Isilme

There has been a lot of encouraging discussion on the boards lately, of roleplayers not willing to simply lie down and get walked all over by elitist Legacy players, but I don't think things go quite far enough. Setting up our own server is a good start, but we risk running afoul of a new problem. I'm talking about Collector's Edition players. Just like Legacy, Collector's edition players get advantages regular players don't get. They get a free, unique mount, special barding for their Chocobos, minions, special gear, AND early access to the game. These are blatantly UNFAIR advantages that will be persistent and skew the game long after Collector's edition is no longer available. These players will already have had five days of playtime to level grind and explore, which is a head start regular, hard working players simply won't be able to match. The economy will be a ruin of high-tier items, with no low-level crafting available for the regular players. They'll also get a free security token, further increasing pressure on regular players to cave in and subscribe to SE's money-grubbing 'account protection feature' I understand what you may say. "But anyone can get Collector's Edition right now". That's true... for now. But eventually the game will come out, and we won't be able to get these advantages anymore. Just like Legacy. And what about the FFXIV 1.0 Collector's Edition holders? They still get THEIR bonuses! Asuran bracers and Onion Helms and Hermes Boots. Perma-sprint in town? Crafting bonuses at level 1? No thank you! The game is far too unbalanced as it is, allowing these kind of advantages will simply make it impossible for regular players to manage. If you're still reading after two paragraphs of this vitriol, you should know that hardly anyone reads the second to last paragraph of a frothing rant like this, and so therefore you can rest secure in the knowledge that this entire post is utter nonsense. I am a Legacy player, I bought the Collector's edition, and I am completely taking the piss. So in closing, we need to go further than to just exclude the Legacy players. If we want a truly equitable server, we need to preclude Collector's edition players, and indeed, any who preorder the game at all. Paying extra, or paying early for a game does not justify having such huge, unfair advantages. Period.

You know not what horrors you are about to unleash, Desphiria. Go back from whence ye came, and get your lunch at the Bismark, for there is naught but suffering and indigestion here.

