Eva

PAX 2012 presentation: http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/2012/09/01 ... sentation This is awesome news!! :cheer:

I wouldn't expect a lot of non-RP types to want to be around if their progress isn't being in some way recorded, but it would still be fun to get together and RP, if they keep the servers up afterwards. I would expect things to be eerily quiet though. I'm not sure how that would be RPed out. Also if there was some sort of an event RPed to conclude 1.0 - what manner of role-play would be conducted in this stage? Just a lot of hypothetical questions.

There are a lot of variables to consider when thinking about why people may or may not attend events. The tavern type events, which some may argue "get old quickly", are still often fun and worth making some effort to try integrating your character into if you're feeling a certain lack of RP. But it's also understandable why some characters might not be interested in this sort of thing. I play a kind of "goodie two shoes" sort of character, so the bar thing isn't going to work for me. Eva also has a bit of an aversion to Limsa Lominsa. I kind of work her out of her shell a little bit for the sake of RP, and because it's realistic to not perpetually be in one's own comfort zone 100% of the time. But I think it would be kind of folly to expect that all the time. I wouldn't expect everyone to turn up at the storytelling gathering next month either for the same reason. It may not be some characters' thing. And that's okay. I think it is definitely a good thing to have a variety of different sort of global RP events (I use the term 'global' to mean encompassing all RP LS's and not just RP within one's own group), and hosted by a variety of different RPers. I understand there are a number of RPers who either do not wish to align themselves with any particular RPLS, or otherwise feel disconnected or uneducated about what those LS's are all about due to lack of involvement with them. But there does seem to be a curiosity there, and a want to kind of "break into" it. But like all things it's give and take. To some extent each character should be a bit proactive. Because if everyone is reactive, there will be nothing initiated from which to react. On another vein, I would love to see the RPC utilized a bit more for the planning of global events such as these. I know sometimes things come together spur-of-the-moment and can be announced over Backstage (or whatever we may call the next iteration of the OOC pearl), but it certainly cannot hurt to advertise the event here. Even if not all of our LS mates participate in the RPC discussions/forums, at least someone can cross-post about the event so that the information trickles down to the various other RPLS forums and reaches a greater number of RPers. That is, as I have understood it, one of the stated purposes of the RPC and this forum system. As for the storytelling night - I wasn't really thinking of the GW2 launch when I scheduled that. That was more of a happy coincidence. I figured two weeks gave time for folks to write up some stories if they wanted to share anything. And also my weekends in September are mostly full up with RL plans. But I had wanted those to be kind of a seasonal thing, and I'd been hosting a similar event going back almost as far as the game's release. It's just a lot of fun and allows for a lot of different types of characters to meet up with one another and affords an opportunity for more than just storytelling. Depending on how others may interpret the stories and such. Character growth, and all that. Or just lighthearted storytelling, for some. It all boils down to what each RPer wants to make of it. I do like RPing beyond the boundaries of my LS, but I often feel I need to have some reason for it as well. And I think a lot of us feel the same way. "Oh, there's RP happening at the Gold Court? Well I'm in Gridania. Why would my character go there?" I suppose a lot of it is finding a way to bridge things to make it feasable for your character to get from point A to point B so that you can participate. Sorry to ramble. Just a lot to think about, I suppose.

So far nothing really concrete. Lots of speculation. I don't want to shamelessly bump it, but I'm going to keep an eye on it, and hopefully eventually one of the community reps will give us a little nugget of knowledge. Thanks to the handful of you who have 'liked' it or posted in reply. I'm sure it helps!

