represent FFXI and the player community in any capacity. And any Premiere Site which retains any such player expelled from the game for misconduct should be removed from such consideration with the utmost expediency.
Secondly, if this is going to be the "QQ" moment for much of the end-game, then, frankly, FFXI does not deserve to survive.
On the former comment, I plan on contacting PFA and making this statement unequivocal. I will contact Square-Enix and basically say it's either Chin goes or PFA's Premiere status goes.
I'll give her the show this announcement is made. But any more involvement after that, and I contact Square-Enix. The placement as a Premiere Site is a privilege -- in fact, something a lot of people don't get is that playing this game at all is a privilege. Any such privilege can, for cause, be taken away at any time.
(And if I find out that anyone from any of the other Radio XI Podcast Alliance situations are banned as well, you'll get edits to this post or additional posts.)
Why am I willing to go against one of the more prominent members of the Radio XI Podcast Alliance (one of the premiere fan community networks)?
Because of the second comment I just made.
One of three things will kill FFXI:
1) The real-life economy is such that the game becomes unsustainable for Square-Enix to continue.
2) There is such a vote of no-confidence in Square Enix by the player base that so many players leave that #1 results.
3) There is such a vote of no-confidence in the player base by Square-Enix that they essentially take their ball and go home.
After what I've seen the last 60 days, any of the three are now imminent. I don't think I need to go into the RL economy in a vacuum at this point -- you can find any degree of that information.
But the real problem appears to be that there is a real probability that condition #2 has existed for quite a long time. As I told MogKnight, this is not a single act. This is 18 months of misconduct all rolled up, and if you think these are the only 950 players involved, I've got swampland in Antarctica for sale, cheap.
And the justification of "WAAA!! We don't like the fucking drop rates!!" indicates to me an abject no-confidence in Square-Enix. The players have tried to forcibly seize control of Square-Enix' game, and Square-Enix has started to fight back.
Of course, bluntly, it is probably time for Square-Enix to expand the STF to two STFU's (Special Task Force Units)... One for RMT, one for non-RMT player misconduct, specializing end-game.
It is clear that many (most? ALL??) of the major end-game players in FFXI do not wish to play by the rules. And a lot of the players either are "questioning the morality police" or prepared to say that this is going to completely blow up FFXI.
In that case, let it implode and die and let all the wankers who want to screw around go play WoW for all I care.
And that brings me to the third possibility, and one I would not be as surprised as some to wonder about: What if it gets to the point that investigations like this turn up such wide-spread misconduct that, some day very soon in Japan, someone just doesn't walk in and propose shutting the whole mess down as a vote of no-confidence from Square-Enix to the players?
What happens if it comes down to the point that the top brass of Square-Enix and FFXI decide it's no longer worth it because nobody (or so few) is/are playing by the rules?
I consider this a very real possibility. And, given a lot of the comments I've been reading the last 24 hours, I almost am beginning to wonder if that isn't a consideration high in the skies of Squeenix.
And all I have to say is that it is the player base's fault for acting like a bunch of entitled 12 year-olds who won't play unless they are Monty Haul-ed everything.
You do not understand the damage done when ~1,000 high level players, many with prominent end-game or community positions, are banned or dumped for an obvious known exploit that is so known, that the moment it is discovered that the exploit is being used or was used, there's only one alternative: Narc the mess out, notify Square-Enix, and get the thing fixed -- and LEAVE ANY EXPLOIT RUN IMMEDIATELY.
Any other result leaves you open for an investigation and a ban or suspension. And if you later find out that the exploit was used on the run, you report it then and prepare to forfeit any and all items gained.
But I read some of the comments to Chin's article and am utterly flabbergasted at just the abject arrogance of a player base who feels they are fucking entitled to be Monty Haul-ed on.
You have no idea -- NONE -- as to the damage done. There are people who are already putting the date of my 40th birthday (January 22, 2009) as the day FFXI died. You know what? In that case, let it die.
Oh, one more comment: I'm now beginning to wonder if the reason that you (the player base) haven't come up with a workable Absolute Virtue or Pandemonium Warden strategy is because you haven't meaningfully legally beaten an end-game monster since you joined end-game!!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Flamage Part Deux: The Salvage Ban-Hammers Start
I was just about to settle into a quiet Friday evening Promy run when I just got tired of FFXI (see the first rant of the night), and decided to go do some RL business.
I decided to take one more check of the Tarutaru Times Online to see if their RSS service had picked up said rant. It had not, but I had another surprise on my hands:
The first round of Salvage exploit ban-hammers has hit the table: 400 suspended, another 550 banned.
Sounds like this happened on the 22nd -- although I have to disagree on one central point:
This is a start. They are nowhere near the end of this if they think 950 bans and suspensions are going to be the extent of this. This was an 18-month known exploit that most of the endgame community knew about and took part in. Any player who got Salvage gear in the last 18 months should be investigated.
Increase this by an order of magnitude, and we may have something.
And if you want my personal opinion as to that you would claim that you got it clean: I would firmly tell you that, in my belief, the odds are against you.
For those few who still do not know, it's as if my blog has come full circle. For 18 months, the Salvage endgame community knew of an exploit to allow them to circumvent what they felt were harshly unfair drop rates for Salvage gear and items by taking the maximum 6-person party and splitting it up into a three-party alliance, on which the gear and items would duplicate.
That's illegal. And I said when I started this blog, every player (I don't care if the total is every player who played Salvage the last 18 months.) who used this exploit should be suspended at minimum. If there's any evidence that it was knowingly used, bye-bye account.
I saw quite a number of blog posts on this subject on the TTO, with click-counts unheard of in the time I've known the TTO to be in existence. Some "highlights":
1) Commenter Staren on http://www.staronion.com/kimiko/?p=706 (Kimiko's Panic Motion):
"I cant say they didnt deserve it but it is still shocking to see the names of the people we’ve lost. I dont think anyone cleanly follows the ToS agreement as there are millions who use the real windower but most of them are not using it to get everyone gear thats supposed to be hard to get."
(Emphasis mine.)
I'll address the "big names" part of that in a moment. (It appears as if several major TTO bloggers are among the cheating bastards.)