“Isilme Rihan Turuphant.” Captain Varhloff flipped through the stack of papers that represented the whole of her career. “Born in Limsa Lominsa. Eligible for military service, but opted instead to be a sellsword. Member in good standing of the Blacksmith and Armorsmith Guilds... nothing of note, really, until the Alliance was restored. Opted again to forgo normal recruitment channels and sign on with the Maelstrom. Served with distinction, and was rapidly promoted, though promotions were cheap in the Maelstrom at that time... and eventually attained the rank of Second Lieutenant.” He dropped the papers on the desk, folded his hands and leaned forward on his elbows, looking down at the miqo’te girl sitting across the desk from him. Her eyes were up, but unfocused, carefully staring at nothing as she sat at attention. There was obvious military in her upbringing, but no real indication where, aside from vague assertions that her father had been in the military. “Ms. Turuphant.” He stressed the use of the civilian title, earning a visible wince from her. “Your record becomes very interesting at this point to me. Do you know why?” “Sir, no sir.” She said crisply, though he could see the lie in her eyes, the guilt. “I think you do, Ms. Turuphant.” He replied, feeling some of his days as a drill sergeant coming back to him. “Because at this point in your record, every other Maelstrom soldier, from the most decorated officers down to the fresh recruits, are booked as boarding the Crimson Fleet and making for Mor Dhona. Except you.” That was an exaggeration, of course, there had been any number of exceptions, but most of those Varhloff had felt came by them honestly. He carefully plucked a letter from the stack of papers, bearing the Commodore’s seal. “Very unusual for a second lieutenant to have special orders come down from the Commodore’s desk. More unusual is what’s IN the orders. Are you aware of what these orders say, Ms. Turuphant?” “I’m aware.” She croaked, gritting her teeth. “I’m sure you are, but let me refresh your memory.” He lifted up the letter, peering at it more intently than necessary. “‘Pursuant as of the date of the Admiralcy...’ I’m sure you know what the date was... ‘Second Lieutenant Isilme Turuphant is hereby re-assigned to supervise refugee relocation efforts of the Independent Trader Vessel Shining Hope, and attached to same as an autonomous agent of the Maelstrom for the duration of its voyage, and indefinitely remanded to supervision of any and all Alliance refugees on the Isle of Menphina’s Breath.’” He put down the paper and looked at her. “Signed by the Commodore himself, no less. Very very unusual orders, wouldn’t you say?” “They were unusual times, sir.” She managed to croak out. “Oh, undoubtedly, but one thing they were NOT, was a time for assigning sorely-needed officers to perpetual milk runs!” He slammed his hands on the desk and stood, looming over her and glaring, the full bulk of his highlander frame becoming apparent. “Your brothers and sisters in the Maelstrom went off to war. They went knowing they would likely not return. Foreigners and native born who fought for our country of their own choice, who took to the front lines. They fought and bled and died for us, and all the more tragic that whatever foul magicks released that day burned their names and faces from our memories so that we cannot even properly honor their memory. All of them heroes. Except you.” He sat back down heavily. “You ran away. You soiled their memory with your cowardice...” “My family needed me.” She said tightly, losing her composure. “YOUR NATION NEEDED YOU!” He roared. He bolted up and pointed to the painting on his wall, depicting the battle of Mor Dhona. “Did they not have families who needed them? Were they less important than you!? You are a coward Ms. Turuphant! And what is worse is you are a coward who cannot even own up to it!” He sat back down with a thump. “A deserter is at least honest about what he is. But you found a way around that. You pulled some strings, got someone to legitimize it.” “I didn’t ask for those orders!” She suddenly barked, but it wasn’t fire or defiance in her eyes. Surprisingly, it was sorrow. “My father... ‘arranged’ for them. I was his only child.” “And who, pray tell, is your father?” He asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “You wouldn’t remember him.” She stared right at him, but for a moment, her eyes flicked to the painting. Varhloff’s eyebrow tweaked, but his expression didn’t soften. “Do you know the worst part in all of this? Hm?” He asked, softly. When she didn’t reply, he pulled open his drawer, and fished out an insignia, and a pair of brass stripe pins. He dropped them carelessly on the table in front of her. She stared at them, then looked up at him, eyes questioning. “As much as I’d like to deny you, to call you the damn coward you are, to brand you a deserter and run you out of MY city... You technically have committed no crime.” He settled back in his chair. “Your orders, as blatantly favoritest as they are, are legitimate. You complied with them, and as an officer in good standing returning for re-assignment, I have no right to deny you. Those stripes, as tarnished as they are, remain yours.” She blinked a moment, then dropped her eyes, and guiltily reached for them, hesitating a bit. “It will not be pleasant.” He said, stopping her hand with his words. “You are not a recruit, not an applicant. You are a supplicant. The Maelstrom will all know your story. You will be less than nothing to them, a coward they will aid only as ordered, and speak ill of behind her back. You will find no glory here.” “No.” She looked him in the eye, and took the insignia and rank pins. “But I might find a little redemption.” She stood, and saluted him smartly. He didn’t bother to return the salute. “Get out of my office. Your new assignment will be delivered in the morning.” She nodded, turned, and walked out of the room, slipping past his aide as the young elezen stood aside as the flame-haired miqo’te strode stoically out the door. She stepped inside and closed the door behind him, looking at him quizzically. “You actually reinstated her?” “Regulations were clear. She followed her orders.” He opened another drawer, pulling out an ornate La Noscean cedar box, a humidor. “I know you. There are at least twelve different regulations you could have used to delay or outright deny her request.” She started gathering the papers on his desk for re-filing. “You’re lowballing. I count twenty-seven from memory. I have even narrowed it down to three best choices, depending if I just wanted her out of my office, out of Limsa, or to hang by the neck as a traitor.” He opened the humidor and selected a cigar from the dwindling supply within. “Do you smoke?” She made a face. “No, I cannot abide the smell. Could I trouble you, sir, to not light it until I’ve left the room?” He sighed. “I was instructed, when given this box, to avoid smoking these alone. Five years, and I’ve been unsuccessful in finding someone to share them with.” He took out a cigar cutter and carefully snipped off the end. “Not many with refined taste in tobacco in this city anymore.” “You’re avoiding the question.” He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. “No, you’re merely interrupting the answer. I remember being given this cigar case by the man who trained me. I remember being trained. But I’ll be damned if I can remember his face. His name is on the inscription, though.” She put down the papers a moment, and lifted the case, to read the inscription. “‘To Varhloff: Despite my best efforts to make a decent soldier out of you, you went all to hell and ended up an officer instead. Smoke in good health, and never alone if you can help it. - Hirilonde Turuphant.’” She blinked. “Turuphant. That’s...” “An unusual last name.” He said, striking a wooden match, and lighting the end of his cigar, taking a few puffs to get it going. He blew out the smoke in a ring and watched it lazily rise to the ceiling. “The kind of strings a father would have to pull to get those orders cut would end a career. I wish I could tell you what kind of man he was, but all I remember of him is a silhouette, framed by a bright light.” He took another puff. “But I do want to know if his daughter was worth the price he paid in taking her place in the fire. Something tells me I owe him that much.”

