Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

[Nukapai]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

@ all the replies

Yeah, I definitely have a sense of wonder about the game... wonder where my next gil is coming from.... (kidding, kidding!).

I love going to a new zone! I ooh and aah and point at things for ages. Sometimes I arrange to meet up with my rl-fiance who also plays and we literally just go somewhere nice to, I dunno, watch a waterfall.

And I really like the chocobo music. And choco-chicks. I wish I could do more with them.

I might need to add "eternal nerd" to the "eternal newbie" statement...

[Omni]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

Hey Nukapai! :D


I have the same feeling as you. I havent done much end game at all and all I've done was level a buncha 'i feel like playing this now' jobs. I think I've finally found a home in rng but I still get anxious being only a rng sometimes.

Anyhow, the great thing about CoP I think is that a lot of the missions are level capped. You dont need to be 75 to have a chance at them, actually many are 30,40 and 50 caps, which makes you set for them. BLM is a big help on many of them too. The only issue is getting people that need them or finding help.

It's great that you have a ls with ppl you get along with. It makes all the world of a difference.

p.s. still have yet to catch you on!

[Nukapai]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

OMNI!

Stuupeeed time zones. One day I'll have to arrange for an all-nighter; it'd be awesome to meet in-game!

[Cometgreen]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

Exploring seems underappreciated. The developers created a huge world with a lot of details, and chances are most people have never explored more than a quarter of it. I don't think I ever realized that there was a lake in Jugner until I did my AF, because outside of that quest and possibly fishing, what point is there to the northwest side of Jugner beyond lounging around?

This is also why I'm a big fan of the Crawler's Nest map quest. Sure, it's really time consuming (although now you have a chocobo to call), but you get to see the nooks and crannies of the original zones.

[eticket109]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

Exploring seems underappreciated. The developers created a huge world with a lot of details, and chances are most people have never explored more than a quarter of it. I don't think I ever realized that there was a lake in Jugner until I did my AF, because outside of that quest and possibly fishing, what point is there to the northwest side of Jugner beyond lounging around?
This is also why I'm a big fan of the Crawler's Nest map quest. Sure, it's really time consuming (although now you have a chocobo to call), but you get to see the nooks and crannies of the original zones.

plus, the text on the monuments gives a lot of insight into the history of the zones

[Raydeus]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

Like others have said, I've been playing for almost 2.5 years and still feel like a newbie.

I don't think that feeling will ever go away... which is one of the reasons why I still enjoy the game so much.


Last night I capped great sword skill for the first time since I started playing (240 at lvl 73 PLD) and after that I changed nations to get Rank up in San d'oria, it really made me feel like a newbie running around as a Rank 1 hume in a new nation, it was really fun.

I just hope this feeling lasts for another 3 or 4 years.

[eticket109]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

this is quite long and very much a repost... but I felt it applied well to this thread. excuse the poor translation >.>

First time came to Valkurm Dunes, I saw a Taru White Mage among the group of strangers.
I was a Warrior, at a time I didn't even know what SkillChain was.
Competition for Subjob item was very intense, and it was common that Ghouls at Dunes were claimed immediately once they had spawned.
Every night, we searched for the items endlessly. Without knowing too much, we had a static party settled down.
War, War, Mnk, Whm, Blm, Rdm.
And finally, we had gathered complete subjob items for all.
Already with each other for so long, we decided to level all our subjob together also.

First time went to Jeuno, twice, we had all died on the road.
I still remember clearly the sound of our cheers when we got to Jeuno after all the obstacles we went through.
In order to celebrate the moment, we sold everything we had for some money to buy a LinkShell.
The leader was assigned to the Taru White Mage who lost on the /random dice.

We had such a good time...
Hoping it could always stay that way, never changed...

