Zonka: Year One

Tomorrow will mark the 1 year anniversary since I started blogging about my in-game experiences.  My how time flies.  I can bearly remember everything I’ve done, although it really hasn’t been much.  I haven’t quit, so that is a good thing.

I believe that around mid-May was when I decided take Paladin to “end-game”.  I still have plans to, when more time becomes available.  For the mean time, I will work on soloing WHM to 37 until I have more dedicated time to work on Paladin.  Paladin job is currently at 55 and I would love to get it to 75 before the end of the year.

I heard there might be some changes in my lifestyle at which I cannot speak about it at the moment, but eventually I should be able to gather more time to continue back to gaming soon.

Here is a link to my original blog where it all started, which I started on blogger.com:
http://blogzonka.blogspot.com/2006/06/here-i-am.html

Has it been a month?

I’ve been grinding it out in the Dunes still.  I work on white mage as often as I can, popping on to try to hit at least one level.  Granted if I’m not pulled off for RL tasks.

Hydox mentioned about getting an Anniversary Ring that SE provided for all the players.  I believe it is a ring simliar to the Chariot and the Empress Band, but offer 10 (non-rechargable) charges, i.e.: 10 uses.  Which means per use, you get to receive 100% or double the experience points while actived for 12 hours or 3000xp before expiring.

Not bad considering you can rack up near 30,000 xp off the entire ring.  Since I am a 23 white mage @ 5000 xp to 24 and foreach level after the xp requirements I believe are increased by 100, I have already used at least 1 charge from the ring.

I have about 27,000xp or so left.

If I don’t die, I should be able to make it to level 29, soloing with just the Anniversary Ring.  Of course, it would take less time if I were to join a party and get 200-300 regular xp.

That saves me on some charges for the Empress Band.  I can get a little further with WHM and seem like I’m making more than a little progression.  All I need to do is get to 37, at which time.

Thanks SE.

I’m not dead.

We have had a new addition to the family, so playing time has been limited.

I wanted to pop on just to say that I was still alive and I will continue with my stories of a life as a Paladin.  Lately I’ve been helping my son with Rank Missions and WHM/NIN in the Dunes soloing.

 I will get back into the groove, eventually.

Beastmaster 10*

I haven’t on much to make any progress on any of my other jobs because of RL happenings.

I did manage to get Beastmaster to level 10 yesterday, which is a pretty boring and lazy job.  I charm, fight, rest, charm, fight and rest.  In between, if I feel like it, I will attack a couple of EP here and there.

My son made it to level 20 with his WAR, so I will be helping him get his chocobo license.

Eventually I will go back and get PLD to 60, finish getting the rest of my AF 2 and AF 3 and work on WHM to 37, so my BST has something to sub with.

No more teens *

There isn’t nothing more liberating than getting out of the -teens, needless to say Dunes in style.  My last mage job is now finally out of the dunes.  What made it that much better, that level 20 WHM didn’t happen without the help of Alayna and Hydox.  Alayna wanted to work on the Paladin job and Hydox 75 Red Mage tagged along with us in Korroloka Tunnel.

I don’t know if most people realize, but you can go beneath Bastok from the Bastok Mines and enter the Korroloka Tunnel through the Zeruhn Mines.  That area is infested with Bats and Worms wasting away for Dune beholders with their flags up high.  Those would take this advantage if you live in Bastok or fairly familiar with the Korroloka Tunnel.

Us 3 spent a good amount of time from 16-20 there in the tunnels.  At times, even my son joined in getting to level his warrior and when Hydox had to go, he would teleport us to the Dunes and I would start my own party.  One time we had a party of all Elvaans, except one, which was a Hume, but that is okay because I had to disband and the party stayed with us.

