FFXI Lesson #3: The Game Is Dead
The Hyur watches as his Hume brothers will die a painful death in the next few months
To quote a true veteran player on the FFXIAH.com forums, the new expansion/DLC is "the same old shit with this update, just more waste of time." So why are you still playing? I know why I am back to playing. I've bought the game twice and originally played at release and I don't have one level 75 character to show for it. Should I just quit while I'm behind and wait to crush it when FFXIV comes out? The money doesn't concern me. Assuming I end up going to Korea, I really do have it to burn.
There's no bonus for importing FFXI characters so why are you still trying? Maybe because your discount laptop can't begin to dream of running the FFXIV benchmark? I know my computer scored "Low." Which is exactly what I scored when the original FFXI benchmark came out. This time around, I don't feel bad because I know the Japanese still can't make optimized code to save their lives in the gaming industry.
I don't even know why I want a 75 anymore. It'll take me at least a month to hit 75. Probably another two weeks to hit the new cap of 80. I'll be taking a month break to get adjusted to life in Korea. That leaves me with about two weeks to enjoy my capped RDM. Two weeks to try my hand at a Dynamis, or Sky, or Sea (whatever those are) and you know go after all my merit points. You would be mistaken to think for a second that I'll be playing FFXI once FFXIV comes out. I'm not 14 anymore, I don't have that kind of time to waste. So should I quit already? I feel like I'm at that point. Maybe my friend Scot is just rubbing off on me.
Alpha Protocol: When Role-Playing Games Should Just Be A Role-Playing Game
They never did finish this one...
I picked up Alpha Protocol on Steam (a week before the massive summer sale, which makes me furious) much to the dismay of my friends and against the multitude of reviews bashing the game. I've been waiting for this game since Obsidian announced it forever ago. I was ready to see what they could do on their own without Bioware's legacy backing them up. In conclusion, Alpha Protocol was a pretty awesome ride.
Just Another Look Into the Future
So my recruiter is saying my NOA/contract is on the way and I need to prepare my tax papers. I'm not celebrating yet until I have a signed contract to go along with a location and start date. In case, you weren't aware. I applied, got accepted, and had my documents forwarded for final review in the pursuit of a teaching position in EPIK. The general area will be Gyeongsangbuk (Gyeongbuk) which is more or less the middle eastern region of South Korea. It's particularly warm so I'm happy I got my first choice. With any luck I'll be placed near Daegu but not actually in the city. Right now, we're looking at leaving in late July and starting in early August. I don't really have much else to say. If it doesn't go through, expect development to seriously ramp up.
I don't have a lot to expand upon. I got a lot to do and I really don't have the time to do it. I don't expect to be working for much longer, I really need to free up time to get everything taken care of. Maybe next time I post, I'll work up the energy to share my views on a variety of current events.
Until then, lets all wait for E3 and inevitably more information on Final Fantasy XIV.
The Wheel of Fate is Turning #1
Thank you work, for taking away my day off. Of course, whatever plans I may of had don't matter. Thanks also for subtlely threatening to fire me if I dare tell you otherwise.
I will not be attending Xanbats #3 this week. Oh well, my Ibuki needs a lot work anyway. I might just give up on the season. Missing two rounds and going 2 and out last week don't make my chances very good.
Tried practicing today, my PP ended up getting cut in half. On the bright side, my execution has improved again. SJC from target combo in to command dash is almost ready for battle. My next goal is to actually learn the overhead link and jab to strong link. Also on the docket, I need to incorporate command dash and backdash in to my play style. Definitely need less slide and no more jump in kunai. It's coming along though.
Still don't know for sure about Korea and I don't expect to for a month. That's okay though, right now I need to focus on this TEFL course. Which has been hard because there's so much I want to do. My mind has been filled with game designs and it sucks to put the dream on hold but I think I'm doing the right thing. If everything works out, I'll be in a much better place to develop titles and build a team.
Interesting posts are on the way, I'm going to kick it in to overdrive this week. In the meantime, what are you doing? Comment or e-mail me with the details or a link to your blog.
I’ve been busy doing nothing
So my friends have been asking me: what's up with the blog? Honestly, I've been torn between too busy to post and generally not in the mood. However, now things are a little less hectic and I find that I might as well update people on what's going on.
For starters, I needed some cash. I took up a job working for a pretty well known store franchise. I'm not going to say which one because, I may very well rant about it later and I'm not here to smear anyone's name when I vent on my personal blog (well sometimes, but not for this). Even so, a lot of people have jobs and still manage to blog. Unfortunately, my job calls me in anywhere between 10PM and 4AM and I usually work a 10+ hour shift. So, whatever daylight I have left gets spent on...