+ How do you meet new people? I am admittedly bad at this. I know I pass up so many opportunities. Basically, any time you see open RP in chat, that is more or less an invitation to chime in, if you have a valid ic reason. For instance, if you see someone smacking a person around, and your character would be the sort to intervene, intervene. There are always places that open rp commonly happens... The Mining Concern, outside the Platinum Mirage, at the Amphitheater... If they're rping in /say, it's open. You may not be welcome in character, but that in itself can be good rp. Besides that, rp events are a good start. TALE used to run masquerade balls open to all, Everwatch and other linkshells had things like fashion shows, campfire story nights, etc. These are a good place to meet people... as long as you participate. And lastly, of course, joining an RP linkshell is the obvious one. + 'ordinary' vs. 'extraordinary' My take on this is that, to some degree, we are all extraordinary. Not necessarily 'Half demon, half goddess exiled princess' extraordinary, but we are individuals who are swept up in extraordinary events. Our characters are generally skilled in martial or magical arts, and have managed to survive the Umbral era. No one tends to rp Frank the Janitor (No, that's not a challenge). Adventurers, as a whole, are extraordinary people. The trick to remember is that, while you are a cut above the average citizen, and certainly have tremendous potential, you are not alone in being special. No one can be good at everything, and if you try, you will find people unwilling to rp with you. But don't be afraid to excel, and compete. And also keep in mind that real people constantly grow and improve, so build that into your character. A starting out fledgling may have a great deal of natural instinct and potential with a blade, but a veteran will still walk all over them. There will always be someone stronger than you. That isn't a downside, that is a potential development path and point of interaction. That veteran rper would make a VERY good mentor, or possibly a rival for you to strive to match and overcome. Personally, I built Izzy from the ground up with the plan to become a Paladin, even before it was in the game, as well as moving into a military career. Blacksmithing evolved, and became part of the character, and I focus on these things as what she excels at and takes pride in, regardless of how many jobs I level in game. She is extraordinary, because of who she is, her goals, and her determination. Not because of some kind of special prophesied destiny (Avoid those.) + 'evil' vs. 'good' No one outside of a cartoon villain thinks of themselves as evil. Whether you are 'evil' or 'good' is a judgement history makes. What you should focus on is motivation. What does your character want? What do they believe? What will they do to reach their goals? A person who wants nothing but to help people can become a tremendous villain because they cross too many lines in that quest (Recklessly seeking power to end suffering, exerting ruthless control to enforce order, descending into madness over the impossibility of their goal, taking extremist views, etc). Generally, don't worry about good or evil. Focus on motivations, be true to those, and good or evil will unfold as they will. + serious vs comedic My take on this is no one outside of a cartoon is wholly one or the other. Everyone has their serious side, and their silly side. The most comedic character can be grim if the situation demands it. For myself, Izzy is a serious character, with serious goals. That being said, around friends she can be quite a goof, just because of who she is. She has a weakness for balls of yarn (Resulting in her permanent ban from the weaving guild) and cannot STAND fish. There is also a running gag of the stories Eva tells about babysitting her as a child, as she was quite a handful. Basically, it's a shades of grey thing. Don't be afraid to have a sense of humor when it's called for, and don't try and be a clown at a funeral.

I read your website. Errr, it didn't say anything about roleplaying. Like, at all. If you guys are recruiting as a non-roleplay social and endgame linkshell, you might be on the wrong forums. This is the Roleplayer's Coalition... basically this board is for recruitment for roleplaying linkshells from Balmung server. I'd recommend lodestone for advertising this sort of LS.