To avoid the monotony of leveling in the dunes, Jroo and I found time to go exploring around Beadeaux in search for an Ooze that carries Dodge Earrings.  Jroo is in need of money and those items sell for about 25k gil a piece.  One of these days we will get it.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BlogZonka/1718WHM
http://picasaweb.google.com/BlogZonka/1920WHM

Nothing New *

Hit 16 WHM yesterday.  I will be limited on time soon, so I plan on getting WHM as far along possible.  A few friends of mine tried our first BCNM 30/3 member Petrifying Pairs in the Ghelsba Outpost and failed twice.  They were harder than I expected.  One friend RDM/BLM couldn’t seem to get Gravity and Bind to land and he ended up dying too quickly.  I came as a PLD/NIN and it just doesn’t seem that I was doing to damage to get the first lizard down fast enough.  On the 2nd try we went for PLD/NIN to use Utsusemi to cover some of the blows, but without Provoke, it didn’t do me well.  We are considering trying NIN/WAR, WAR/NIN and BLM/RDM set up.  Maybe we will be able to sleep the 2nd one, while we use the Shadow/Provoke set up.  Round 3 on Satuday maybe.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BlogZonka/16WHM

13 White Mage *

Need I say more?  Leof is a new player I met in the process, only got 1 level and died once in 3 hours.  I could say I was making some progress, but I then would be lying.  Miss-pulls, links and death.  Yippee.

Slow times in the Dunes, hopefully the torture can be bared long enough to get to Qufim. 

Limit Break G2

I didn’t take too many glorified shots of the 3 NMs that Apples, Nemesis and Razzor helped me with.  I would like to make one notable embarassing moment.  When I first asked the LS to help me out, Razzor offered and told me to bring something with a Warp when we were done.  Soon afterwards Apples then her husband Nemesis joined in.

Once we got to Xarcabard, before we took on the first NM which was I think a Sabretooth family NM he gave me strict instructions that towards the end of the death of the NM to click on the ??? in the back of the cave.  I have to be quick about it, because the NM re-pops fast.  I didn’t get a chance to read up on the quest, so I just followed what he said.  1) Wait til it is almost dead, 2) Click ??? 3) run like hell back out the cave.  So I did that and haul ass, met up with the others when I saw a command from Razzor that looked relatively like escape or something like that.  Little did I know, he was talking to his pet.  So what did I do?  /Magic “Warp”

I was out of there…  they didn’t have to tell me twice.

=== Area: Aht Uhrgan: Whitegate ===

Razzor:  Wth?  You weren’t supposed to leave yet.
Zonka:  I saw leave so that is what I did.
Apples:  We still have 2 more left.
Zonka:  Oh.  Ooops.

So she came back to get me and pick up Nemesis to join in on the fun.

We got all three NM without a hitch.  At the end of it all, Apples mentioned that NOW I can Warp.

What a funny crew, I finished of with then in doing a Beseiged before I /logoff

In all the fun and excitement, I didn’t get a chance to snap off any shots, but I still got some from Beseiged.

Level Up 54 – 55, Gallant Arms and Jroo Whitegate *

Friday
Lerica and Kellendil helped me out in Castle Zvahl Baileys to kill the Sparky for my Gallant Gauntlets.  I was still level 53, so as soon as I partied that evening, I would be ready to use that item.  Later on I was able to get a party in Altepa Dessert – Kuftal Tunnel, I was up til around 2am getting my buffer, before I had to log off because I was very tired.

Saturday
I started off late, but was able to party in a couple of hours to get 10400 xp.  As soon as one of my replacements came, which was a linkshell member, to relieve me, I was off to help Jroo get to Whitegate and get his first couple of missions in Aht Urhgan started so he can start receiving Imperial Standing Points to redeem for Silver Peices.  I loaned him 3 to get him started, so he can get his first 3 jumps to Jeuno.  He was a bit hesitant to set his homepoint there because of the distance, but I told him that if he did a couple of beseiges, he would get enought for Silver Pieces that it wouldn’t take time to get to Bastok or Jueno, if he needed a party.   If he were to die in the dunes, I could get there and raise him if needed.

