How do you play?

So before I start on my rant, I want to say I finished Ouyru fight the other night and won! Thanks to my fellow ls mates of course. Saintpasanius organized the fight and helped us through. And it went smoothly with no issues. I can't wait til I finally get my ring. I've decided on getting Rajas ring since it'll benefit the other future jobs I plan on leveling.

Anyways, on to my rant. I don't know if its just me, or maybe im being overtly picky, but lately the quality of how people play the game seems to have gone down. Like in the sense that some of them have become incredibly lazy. I'm mainly referring to the RDMs I have had in party over the last 2 months since I've been leveling my PLD.

Let me explain first where I come from. When I first started leveling RDM, I was pretty much "raised" around a group of veternan players. And therefore their expectations were higher of how you would play. I was also taught by my ex that you ALWAYS came prepared to every single party you got into. So I always came with my spells for the next couple of levels, food, basically any and every item I may need. Just because there was nothing more aggravating to them than to have to stop so that I could run to town and pick up spells, or to go get food, and basically it was beat into me that you always came to a party prepared. And to be honest im glad that I was shown how to play that way, because I find myself now being annoyed with people that I get into parties with that don't come prepared. The people that make a party stop and wait because they didn't bother to bring out the spells they needed so they have to run to town to get them, or because they didn't bother to bring enough, food, etc. you get my point.

Also, the next thing I was taught besides being prepared was that once I dinged around 55 on RDM, I was to be the main healer from there on out. To the point that I was so use to main healing in parties, that when I'd get invited into the rare few parties that had say a whm or smn, I'd still carry on main healing. Sometimes to the point that I'd end up turning the other mage into an xp leech lol because they wouldn't have much to do unless I actually did hit a point where I was out of mp and convert wasn't ready. Which was another rare occurance because I was also taught how to manage my MP and at what point that I really did need to use convert.

So here's were my vent comes in. Since I've been leveling PLD, I have discovered that RDMs lately have become REALLY lazy. To the point that I almost want to get off PLD, come out on RDM, and show them how they should be playing. Now don't get me wrong, I am not one those obnoxious 75s who thinks that they're better than others because they have the job at 75, or that I know more. And I'm more than willing to teach and explain. I'm one the few 75 RDMs in my LS and usually I am one the first that most go to, to the point that even when im in the middle of an ISNM lol im answering tells about RDM Maat fights, where to get RDM AF, what equipment to use with what spell, etc. But when I find a player that refuses to listen to any advice, and still continues to play the job in such a manner makes me want to boot them from the party, it makes me question how/where did they learn to play like that.

First is the RDM I had that didn't have a Cure spell above Cure 2. She had RDM 65. Mind you it wasn't from lack of gil, because I asked her. She just didn't see the need to get them. She was also missing refresh, haste, and several other spells as well. Which made me wonder how did she even get that far, aside from campaigning. Or the ever amazing level sync party. Which I consider a blessing and a curse at the same time. Its awesome that I can now play with my other LS mates on various jobs. Or have them bring out their 75s to sync with whatever I have. But the curse is it encourages some who are so lazy that they don't want to bother with the job other than to sync it to ridicolously low levels and then wonder why higher level parties wont have anything to do with them.

Second is the RDM I had that refused to main heal. Because in their words, it was impossible for a RDM to main heal at 60. Which made me laugh, and I tried to explain that it was possible, and that they could do it. They then demanded that I get in the party a whm and a brd to help them with healing. So of course when I refused, they left. Seriously, its not that hard. I can understand a brd, but wanting me to get 2 jobs to help you do the job you yourself are suppose to be doing is ridicolous and just plain lazy on your part.

And finally, this is just a note/tip coming from someone who is now leveling a tank job and realizing how evil convert can be. And you can take this as you may, I find it helpful for me, and I have had alot of fellow party members thank me for it. Keep in mind this is just mearly my opinion, and you don't have to do it yourself. But I think that RDMs should create a convert macro. Not only does it help you cut down the time of going through the menu to do the ability, but if you add in a party line to let your other party members know, it doesn't catch the tank unprepared, and it doesn't scare them lol. I can't tell you how many times I've had tanks freak out on me when I was leveling RDM and would just convert and not give them any forewarning. And at first I laughed it off because I thought it was hilarous to see. Then came the revenge of when I started leveling a tank job myself. And having RDMs do the same to me. I never realized how much it can freak you out to suddenly see someones HP drop to the red, or to see your precious hate you've built up lost. So I try and encourage any RDMs I know to create a macro of their own. My own macro goes something like this:
Line 1:/p How to scare a whm and a Tank > Convert
Line 2:/ja "Divine Seal"
Line 3:/wait 2
Line 4:/ja "Convert"
Line 5:/wait 1
Line 6:/ma "cure IV"

I have a seperate macro of course for my vert gear, and the my light staff. But thats pretty much the macro I use. And I can't tell you how many times I have had other players thank me for having such a macro and letting them know what im about to do. I guess its more or less a couresty thing.
Edit-I had just finished reading on Tarutaru Times online and discovered that someone made an awesome and detailed explanation of convert and what all should be done. I highly recommend you check this blog out, http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/07/thin-black-line-convert-101.html.

