Lastly, I love XI and that's why I wrote this.
XI loves you too. And I have always loved reading your well thought-out and eminently reasonable posts on this Forum. I won't speak for you, but people often quit for a while and come back. Taking a break from FFXI, or from anything else, gives you a fresh set of eyes when you return.

I was never as well-geared or godly as you, but I felt the distant approach of God Complex, when you have basically beaten everything at end game, and you start to hate it because of the limitations.

To avoid this end-game fatigue scenario, I started levelling a new mule character, new server, new race, new main job. And I played the whole old areas game on locked level 75, no 76+ jobs. I had a blast fighting hard level 75 content with my trusts, and playing all the old areas again, and experiencing the shocking blood-on-the-walls moments that level 75 still provides.

Vana'diel is an incredible place, it is just amazing. But we forget this when we spend our lives clicking on the Ambuscade book or w/e.

When I started playing the old areas again, on level 75, I hear the true voice of Vana'diel calling to my heart again. I was entranced again, just as I was in 2004 when I first loaded the game. There is a deep cultural memory in me, Vana'diel is a central part of my life, it always was and it always will be until such time as it is no longer online. But I truly cherish every day in Vana'diel, it is my home, and whatever criticisms I have of event structures and job mechanics and w/e, this will never change the deep cultural bond I have with my spiritual home, Vana'diel.

I totally agree with you about Ambuscade, and several of your other criticisms. As usual, your points are deeply thought-out and eloquently worded. I have always enjoyed reading your posts!


Thanks for keeping probably the best MMO online.
This. This is everything. Yes, yes, yes. Yes three times.