Farming and -ga spells

[Jei]

Re: Farming and -ga spells

Just a theory I heard what treasure hunter only applies to the single monster you're hitting. True or not, I don't know. But killing 1 monster at a time really gave me better drops. Might be just a feeling.

[Nukapai]

Re: Farming and -ga spells

Whoever said -GA farming is rude; I'm sure it can be, if done in a rude manner and without any kind of consideration for your fellow player, but then the same could be said about any farming.

GA farming, just like any other kind of farming, can be done considerately and effectively.

I switch my farming methods according to:

a) what I am trying to farm
b) where I am farming
c) whether I have any additional goals/concerns that affect my choice of farming style

For example, GA farming for seeds in Gustaberg seems to be very effective. By the time you run from one end of the zone to the other, the mobs you caught going the other way have re-spawned. So you run around, constantly trailing mobs behind you.

Plus saplings hoppety-hopping behind you in a huge herd is a hilarious spectacle.

(Old pic; but you get the idea). :p

On the other hand, if I am farming in an area like Rolanberry fields, it's much more sensible to dig out my Earth Staff and just hit things.

[Ikaru]

Re: Farming and -ga spells

As a farmer myself, I feel concentrating on AoE usage only works to slow down your farming session. If you start a train and have one monster follow you for ten minutes, another for five, a third for two ect ect and then kill them all at once, that means it will be another five minutes before ANY of the monsters respawn again. Farming, just like EXP to me, is better when it comes in quick, small, continueous chains. Kill lots of monsters in little time and the rewards build up swiftly. Otherwise you end up waiting for repop timers and running all around just to find a mob.

I say get the staff, skill it up and kill quick and repeatedly, throwing in a few -gas/AoE WS when mobs are within range. It's better to kill a lot quickly them to keep them alive and wipe em all out at once.

That's pretty insightful, I like it.

[Yuanlung]

Re: Farming and -ga spells

AoE WS only go so far. I perfer using Spirit Taker for MP, and use that MP to nuke. It's much faster and you don't have much down time this way. Don't get stuck on the AoE nuke mind set either. Pretty often, single target nukes are more MP effecient than a -ga.

I either farm stuff that are a lot weaker than me and kill them in a continuous string, only AoE when a few spawns in range, or farm things that con EP to me (one by one, of course) with my fellowship NPC.

AoE in farming may be satisfying, but I just don't really find it all that efficient.

[Chocobo Knight]

Re: Farming and -ga spells

Apparently there is a debate waiting to burst into flame here. On one side, we have the "drop rates blow" folk spearheaded by the omniscient(sp?) Icemage. On the other, there is the "It's all we've got as BLMs" coalition, loosely assembled. There are some people on the fence, with WS and the like. As a well-leveled BLM myself (62, not quite there yet) I must say that I never relied on AoE, instead using my staf and a few debuffs when hunting an item.

The perpetual n00b throws in two gil.

[Chveya]

Re: Farming and -ga spells

Since I started this thread, I figured I'd come back and post an update. Taking the advice from someone on this board (I forget the name, please forgive me -_-; ), I purchased a scythe to use while farming. It took me about an hour to skill it up, then I headed out to my usual farming spot. It is working out really well for me. I no longer use AoE spells, unless I get accidental links or I see a number of target mobs close together. I really appreciate not having to rest so much to regain MP, and it is kinda fun to see 'big' numbers for my melee damage. ^^