But. When was this starting to change? Maybe it's when the Taru White Mage learned the Teleport magic.
Gradually, everyone drifted away.
Taru White Mage was the reason.
Always quiet and calm, she started to avoid daily repetitive, killing, mad leveling partying.
To those members who wanted to get strong, powerful, high-level faster, she began to have troubles to get along with them.
The level difference was too wide.
One day, she suddenly told us her decision....
"I am so sorry. I have no use to everyone anymore. Please find another White Mage...."
Actually before she even made her announcement, our members already started to fall apart.
Secretly competing with each other by outleveling, again and again.
Now as I recall, I still don't understand why I was so desperate to level.
Maybe, it's because of the burning desire to persuade greater power, I think.
Two people left the LS, and later on I joined other LS.

.............

.............

At last, I maxed my warrior in levels. It was still quite some time before the release of Rise of Zilart expansion.
Having completed my initial goal, I started leveling THF in order to make more money.
As soon as the Rise of Zilart has released, my THF already reached lvl 58.
Thinking to explore the new zones and considering THF had the ability to flee from dangerous situation, I decided to go as THF.

Coming back to hometown Bastok, went through the Korroloka Tunnel, I arrived at Altepa Desert.
No map. No direction. I had no idea what to expect.
I just wondered around and see what would happen.
Suddenly, I saw the Telepoint-Altepa.
At the sametime, there is something next to it.

Yes, it's the long forgotten Taru White Mage.
She was in complete AF, sitting there alone quietly.
Next to her name, is a very familiar LS color.
Not possible.... there are too many LS with similar colors.
But somehow, my intuition told me it's the one we had long ago.
She saw me, and smiled.
Then, used /tell and said.....


"Haven't seen you in a long time. You look good ^^"

Maybe she found the awkwardness in the air, she did a /cry emote.

"I was so sorry that time, I wished I could apologize to everyone. One day, if we meet again. But I need to tell you something. "

Bathing in the purple light from Telepoint-Crystal, she started to tell her story slowly.
What happen after that. What she was thinking that time.

She, was an "adventurer" to the land of Vana'Diel, she said.
Of course, samething to me, I thought.
But the way she understood about adventure seemed to be different than mine.

"It was really fun when we were at Dunes. In a world we had no sense of where to go, we found our path together."
"But ever since we came to Jeuno, we were doing samething over and over again everyday. We didn't have any spare time."
"After I learned the Teleport magic, I always thought we could go someplace interesting as one. But everyone was only into leveling......"

"I, I just want to hang around in this world. I know, maybe at somewhere, there must be a great scenery I have yet to see. If we could all share that moment, would be so wonderful. At least, that's what I thought."
"Remember the first time we saw the rainbow at LaTheine Plateau? I still remembered how excited we were, never forgot. I wished we could all did this once again, just like the old times..."

At this point, I am shocked...

Indeed, first time went to Jeuno, it was very excited. But after that, everytime I saw new zones, did I still have the same feeling?
Even if I arrived at a new place, it's just another hunting place to me.
Those Momument Stones detailed the story of each zone, to me, is just another cumbersome obstacle to obtain map of the Crawler's Nest.
Since when, I have lost the enthusiasm to adventure?

The original LS we created, BLM was the one insisted would stay untill the end.
But now, she is the only one left, alone by herslef.
Even though, she said she still wanted to keep it equipped.

"Because, this is a special LS"
"Although there were many invites to other LS, but I all politely rejected them. One day if someone come back, I can say welcome home to him."


I felt ashamed. Until now, I never even thought of her once, already forgot about her in memory. Not to mention other members. I even dropped the Link Pearl long ago.

"Walking around in this world by myself. Everytime I saw something new, I always typed in what I discovered in LS chat, even though it ended up talking to myself only. w"

"I discovered many many stories. Like the history of Davoi, Magic Towers at Beaucedine Glacier and Sarutabaruta......"
The Taru White Mage kept talking to me the stories that perhaps no one would even pay attention to until now.
In the chat window, red texts of her /tells started to fill up slowly.
At the sametime, I felt I was very envied of her.
Her expression was so real and whole-hearted.
I already lost the sense of adventure, but she still kept it in her heart.