[glow=orange]Storytelling Around the Fire[/glow] Sunday, September 16th @ 8:00pm EDT (until whenever) (Different Time Zone?) Gridanian authorities have granted permission once again for us to have a contained bonfire upon the stage of Mih Khetto's Amphitheatre. On the 16th sun of the fifth astral moon at the 8th bell after mid-day, I would like to extend an invitation to anyone from any nation with a story of their own to share, or a yearning to listen to others share their own tales - be they factual or fiction, comedy or tragedy, stories of heroic deeds of your own, or maybe a friend or loved one. We will gather in a circle around the fire and share in these retellings. Food and beverage will be provided for those hungry and thirsty. Who knows - maybe you will walk away from the experience with newfound appreciation, a few new friends, or at the very least a full belly. A few simple ground rules I would ask everyone to adhere to: Please be respectful of the current storyteller. Please feel free to come and go as you must, as the event may span several bells, but in doing so please be sure to adhere to the above rule. If sharing your own story, please keep it relatively brief to allow time for others to share as well. A queue will be established to determine storytelling order for those interested in sharing. If there are stories left untold after the bonfire begins to die down, a petition to Gridania for another event will be made, and I will see to it that those who did not have a chance to tell their tales the first time are given priority to speak at this. If there are any questions, or anyone wishes to help with the smooth organization of this event (as provisioning food and beverage or acting as an usher), please contact Miss Eva Ianeira. Correspondance may be directed to the headquarters of the Twin Adder in Gridania ((or just PM me ^^ )). I hope to see many faces and hear some wonderful stories! Warm regards, ~Eva Ianeira, hostess ((The above is in the format of a simple flyer that appears in the taverns and places of interest in all city-states. Questions or comments can be posted here or PM'd to me. This isn't affiliated with any particular linkshell/company, and everyone from any RP group is invited to come and participate so long as they're respectful. This is meant to be lighthearted fun and not an outlet for character drama (unless that's within the story you're telling). Please help me spread the word by sharing this with your linkshell friends that may not frequent the RPC. Thank you! I also figured a couple weeks would give enough time for those interested in sharing to write up some material that they might want to share. Last time we had some pre-written stuff, and some of us I think sort of just went off the cuff with variations of stories we'd heard before. Either way is great! ))

I went ahead and posted on the official forums inquiring about the time jump from 1.0 to ARR. Perhaps it won't amount to much, or maybe it will gain some traction if others are also curious. If you want to join the discussion, here is a link to the thread: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/thre ... post803890

I was actually going to post another storytelling night (like the one we did back in the spring) - kind of want to make this a quarterly thing too. I'm not on Backstage too often, but I've heard more and more people asking if there's any public RP going on, so it seems like the demand is definitely there. Please look for a post about this later today when I can manage to find some free time. ( and hopefully the Garleans won't attack during this one so people can actually stick around for it :oops: )

Has anyone asked on the official forums? If a thread were created and a link posted here I'm pretty sure it would gain a lot of support. Kind of like the thread Oskar made inquiring about lore, or asking about the RP-friendly server. I would actually do it right now myself, but I recently cleared cookies and I don't have my token with me here at work. If a link was posted I'm pretty sure it would gain traction not just from RPers but other players as well, who were curious about where the game's plotline is going to take us. If such a thread already exists, please link me and I'll definitely throw my own curiosity on the matter in there when I get home later.

Welcome to the fun! :cheer:

In that case I would take the fixed amount of the cost of all items for whatever you're making, add it up, and then add whatever markup you feel is appropriate. In some instances you'd probably still be able to get a significant amount more for your effort, but if you're content with only a modest markup, you'll probably be moving your items very quickly, so long as there is a demand for them. This might be good if you're able to check your retainers multiple times a day. It all depends on your play style, I suppose. I was also under the impression you were looking for ways to maximize your return on investment. I try not to mark things up for 'greed', but rather I try to target what I think people would be willing to pay. I like to assume everyone has a friend with every craft leveled. What's it worth for that person not to have to buy the materials and then pester their buddy to perform the synth? How much would I want to be compensated if some stranger wanted me to pull myself away from RP or w/e to synth something for them? I tend to think in terms like that.