Getting things in place to go to Korea. I finally sent off my application packet for EPIK. I had my recruiter interview, EPIK interview, and preliminary offer already. Now they just need to review my paperwork and send me a real contract. Yeah, throw me in the category of the JET-rejects that decided to hop on the Korea boat. There's more to it but I don't mind be put in that box.
So, in preparation for going to Korea, my recruiter suggested I take a TEFL course through ITTT. Now, I really have no time as I have to drop 100 hours in one month in order to receive my certification on time. If that wasn't enough...
I was working on getting my first game prototype out. I say was because my computer's hard drive is pretty much dead at this point a long with all the project code I had so far. Fortunately, I suppose, I wasn't far a long so I didn't lose much but without a dedicated machine, I'm not about to tackle a one-man game development show right now.
Those are the major things going on with me. I'm still volunteering on the weekends and occasionally I'm helping my dad out. Whatever free time I do find right now gets dumped in to practicing Ibuki in Super Street Fighter 4. I should talk more about SSF4 later. For now, look for some more personal focused posts and wish my luck with my Korea placement. I'm hoping I haven't sent my documents too late.
My look at the N900
So I got the N900 finally. I have to say, if you consider yourself an average power-user and you're looking for a hot new device, skip this one and wait until the next Maemo device comes out later this is year (or more likely, early 2011). That's the pretty much the end of it so if you don't care about the details of why, you can stop now.
Bad Ideas Reinvented: Opera Unite is the new Kazaa?
Why is Opera trying to launch a file-sharing service in their browser? I like Opera; I'm using it right now. I just don't understand how this won't devolve in to massive networked illegal activity withot active moderation. And then, if the service is actively moderated, aren't we still at the mercy of some stranger middlemen? So either they want to start a war with a variety of IP holders or they're wasting their time with a gimmick that won't catch on. The only way to truly get away from middlemen is wire everyone up on the same base router and call it a day. Suffice to say, that's a horrible plan vastly inferior to the working situation. What's so wrong with servers? I don't see how they're controlling anything but their own content. The real issue is if the government decides to start filtering/censoring various content (much like China). My problem is, I feel like I understand their "vision" but I think they're just idiots. What say ye? Am I just not getting it? Have I been jaded by Mozilla's Aurora concept and expect a too high a standard from browser companies?
Side Note: Opera 10.5b is some sort of hotness (get it with the custom Aero Glass skin).
Addendum: Opera went crazy on me for a second and I almost lost this post. It clearly doesn't like WordPress. Probably some non-standard CSS/JS/HTML in this complex monstrosity that is one of the best blogging engines around. However, WordPress had a copy of the draft so it's all good.
FFXI Lesson #2: Why you were kicked from the PT
Because you suck.
It's actually that simple. I'm not saying you didn't do your job, maybe you did your job excellently. The primary reason I've seen people kicked from a party was that they decided to talk instead of play. That includes arguing with the party leader and spamming the party with foolishness. This also includes, not playing your job how the party leader has told you to play it. Everyone respects your desire to play a ninja that maximizes damage with shurikens or adds some extra nuking ability by subbing /BLM; please exercise your freedom in another party because right now we need a ninja that will shadow tank because we don't have a paladin.
That said, I don't think people get dropped from parties nearly as much as they did before. In the early days, a party leader would look at your equipment and drop you for not having +1 gear or demand you grab some food and if you didn't you could go find another party. That said, if you get kicked from a PT these days, you were most-likely a dick, deserved it, and need to reconsider your approach next time. FFXI is a cooperative game in every way, when people stop working together nothing gets done.
I met a guy once that simply said: "that's the way I am." In that case, you should go buy World of Warcraft or wait for FFXIV to come out so you can have some soloing options. FFXI is probably not the game for you.
FFXI Lessons #1: How to be a Good Leader
NOTE: I noticed people have run across my blog while searching for this topic so I went ahead and let them know what's up. Since I'm only level 53, I can really only speak for running an experience party.
Playing FFXI is all about partying. In fact, for your first 30 levels, you would be hard pressed to level without partying. The corner-stone of every party is a leader. Unfortunately, most people either don't know how to be a good leader or choose not to. In fact, I knew a guy who always made amazing parties yet never wanted to be the leader. I'm going to go over a few key things you can do so that my friend never has to step up and fix your horrible party.
- Make decisions and be consistent about it
No one is always right, but consistency helps build confidence. Don't let an annoying party member make decisions and undermine your authority. People who feel they know what's best regardless of whether or not the current plan is working or not. Not to say you need to rule with an iron fist, in fact that usually calls for a mutiny. It's best to make firm decisions about the group's direction but remain open to everyone's input. Everyone needs to be on the same page but you can't possibly know everything or sometimes you forget something. One way to make sure the decisions you're making for the group are right is to..
