How longs too long?

[tdh]

I've been toying with the Friends List Plus thing at work today, talking to friend in my LS. He's been in the same party for about 8 hours now. And I was thinking about how last night I was in a party for about 5 hours, and would have liked a change of scenery, but the party was really good, so grinding through even further would have been nice.

But the question is, how long is too long to sit with a group and grind away at EXP? Some people try and keep things at the 3 hour mark, others like to go in those long marathon runs.

So how long's too long?

[ibroyles]

Re: How longs too long?

I'm more of a marathoner myself. In fact, if a party stays together for anything less than 2 hrs I tend to feel a little bit cheated. If I got it my way every time, I would go for 20k avg, max I have ever gotten was about 30k in one day, with my static. By the end of that, sure I was pretty beat, but it felt great getting so much done in one day.

On the flip side of the coin, when I ask most people what their average "goal" is for parties, they say about 10k(which usually translates to around 2hrs). I have no beef with that, but it seems pretty minimal when you got 40k tnl, maybe its just me...

After hitting 75 with merits etc., I dont really see a party staying together for much longer than 2-3 hrs unless you are close friends. It gets pretty tedious at that point just fast chaining VT mobs forever, so it gets more reasonable to just stay for even 1 hr party and just get a merit or two. Whenever I go back to leveling another job though, I get back in my "marathon" mode.

[DakAttack]

Re: How longs too long?

I hope for at least four hours, but six is nice. I like to use an entire stack of food in one party without dieing!

[Tsikuro]

Re: How longs too long?

I'm more of a 'marathon' person myself; I've done 12 hours, which got me from level 62 to 65 in one sitting. Towards the end of the party, however, I was the only 'original' member- everyone else had been replaced.

[Jokerboy1]

Re: How longs too long?

man geez.. 5 mins for me.. i get to pooped... 6mins if im really pushing it...

[SirenIssac]

Re: How longs too long?

I usually like to party for about 2hrs more or less but usually leave when the first person has to go unless it has been under 2hrs.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: How longs too long?

In my longest session I got 63k exp. It was rather humorous because the first person that left ended up joining near the time I was going to quit. He was shocked and asked me if I had slept. LOL The parties average exp flucuated with the performance of the group but I know that I was on for at least 12 hours. I really didn't look at what time I logged in because I NEVER expected to be on that long!

I never did that again though.....I soooooooooo paid for it the next couple days! I'm just getting too old for that crap!

[Balfree]

Re: How longs too long?

manaburn pt, lasted about 12 hours, about 2 hours of idleness due to people wanting a couple breaks, which is normal

like TGM, i had people re-joining the pt at some point lol, i may have met half the black mages around 60-64 at that time on that pt lol

[Caspian]

Re: How longs too long?

If its a crappy party, then it can't end soon enough. Good parties on jobs I like...atleast a cpl hours. My play times are after work (I work evenings, so it gets late quick), or weekends (my only days off work, so I usually have stuff going on intermittently). If I actually had a whole day to kill on ffxi, and was on my main with a good party...I could conceivably go for several hours. Really just depends on the situation.

[Minimee]

Re: How longs too long?

i am only able to party for a couple of hours or so during the week. on weekends if i get in a good party i will stay forever. my last exp grind was doing war on my elvann. i went to kazham at 24 and stayed til 30. 2 parties, first one was unbalanced with not top players, would never stayed as long with them. soon as it broke got invite with good balance and good players and we rocked. by the time i hit 28 i was the last original from that party. i stayed for 2 more levels and exp never really slowed. ive partied for 20+ hours in a stretch but this takes too much out of me anymore. i think anyone that joins a party should stay a coupleof hours, unless they die several times or the party just sucks.

[DrivenTooFar]

Re: How longs too long?

As long as the group is doing well it's never too long. Marathons are good but everyone needs to break every now and then. I've read news articles about people dying from playing too long but that was like after 2 days straight. I usually only get to play for about 2 hours a day and thats if I find a party right away. The rest of you are lucky to be able to put so much time into this game. Damn responsibility!

[GuardianMaximus]

Re: How longs too long?

as long as the group is decent and they know what ur doing then i guess until ur neck hurts ur eyes buldge out or your mom turns off the power

[tdh]

Re: How longs too long?

The thing is, for me I do those marathon runs when in the Dunes. Taking freak'n 10+ hours to get from Lv.10 to Lv.19 or so. Mainly due to that fact that those parties suck.

Lv.25 or higher, I usually count on about 3 hours. I always look for 3 hours, but much longer is fine provided I have the time. There have been times where I was just going to do some farming, and a party insists that I come even if I only have an hour to spend. Then other times like the other night where I partied for about 5.5 hours, and gained almost 13k in EXP.

But I think at the 3 hour mark, even in a good party, I kinda get a little tired of the grind. It's the "Hump" for me. Sometimes I can get over the hump and go back into another 3 hour grind, but I rarely get a party that's worth it, or lasts that long.

Then again, at Lv.54, the EXP needed to level requires more time in a party. So I guess party life spans are extended.

[nanatsu]

Re: How longs too long?

The longest I've ever gone was a 5 hour party, but usually I can't stay for more than 3 hours. I get pretty busy during the day. x_x I can't really imagine partying for 12 whole hours o_o

[tdh]

Re: How longs too long?

I've been in-game for 12 straight hours before, but I've never been in a party for 12 straight. I mean I've had days where I partied for 3 with one job, crafted for a while, helped LS members, and then partied another job for 3 hours or so. But never the same job, same party, for 12 straight. I'm still a little in awe'd by TGM that she pulled that off! lol