The comment I bolded, though, is far more damning. A story:
The night before FanFest, I was on VanaChat (the chat of Vanadiel Profiles), and the talk turned to the Salvage exploit and what might be done. I had one player, straight-faced and straight-out, give me the following belief:
Half the players on Final Fantasy XI cheat.
I will say this unequivocably: If it's that many, then I have one thing to say to Square-Enix: Shut the whole goddamned game down. Now.
I pay my $12.95/mo and uphold the TOS to the best of my ability and knowledge. No illegal Windower, no even some of the third-party spell-timer stuff you see on the pictures on some of these blogs. NOTHING.
And what do I get for it? Shit and shit on by a player base which doesn't give a damn. I have lost all remaining respect for the player base on Final Fantasy XI, as a whole player base. (Individual players may be another matter, but the player base as a whole -- gone.)
It really seems to me as if the players are actually trying to act against Square-Enix so that they go into business for themselves (some literally -- I've heard more and more stories of people buying and selling characters on these blogs and message boards and the like...).
There is no remaining game balance in many sections of FFXI -- it's probably some of the reasons they've had to do things for lower-level and solo players.
2) http://wafiks.com/blog/2009/01/se-shits-on-its-playerbase/ (Lord Wafik on Asura -- one of the people who doesn't know at this point whether he is suspended or banned...)
"Blahblahblah we all know about the dupe issue, we know it’s wrong to do this and that, but a warning would have been more better instead of throwing everyone straight into a ban. Especially 2 months after the incident, especially when SE knew about the incident for 1.5 years and didn’t do anything about it till it became widespread amongst NA players."
Like you felt you had the fucking right?
Frankly, I'd not only have banned all of you, I'd have closed Salvage. Yes, I would have terminated the entire game mechanic as completely imbalanced beyond repair.
Your entitlement attitude is exactly the reason that this kind of stuff actually made me consider, for a moment or two and for the first time, actually terminating my FFXI account on my own.
The only thing you are right on is that these bans should've come 18 months ago. But they're here now, and they will devastate the endgame community, by everything I've read on it.
3) http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/01/hubris-is-mother-fucker.html
I almost think the name of this blog is appropriate, given the stand here: "You Are Not Your Fucking O's-Kote."
"Just want to get down on anyone that duped, got banned, when they previously said they were so fucking scary smart for duping and are now whining that it is SE's fault that they fucking did it.
To those people.
DIE
IN
A
MOTHER
FUCKING
FIRE."
Preach on. The real interesting thing is going to come on about Sunday when the 72-hour ban period comes off and we start finding out what's really been done.
I really think Square has to start taking some very serious examinations as to the nature of the game and to see if any high-level or endgame players really are acting in concert with the TOS at all!! I think the future of FFXI is in danger -- if the STF doesn't get some real indications that they can get control of the player base and force enough of them to play fair, cheaters WILL kill FFXI, and they will do so (with the help of the economy) very soon (think within 2009).
The players are acting with absolute impunity. They don't care. It's that damned simple. Maybe Anakin Skywalker was right: People need to be made to 'care'.
4. http://vedderffxi.livejournal.com/51840.html (Vedder from Cerebrus)
"Perusing forum posts about these bannings has revealed quite a few well known and well geared players were hit. The top two guys on the ffxiah.com achievements list got it: http://www.ffxiah.com/achievements.php There are also a number of prominent forumgoers who look to have been taken down... mutliple relic holders, d-ring holders, AV item holders too.
It's just crazy.I don't personally take a lot of glee in this news, mostly because I haven't heard of anyone from Cerberus getting hit yet, so things will be same ol' around here. I think permanent bans for people that utilized this exploit, but didn't have any previous offenses, is pretty harsh. However, with the way the rules are written and the fact that SE needs to be consistent, I guess I can understand why people are "getting got"."
I take absolute glee in this news, and, given some of the stuff already said, it sounds as if they could probably do 10 times this amount of players if they really did a thorough investigation.
A couple of your comments basically indicate my concern that no mega-high player is actually getting there legitimately: First, for those who do not know, the FFXI Auction House website (http://ffxiah.com/) has come up with an Achievement system not unlike XBox's achievement system. It sounds as if the top two players (the two most decorated players in that system who used FFXIAH.com) have both been banned, as well as has much of the top-level community.
I think a real question going forward has to be: Can Square-Enix justifiably maintain any degree of game balance without basically being forced either to shut down FFXI as a cheaters' paradise, or, as a last resort which will decimate the fanbase, reset everyone?
Second comment: To the level of crime committed, a first-offense ban is absolutely appropo. Think of the possible RMT ramifications and how much a character with one piece of (duped) Salvage gear would be worth more than the same character with all levels, skills, and all other things intact without that piece of duped gear. Take the monetary difference, divide it by $35, and multiply that by a million gil. That is the level of problem here.
5) http://www.rianon.net/mogknight/2009/01/22/mog-banned/ Mogknight loses all his credibility.
"I played with the fire and I got burned. Can’t say I saw this coming and I can’t say I didn’t deserve it either. I lost a lot of things, quite a bit of things from the four years I’ve played this game. And yeah, this is probably the worst way to go out really. I was a bit emo about it earlier today (who wouldn’t really?) but I’m not gonna try to defend myself or push trying to get unbanned or anything like that, everything is written there in black ink."
Good-bye, MogKnight, and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
This was one of the most prominent TTO contributors, and it really makes me wonder how few people actually play this game clean. We may soon find out. My statement from above stands: If so few people play this game clean, Squeenix should shut the damn thing down.
I'm sorry, but, as I've said before, I've lost what little remaining respect I had for the player base over the course of the last couple of months. So don't expect any sympathy if you get exposed as a cheater. You lose all your cred and all of what you gained, not unlike Charles van Doren in the late 1950's when a rigged stint on "Twenty-One" got him a gig on the Today Show.
6) http://evyenffxi.blogspot.com/2009/01/lol-banned-people-dynamis-toau-wotg.html (Eyven of CaitSith)
"Of course all the FFXI community is talking about the bannings of Salvage duppers at the moment. It's been entertaining to read all the QQing in BG. The comments that have said how FFXI will be dieing (!!!) now with all those HQ endgamers gone have been the best laugh. Hate to break this to you, but this game doesn't revolve around you. You broke the rules and knew the risks, now face the consequences like a (wo)man and stop whining."
