Recently returned but having trouble getting into post 99 content, please advise ...

[Diavolo]

you start chains of personal attacks and made tons of assumptions about whoever disagree with you

I'm at a loss for words. Did I just step into Bizarro World?

[Afania]

I'm at a loss for words. Did I just step into Bizarro World?

I guess I'm preaching to the choir as much as you do.

[Vashkoda]

Thanks for all of the great info! I have a much more clear idea of what I need to be doing with my RDM now. The only issue I can see coming up is perhaps finding folks to help me do the NMs in Escha-Zitah. Do you have any tips for getting folks to help out with this? <

I am surprised that you have 2 ls's and yet come here to the forums to ask general questions about how to get caught up. Are they of no help to you at all? If so, perhaps try to make friends elsewhere. It's not necessarily about the server you're on; even the small servers have social ls's with friendly players who are more than capable of low-manning some of those NMs and letting you lot drops that are otherwise left to rot. They may not advertise themselves, so you might need to find them through word of mouth (or just straight up ask someone politely for help, and see if they offer to befriend you).

I really want to know how people survived in 2006 if they think 400 players are a lot and enough.

In 2006, people still spent a significant amount of game time leveling. Back then, it was to your advantage to have as many players as possible seeking invites, to quickly build your exp/merit party. The range of player experience also meant that a great majority weren't bothering with endgame material. Now leveling up to 99 takes a few hours at most, and the servers are top-heavy with fully leveled players who have nothing to do *but* endgame. Given that most of the "endgame" events of 2006 can now be solo'ed, there simply isn't enough of that material for a large player population. And the more recent endgame events of course have been programmed to discourage you (or flat out prevent you) from bringing more than 6 players. Regardless of just how much you might feel the effect of being on a large vs small server in terms of competition for entering instanced events or for farming limited mobs/triggers, your basic problem lies in actually finding 5 other players to do those events with you. Whether that's easier on a larger or smaller server is debatable.

[Jin_Uzuki]

In 2006, people still spent a significant amount of game time leveling.

You are right, and pretty much everywhere you went leveling there was competition, to the point people actually needed to discuss camping spots. Not only that, but every time you went NM hunting you had competition. Also Sky, even 2 parties doing sky could run into huge problems. Coffers/chests hunting? Huuuge competition. Crafting was also far much more competitive given that even if you level slowly you still had to deal with like... 10k+ players. Oh yeah, people had run schedule for Dyna.

In fact, the game in 2006 was far much competitive than now due to 1) Much more people around running stuff 2) Far less spots to do stuff 3) Lockdown and general difficulty to set up things meant people weren't spread in 360 directions like they are these days

Now please I want to hear about how you handled zoning into Aht Urhgan and finding 1000 ppl running around doing stuff. What about zoning into Crawler Nest and Garlaige cittadel and finding 2 parties exping any time? Or going zoning into Giddeus and finding 7+ people camping Hoo Mjuu the Torrent?

In fact, the game got much more less competitive with time. Compare Escha to Sky, escha actually allows several people to run stuff in parallel. Sure, there are more people running endgame but 1) Not everyone is running escha at the same time 2) 1000 people are actually very little in MMOPRG. You have people from Asura LITERALLY telling you that "competition" is not an issue and people still think Asura is populated like 2006 Crawler Nest. It's honestly kind of hilarious, I wonder what imagine people have of more "populated" servers in the mind. (especially given that populated servers don't even have 1/10 of their server population in 2005 or so)

Back then, it was to your advantage to have as many players as possible seeking invites, to quickly build your exp/merit party.

As opposed to now? Last time I checked you want 6 people to CP and even for T2+ (Even some T1) most people want full party. Avatars too.

Whether that's easier on a larger or smaller server is debatable.

No, it's not, what the hell? How is easier to find people to run stuff if there are LESS people online?

"Woah, there is no one online, all my friend are AFK I can't rely on shouts, but somehow it's easier to get stuff done!"

[Afania]

No, it's not, what the hell? How is easier to find people to run stuff if there are LESS people online?

"Woah, there is no one online, all my friend are AFK I can't rely on shouts, but somehow it's easier to get stuff done!"

I just spent pages to explain. Connections that only exists on certain servers, mules. Also this is kinda depend on content things. You simply don't shout for melee WoC nor master trials. You're speaking from a complete PUG point of view.

Also just to provide some correct information, you don't need 6 people for T2+. 3 is enough for everything up to T3, Yakshi is doable with 3, I wouldn't be surprised if it's doable with 2. Anything easier than yakshi is doable with 3 or less, which is almost all of the T1~T3 escha NM that I can think of.

