Geode's Drop Rate......

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Originally Posted by Lokithor

I'm not disputing the fact the desert climates actually refer to precipitation or that deserts can be cold. Last I checked, FFXI was not set on earth. I mentioned Kuzotz because it was one of the only places in the game that gets fire weather at all. I wouldn't mind a bit less "realism" and a bit better game BALANCE.

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One of the only places? There's 9 regions that get fire weather. They provide 22 zones that get fire weather, 2/3 have mobs high enough to drop flame geodes:

Zulkhelm (2, 1 too low)
Kuzots (3, 1 too low)
Volbow (4)
Aragoneu(1, but too low)
Derfland (2, 1 too low)
Elshimo (5, 2 too low)
Halvung (2)

Aragoneu Front (1)
Derfland Front (2)

22 zones, 16 zones across 8 regions that have mobs high enough to get geodes off of.

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Originally Posted by Godofgods

while the problems with flame is undeniable, breeze geodes are not to far behind.

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Sky, they drop like crazy.

are geodes like beastmen seals where you need to get exp for them to drop or can u slaughter any mob for them? i cant really remember but im thinking you need to get exp, is that right?

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Originally Posted by RAIST

One of the only places? There's 9 regions that get fire weather.

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I love someone whose arguments, although accurate, have no relevance.

Here is a great web site that tracks weather.

This tracks 40 areas over 3 game days. Most of the time, there is zero fire weather in the forecast. When I checked just now, there was 1 out of 120 with fire in the forecast. It's impossible to argue that this is balanced.

Hear is some grammer and spelling errors that you can now base your next irrelevant post on.

Mount Zhayolm/Halvung's fire weather occurrence is so rare it might as well not be mentioned. It only happens when the volcano erupts and it doesn't even last that long.

Zhayolm makes Terrigan and Yhoat look good.

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Originally Posted by Trumpy

are geodes like beastmen seals where you need to get exp for them to drop or can u slaughter any mob for them? i cant really remember but im thinking you need to get exp, is that right?

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The theory can vary depending on where you ask, probably because of when they got added. Seen claims from experience yielding 50+ to needing to be DC to a 75. I lean more towards EP at 75 (56+), but usually am on something around 60+. If it can spawn level 60+ (like, say a range of 58-62)...you can pretty much count on geodes to drop from them.

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Originally Posted by Lokithor

I love someone whose arguments, although accurate, have no relevance.

Here is a great web site that tracks weather.

This tracks 40 areas over 3 game days. Most of the time, there is zero fire weather in the forecast. When I checked just now, there was 1 out of 120 with fire in the forecast. It's impossible to argue that this is balanced.

Hear is some grammer and spelling errors that you can now base your next irrelevant post on.

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As I pointed out when I referenced that site.. it is an incomplete data set. It is based on what forecasts a group of people collecting in a limited set of time. For the most part, there is enough data there for you to get a general feel for most of the patterns. There are clearly holes in the forecast collection--zones routinely drop off, and I've seen it post nothing for over 24hours as well. The charts aren't as reliable as the forecast app either. Look at them and you will see some obvious discrepencies. Things like one chart only shows two occurrences of light and I have seen it forecast 5 times where the chart says null. The tracking of fire does not match up between the data collected for both charts--one shows instances that aren't in the other. But what it shows in the 3 day forecast calendar IS accurate, and you CAN use it to get a good feel for when to expect to find the weather popping if you use ti enough. The more you track it, the better you will get at setting aside the time for the weather you are after.

As for it only coming up in Cape Terrigan for Windsday right now, that's because (as I clearly explained earlier) it is November 9th on the game calendar, and is therefore out of season (2nd month of Fall). When it is in season, you wil see it forecast in multiple zones within the three day window--sometimes back to back in the same zone (noted I saw it do this morning as the season was ending). When in season, you can hit it a lot as back to back cycles, or at least with only 1 or 2 game days between them. Granted, sometimes it means switching zones....but with VW and OP's, it only takes a few minutes to move between them.

The bigger points are, that it is on a cycle, it is trackable, and there are tools available to help you track it.

Even though it may not show a zone in the forecast--it doesn't necessarily mean the weather is not in the forecast for that zone. But once you get accustomed to the patterns, you may get a feel for when it may be a good time to check some of those other zones as well. The trick is to actually take the time to actually do it.

And as for Mt Z......I got several cycles of fire there when I was working on trials with people and doing TAU missions (footprint search, getting lightning cell, and such). So, IDK why you aren't seeing it....perhaps because it wasn't in season at the time you were looking for it. Again....it boils down to being in synch with the pattern. The same goes for other elements too. Grauberg goes through it's phases of heavy thunder---not the best time to go there for wind at those times. Attowha has a similar shift between earth/wind. It's all cyclical, just have to track it and plan accordingly.

Sigh. The point of citing the weather forecast site was not to illustrate its effectiveness. It was to illustrate the imbalance of fire versus other weathers. How about this. Do you believe that the frequency of fire weather is perfectly balanced (equal) to the others? If not, it should be increased, regardless of how many zones get the weather, regardless of seasonal climate patterns and regardless of weather forecasting web sites.

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Originally Posted by SpankWustler

Flame Geodes were up to 88,000 a piece on Phoenix for a little while last week.

I can not think of any appropriate words to follow that sentence.

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you have reached your state of 'balance'

No it is not literally balanced, the idea was designed to be realistic, long before the introduction of the geode system. The fact that geodes came later on is an entirely separate matter. I do not feel that more weather should be added simply for trials if it draws away from the realism of the game. (Bare in mind light weather is just as rare if not more so.)

Do not take that the wrong way I still think an alternate means to obtain geodes should exist. Openly available battlefields, that contain geode/rite dropping enemies with all 8 weathers, or something of the like. Do also consider the balance associated with such an addition. Adding a location with unlimited weather would make trials with matching monsters much easier, meaning combinations would have to be carefully looked at. Also, such a thing would make no change to either the 5 minute wait time or the fact rites will replace a geode drop. It would mean that one area 60+ and another 80+ would have to exist in order to prevent undermining itself. As it stands at 5 minutes a geode even under perfect conditions a player is looking at 275 minutes or ~4 1/2 hours. In easier terms I'm saying by all means level the balance between frequency of all weathers, just don't do it in current areas and don't expect a magic turn around from the AH. (Note the price on wind geodes is also rather high and wind weather is common enough 1 per 5 minutes is possible.)