(Eva post on learning the dance of the polearm inspired me to write something similar, to contrast with the Turuphant style of combat, which is... far less elegant. This takes place during the exile to Nel's island, sometime after the Cataclysm) The boar snorted, it's weak eyes barely able to perceive her, beyond the crimson of her armor, but it could scent her. It paced aggressively, working itself up to charge at the intruder. Izzy narrowed her eyes. The boar was unnaturally large, too big for the island's food chain to support, and dangerously aggressive. It had smashed and trampled a chicken coop, which was dangerously close to the Chocobo pens, and had put Izzy onto it's trail. Its broad back had a few arrows sticking out of it, like spines. Mana had put a few shots into the beast as it lumbered back into the forest, and it had barely noticed. Its face was distorted, it's tusks too long and jagged, its muscles bulging. It had a darkness about it, like the beasts back home that had been bloated and enraged by the poisoned aether from Dalamud. Even here, its effects had been felt. Even here. The miqo'te paladin though. We didn't escape it. We just moved to the periphery. Is nowhere safe from it or the Garlean's madness? It snorted and threw it's head back to roar. It was about to charge. The smart method of taking down such a beast was to avoid it's brute force. Archers in the trees, or traps and snares, or a pit. But they only had a few archers, and not enough time to dig pits or make snares. Izzy took a slow breath, and set her feet. Her mind slipped back to happier times... training with Nel and Eva, the few times she had gotten to fight with Everwatch. She envied Eva's grace and form, how she danced and moved... especially when she stopped focusing on what she was doing. She wondered if that was the dance her father had spoken of when he mentioned fighting alongside Uncle Dyterium. She envied Nel's easy power, movement and force and freedom. The way she moved about the battlefield, made it hers, turned momentum into ever-building power. She envied Manari's precision and focus. Everything coming down to one shot, one moment of purity. That sort of fighting wasn't for her, though. There's nothing elegant about being a Shield, kit. Her father used to tell her as they trained, and she noticed the artistry of the other forms. Others dance. But for you and me, our role is different. Because some enemies don't dance well, or at all. And so we put down roots, we hold fast and we MAKE them dance. As a shield, you are the wall against all the fury and anger of your foe. You have to own that... those you fight with will hurt it, cause it pain, but you have to take that fury onto yourself, focus it all on you. And then you have to stand fast. Not a dancer, a tree. you have to put down roots, deep into the earth, and you have to weather the storm. There is no elegance in it, no artistry. No one is ever going to admire your form, Izzy. Our fight is brutish, and base, and exhausting. But without us, there would be no dance. She envisioned her feet as taking root, as her father had taught her, extending deep into the soil and rock, spreading and growing until she was immovable, like a great oak. She drew her sword and readied her shield, and shouted in defiance to the boar. "Come and get me you ugly beast!" The words didn't matter, of course. It didn't understand them, but it understood the challenge behind them. It snorted, pawed the earth, and charged. It dwarfed her in size and in strength, an enormous mass of muscle baring down on her, intent on smashing her back and trampling her under its hooves, as it had everything else. The most important thing, kit, is to draw that line, just behind you. That is the line they must not cross. This far, and no further. It doesn't matter what you face... behind that line is your party, your allies, everything you are trying to protect. This far, no further. The impact to her shield was terrific, the clang echoing through the forest. The force was enough to break tree trunks, break stones, the full mass of unnatural rage of the beast. Isilme's back foot slipped back slightly. "This far..." She drew back her sword and slashed the beast across the snout, causing it to rear back and pain. "... No further." Arrows flew from the tree branches. Several of the others were in the trees, guided by Mana. One or two arrows would not hurt this thing, but enough arrows would down it. But for that, it needed to be kept in place. It howled as the arrows pierced its back, a few getting through its hide, stinging it. The tips were coated with poison... once enough got through, it wouldn't matter what the beast did. Izzy slashed at the creature's eye, earning another roar of pain, and a violent smash against her shield. The metal dented from the force, but she held her ground. "This far... no further..." Dad... you don't