Sometimes it's that simple, but not usually. If a woolen robe sells for 10k to NPC (I don't know what a woolen robe NPC's for offhand, so let's just assume this is accurate for the sake of simplicity), than you could mark it up and sell it at 13k. And you would be making more gil back than if you NPC'd. But if you're buying your materials (or the materials to make your materials) you usually want to aim for something that will exceed the cost of that. Factoring in the cost of woolen yarn and the other stuff, and shards/crystals, you might find yourself spending 15 or 20k (or more!) just in materials to make the thing, so you would certainly want to sell it for at least that much, otherwise you are just breaking even or losing gil (which a lot of folks will do while spam-skilling certain items). You might find that two people have woolen robes bazaared at 50k and they're selling fairly regularly. You kind of want to maximize that profit range. You want to benefit as much from your work as you possibly can, I would imagine. You might also find that dyeing it purple makes for a robe that sells for 70k, but there could be eight up for sale, so you might have a harder time selling that. In an instance like this I might make two undyed robes and one purple one and try selling the undyed ones for 50k (if they're moving quickly, 45k otherwise) and the single purple one for 60k - and just hope it doesn't get undercut again. I kind of play this by ear. It definitely helps to look at the sale history of an item you're considering making. And keep an eye on the prices of the materials you'd need in order to make that. Things fluctuate. There are two or three items I'm constantly watching and will sometimes buy up when I know it's low and there's a massive surplus, and then sell back when it's high and in demand without ever using it for synthesis. I did this a lot in FFXI too. It just requires some patience usually, and an element of luck. What I don't do - nor condone - is buying out an entire supply of an item just to jack up the price. I've known some people that do this but feel it's underhanded and I think they were warning/banning people in FFXI for it for awhile. At a certain point, anyway, it becomes more realistic to farm certain items rather than buy them. I try to farm some of my own rather than just synthing all of the time. Especially when things on my retainers aren't selling very quickly. For raw items farmed up, ores and food ingredients and such, it's usually beneficial to check out the NPC price. There are times where it makes a great deal more sense to just NPC an item like that, but it always pays to check to see what folks are buying it for, first. It sometimes surprises me how much more certain ingredients and such sell for than I would have guessed. Yay economics! :cheer:

Market Wards are located in each of the three city-states. In Ul'dah (clearly the most popular) they're located just west of the aetherial crystal 'homepoint'. There is no Auction House in the traditional sense, but the wards serve in a similar (albeit slightly more frustrating at times) capacity. As for price setting, I usually try to see where others are setting their prices at for similar items. If it's something where the market is clearly flooded, I'll either wait, or I'll undercut the lowest one. This usually results in being undercut again, in turn, and I try to avoid that so I'll sit on the item rather than wait. My goal is to move the product as quickly as possible so that I can replace it with more. Turnaround time is pretty consistent. I routinely check my retainers once a day and swap items around depending on what's happening with those items on that given day. I've gotten a pretty rigid system going and try to make the most of my 20 retainer slots. I'm happy if I can empty out 10-15 in a day's time so that I can restock and sell more. For items that are not up for sale, I look to see if there are any comparable items. For instance, for a level 23 garment, I might check a similar garment at level 23, or whatever the next garment up is. Unless materials cost significantly more for some reason, I try to keep it reasonable, otherwise I can't expect people would buy it if they can just sit and wait for the next one in 3 levels. It helps to kind of think like a consumer, if that makes any sense. Occasionally some will spend frivolously, but that's usually not the case. The best thing you can ask yourself is, "If I was a would I spend this much gil for this item?" And think about why it might be skipped over for something else, if there are none other available. I'm sorry for another longwinded response. I hope this helps, though.

Without going into a longwinded explanation about how I make my gil, I will say that I do pretty well for myself with my primary source of income being weaving and bazaaring my garments. You'll find that a lot of people sell the "easy" items that they grind on and the market gets flooded with these specific items but not the ones that require more materials. There is also very much a market for lower-level items. I often hear people lamenting that there's no [insert weapon name here] on the market wards that they want to bridge a gap in leveling some DoW/DoM job. I don't really make weaponry, but I've considered leveling smithing/carpentry and checking the wards to see what weapons had none available just to put a couple up on AH. HQing lower level stuff doesn't net a whole lot of profit though, because they don't sell very well. If I manage to HQ something lower-level I'll usually only try and sell it for just a bit above the low-end going rate of the corresponding NQ item. This is usually gear that people don't plan on keeping for a very long time so HQ doesn't matter as much. It's just a means to an end. HQing higher level gear is tougher (helps to have multiple DoH jobs at 50 but that can be very time-intensive as Aysun remarked), but usually significantly more profitable, but then you have to bear in mind there are probably a dozen crafters trying to do the same thing. I try to go through the wards to see what's unavailable. I pay attention to what people in my LS want and try to make extras to bazaar. If they do well, I keep it going. Also if you convert your own materia, it's sometimes worthwhile to harvest/buy the catalyst and affix materia to lower level items for a little extra profit. I would be willing to spend a few thousand extra for some gear with a stat boost if it would help me achieve my ends faster, whether it be cutting through beastmen to level a particular class, or land more hits on a DoL job. The key, I've found, is taking the time to explore what's selling for how much and what's in demand, and then meeting that demand until someone else catches on, and then moving on to another synth when undercutting becomes an exercise in shooting oneself in the foot. TL;DR: There is always a niche. Find it. And variety helps too. You'll do better selling 10 different items than trying to move 10 of the same item.