So we were off to start his delivery quest for Naja.  We decided to go to Nashmau – Caedarva Mire for the delivery at the Staging Point.  At first I had no idea where or what that is nor did we know the area.  We found out that the area the Imps aggro to true sight and some of the other mobs aggro to low hp.

On the way there everything was fine, we sneaked and invised most of the way until something slept me and I was off.  Jroo went the opposite direction getting lost somewhere, by that time I bit it and died at the footsteps of a bunch of 70s.  A paladin raised me and warned me of the mobs in the area.  I asked where the staging point was and he pointed me in the right direction.  Rather than waiting for my weakend state, I took off above the hill only to be stopped by another Imp, so I rest waiting for it to move elsewhere.

Jroo then got aggroed, but was able to use his reraise.  He made sure that the Imp left before he used it. 

Earlier we asked someone in the Linkshell to escort us, but we got impatient and decided to go adventuring on our own, which we got more than we bargined for, hence the death of the two of us in the process.  All I could do was laugh, but I was amazed to find out that I didn’t delevel.

I was resting and contiplating why I decided to do this until I looked up and noticed the Imp was getting closer and closer to me, then wack!  He got me… I got up to run away but it was just too late.   Deleveled to 54!

I just sat there and laughed as I told Jroo to hang where he was until help arrived.  Ratdog said he would come and get us.  He got to us quick and raised and escorted me the remaining distance, which wasn’t far at all.  If it weren’t for that Imp.  He got his crab after it and we hauled ass to the gate.  Oh after that raise I was spared 54xp into 55, I didn’t delevel after all.

Rat then left and got Jroo and he made it back safely to finish up the quest and we took the gate back to Whitegate.  That pretty much sums up my weekend.

I am in desperate need in finding 2x Vit+3 rings, Hospitaler and Insomnia earrings and a new sword.  I also need 3 spells, Protect III, Cure IV and Holy, with a combined total of about 350k in gil.  I can’t wait til Hydox/Alayna come back, we need to do a BCNM cause I need some money quick!  All that is left is G2 and my AF Coronet (head) for level 56.  So far my goal of 2 per weekend is going great, minus the funding which will probably set me back in time.

Pictures.

SATA Paladin Style – 53 *

Some players would like to say that Paladin can tend to be a weeeee bit over zealous when it comes to tanking.  Today, I know how that felt, but before I get into that just yet, let me let you know how my afternoon went.  I planned on 54 Paladin this weekend and when I came home that was all I planned to do.  No missions, no quests and not even feeding my lovely red chocobo Zippy.  I through the good ole flag up in hopes to getting into a decent party and up some levels plus buffer.  I get an invite and I pleasantly accepted.  Then I asked the dreaded:

Zonka>> ((Camp)) ((Where?))
Leader>>  ((King Ranperre’s Tomb))

Return to KRT
At which point I had nasty flashbacks the last time I was there, when I delevelled from 50 back to 49 and the party disbanded and left me there to rot.  I am now 2 levels later, so hopefully it wont be as bad as it was before.  I raced the other members from Jeuno >> Whitegate >> Bastok: Metalworks >> Valkrum Dunes >> called ZippyRunner >> La Theine Plateau >> West/East Ranfaure >> King Ranperre’s Tomb.  I would have made it if I didn’t get caught up in a dead end.

The one problem I didn’t know about KRT, was if you try to zone up the stairs, it isn’t really a zone, so when you get a couple of bats that link, you have no choice but to kill the bats or die.  No wonder when they linked and I said for them to zone, no one left, well the mages did, but they bit the dust.  I was able to kill off one downstairs, I raised one thief.  That was when I discovered that when you zone, you don’t really, well, zone.  One SAM said:

Samurai>> When you get done down there, come up here and tank.

Oh, whoops.  We killed the last one off and the Red Mage had to go and was looking for a replacement. The Samurai went and grabbed another bat at which point, a bat popped at our camp.  Ouch, we lost 2 more after that one and they both ended up death warping and disbanding.  Following that the rest left and the only one standing there was the leader a dragoon and I.  I told him lets disband party and seek.  He agreed.