need to go to Mor Dhona... there's room for you on the boat... you've DONE your part for the Admiralcy! No one would care if you chose now to retire. You could come with us! You and Mom! It's not about reputation, kit. You know that... it never was. Honestly I think it would make a lot of people happier, Gods forfend I keep teaching these rookies some basic honor and decency. But I need to go, and hold the line as long as possible. But... why? The boar reared up on it's hind legs, forcing her to drop to one knee and raise her shield as the beast's weight came crashing down. She cried out in pain as the impact shot through her arm, threatening to crush her to the ground. She braced and shoved the weight to the side, forcing the beast off her and chopping at it's feet with her sword to make it step back. Another arrow struck, this time right in the beast's sensitive ear, and it turned it's head and howled. If it turned its attention to the archers now, the inexperienced marksmen would never get enough arrows past its thick hide as it rampaged around, and they'd have a sick and wounded monster rampaging across the island. Izzy stabbed the beast in the eye, earning a scream of rage and pain. Blinded, it wheeled on her again, and she braced herself. "No. Me. Take it out on me. This far, no further!" Because it's what we do, kit. You have your own line to hold, your family, your loved ones. For a long time, protecting that was my job. I didn't do good enough. We all didn't, and now a lot of people are going to die because of it. Maybe we can make up for that in Mor Dhona. The beast rammed and gored at her with fury, screaming in pain and rage as arrows rained down on it from the trees. She grunted with each impact, her shield arm faltering a moment, and one jagged tusk catching the side of her helmet and ripping it off. Her legs ached with the strain of holding her up, blood now stung her eyes shut, and her other senses were filled with the smell and sounds of the enraged boar, the pain of each impact, and the cry of her exhausted muscles as her shield arm faltered. Then... I should go with you. It's not right for me to... to run... No, kit. You're going to do this. For me. For a long time, protecting this family was my job. No matter what, I knew I had to come back home, every time, because I was all you and your mother had. That's harder than you think, kit. I've seen... so many friends walk into the darkness, time and again, and eventually not come back. I always wondered if I could have saved them. But once you mark your line, you don't move from it. It works both ways... this far, no further, and neither you or what you face may cross. Now, you're old enough and strong enough to take that burden, and as much as I'd like to shoulder it a bit longer... it's time. You've got many more battles ahead of you. You have the harder road. Win or lose, I've only got this one last fight left. Tears mixed with the blood as she screamed back in defiance against the boar. It was weakening now, as the fire of the poison ran through its veins. Its attacks slowed as it became timed, it's unnatural strength waning. It stumbled back a bit, aware that something was wrong now, the old urge to flee stronger as poison clouded its mind, melted away it's rage. She smashed her shield into it's face, provoking it. "No! You keep fighting! You don't get to stop now!" She endured another lunge, feeling her shoulder joint pop, but not caring. She pushed back, forcing it's head up and exposing it's neck. Her sword flashed as she cut across, laying open it's throat in a spray of blood. The beast stumbled back, gurgling as it's mighty heart sprayed its lifesblood on the dirt. The blood loss, the poison, and the fatigue were finally too much, and the monster keeled over onto its side, shuddering, struggling for a few last gurgling breaths before it was finally still. Covered in blood, the pig's and her own, Izzy walked towards the corpse, watching as the light slowly faded from its eyes. "Good. You fought. You held your line." She wiped the blood from the blade of her sword and sheathed it, paying silent witness to the boar's passing. The others descended from the trees to examine the boar. With the poison in its system, its meat would be worthless, but they couldn't afford to waste the hide. A pyre would be set up to burn the rest so that scavengers wouldn't be poisoned by the tainted flesh. She sat down at the base of a tree. Her shoulder hurt. Her back hurt. Everything hurt. Her head spun, the blood still stung her eyes, and the stench of the boar's blood suffused her nostrils. I understand what you meant, Dad. I saw you walk into the darkness, and I didn't even realize until you were gone. I wanted to follow. I don't even know how many I lost. Mom... Eva... But I held my line. I will hold my line. As long as need be. This far, no further. This far... no further.