In fact, the game got much more less competitive with time. Compare Escha to Sky, escha actually allows several people to run stuff in parallel.

Not if you use certain strategy. #2 in reisen and #1 in ruann is often preferred for certain NM. You can probably* still win without those pop spot, but those slot still gains advantage that other ??? doesn't have.

Also some ??? in reisen and ruann is massive aggro fest, which increases the time taken considerably because one person is guarantee to aggro things.

Once again, saying escha content can support multiple party on the same time without suffering from certain disadvantage is just false info. Objectively speaking, it can't.

[Jin_Uzuki]

I just spent pages to explain. Connections that only exists on certain servers, mules. Also this is kinda depend on content things. You simply don't shout for melee WoC nor master trials. You're speaking from a complete PUG point of view.

Connections exist in every server. Mules too. LS of people banding together exist on every servers as well people making friendships with people and getting non-LS connections with them. They have existed for years and will exist until the end of this game forever.

The only difference is that you lose the ability to do stuff if you "connections" are offline and afk and you are completely at loss if you are a returning/new player.

Also just to provide some correct information, you don't need 6 people for T2+. 3 is enough for everything up to T3, Yakshi is doable with 3, I wouldn't be surprised if it's doable with 2. Anything easier than yakshi is doable with 3 or less, which is almost all of the T1~T3 escha NM that I can think of.

No I did not. You missed "most people". Most people aren't 2100/2100 JP <insert job> that can solo/duo T3. I did T3. Don't try to be coy with me.

Not if you use certain strategy. #2 in reisen and #1 in ruann is often preferred for certain NM. You can probably* still win without those pop spot, but those slot still gains advantage that other ??? doesn't have.

Also some ??? in reisen and ruann is massive aggro fest, which increases the time taken considerably because one person is guarantee to aggro things.


Once again, saying escha content can support multiple party on the same time without suffering from certain disadvantage is just false info. Objectively speaking, it can't.

Funny you mention #1 in Ruann, that the actual spot where you can get agroed, isn't it. #2 on reisenjima too I think? Most people use #9.

What are these "advantages" anyway?

Still want to know how you handled FFXI in 2006 were there was competition everywhere. I mean, you can't handle picking a different ??? in escha what did you do when you had to discuss exping spots that were less favorable? I'm genuinely curious now.

[Afania]

Connections exist in every server. Mules too. LS of people banding together exist on every servers as well people making friendships with people and getting non-LS connections with them. They have existed for years and will exist until the end of this game forever.

The only difference is that you lose the ability to do stuff if you "connections" are offline and afk and you are completely at loss if you are a returning/new player.

The problem is, again, besides one person nobody else in this entire chains of discussion is trying to sell their server. Besides that person nobody is saying new/returning player should NOT go to Asura.

You guys are trying to sell Asura to new/returning players, I got it. But why are you also trying to convince everyone else with LS/friends/connections on their home to leave their LS/friends for Asura and cut off their connections? That just makes no sense to me. It seems to me that you're just trying to justify your choice, when nobody bashes your choice to begin with.

Also your idea of connection is obviously different from mine. My idea of connection involves people that meets certain qualifications(certain job/gear/owns certain number of mules/high level of trusts and intimacy etc), it's not just anyone. Asura and Odin is currently top 2 server in terms of population, if I'm going to try and replicate that 2 min melee woc/100% win rate again, I wouldn't be able to pull it off on Asura nor Odin just because I don't have access to these people, even though both servers are the biggest NA servers. People that meets the job/gear/prebuff mule qualification wouldn't help a stranger like me. I can go out and make 300 friends and join multiple LSs on those servers, that doesn't mean I can get the access to people to pull it off. It simply can only be done with very, very specific people/groups, because of certain social restrictions.

Long story short, when it comes to the definition of connections, it is not the number that matters, but individual.

Telling people to leave their LS/friends for Asura(that's what some people have been doing in this discussion) is just cutting off connections, which is against my original point.

Funny you mention #1 in Ruann, that the actual spot where you can get agroed, isn't it. #2 on reisenjima too I think? Most people use #9.

What are these "advantages" anyway?

Elevation and kiting space.

Still want to know how you handled FFXI in 2006 were there was competition everywhere. I mean, you can't handle picking a different ??? in escha what did you do when you had to discuss exping spots that were less favorable? I'm genuinely curious now.

There's absolutely no point to compare exping in 2006 with endgame in 2017. The time is different, situations are different, trust/mule tool access are different, contents are different.

And even if someone prefer a 400 people low pop server at that time, they wouldn't have the choice in 2006. Now you're basically just arguing for the sake of winning the argument by playing the 2006 card.

Again, you want to play with real people, I got it. But why must you guys repeatly argue with those who doesn't?