Preach on. In fact, tell them to STFU and GTFO would be even better. (This is going to be one very long post. I'll deal with the BG threads in a separate post.)
Here's the problem with simply discarding their thoughts, though: There is a real possibility that they might end up being right that this might kill FFXI. Consider two things:
a) What if we end up finding out that, in fact, basically none of the end-game community plays clean at all? The vote of no-confidence at Square-Enix would probably result in the game being terminated on their end.
b) What if so many players leave the game, not willing to play by Square-Enix' rules, that the RL economy does not allow them to continue the game? An MMORPG of this level is NOT cheap.
Both of these results are very plausible. I'm not even sure you can have full confidence that any 75 (including me!) is completely legit at this point. Send all flames to the comments section.
7) http://aikiz.livejournal.com/33509.html (Aikiz of Alexander)
"It doesn't matter now that we were in competing shells. That we shit talked back and forth. Botted on top of each other. Gossipped. Made fun of. Name called. 1.22.09 is the day that Square-Enix decided to HOLOCAUST the upper tier of their fanbase for duping Salvage/Nyzul/Sandworm drops through what was a 'secret' exploit. The LM11 and LM17 bans were issued in the early hours of 1.22.09 effectively taking out some of the most famous, well geared, and respected players of the game.
The moral legality of what these players did is much debated. Though they broke terms of services, there is still the debate of whether what they did was justifiable. Some were second offenses. Some were firsts. Some got lucky with a temp. Others are permanenty. Personally, good for them that they fucked this game the way that its fucked us. Yeah fuck you remnants for NEVER FUCKING POPPING ANYTHING."
No. There's a reason for their pop rate. They want some degree of game balance across the game. There is such a freaking thing as "game balance".
Until you get that, the very future of FFXI is endangered. If you don't like it, leave. If enough people leave, the game is over. At that point, Square-Enix' work will have essentially been proven wasted on a player base which did not deserve it. Period.
Why do you think they've been having trouble with getting new players and losing ground to WoW, for freaking God's sake?
I mean, if we're going that route, what's to say they didn't try the same garbage with Up In Arms with the Kraken Club drops? Under Observation with the Peacock Charm or Utsusemi: Ni?? You have NO RIGHT -- NONE -- to even suggest cheating as a circumventing justification because you don't like the fucking drop rates.
You don't like it? Leave. At minimum, don't play Salvage. You are shitting all over this game for what few players might be playing legit...
8) http://dantpup.livejournal.com/14578.html (Dantaro of Alexander)
I'm not going to quote it, but it was a list of all the players known banned from posting in different places about it. The list contained just half of the 950 players involved.
At that point, 91 Relics (I'm assuming weapons) were removed, and 2 Mythic Weapons tossed.
12 Linkshells have had their leaders stripped.
The highest-ban/suspension server at that point: Shouldn't surprise you in the least...
Asura.
The more I was on it, the more I felt that place was growing into an absolute piece of shit. This is just more evidence.
Valefor is a close second.
Well, that's all I've seen on TTO. If I really am up to it (trying also to finish at least half of a remaining project before the world goes completely to Hell), I'll dive into the real shit-storm, BlueGartr...
But I have one final comment:
Cheating WILL kill FFXI if not stopped.
Given the comments and the scope I've heard over the last couple of months, it is not implausible to believe it may already HAVE KILLED it.
If you can't play clean, do not play.
I decided to take one more check of the Tarutaru Times Online to see if their RSS service had picked up said rant. It had not, but I had another surprise on my hands:
The first round of Salvage exploit ban-hammers has hit the table: 400 suspended, another 550 banned.
Sounds like this happened on the 22nd -- although I have to disagree on one central point:
This is a start. They are nowhere near the end of this if they think 950 bans and suspensions are going to be the extent of this. This was an 18-month known exploit that most of the endgame community knew about and took part in. Any player who got Salvage gear in the last 18 months should be investigated.
Increase this by an order of magnitude, and we may have something.
And if you want my personal opinion as to that you would claim that you got it clean: I would firmly tell you that, in my belief, the odds are against you.
For those few who still do not know, it's as if my blog has come full circle. For 18 months, the Salvage endgame community knew of an exploit to allow them to circumvent what they felt were harshly unfair drop rates for Salvage gear and items by taking the maximum 6-person party and splitting it up into a three-party alliance, on which the gear and items would duplicate.
That's illegal. And I said when I started this blog, every player (I don't care if the total is every player who played Salvage the last 18 months.) who used this exploit should be suspended at minimum. If there's any evidence that it was knowingly used, bye-bye account.
I saw quite a number of blog posts on this subject on the TTO, with click-counts unheard of in the time I've known the TTO to be in existence. Some "highlights":
1) Commenter Staren on http://www.staronion.com/kimiko/?p=706 (Kimiko's Panic Motion):
"I cant say they didnt deserve it but it is still shocking to see the names of the people we’ve lost. I dont think anyone cleanly follows the ToS agreement as there are millions who use the real windower but most of them are not using it to get everyone gear thats supposed to be hard to get."
(Emphasis mine.)
I'll address the "big names" part of that in a moment. (It appears as if several major TTO bloggers are among the cheating bastards.)
The comment I bolded, though, is far more damning. A story:
The night before FanFest, I was on VanaChat (the chat of Vanadiel Profiles), and the talk turned to the Salvage exploit and what might be done. I had one player, straight-faced and straight-out, give me the following belief:
Half the players on Final Fantasy XI cheat.
I will say this unequivocably: If it's that many, then I have one thing to say to Square-Enix: Shut the whole goddamned game down. Now.
I pay my $12.95/mo and uphold the TOS to the best of my ability and knowledge. No illegal Windower, no even some of the third-party spell-timer stuff you see on the pictures on some of these blogs. NOTHING.
And what do I get for it? Shit and shit on by a player base which doesn't give a damn. I have lost all remaining respect for the player base on Final Fantasy XI, as a whole player base. (Individual players may be another matter, but the player base as a whole -- gone.)
It really seems to me as if the players are actually trying to act against Square-Enix so that they go into business for themselves (some literally -- I've heard more and more stories of people buying and selling characters on these blogs and message boards and the like...).