Unless the artist in question is charging for the pics he's producing, or copying art that is only available to those who pay a fee (Obviously not, as they're freely posted here), then I don't see the problem. He's copying poses and gear. So what? You are complaining about something he is producing entirely free, and for his own amusement. It's roughly equivalent to complaining about someone playing a game of GTA IV with cheats on. It's not worth drama.

Well now, I was in the mood to talk on just this subject. Now, let's be entirely fair here: Comparing FFXI as it is now with FFXIV is not fair at ALL. Most of us who played FFXI until recently had at least 1 level 75 job (Or 85, or whatever the cap is now). FFXI has had 4 major expansions, and 6 add-ons, which have added a staggering amount to the game. The game world was wide open, and we could range from the lonely fields and shattered landscape of Tavnazia to the exotic lands of Aht Urghan, to the otherworldly planes of Limbus, Luminoria and Dynamis, to the floating city of Tu'Lia, and even to the past. NONE of which you'd be doing at level 20. So let's be TOTALLY fair in our comparisons here. How much 'exploring' could you do in FFXI from 1-20? FFXI 1-20 For your first 10 levels, you're basically confined to the zone immediately outside of your starting city, and then very constrained parts of it. Beastmen roam all over, ready to deliver death to anyone who dares to wander out of their weight class to see what's over that next hill. Even when you ARE where you're supposed to be, there's always that one heavyweight lurking around ready to jump you and punt you back to your homepoint. So you grind for 10 lonely, boring levels. How does your gear look? It's brown. All of it. Your gloves, your boots, your tunic... your SWORD. All brown. If you're unlucky enough to start in Bastok, your surroundings are brown too. And even your opponents are brown! There are some connected zones, like Palborough Mines or Ghelsba Outpost, but they're crawling with beastmen. Going in there without expensive Sneak Oil and Prism Powder is guaranteed death until you've gained a few levels, and given that beastmen are meaner than a similarly leveled rabbit, say, tangling with them in their local home base probably isn't the best leveling strategy. But you struggle through, pushing through to Konschtat/La Theine/Tahrongi. HERE'S your big payoff! You catch a glimpse of the Crag, the gigantic, monolithic white structure that is a sentinel of an ancient civilization. No apparent entrances or exits, but there is a teleport platform that you can attune to, allowing you to return at any time!... provided you can find a white mage willing to teleport you there. And then you're eaten by the Tremor Ram. Since you didn't set your HP at the guard at the last zoneline, you go all the way back to your starting city, missing a respectable chunk of XP. You make the trek again, and start the long process of grinding more levels. If this is pre Zilart/COP/TOAU/WOTG, there are no handy field manuals, and even the EP mobs give you a rough time. If it's current, it's still a bit of a grind, and you'll probably be making multiple trips out. Sometimes you might discover a neat cave or even a passage leading to another zone... and die from massive undead aggro in Gusgen Mines, or the Goblins or Slimes in Ordelle's Caves, or maybe you found a Scorpion in Maze of Shakrami. Of course, there's plenty of beastmen where you're leveling too, happy to wander over while you're fighting that sheep and take your head off. And forget about running away; Unless you can beat them to the zoneline, they rarely give up the chase. But you get to level 12. After a long run back to town to upgrade your gear, you're ready for the dunes! Your gear is now a slightly different shade of brown. You head to the dunes and... hey! They put a guard right there! How handy! You can set your homepoint right here! Oh, but wait! Your city doesn't control Zulkheim, so that'll be a couple of thousand please! But you're in Valkurm Dunes! The gateway to the other cities! Now you can visit San d'Oria or Windurst, right? WRONG! See, to get to Selbina to take the ferry, or to the zoneline to La Theine, you have to run the gauntlet of goblins to a cave that connects your part of Valkurm to the rest. But, this cave is full of bats. Bats that aggro. Bats that can easily kill you at level 12. If someone has cleared them out, you might be able to sneak through, but if not, the passage is too narrow to sneak past. Hope you bought some of that expensive sneak oil! More likely you'll need to pick up a party and level yourselves up to 14 or 15, then go through as a group. If you're coming from San d'Oria it's worse. Because now you can get to Selbina, only having to dodge a dozen or so Goblins patrolling the road along the way, but that aforementioned cave is the passage you have to take to get to your leveling grounds. And chances are your party is already on the other side. Fun! Windurst gets the MOST fun, since they have to run the gauntlet through Bubumiru Peninsula to Mhaura, then take the ferry across. But hey, it's a beautiful ferry ride, right? Lots of scenery going by, a chance to glimpse Windurst from the coast, that's not a bad thing, right? ... Well, until you open the doors to the deck, and the Sea Horror reaches through and rips your head off before you even know it's there. Or heck, even a Sea Monk. You're not even a mouthful for either. Back to HP for you! That'll teach you to stay in the hold and not look around! But once you're finally there, and join your party, it's all good, right? Well, hope you brought everything you need, 'cuz it's a LONG trip