Quote Originally Posted by DarthTaru View Post
Hyrist:

I think you should read my posts again if you think I was insulting you. There was evidently a miscommunication somewhere. I said I doubted you ever played in a linkshell that was capable of monopolization and so you wouldn't truly understand what the difference was between that linkshell and a linkshell that was nearly as capable but seldom got claim. I'll stand by that. I've been in both varieties of linkshells, #1's and #2's and I have first hand experience with precisely what the difference was and that difference was precisely what I said it was - motivation.

And I do believe that some of your stated reasons for not wanting open world HNMs are overly self centered.
You don't want open world HNMs because you don't want to camp them and because you don't want to compete for them and because all of this they shouldn't be in the game despite the fact that, in an endgame linkshell large enough and organized enough to routinely kill HNMs, you don't always have to be.

My HNM linkshell had plenty of "casual" players. That's why, as I've said before, I detest the buzz words "hardcore" and "casual" to define what people are. On these forums they seem to be code for "good player" and "bad player" and in XI that's exactly what we called them. There were plenty of people in my HNM linkshell that had full time jobs, families, and social lives. They also had Gaiters and e bodies.

So with that in mind I don't understand the above gripes one bit. They're completely alien to me. Normally when I hear these arguments coming from someone I chalk it up as nothing but bitter envy. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, though.

The strongest, most well geared BLM on my server was in the National guard and had to leave the game completely for weeks at a time for duty. Full time National Guard, wife, family, varied play times, and the envy of every BLM on the server.

"Hardcore" and "casual".
I honestly don't think these ridiculous terms have any real definition.

In the golden age of the HNM linkshell of which I was a part we were successful in open world because we were motivated, because we were organized, and because we were capable. A lot of things that you've said leads me to believe that you think somehow this is `unfair`.
When we lost #1 to the merger of two other linkshells who also happened to kick out all their dead weight we lost it because they were extremely motivated to dominate and many people in my linkshell weren't for various reasons.

I spent enough time in XI endgame linkshells to know what made them tick and what lead to success ("monopolization" as you call it) and the God's honest truth was that nothing was holding any player or any linkshell back in XI beyond the limitations they placed on themselves. That applies to this game as well. I'm sure it applies to every MMO, despite many of the have-nots believing otherwise, eager to blame "bots" and "unfairness" and whatever else people come up with for why the have nothing, couldn't claim, couldn't compete, couldn't kill, and couldn't attain best-in-slot gear pieces.

And just to correct you. When I used the word "prestige" I wasn't referring to my own. I was referring to that of the mobs. The biggest, baddest of them had it in a way the Dodore's and 8 hour repop mobs you envision never, ever will.
The Great Buffalo's of the world have to be farmed. The biggest, baddest, rarest of the HNMs in XI had to be conquered.
Very well put my friend.