There is no remaining game balance in many sections of FFXI -- it's probably some of the reasons they've had to do things for lower-level and solo players.
2) http://wafiks.com/blog/2009/01/se-shits-on-its-playerbase/ (Lord Wafik on Asura -- one of the people who doesn't know at this point whether he is suspended or banned...)
"Blahblahblah we all know about the dupe issue, we know it’s wrong to do this and that, but a warning would have been more better instead of throwing everyone straight into a ban. Especially 2 months after the incident, especially when SE knew about the incident for 1.5 years and didn’t do anything about it till it became widespread amongst NA players."
Like you felt you had the fucking right?
Frankly, I'd not only have banned all of you, I'd have closed Salvage. Yes, I would have terminated the entire game mechanic as completely imbalanced beyond repair.
Your entitlement attitude is exactly the reason that this kind of stuff actually made me consider, for a moment or two and for the first time, actually terminating my FFXI account on my own.
The only thing you are right on is that these bans should've come 18 months ago. But they're here now, and they will devastate the endgame community, by everything I've read on it.
3) http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/01/hubris-is-mother-fucker.html
I almost think the name of this blog is appropriate, given the stand here: "You Are Not Your Fucking O's-Kote."
"Just want to get down on anyone that duped, got banned, when they previously said they were so fucking scary smart for duping and are now whining that it is SE's fault that they fucking did it.
To those people.
DIE
IN
A
MOTHER
FUCKING
FIRE."
Preach on. The real interesting thing is going to come on about Sunday when the 72-hour ban period comes off and we start finding out what's really been done.
I really think Square has to start taking some very serious examinations as to the nature of the game and to see if any high-level or endgame players really are acting in concert with the TOS at all!! I think the future of FFXI is in danger -- if the STF doesn't get some real indications that they can get control of the player base and force enough of them to play fair, cheaters WILL kill FFXI, and they will do so (with the help of the economy) very soon (think within 2009).
The players are acting with absolute impunity. They don't care. It's that damned simple. Maybe Anakin Skywalker was right: People need to be made to 'care'.
4. http://vedderffxi.livejournal.com/51840.html (Vedder from Cerebrus)
"Perusing forum posts about these bannings has revealed quite a few well known and well geared players were hit. The top two guys on the ffxiah.com achievements list got it: http://www.ffxiah.com/achievements.php There are also a number of prominent forumgoers who look to have been taken down... mutliple relic holders, d-ring holders, AV item holders too.
It's just crazy.I don't personally take a lot of glee in this news, mostly because I haven't heard of anyone from Cerberus getting hit yet, so things will be same ol' around here. I think permanent bans for people that utilized this exploit, but didn't have any previous offenses, is pretty harsh. However, with the way the rules are written and the fact that SE needs to be consistent, I guess I can understand why people are "getting got"."
I take absolute glee in this news, and, given some of the stuff already said, it sounds as if they could probably do 10 times this amount of players if they really did a thorough investigation.
A couple of your comments basically indicate my concern that no mega-high player is actually getting there legitimately: First, for those who do not know, the FFXI Auction House website (http://ffxiah.com/) has come up with an Achievement system not unlike XBox's achievement system. It sounds as if the top two players (the two most decorated players in that system who used FFXIAH.com) have both been banned, as well as has much of the top-level community.
I think a real question going forward has to be: Can Square-Enix justifiably maintain any degree of game balance without basically being forced either to shut down FFXI as a cheaters' paradise, or, as a last resort which will decimate the fanbase, reset everyone?
Second comment: To the level of crime committed, a first-offense ban is absolutely appropo. Think of the possible RMT ramifications and how much a character with one piece of (duped) Salvage gear would be worth more than the same character with all levels, skills, and all other things intact without that piece of duped gear. Take the monetary difference, divide it by $35, and multiply that by a million gil. That is the level of problem here.
5) http://www.rianon.net/mogknight/2009/01/22/mog-banned/ Mogknight loses all his credibility.
"I played with the fire and I got burned. Can’t say I saw this coming and I can’t say I didn’t deserve it either. I lost a lot of things, quite a bit of things from the four years I’ve played this game. And yeah, this is probably the worst way to go out really. I was a bit emo about it earlier today (who wouldn’t really?) but I’m not gonna try to defend myself or push trying to get unbanned or anything like that, everything is written there in black ink."
Good-bye, MogKnight, and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
This was one of the most prominent TTO contributors, and it really makes me wonder how few people actually play this game clean. We may soon find out. My statement from above stands: If so few people play this game clean, Squeenix should shut the damn thing down.
I'm sorry, but, as I've said before, I've lost what little remaining respect I had for the player base over the course of the last couple of months. So don't expect any sympathy if you get exposed as a cheater. You lose all your cred and all of what you gained, not unlike Charles van Doren in the late 1950's when a rigged stint on "Twenty-One" got him a gig on the Today Show.
6) http://evyenffxi.blogspot.com/2009/01/lol-banned-people-dynamis-toau-wotg.html (Eyven of CaitSith)
"Of course all the FFXI community is talking about the bannings of Salvage duppers at the moment. It's been entertaining to read all the QQing in BG. The comments that have said how FFXI will be dieing (!!!) now with all those HQ endgamers gone have been the best laugh. Hate to break this to you, but this game doesn't revolve around you. You broke the rules and knew the risks, now face the consequences like a (wo)man and stop whining."
Preach on. In fact, tell them to STFU and GTFO would be even better. (This is going to be one very long post. I'll deal with the BG threads in a separate post.)
Here's the problem with simply discarding their thoughts, though: There is a real possibility that they might end up being right that this might kill FFXI. Consider two things:
a) What if we end up finding out that, in fact, basically none of the end-game community plays clean at all? The vote of no-confidence at Square-Enix would probably result in the game being terminated on their end.
b) What if so many players leave the game, not willing to play by Square-Enix' rules, that the RL economy does not allow them to continue the game? An MMORPG of this level is NOT cheap.
Both of these results are very plausible. I'm not even sure you can have full confidence that any 75 (including me!) is completely legit at this point. Send all flames to the comments section.