Not soon afterwards I got another invite.  We ((Gather Together)) ((Guide)) ((Stone)), again I ask ((Camp)) ((Where?)).  Kuftal Tunnel.  Fine, we gathered and looked around. 

Member>> How are we going to get there?
Zonka>>  Good question

* crickets *

Zonka>>  I don’t have a White Mage, if you got one, tele us and change in ((Rabao))

* more crickets *

One player drops from the party.

Fine the leader will keep looking and instead we will go to Garlaige Citadel.  I get to chocobo and find out we lost another.  On the way in, the leader was at his wits end on people dropping from parties.  Especially members disregard to courtesy and game etiquette.  He picks up a lonely thief out front before going in, he said we will go ahead and camp while we wait for a Summoner to show up.

Here is where I pick up from the first paragraph.  I believe I am a pretty good Paladin and strangely enough, today I was able to control hate like it was a car.  Ususally in most cases, I can control hate like a kite in a wind storm.  I never know where it is going to go and what I am going to do to control it.  Here was our set up:  PLD (me), THF, DRK, DRG, SMN and RDM.  Mostly an all-star lineup for a Paladin.  Bukoo Refresh and plenty of party buffs provided by the SMN. 

Right off the bat I first voked and tanked as ususal.  The Thief requested that the Dark Knight first voke so he can SATA me.  From that point on, I discovered that I was able to really keep the hate when I wanted to.  Releasing the hate, well that wasn’t so easy.  A blast of Provoke, followed by Flash 15-25 seconds later, soon after that a Cure III and the mob was all mine.  No one was going to take the hate from me.

Next couple of pulls, I noticed that the Dark Knight wasn’t living up to his end of the bargin with late provokes as I stood there wondering when I should get behind it.  Once he finally realized that he was supposed to provoke the mob, I get right behind the mob positioning myself for the perfect SATA formation.

Then Thief slaps on his SATA macro and gets into position, the problem was he was about 5 degrees to the left of me and immediatly the mob turned on him.  He gets popped and I turn on my Paladin Charm and regain control of the monster. 

This went on probably 3/5 times the Thief was ready to SATA.  Other times the Dragoon either pops a Jump or Job Ability right before the Thief strikes therefore turning the mob 45 degrees to the left as the Thief made its move. 

I knew right away it was time to start cracking jokes.  Since these guys were very uncoordinated in timing attacks and the Dark Knight had so much trouble getting the hate back from Provoke.  I suggested that the Thief to SATA someone else, like the DRK, DRG or even the SMN or RDM.  No one was going to take the hate from me long enough to SATA. 

This could be all inexperience or some chemical imbalance in the party, but I was destine to make it the best I can.  So next round it seemed like clockwork, almost too predictable, the thief pulls and the dark knight pulls another late provoke.  Dragoon does something, I don’t know what and gets the mob to turn and the thief failed as usual to hit off SATA. 

I told him to go and SATA the dragoon, I figured if he wanted the hate, I will let him take it for a little bit.  At least if he wants to pull out a pop of sequence, then I will let him take some of the hate for a bit, maybe when he gets to yellow or orange.  I cranked my Flash/Cure III combo and bam, the hate is back on me.  The thief gets in position behind the dark knight and pops his SATA and lands it successfully, finally.   But the mob didn’t turn.  I kept the hate.

The thief in shock and amazement says:

Thief>>  How, I SATA and still didn’t take the hate!
Zonka>>  I’m the Paladin that everyone loves to hate.
Thief>>  Lol that was a very bad pun.
Zonka>>  Not as bad as your SATA.
Thief>> O.O
Dark Knight>> :-0

It went on and on, I had to leave and you can tell they were very upset.  I was able to ding 53 right at the end of it, all in good fun and got to slam a Thief in the process.  I would call that my SATA on the Thief Paladin style.  I was only getting 60-100xp without the xp band, but it was all good.  I had fun doing it.  I love Paladin even more now after this, so don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BlogZonka/53