home! And if this is pre-WOTG, there's no moogles in Selbina, and there's definitely no Auction House, so if you run out of food or need to upgrade or change subjobs, you're in for another jog home. There is the Outpost Warp, if you remember to do the quest, but if this is pre-WOTG, you aren't high enough level to use it. And Valkurm is a lovely place, with long sandy beaches, palm trees, and Bogeys! And for the adventurous among you, there's the zone into Gustav tunnel. If you get past the aggroing bats in the tunnel, you'll be in a mysterious passage, full of goblin/undead aggro death. So, after all this, you FINALLY get to level 20. Now it's time for the run to Jeuno, and if you don't have a high-level friend to escort you, get ready for a really fun run! One mistake, and it's back to HP because the stuff you'll be trying to sneak past can three-shot you! And you're still too low to know invisible, so time for more expensive powders! But wait! You forgot about the subjob quest! If you don't have any high level friends, have fun getting that magicked skull! And then you get to do all this again for your subjob! So, in total, you've barely managed to see 5 zones, and all of it nervously and obsessively watching for something that might kill you. Travel is slow, and full of the same harrowing trek... it'll be a few more levels before you can make the trek without a Chocobo and be sure of no aggro. FFXIV 1-20 Right off your surroundings are more interesting, and far less dangerous. Your first trip is to a base camp, where you can set your homepoint, gather with other adventurers, and make getting KO'd a little less painful in terms of travel time. As you progress, you move to new base camps, which you can teleport to at any time, saving time. Your starting gear isn't much more colorful, but to be fair, it's starting gear. But the options open up quite quickly. Weapons are probably a little less impressive that the FFXI options, but the armor is MUCH better. As is the fact that the options are much wider, allowing you to create a mix that works for you, and even make a 'look' for RP purposes, even if the gear includes stuff that's far too high level for you. Reds, blues, greens and shiny, shiny metal all show up early, diluting the brown-ness. Too bad you have to repair it occasionally, but if you have the right crafts leveled, you can plunk down right on the spot and do it yourself. The opponents initially are still pretty brown, and getting your butt kicked by a rat or marmot is possibly even worse than getting stomped by a rabbit. But you've already got puks, moles, and although they're out of your level range at first, gigantic crabs, ants, goats, and dragonish lizards. Aggro is there, but there are safe paths to take, and skirting it isn't nearly the crap shoot it is in FFXI. Essentially, if you stick to the roads, you will generally be safe. Safe enough to make the run to the other starting cities even. The base camps provide waypoints along the way that you can attune to for free, and once you've attuned to one, you can teleport to it at any time. While not practical due to your limited anima supply, it's great if you're in a hurry, and want to get somewhere fast. The ferry ride is easily accessible right from Limsa Lominsa and is... boring. To be fair, it sucks. There's no aggroing mobs on deck now, but there's also no scenery, and in fact, no sense of motion at all. And it's usually raining. Thankfully, they don't make you pay for the yawnfest. There's also a notable lack of towering ancient monoliths. The aetheryte is supposedly a relic, true, but it's so commonplace as to be mundane. Also, straying from the beaten path can quickly take you into aggro death territory. However, leveling is quick, and thanks to levequests, actually profitable. and there are lots of little caves and nooks to explore. There's not as much there yet as FFXI has currently, but there's promise of things to come. *** In closing... FFXIV is a new game, and so far we've barely gotten out of the Dunes, so to speak. We've hardly gone far enough to judge. However... how much had you accomplished by level 20 in FFXI? Leveled a job and sub, maybe gotten your chocobo license? I've made myself my first sword, and got XP for it. My character is much more rounded, has much cooler-looking gear, and though I've died quite a bit, it doesn't feel as onerous. Yes, FFXIV is a much easier game than FFXI. But I don't think it's fair to say there's less to explore. It's just less dangerous to explore it. FFXI tended to herd you where it wanted you to go and be by filling all the peripheral places with nasty death. Even the areas you were SUPPOSED to be were full of slightly less nasty death. Vana'diel comes across as a dangerous place. That may be a good thing. That may be what you prefer. And that's why they're still running FFXI. FFXI is a much more hardcore game, and it will remain suited to those who want more of a challenge and struggle. But all of the issues you've cited with FFXIV? I've had many a friend who cited the very same issues with FFXI, and who never got past level 30. I told them the really good stuff doesn't start until later levels, but they weren't willing to deal with the frustration and grind. So in summary, BOTH games are pretty desolate when you're level 20. FFXI has a lot more polish, seasonal events, etc, but it's had 8 years to develop that. Prune away all of the stuff added by RoTZ, COP, TOAU and WOTG, and I imagine it was a pretty empty place on launch too. Especially for a level 20. At least in FFXIV if your friends start in a different city, it won't take a couple of weeks of level grinding before you can safely meet up with them.