7) http://aikiz.livejournal.com/33509.html (Aikiz of Alexander)
"It doesn't matter now that we were in competing shells. That we shit talked back and forth. Botted on top of each other. Gossipped. Made fun of. Name called. 1.22.09 is the day that Square-Enix decided to HOLOCAUST the upper tier of their fanbase for duping Salvage/Nyzul/Sandworm drops through what was a 'secret' exploit. The LM11 and LM17 bans were issued in the early hours of 1.22.09 effectively taking out some of the most famous, well geared, and respected players of the game.
The moral legality of what these players did is much debated. Though they broke terms of services, there is still the debate of whether what they did was justifiable. Some were second offenses. Some were firsts. Some got lucky with a temp. Others are permanenty. Personally, good for them that they fucked this game the way that its fucked us. Yeah fuck you remnants for NEVER FUCKING POPPING ANYTHING."
No. There's a reason for their pop rate. They want some degree of game balance across the game. There is such a freaking thing as "game balance".
Until you get that, the very future of FFXI is endangered. If you don't like it, leave. If enough people leave, the game is over. At that point, Square-Enix' work will have essentially been proven wasted on a player base which did not deserve it. Period.
Why do you think they've been having trouble with getting new players and losing ground to WoW, for freaking God's sake?
I mean, if we're going that route, what's to say they didn't try the same garbage with Up In Arms with the Kraken Club drops? Under Observation with the Peacock Charm or Utsusemi: Ni?? You have NO RIGHT -- NONE -- to even suggest cheating as a circumventing justification because you don't like the fucking drop rates.
You don't like it? Leave. At minimum, don't play Salvage. You are shitting all over this game for what few players might be playing legit...
8) http://dantpup.livejournal.com/14578.html (Dantaro of Alexander)
I'm not going to quote it, but it was a list of all the players known banned from posting in different places about it. The list contained just half of the 950 players involved.
At that point, 91 Relics (I'm assuming weapons) were removed, and 2 Mythic Weapons tossed.
12 Linkshells have had their leaders stripped.
The highest-ban/suspension server at that point: Shouldn't surprise you in the least...
Asura.
The more I was on it, the more I felt that place was growing into an absolute piece of shit. This is just more evidence.
Valefor is a close second.
Well, that's all I've seen on TTO. If I really am up to it (trying also to finish at least half of a remaining project before the world goes completely to Hell), I'll dive into the real shit-storm, BlueGartr...
But I have one final comment:
Cheating WILL kill FFXI if not stopped.
Given the comments and the scope I've heard over the last couple of months, it is not implausible to believe it may already HAVE KILLED it.
If you can't play clean, do not play.
Whee, I get to flame people some more...
Tonight's Besieged on Leviathan did not go well.
And I _know_ I made some enemies tonight.
Why?? Because Leviathan's players are getting Asura Disease. That malady that causes players to decide to go into business for themselves during Besieged and get parties and do all that shit, and when people decide to try to get the group on task...
"It's just a game..."
"No one plays like that... You won't get far with that attitude..."
"Your family would be proud if you found a high cliff and jumped off..."
(To which I openly dared the last idiot to send me off the nearest one...)
Look... My position is clear. If I'm here, I'm here to win the damn Besieged. If I want to be in business for myself, I can just go continue to level my freaking Monk, which nearly has gotten FOUR levels this week through Fields of Valor-Beaucedine and my Adventuring Fellow. I can go Campaign if I want to go into business for myself and fast-track my Dragoon (now at 65 and lottable) to 75 or my Dancer to 65!
Yeah, I /blisted about a dozen people after that noise, and doubly so after I found out the guy who started it openly admitted he didn't care whether we kept the Astral Candescence or not, because he never plays in Aht Urhgan (other than Besieged -- I only rarely do), and he (like more than a few people I'm more than honked at right now) just take Besieged as one big skill up party.
Take that shit to Asura, for all I care, then!! Go into business for yourself over there!!!
I almost wish Squeenix would do the same thing to Besieged they did to Campaign -- no skill ups.
Of course, just saying what I've said here probably is going to draw flames.
What I'm about to tell you will draw ten times more, especially from the jingoistic USA crowd...
American -- gamers -- suck.
I've had that attitude from the early days of my playing FF11, long before I started playing it regularly (as I have in the last year). It's one of the reasons that I took the recommendations of a couple players to join a more Japanese-centric server (Leviathan) very seriously.
I'm going to tell you two stories of things I observed while I used to live in San Francisco to help make my point.
First: There used to be a gaming/computer center in the middle of downtown (wrong place for it, IMHO) which decided to hold a Counter-Strike tournament. Bunch of teams, including some pretty good ones in Northern Cali at the time, came. The center had a bit of a meeting room off to one side of the bathroom and the main gaming computer room.
A few days before the event, I had actually seen articles on Counter-Strike gangs -- real gangs, just organized around team Counter-Strike events. The concept was laughed off by the owner of the center.
The team local to the center and a team called "Red" got into it. Words were exchanged, and everyone was in that room. I looked in just to keep an eye as to what was going on, and one of the "Red" people just walked over, without a word, and slowly closed the door, as if to say "You do NOT want a part of this."
30 seconds later, as I walked away, screams of "FIGHT!" were heard. One of the local players got his shoulder broken. At least one Red player, if not two, attacked the owner of the center. Blood all over the place.
"Red" was, I maintain to this day, one of those gangs. I didn't know of that beforehand. The tournament was called off, and the center closed a couple months later, probably another casualty between the economy and parents concerned (and rightly so!) as to what and who was going on down there.
Second, I was an attendee at the World Cyber Games a number of years back when it was in San Francisco. I did some of the advertising seminars ("Motherboard audio sucks!" ;) ), attended some of the events (including actually meeting, and getting my ass kicked in Unreal by, Fata1ity), but I noticed something:
It's probably rather common knowledge that, in Asia (esp. Korea and probably, to a lesser extent, Japan) that pro gamers actually are a very respected, idolized, and _honorable_ lot. The WCG are basically the Olympics of pro gaming. There are medals and there is prize money, but this is about a lot more than all that. For example, the motto of the San Francisco event was "Beyond the Game".
Nary an outside spectator to be found. No one cared. Why?
Because American gamers -- the attitude that they purport as a culture (not necessarily all individuals, but the culture) is all about "ME!!", "pwnage", "1337", and what can I get for myself???