Welcome to the group! I'll look forward to seeing you in game - and giving much warning if your back is turned. (and yes... "One Of Us!!" /duskwightchant )

Me too! I have an idea in mind and everything~

S'awesome!! You should totally slap a pair of pointy ears on her and make her elezen. Cuz elezens are awesome! Just sayin'. The veil looks great!

Yay duskwight~ And interesting backstory! A few of us fellow duskwight types have also written of similar type subterranean settlements, so it may be fun to compare/contrast at some point. Your character's persona sounds interesting too! I hope our characters may get to meet at some point. If nothing else I may be able to help with those clothes for your man-dolly~ Welcome to the RPC.

There's a nice little "how to" guide for this event HERE - for those whom it might help. The yukatas are so pretty~ :cheer:

One of the face/mouth models for female elezen looked to have more full lips that were notably redder than the other options and I wound up selecting that one for Eva because I thought it would be kind of a fun quirk for her to have. I really liked her having blonde hair in alpha/beta and early on, but it just feels like there is too much "light" going on. I was going through kind of a QQ phase this past week and kind of disappointed about the time jump and all and I thought a fresh start might be a good solution, but Eva is too much fun to RP and while it may be more "real" to have her fall victim to 2.0, I know I would miss her a lot after she was gone. So she'll find a way to live, and I'll try to find a way to RP something that doesn't feel too cliché after that update lands. Really sorry to derail your thread though. Draw more gods/goddesses!!! :cheer:

Cool! Give me a few days to kind of get some things sorted and I'll send you a PM. Still need to track you down at some point in game for some RP too. It's also interesting that you mentioned that particular look for Nymeia, as I was considering making some changes to Eva as a character rather than killing her off when 2.0 happens - specifically changing the blonde hair black to kind of give a frame and help balance the extremely fair skin. I always felt she was too light. For all the rest though, she already has fair skin and red lips and all. But oddly enough I always envisioned Nymeia as being an elezen woman with long white hair. Actually wrote a story some time back about an encounter with an elderly woman whom she to this day things was some sort of manifestation of the goddess. I'll include it here but in a spoiler tag because I really don't want it to detract from your thread, but thought you might get a kick out of it. This was written almost two years ago when I was in another RPLS and when Eva was considering moving permanently to Ul'dah (footnote: it's funny how things work out): [spoil]A Chance Encounter: Berating herself for having had more to drink than she'd resigned herself to, Eva stumbled down the front steps of the tavern, regaining her balance at the last second. The inn was right next door, but she wasn't ready to retire for the evening just yet. She had found a quiet place that reminded her of home - a sort of park where several large benches jutted out of a large circular clearing in the sand, set apart somewhat from desert shrubs which seemed to crop up all around. She imagined that people could bring tables and have cookouts here, or sit and discuss the latest gossip. It always seemed somewhat strange that every time she passed by, nobody was ever seated there. A dried-up well made up the center of the circular arrangement of benches. Eva strode over to it, recalling something her father had once told her about making wishes at wells. Closing her eyes, she reached into her belt pouch and withdrew a single gil, rubbing it gently between her thumb and forefinger as though warming the cool metal would somehow enhance its wish-granting properties. Opening her eyes, she peered down into the dark abyss for a moment as the thought touched her mind - I want him back. Realizing that was somewhat silly and there was no way her lover could be brought back to life, she continued her stream of thought - I want to understand why he had to be taken... without much further thought, she surrendered her coin to the old wishing well and turned back to one of the benches that offered a view of the front of the pub. Setting her rucksack down on one of the benches, she rubbed the pain in her forehead and smoothed out her frumpy green tunic before plopping herself down and withdrawing a pair of knitting needles and her project, which was gradually taking the shape of a pair of woolen leggings. The light here was awkward, but she had discovered that her mind was most clear while she was working, so the clicking that soon began to permeate the arid darkness was not for the benefit of creating garments so much as for the chance to clear her head. A great deal had happened over the past several days, and no matter how much time she stopped and thought about it, she was continually fraught with the same question - return to Gridania and go on with her life, or move to Ul'dah as her late fiancé intended for the two of them and remain in closer contact with her new friends. If she chose to remain in Ul'dah, she would have to make arrangements for her father to be looked after. She was really the only one who spent time with him anymore. And she would have to quit her job - but she was certain that someone in Ul'dah would have a use for someone skilled with numbers and bookkeeping. She did like her boss though, and the thought of telling he and his wife that she would be leaving didn't sit well with her either. Her mind was abuzz with all of these thoughts, as the clicking almost seemed to echo between the nearby buildings. Periodically the sound of laughter rose up from the nearby tavern. Twice in one night disaster had almost struck. She wasn't sure what she would have been able to do if someone had been harmed in the fire, or if one of those arrows had struck her new friend. The foul aftertaste of the 'Devestator' shots she had taken hadn't dissipated from her tongue yet, and she set her needles down for a moment to see if she had a few sprigs of mint or something she could munch on to take the bitterness away. The clicking of her needles continued to echo between the buildings as she rummaged around in her rucksack. Finding the votive instead, she fought back tears, her gaze moving over the silver engagement ring on her fourth finger and the small diamond. It had taken all her willpower earlier not to break out in tears when Aveline had assumed that Pemmy was looking after her father while she was away. Now they fell freely down her cheeks as she wept silently. She continued this for several seconds until it occurred to her that the clicking of knitting needles had suddenly stopped. Quickly tilting her head to where the clicking had been coming from, the duskwight now noticed an elderly elezen woman sitting on a bench at the other end of the clearing, her own needles and project resting on her lap as she stared in her direction. By the gods, was she here all this time? A deluge of thoughts ran across her mind. She was usually perceptive of things, but the lighting here was awkward and she had had more to drink than she was used to. Maybe she came here to knit late at night herself. Or maybe she had seen Eva here and decided to join her. She wasn't really sure. "Hello?" her voice was more timid than she meant it to sound. The white-haired elezen woman stared at her for a few more seconds before choosing a response, "Hello yourself. You gonna be alright?" Blushing, she felt compelled to at least introduce herself to the stranger. If nothing else, they were sisters of the craft, and her own skills needed a great deal of refinement. Slinging the rucksack over her shoulder, she picked back up her needles and yarn and wiping the remnants of tears from her face, she walked over to where the elderly woman was seated. Taking a bench across from her, she could see now that the old woman's skin was wrinkled and her long hair was white as snow, several strands hanging over her face. Her large brown eyes seemed almost curious as she peered at Eva, still awaiting her response. "I'm fine, ma'am. Just a lot on my mind. I've found that this..." she held up what she had done so far, "...helps me think, sometimes." "Indeed it does, young one," a smile touched the old weaver's lips. "I've found that sometimes if you think too much though, things get all muddled. What is it that you're out here thinking about?" Eva smiled politely back at her. The old woman had begun her weaving again, but never broke eye contact. Eva never understood how the experts could do that. She always had to focus so intently on what she was doing or it wound up in knots. Taking a deep breath, and making no effort to pick up her own needles, she responded somewhat shakily, "I was just trying to decide whether I should move here, or whether I should stay at home." "I see..." The old elezen nodded, her brown eyes appearing to twinkle in the low light as her mind worked. "Well, where do you feel you belong, young one? Are you happier here? Or are you happier at home?" "I'm happier here than I have been in-" The old woman interrupted, "So why the debate? If you're happier here, it seems to me that here is where you belong." "It's not that sim-" "It is that simple. You took practically no time at all to answer that question, dear." The old woman's eyes seemed almost pleading as she looked down at the leggings Eva had been knitting. "Your work shows promise, young one. You should keep at it." Looking down at the leggings, Eva smiled to herself at the compliment. She had been working hard on them, and she was especially proud of the way the colors came together, though it was difficult to see the way the vibrant blue and purple yarn were woven together. It occurred to her then that the old woman must have really sharp eyes to have seen her work in such lousy light. But when Eva looked up and started to ask, she found herself seated alone, her only company now the benches staggered around the sandy park and the old wishing well in the middle. Blinking a few times, she realized she still had a headache and the foul taste in her mouth had still not gone away. Tucking her work into the rucksack, she rose to her feet and strode a few blocks away, all the while pondering if she'd imagined the old woman or if she had actually somehow upped and left. Another thought crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed that one as well. One thing was for sure - she wasn't going to have more than one or two drinks anymore. Finally arriving at the abandoned warehouse, she pushed open the door. Pakiki would have left a long time ago, and the place was now dark and totally empty. The smell of recently burnt wood permeated the air, and she looked around at the empty crates and other odds and ends that littered the place. "Home..." She spoke the single word to herself aloud, smiling even as some sort of small rodent skittered across the ground at the other end of the room. Folding her arms beneath her chest she gave a satisfied nod, surveying the area again quickly before going back out into the night and heading back to the inn where she'd been staying.[/spoil]