Well thats pretty much the end of my vent. I was just curious as to how others have been trained to play, and how they learned to play their first 75. I guess though when it comes to your first 75, your always a little protective and a little biased on how it should be played. Time to end this entry, because I must head back to the game and farm. I discovered the painful part of leveling different jobs means funding them with gil, and trying to figure out exactly where your going to get that gil from.

<3,
Nindo

So many updates to post!

Well as promised here is my next update since I finally got a chance to post again. So I've been trying to remember everything I have done since I had last posted. I did finish ACP missions, which was interesting. The storyline seemed a bit lacking, but was still good nonetheless. And the missions were pretty simple and easy. Infact I enjoyed doing the Fei'Yen fight one, and even helped some LS members do it again after I finished mine. I found that my RDM could somewhat kite the goblin in that fight. Of course it disappears and goes to attack someone randomly, but it usually ends up coming right back to me after it rapes someone lol. So usually our setup involved a tank, rdm, whm, and 3 random DD. Now the last fight, was the most evil of them all. And at one point seriously made me wonder if it was worth buying the expansion for that body piece. The tower climb alone was a headache, even with an escort. And then the fight seemed almost beyond ridicolous. And took us 8 tries before we finally won. And we tried so many setups. We'd either wipe, or time out every single time it seemed. Our winning setup though was me on rdm/whm (main healing ftw! I used marron glace btw for that extra mp boost), drk/? for stuns (never had an issue with any aga spells, and he never missed a stun once), pld/war, nin/war (I'll explain how this one worked), sam/rng, and rng/nin. And it worked out beautifully. Now im sure your curious about the setup so let me explain.

First off, I had no /drk for chainspell stun, so I figured why not main heal instead. As I am pretty proud of myself for being capable of main healing anyways on rdm. And of course I used marron glace for food. Also I tried to keep any DoTs I could on the boss. Such as Bio 3, Poison 2, etc. The DRK was there for stuns and extra DoTs. And mind you never once did he miss a stun. Which makes me wonder why so many people were determined you had to have a chainspell stunner. PLD was the first to run up and voke and pop 2 hr since with the boss AoE, you risk having all your timers reset. Which I later discovered if you stay really close to the door, you can actually evade that AoE since I didn't have my timers reset the last fight. The NIN actually was very handy in clone control, and for when the PLD would either become charmed, or at one point when the PLD actually died, the NIN was able to voke the boss and let it simply eat its shadows when it'd pull it in over and over. As for when the PLD gets charmed, my best advice is let him come up top to where your standing at before you sleep him. So that way hes nearby when you can wake him and he doesn't get caught in the middle of an AoE. And as long as the boss doesn't do any of its AoE's other than the draw in, our NIN didn't have much trouble just being sucked in over and over. The sam and rng of course were also on clone control, and were rnged attacking the boss. And thats pretty much all that it took. I always made sure the DRK had haste and refresh on him, as the other DDs had haste. The PLD had refresh on him at all times. And basically the rest of the fight was keeping DoTs on the boss, and making sure the pld didn't die.

And as for the body piece, I of course got Royal Redingote. Since I don't have relic yet for my RDM, I decided to turn it into a fast cast piece. So I put on Fast Cast +5. and Enmity-5. And I macroed it in for when I do cures. I thought about getting the PLD type body piece but decided I'd rather wait and see what SE comes out with when the new IR comes out. An im actually pretty satisfied with body piece I picked. I might later go back and redo the fight once I get relic, and decide to level something else that might get use out of one the other body pieces.

Also I've been working on merits for RDM. And for those who are curious this is what I have so far:
2 Merits in Max MP
1 Merit in Sword Skill
1 Merit in Enfeebling Magic Skill
1 Merit Spell Interruption Rate
2 Merits in Convert Recast
1 in Ice Magic Acc.
1 in Slow 2
2 Merits in Paralyze 2

I know its a pretty random list, but im slowly working on more merits. I am probably going to add Phalanx 2 to the list as well. It just seems lately I got caught up in leveling PLD, which has become my 2nd love. I have discovered that I absoutely love that job, and right now I currently have it to 69. I hope to have it to 75 before the end of the month. And im pretty excitied that since I have RDM, I can easily merit PLD at any time. And once I get a chance I'll update on what gear I have on my PLD and what I've been doing with it.

Well, thats about all I have to update on tonight. My fingers are begging for a break, and its time I head back to the game. Tomorrow im suppose to be doing Ouryu fight, since I've finally started working on CoP again, so I hope it goes well. Im doing the run with my LS mates from Mini Mart. I absoutely love that Linkshell and its been like a home and family for me being there. If you ever come to Shiva server, feel free to send me a tell and I'll get you a pearl for the LS. Its very wonderful group indeed, and I've been with them for almost a year now, and love talking to my ls mates on vent, or on the phone. And just the stuff we do when we hang out is so much fun. Anyways, time for me end this blog and head back to the game to go poke stuff.

<3,>