Back to Final Fantasy 11 now: Square-Enix wants to build this as a cooperative venture. Fine -- but don't expect me to get involved with people who decide when they want to be cooperative or when they don't. They can take that and go find the highest cliff themselves for all it matters to me.
Me?? If I can't find enough people who won't dick around and play for themselves, then I guess I won't get to everything the game has to offer which needs groups -- and, frankly, I probably wouldn't anyway, given the attitudes I've seen.
Dear God, I hope this disease isn't catching.
And I _know_ I made some enemies tonight.
Why?? Because Leviathan's players are getting Asura Disease. That malady that causes players to decide to go into business for themselves during Besieged and get parties and do all that shit, and when people decide to try to get the group on task...
"It's just a game..."
"No one plays like that... You won't get far with that attitude..."
"Your family would be proud if you found a high cliff and jumped off..."
(To which I openly dared the last idiot to send me off the nearest one...)
Look... My position is clear. If I'm here, I'm here to win the damn Besieged. If I want to be in business for myself, I can just go continue to level my freaking Monk, which nearly has gotten FOUR levels this week through Fields of Valor-Beaucedine and my Adventuring Fellow. I can go Campaign if I want to go into business for myself and fast-track my Dragoon (now at 65 and lottable) to 75 or my Dancer to 65!
Yeah, I /blisted about a dozen people after that noise, and doubly so after I found out the guy who started it openly admitted he didn't care whether we kept the Astral Candescence or not, because he never plays in Aht Urhgan (other than Besieged -- I only rarely do), and he (like more than a few people I'm more than honked at right now) just take Besieged as one big skill up party.
Take that shit to Asura, for all I care, then!! Go into business for yourself over there!!!
I almost wish Squeenix would do the same thing to Besieged they did to Campaign -- no skill ups.
Of course, just saying what I've said here probably is going to draw flames.
What I'm about to tell you will draw ten times more, especially from the jingoistic USA crowd...
American -- gamers -- suck.
I've had that attitude from the early days of my playing FF11, long before I started playing it regularly (as I have in the last year). It's one of the reasons that I took the recommendations of a couple players to join a more Japanese-centric server (Leviathan) very seriously.
I'm going to tell you two stories of things I observed while I used to live in San Francisco to help make my point.
First: There used to be a gaming/computer center in the middle of downtown (wrong place for it, IMHO) which decided to hold a Counter-Strike tournament. Bunch of teams, including some pretty good ones in Northern Cali at the time, came. The center had a bit of a meeting room off to one side of the bathroom and the main gaming computer room.
A few days before the event, I had actually seen articles on Counter-Strike gangs -- real gangs, just organized around team Counter-Strike events. The concept was laughed off by the owner of the center.
The team local to the center and a team called "Red" got into it. Words were exchanged, and everyone was in that room. I looked in just to keep an eye as to what was going on, and one of the "Red" people just walked over, without a word, and slowly closed the door, as if to say "You do NOT want a part of this."
30 seconds later, as I walked away, screams of "FIGHT!" were heard. One of the local players got his shoulder broken. At least one Red player, if not two, attacked the owner of the center. Blood all over the place.
"Red" was, I maintain to this day, one of those gangs. I didn't know of that beforehand. The tournament was called off, and the center closed a couple months later, probably another casualty between the economy and parents concerned (and rightly so!) as to what and who was going on down there.
Second, I was an attendee at the World Cyber Games a number of years back when it was in San Francisco. I did some of the advertising seminars ("Motherboard audio sucks!" ;) ), attended some of the events (including actually meeting, and getting my ass kicked in Unreal by, Fata1ity), but I noticed something:
It's probably rather common knowledge that, in Asia (esp. Korea and probably, to a lesser extent, Japan) that pro gamers actually are a very respected, idolized, and _honorable_ lot. The WCG are basically the Olympics of pro gaming. There are medals and there is prize money, but this is about a lot more than all that. For example, the motto of the San Francisco event was "Beyond the Game".
Nary an outside spectator to be found. No one cared. Why?
Because American gamers -- the attitude that they purport as a culture (not necessarily all individuals, but the culture) is all about "ME!!", "pwnage", "1337", and what can I get for myself???
Back to Final Fantasy 11 now: Square-Enix wants to build this as a cooperative venture. Fine -- but don't expect me to get involved with people who decide when they want to be cooperative or when they don't. They can take that and go find the highest cliff themselves for all it matters to me.
Me?? If I can't find enough people who won't dick around and play for themselves, then I guess I won't get to everything the game has to offer which needs groups -- and, frankly, I probably wouldn't anyway, given the attitudes I've seen.
Dear God, I hope this disease isn't catching.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
*fanfare* Starcade has achieved level 40!
Oh... My... God...
I'm 40 today (the 22nd).
Now, the first thing a lot of you are going to say (other than maybe the occasional "Congratulations!" and "Happy Birthday!!") is how I don't act it.
You're right. There are times I feel like I'm 14, and times I literally feel like I'm 400. (This week, with a huge cold/sinus/flu/God knows what bug which has put my roommate into incommunacado status as well as what seems half this part of Riverside, CA, seems like one of the latter times.)
There are times I swear and cuss and bitch and all that kind of stuff. I'm sorry, but it's getting to the point that doing what is right is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. That is true on Final Fantasy XI and in real life as well. If the proposed spending cutbacks in California hit full force, then doing what is right will have become a thing of the past -- and most social order with it.
So I'll spend my 40th playing FFXI and having a rather normal day. My roommate got me my birthday present, and, as a result, Rockstar Games is being reported to the Better Business Bureau. But that's for a continuation of an earlier rant that I believe was removed from the Tarutaru Times Online for not having enough FFXI content. Fine, no problem there. You can find it as the "extortion" post on my blog here.
I'd be remiss, frankly, if I didn't thank some people for getting this far. I did not believe I would live to see 40. By all rights, other than the grace of God Himself, I probably should not have. But I do have some people to thank...
-- My roommate. She has put up with so much shit (see, cussing... ;) ) that it's not funny. She has lost all real hope, and I can't say I blame her. (After a lot of what I've read and seen outside of FFXI recently, I'm getting there quickly -- and maybe it's that and the bug which have me feeling my age.) I love my roommate as a friend, and, whatever is about to happen, I want her to know that I will help her to the best of my ability, even if that ability is eventually reduced in certain areas for reasons outside my control.