- Be informed!
Use the internet to know how to tackle your chosen campsite, what sites are good for your level range and what party setups work for what situations. Good decisions often make rational sense. It's irrational leadership that gives those annoying wannabes a chance to nitpick and undermine you. However, a good leader is a good player so...
- Know your job
This is general advice for anyone playing. Know the standards of what people expect of you. For example: if your a ninja, have Utsusemi and be ready to shadow-tank. Now one of the benefits of making your own PT is that you can play however you want but make sure you know how to do your job in the PT and create a PT so that everyone can do their job effectively.
- Prepare for a shitstorm
Parties wipe, it's part of the game. Try to be ready for it. If you're in a Fields of Valor zone, have everyone get Reraise. There's a good chance people will leave the PT before it's over. Make sure the members know they should give notice and agree on how replacements will be handled. Regardless if they agree to find a rep, you should probably be looking for replacements yourself just in case.
- Be ready to offer Skillchain + Magic Burst combinations
This one is extremely optional, skillchains have greatly fallen out of style in FFXI since leveling is a lot easier. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to find out if your melees wouldn't mind SCing for some extra damage. Again, it's not really necessary, and most people aren't macro'd properly for skillchains anyway. Remember, as the party leader you should be doing everything to attempt to maximize the party's efficiency.
- Know when it's time to close shop
A lot of PT leaders don't know when to call it a day. Eventually whole party will level a couple times and the experience take a hit. At that time, you need to get a count of the members that are ready to move to a new camp and see about possible reforming. I usually don't stay at a camp if I'm on the upper end of the level limit (being level 28 of a level 26-28 camp) and will start arranging a new plan around the time that level is hit.
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The most important things to take out of this are to: be informed, make decisions confidently, and maximize the party's efficiency. The biggest problem that most PTs have are leaders that don't know the camp so they form bad party job combinations. The best PTs have little downtime (adequate healing and timely replacements coupled with effective damage-over-time). Usually when everyone is involved, no one talks too much which means no one has a chance to be annoyed with someone else's personality.
What are you ideas for being a good party leader?
The start of the decade is just another year: 2010 Resolutions
- Image via Wikipedia
I don't like making resolutions because they're so often broken. However, I have a few things I really need to do so I went ahead and made a few. I ended up with a lot of resolutions (well to me at least, usually it's like no more than three). I'm going to go ahead and post them here, and help fulfill my final resolution.
- Produce six games
- Learn the top 1000 kanji
- Read my Japanese textbooks (JSL/JWL series and Genki I)
- Achieve Navy PRT standard
- Cook and bake more
- Manage a post every week
The first resolution is pretty obvious for me. I've been delaying Project Silver for the longest time (which will hopefully have some announcable progress soon). So I decided to set a deadline but it and some other game ideas I've had. Ideally, I'd like to get around to more than 6 games but as it stands, I only have about two to three ideas (including this mysterious Project Silver) that I see being done solo. I have some recruiting and brainstorming to do once those ideas are completed.
Learning kanji and finishing my textbooks are a continuation of my plans to pass JLPT 1 and spend some time living in Japan. There are a number of reasons for this that I'm not really going to get in to. Needless to say, if I get in to JET, the ability to speak and read Japanese will come in handy.
I managed to get down to about 187 pounds last summer and now I'm back to being over 200. I want to get in shape just so I can manage to live past 47. Active military personnel seem to be in pretty good shape (at least my friend Terrell does) so their requirements seem to be a good place to start.
It's easier to eat healthy, women like it, I'll save money, and House is good at it. There are a lot of reasons to get good at cooking. Baking is just added on for the extra savings. I buy a lot of Druid Circles so I'm going to try my hand at making my own cookies and what not. I've also wanted to make some bread ever since I saw Yakitake. I'm pretty sexist and I honestly think baking is a woman's thing but I guess, I'm going to go ahead and violate my owns rules until I find a woman willing to make me some cookies. I'm sure it'll be almost as much fun as cooking...maybe....
Finally, managing to post every week has proven to be difficult. The real goal is 52 posts within the year but ideally, I'd prefer to make 1 post a week. We'll see how it goes. I don't know where I'm going to find time for all of this, especially if I find a job. I guess this is one of those times where I must exceed what I think I'm capable of to achieve greatness...or something like that...
I thank whatever gods may be / For my unconquerable soul. / I am the master of my fate / I am the captain of my soul. - Nelson Mandela (Invictus)