Honestly, considering just killing Eva off entirely and starting over brand new. Still need more info though. Characters created after 2.0 going to be considered from the 1.0 era as well? The whole thing seems extremely hokey to me. I mean it would be kind of interesting maybe if it was like a few people that left behind everything (families, friends, etc.) from the past. But I assume a lot of people are going to bring this "stuff" with them, and of course other RPers too. And for this kind of an exodus of hundreds of people... I dunno... Playing it by ear. But I think I would prefer to create a new identity and start fresh with a storyline that isn't going to be a carbon-copy of every other 1.0 RPer's story.

These are all really great!! Once I get things a little more settled maybe I will commission something if that's ok. I would really love to see your take on the goddess Nymeia~

I think this debate has come up in every RP group to which I've belonged, and it is one that is near and dear to my [and my character's] heart. I think my mindset more or less mirrors Merri and Aysun's. I don't like quantifying healing magic if I can avoid it. In past RP I have more or less left it to the "patient". I tend to envision my character as "a pretty good healer" who was once something of a prodigy with the skill as a little girl but then let it wither away with disuse for a couple of decades. But I know some people use injury IC as a way to explain away an OOC absense and there usually needs to be some sort of an understanding between healer and patient in order for this to work out - otherwise the patient may feel slighted that his wounds aren't being regarded as severe enough, or the healer may feel slighted that his talents aren't being recognized appropriately. So like most things in RP, it boils down to a mutual understanding between both parties, best realized through open communication. In my own RP I have dealt with more abstract things rather than casting individual specific spells (such as that which were outlined in the OP). I find emotes detailing the channeling of threads of aetherial energy towards an injury to paint a slightly clearer picture than just "So-and-so casts Cura" - but I know each RPer has different tastes and preferences and those differences should also be acknowledged and respected. Being a weaver first and foremost, this always made a great deal of sense for Eva, but I would never have any expectation that another healer describe the same technique. Like most things, I think this is left to individual interpretation. I do also like seeing more mundane medicine in RP to help supplement the magical. A realistic example might be using curative aether on the field to keep someone alive or staunch bleeding long enough to get them to one of the Eorzean infirmary-type places (Phrontistery, Stillglade Fane, so-and-so's spare bedroom, etc.) and then make use of healing salves and bandages and that sort of thing from there. I just think the important thing is that both RPers involved be in agreement. Bottom line I think this is one of those things best left to each RPer to kind of interpret in their own way based upon those guidelines which S-E has already given us. EDIT: edited for the sake of clarifying one somewhat vague line

The first picture on page 2 of the concept art... Anyone know who she is? I'm guessing a garlean sorceress maybe? She's striking and I love the style of her attire!

I know I'm late to the party here (RL has been hectic/chaotic lately), but I think it's a little premature to be worrying about this. Perhaps they won't allow cross-transfer between existing servers, but with a new server it just makes good sense (both business sense and just downright common sense) to enable people who've grown attached to their characters to a new server designated RP-friendly. If this is more of a hypothetical "what would you do?" thread, than I simply don't know. I can't imagine most of the people that I RP with would want to give up their achivements and such, so I'd be inclined to remain on Balmung until a transfer opportunity did become available. Like I said though, I just don't see that happening. It almost seems to go against the spirit of why they would create a RP-friendly server in the first place...