-- The people of FFXI. One of the things I tell my roommate is that I cannot, justly, criticize anyone for being semi-addicted to the likes of FFXI, WoW, Second Life, what have you for that addiction, because it often not only provides an escape from a reality that, frankly, probably is closing in on more than a few of us, but also a backdrop on which all of our other Internet actions take place in front of. Sometimes, I like to just solo my way through things, "grinding" out levels through Easy Prey monsters that I can sorta do in my half-sleep. This allows me to follow blogs, post to USENET, heck -- waiting for a doubleheader Besieged is what I'm doing while I'm writing this!! :)
(Whoa!! That was quick... Be right back -- the Undead are already here!!)
And the day begins with me running from the Undead as I'm healing everyone I can. As usual... :)
-- My family. I know I don't stay in contact with them, but they remain in my prayers -- and always available for a little guidance if needed.
-- The people I look up to -- the singers, voice talents, actors... I still even have some of the former ones in my mind, no matter the trouble I may have caused them. But even a few moments with the anime people today gives me at least something to smile about in a world where fewer and fewer of those things exist.
There are many other people, in great ways and small, who have helped. The list would be far too long.
Thank you. Thank you. I take a bow at my trumpet fanfare.
I'm 40 today (the 22nd).
Now, the first thing a lot of you are going to say (other than maybe the occasional "Congratulations!" and "Happy Birthday!!") is how I don't act it.
You're right. There are times I feel like I'm 14, and times I literally feel like I'm 400. (This week, with a huge cold/sinus/flu/God knows what bug which has put my roommate into incommunacado status as well as what seems half this part of Riverside, CA, seems like one of the latter times.)
There are times I swear and cuss and bitch and all that kind of stuff. I'm sorry, but it's getting to the point that doing what is right is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. That is true on Final Fantasy XI and in real life as well. If the proposed spending cutbacks in California hit full force, then doing what is right will have become a thing of the past -- and most social order with it.
So I'll spend my 40th playing FFXI and having a rather normal day. My roommate got me my birthday present, and, as a result, Rockstar Games is being reported to the Better Business Bureau. But that's for a continuation of an earlier rant that I believe was removed from the Tarutaru Times Online for not having enough FFXI content. Fine, no problem there. You can find it as the "extortion" post on my blog here.
I'd be remiss, frankly, if I didn't thank some people for getting this far. I did not believe I would live to see 40. By all rights, other than the grace of God Himself, I probably should not have. But I do have some people to thank...
-- My roommate. She has put up with so much shit (see, cussing... ;) ) that it's not funny. She has lost all real hope, and I can't say I blame her. (After a lot of what I've read and seen outside of FFXI recently, I'm getting there quickly -- and maybe it's that and the bug which have me feeling my age.) I love my roommate as a friend, and, whatever is about to happen, I want her to know that I will help her to the best of my ability, even if that ability is eventually reduced in certain areas for reasons outside my control.
-- The people of FFXI. One of the things I tell my roommate is that I cannot, justly, criticize anyone for being semi-addicted to the likes of FFXI, WoW, Second Life, what have you for that addiction, because it often not only provides an escape from a reality that, frankly, probably is closing in on more than a few of us, but also a backdrop on which all of our other Internet actions take place in front of. Sometimes, I like to just solo my way through things, "grinding" out levels through Easy Prey monsters that I can sorta do in my half-sleep. This allows me to follow blogs, post to USENET, heck -- waiting for a doubleheader Besieged is what I'm doing while I'm writing this!! :)
(Whoa!! That was quick... Be right back -- the Undead are already here!!)
And the day begins with me running from the Undead as I'm healing everyone I can. As usual... :)
-- My family. I know I don't stay in contact with them, but they remain in my prayers -- and always available for a little guidance if needed.
-- The people I look up to -- the singers, voice talents, actors... I still even have some of the former ones in my mind, no matter the trouble I may have caused them. But even a few moments with the anime people today gives me at least something to smile about in a world where fewer and fewer of those things exist.
There are many other people, in great ways and small, who have helped. The list would be far too long.
Thank you. Thank you. I take a bow at my trumpet fanfare.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
It's already January 17th???
Good grief, this month has gone fast.
(Well, two trips to see anime cons has helped...)
Basically, end of week update and blah blah blah... With apologies that I have not been updating the blog lately. Just kinda bleh and finally recovering from holiday burnout.
Got a new Rumblepad for my birthday that I'm using to kinda save the wear on my laptop keyboard. Works well. :)
Anyhoo, this week:
63 DNC, 63 DRG...
Wednesday Dynamis: Could not finish Bastok again -- need... more... BLM...
Dynamis-Bastok is interesting, in that the Quadav we run into actually significantly increase in defense and power as the event goes on. Real frustrating later on, especially if you're trying to accumulate TP to backup heal people as /DNC...
Now basically in Campaign to try to save my highest medal (interesting that way that eventually you have to get in Campaign every so often to do that, even at the highest medal)...
More later. :)
(Well, two trips to see anime cons has helped...)
Basically, end of week update and blah blah blah... With apologies that I have not been updating the blog lately. Just kinda bleh and finally recovering from holiday burnout.
Got a new Rumblepad for my birthday that I'm using to kinda save the wear on my laptop keyboard. Works well. :)
Anyhoo, this week:
63 DNC, 63 DRG...
Wednesday Dynamis: Could not finish Bastok again -- need... more... BLM...
Dynamis-Bastok is interesting, in that the Quadav we run into actually significantly increase in defense and power as the event goes on. Real frustrating later on, especially if you're trying to accumulate TP to backup heal people as /DNC...
Now basically in Campaign to try to save my highest medal (interesting that way that eventually you have to get in Campaign every so often to do that, even at the highest medal)...
More later. :)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What is with all the extortion with respect to high-tech?
OK, an advisory first:
This isn't going to be a straight FFXI post. I'm including it here because I do not have another blog at this time, and also because I do think there are some things which are somewhat relevant to FFXI in this, but not as bad as the experiences I will outline below.
