Quote Originally Posted by Jynx View Post
Lolwhut?

My leaping boots were and emperors hairpin were exremly important pieces of gear for my Thief early on. If I "Didn't care" about my gear I'd never have as many party invites as I did. Perhaps it was just my server but Odin would totally shun you for being a gimp. The only people who could get away with fighting with crap gear were bards...
Leaping Lizzy could have been takedown solo, but Valkurm Emporer was impossible at 24. Wide scan was all but required to camp it, especially back when it was botted by RMT when it still was a sellable drop. So you either got it with a higher level job or had higher level help.

But that was one of the sick mentalities of the early XI community -- that there was no space between elite and gimped. I remember getting booted from parties as a 35 Monk because I didn't have OKotes. No one card that it was my first job and that I didn't really have the means to generate 30 million Gil. You were expected back then to either have the best or to not show up at all.

But that's why it was a race to cap. Because even if my 35 monk happened to get claim by having Mee Deggi pop on top of me, it'd have been a brief encounter in the bird's favor. I eventually gave up and leveled rdm because all I needed was mp gear to keep up a refresh cycle. Then at cap I could make enough for OKotes and SH.

XI NMs are a horrible example of midlevel content. Standing in place hoping the three to 72 hour spawn (depending on the NM) is in you favor sucks. It's a bare bones time sink that the elitist community bought into hook, line and sinker.