Nervously, I asked her.
If it's alright, could you once again, give me a Link Pearl? I asked.
Next time if you go travel around, please take me with you.
I know it is a very shameful, selfish request.

She smiled, and request to Trade.

It's a pearl with the most memorable color. I equipped it right away.
In the chat window, a green line of text slowly flowed in.

"Welcome back. And welcome to the adventure world of Vana'Diel"

[Jugil]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

this is quite long and very much a repost... but I felt it applied well to this thread. excuse the poor translation >.>

That story is the best. Don't know how many times I've read it, but it never gets old .

[KoukiRyu]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

I saw a video of this on youtube and it made me really sad x_x; I can't really imagine someone playing like that, and she'd be amazing for playing so long on her own, and if she really enjoyed that, I feel envious as well. It makes me want to go explore and stuff >_< And again it emphasizes how much of a waste it was for me to just rush up to 75 when I should've had fun in the process...but with THF, I will have fun...and I will go at whatever pace I want :3

[Pawkeshup]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

The You Tube verision

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARghlVjBab0

The original flash it came from

http://koti.phnet.fi/santamik/FFXI/meetingagain-en.swf

To this day just the music makes me well up. Not ashamed to say it. It holds a lot of parallels to life. We grow up, meet friends, explore the world with them, then get torn apart by our own goals. And only by seeing the world through another's eyes do we see what we missed by taking our path.

[eticket109]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

Nice work... all the flash links I had for it are long dead

[Nakti]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

Exploring seems underappreciated.

This is also why I'm a big fan of the Crawler's Nest map quest. Sure, it's really time consuming (although now you have a chocobo to call), but you get to see the nooks and crannies of the original zones.

This is so true. One of the main reasons I want to get to 75 is to run around more zones aggro-free. It's fun exploring!

My husband and I were farming for Gausbit Grass (for our chocos ^^) in Meriphataud and we decided to run around exploring, too. Nothing aggro'd! ...until I met Waraxe Beak (NM) lol. Luckily, my PLD husband Invincible'd while I Teleported us to safety. Now I know why my Evasion is almost capped as a 45 WHM.

[Xylaa]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

I love that video, makes me tear up everytime I watch it.
I really enjoy exploring, my goal before quitting the game is to have every map. Very hard to accomplish too! lol One fun thing about the jobs I've decided to level, is that I can explore without too much worry about death. I don't care to lose exp, it's having to homepoint that sucks! But especially with summoner, I've soloed VT mobs that aggroed me in different zones, but it took a long time. I remember exploring through Arrapaggo Reef (no one wanted to come, no one in my ls likes it because it's so dangerous), I got aggro by something I didn't know was True Sight. It was fun running to the complete other side of the zone to leave all while having carby distract it.
I've also been called wierd for leveling my mule, as the same job I already have my main character at 72. One reason is, I loved duo/trio in Ifrit's Cauldron from 51-59. I plan on doing that again, plus my friend, who only gets exp solo/duo, is a 58rdm with a 58(maybe higher) npc. It'd be fun to duo with him.

[Nukapai]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

I would actually seriously consider switching to my mule as a main char if there weren't those pesky rank missions and goodness knows what else to do all over again...

Instead, I think it'll be fun to level a couple of the advanced jobs bit by bit from scatch.

One of the best parts about Aht Urgan was running around a whole new city, doing all the little quests!!! I did about 10 in a week; loved it

[Omniblast]

Re: Does anyone else feel like they're playing just the tip of the iceberg...?

I have over 350+ days play time. Two level 75 jobs (whm, smn), relic afs for both, yinyang robe, noble's tunic, reverend mail, all elemental staffs with 3 HQ, beat divine might (suppanomimi), did sky, did some PM's...

And I still get killed by Wajaom Tigers in Wajaom Woodlands.
Life is indeed sad. (sneak, invis wore, carby took 1 tiger, the other two went after me.)

I forget that I have Chocobo Whistle. *sigh*