All I will say is that my friend is not that happy to begin with (and, if she doesn't get the UPS shipment with the bulk of her computer upgrade within a few hours, she's really going to get pissed -- oh, by the way, to UPS: She knows the package is in our hometown. Get it to her. NOW. She knows some of the crap you guys pull too, and this is sensitive stuff. Get it to her in pristine condition, or else...)
Anyway, with that computer upgrade, she decided to take me shopping (because she also wanted to get me my Christmas and birthday presents (more on that in a bit)). She decided to take the plunge and purchase a monitor-capable HDTV (her eventual goal being to hook both her computer and her PS2 to the HDTV -- otherwise, she'd simply have gotten a monitor, but she needs something larger because of her eyesight).
So, off to Worst Buy we went. After picking out my birthday and Christmas presents, we got to the HDTV section, and my friend was very meticulous in picking out a potential set. She knows what she's doing (she does her own computer building, and knows far more on that end than I do), and is very picky that, especially if it's going to be that superior to a standard setup, she wants her blacks to be black, not a washed-out gray like her original choice of brand turned out to be presented as on display.
So, she picks one out, takes it home, and finds it to be an utter -- piece -- of -- crap.
No, seriously. She tries to hook it up, and basically has conceded that her OLD monitor is so much better that she's going to get older models and have the one she has refurbished.
What I seriously think they're trying to do is extortion: To get any kind of a quality picture, the HDTV is basically only a piece of hardware which absolutely must be professionally installed with professional wiring, cabling, etc. -- that the stuff provided with the set isn't even worth being provided, but is just false wiring between points A and B.
This is unacceptable because the store basically is known, for the price level of the HDTV's which she was looking at, to charge the entire price of the TV for professional installation. Seriously. I saw a $350 TV that, if you wanted the pro installation, would run you ANOTHER $350!!
Without that, it's clear that they are selling you (and knowingly so) a piece of crap that's worth, essentially, nothing. At minimum, you'd have to fork over another $200 or so for the wiring, and that's if you didn't need the labor...
Extortion. Freaking extortion.
I don't know precisely what the problem was (my motto when she has serious stuff to do is to get out of the way), but let's just say that is going back as soon as UPS decides to get off it's asses and get my friend's computer upgrade (or most of it) to her. As in NOW, people...
Of course, there's one other bugaboo: There may be a 14% restocking fee on the unit when she does. She's about one more problem with this kind of stuff from contacting consumer groups about this crap. It really looks as if there was material mis-representation as to the nature of how these things work (in my read, that several hundred more dollars would have to be outlaid to get anything of the quality vis-a-vis what they show in-store), and the fact that the restocking fee might not even apply to these particular things in the first place, at least according to the receipt.
So that's got my friend agitated even beyond all this UPS crap.
As if that was the only problem we ran into that night...
I had decided to get a copy of GTA IV for the PC for my Christmas present (and, after I realized that the Ouran High School Host Club DVD volume 2 would not be out until later in the week, decided to get a Rumblepad 2 for my birthday -- Ouran v. 2 will have to wait until about Feb. 1.), and found the last copy out in the Worst Buy (was on sale at $10 off).
Took it home, installed it on the computer, and got a nasty surprise:
The game will NOT run at all on anything below a video card which is recognized to run DirectX 9.
But wait: That wasn't really the surprise.
You see, I ran the DirectX diagnostic, and found that I was running DirectX 10. (It may even be a requirement for Vista...)
I understand that I don't have all the spec-outs which might be required to make these new-fangled games work, but it really sounds to me as if that: If you don't have several hundred dollars every six months to upgrade your computer (or your television) to the stuff the game manufacturers demand for the titles you want, you're not good enough for them.
I mean, let's go back to the television for a second with respect to a PS3. I can forget about ever doing Final Fantasy XIII or beyond now. Because it's not enough to get just the PS3. All indications are that getting the PS3 pretty much demands a new HDTV, and I already lined out what that demands.
Is it that we are all supposed to die if we can't make a freaking six-figure income for you bastards??
You're essentially making an entry-level PS3 a $1000 investment!!!
And, with this crap, it sounds like Rockstar, which has no hesitation on it's Social Club to advertise certain video card companies, is going to demand that, unless you get the video card and audio card and the like that they are all but advertising (read: that they choose to recognize as sufficient), then you are f*cked with respect to GTA IV.
Here's a hint, Rockstar: That's extortion. I can handle having a little less performance (which see a Besieged on my laptop).
What I can't handle is that basically you're telling people on desktops to spend hundreds of dollars they probably never intended to spend (nor do they have) on new cards, and people like me on laptops to spend thousands on a new gaming laptop.
No. F*cking -- no. I'm not going to buy a Fata1ity laptop just to satisfy your sorry asses. Patch it so that some of us who like our gear and don't have the money to upgrade at this time do so.
Otherwise, you'll be called out on the extortion the same way the HDTV bastards are.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Welcome to 2009, and some quick in-game stuff...
Sorry I haven't been around in a while. Been helping the roommate out (and have some things to rant on (not quite FFXI related, but I'll put them here anyway because issues there might involve some FFXI stuff as well...) as a result), and things finally are calming down a bit after the holiday season is finally over.
Quick updates:
Dynamis-Jeuno partial run New Year's Eve -- that night, my friend wanted me to go with her to a party she makes tradition of -- partially to have someone to talk to, and partially to make sure she gets back in one piece. Anyhow, before I left, bit of an adventurous run, but two pairs of the Dancer relic feet dropped. Kiana was looking for one and got it (one of the reasons we've had so much difficulty getting into Dynamis-Jeuno since the update). The second went free lot 65+...
Then, free lot 50+ -- Hello DNC relic feet!!
Basically been exhausting the Tactics Pearl in Fields of Valor-Xarcabard -- haven't really been on that much lately. Trying to eventually get both DNC and Dragoon to 65 so that I can free lot 65+ on the relic stuff.
Dropped about 70K gil on lots of storage space for the Mog House. Probably more to drop from there. Also upgraded some EQ too.
As I said, though -- not really that much done this last 10 days or so, and I'm going out of town again this weekend, so I won't be on much from Thursday night to Monday afternoon. Well, gonna go now... Have some rants to write about, oh, shall we say -- extortion...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