And more! Headed to Skull Valley. "Ugh, rain!" "I hate rain!" "I hate Puks more!" "OW!" "Take that!" "And that!" Finally at Skull Valley. And there's a lineup... great. "C'mon guys! I need to use the Aetheryte really bad!" Dropping off my delivery. "A white cotton top? In this rain? Is that really a good idea?" Now, to Camp Bald Knoll. Never been there before... "Is it this way?" "Maybe this way?" Managed to find it and arrive safely. Took a little time out to warm up by the fire. After a quick port to Bloodshore to make my last delivery, it was time to head home. I paused to watch the sunrise, then was off. At least it stopped raining. Of course, I was in no rush, and so stopped to check out this cave. And this goat! Sheep are evil and the scourge of all that live, but maybe goats are okay? This one seemed a little wary when I tried to pet it, but otherwise seemed friendly enough. "Gotta stop getting sidetracked and get home so... oooh! Shiny!" This is the first elemental I've ever seen. There were some adventurers fighting it, so I wasn't able to get a great shot of it. Back out of the cave again Ah, there's Limsa, looking all epic. Home at last!

Not bad! Here's a few more:

Just for fun I applied the technique to some old FFXI screenshots, just to see what the results would be (Keep in mind some of these shots are from a PS2):

A technique Aveline showed me. My resolution and settings aren't actually all that high, this is what I did in photoshop: Duplicate the picture in two layers. Set the top layer to overlay. Desaturate (Make B&W) the bottom layer, based on luminosity. Apply a Gausian blur to the bottom layer. Will vary depending on the resolution of your pics, anywhere from 2-7 Now crank up the brightness and contrast on the top layer, adjusting until it looks right. And feel free to add a few effects in like lens flare, to get something like this: Original Final

I tried to use a technique Aveline revealed... for some pics it worked nicely, for others not so much. Still tweaking. Click on the thumbnails to see the full images.

Not a subligar, but it fits the thread title

I think the isn't isn't so much subligars, but the fact that in FFXI, at some point in your career, you HAD to wear one. And they were always identical for both male and female, so that lacey, frilly pair of Job-specific panties? Yes, they're just as lacey and frilly and PANTIES when worn by the male stripper cowboy elvaan over there. Of course, it may have just been less daunting for female characters since they weren't given much choice most of the time about baring their legs. Those thick breeches on a guy magically turn into panties for a girl. Heavy cuisses? Well, the girls seem to have had all the material from their hips to mid-thigh removed. Oh, you're a Ninja, and you like those board shorts they get? Sorry, on a female, they're FISHNETS. So I guess Subligars represent a modicum of revenge on guys and all their pants-hoarding. Here's your panties, guys. Show off those legs! And don't worry... at some point, these will be the best lower-body armor you can get, so you'll HAVE to wear them, or be gimp. So suck it up and get that bikini wax done!

It is! Curses I didn't have enough time with the beta to hook up with some exploring buddies and find places like this.

Don't you know? Priests are the new Gangstas. Bust a cap in yo ass, then give you your last rites.

Well, today the beta ends, so I took a mess of screenshots. I wanted to take some after taking the ferry, but... an antlion obliterated me from out of nowhere. Me by the campfire at Camp Skull. I guess I won't make it to level 10 to try some of those new leeves yet. Here's me by a Tower I found while exploring around. Dunno what it's for yet, if anything. OMG! The Beta is ending! Just goofing off. Welcome to Limsa Lominsa! It's my town! Time to run up to the bluff for a better look! Woohoo! Relaxing a little, as the wind blows the leaves around. The wind picks up, and the clouds roll in. Somehow, a grey day is appropriate for the last on the beta. In the distance, horizons unexplored... but only for now.

(This is based on a completely random RP I had just before I had to head off to work, with a couple of people I found rping in /say. I didn't get their names or Linkshell, which I regret, and some details are paraphrased or outright wrong. But I think i got the jist down.) Isilme hadn't been to the Marauder's Guild before. They were heavily associated with Pirates, so in the past she had steered clear of them, but one of the things her father had been insistent upon was that she see and evaluate as much as she could before forming a judgement. Every problem had two sides, and you needed to know both if you were going to find a solution. So far, she wasn't impressed. The Guild was nothing more than a big old pirate ship, moored with impunity at the docks. It seemed they had just arrived in port, and word hadn't gotten around yet, as the place was very quiet. She was considering leaving when she heard voices drift up from the hold below. She couldn't make out all of it, but she heard mention of the Knights of the Barracuda, and what sounded like some disparaging remarks. The remarks were nothing new. Public opinion of the Knights was low, and with good reason: The best and brightest were sent into the field to deal with the threats of the Sahagin, the Empire, and the dozen other things that were threatening the small nation at any given moment. That left nothing but the dregs back home... the lazy, the power abusers, the corrupt. The very fact pirates walked about openly more than attested to the fact that the Knights barely did their jobs back home. Still, when you were the daughter of a Knight, you didn't suffer slurs against the Knights lightly. She made her way down to the hold, and found two figures talking. They were difficult to make out in the shadows, but one was obviously female... Hyur or Miqo'te, it was difficult to see, the other male and obviously Elezen from his size and build. He was sitting down, relaxing as he chatted with his companion. "Maybe I should join the Knights of the Barracuda, hmmm?" He said with an easy tone, apparently amused by the notion. "Yeah! Then maybe you could make the rest of them do their jobs!" His female companion said, a light laugh in her voice. Isilme scowled. she stepped forward into the dim light of one of the lanterns hung from the support post and crossed her arms. "And what makes you think they DON'T do their jobs?" The two of them looked at her, a little surprised at her intrusion. The girl... she was a miqo'te after all, cocked her head. "Well, you have to admit, Miss, that the Knights are pretty useless. I mean, look at this town! It's crawling with pirates!" Isilme bristled a bit. The pirates, and Limsa Lominsa's tolerance of them was something that always stuck in her craw. "So you let a few bad apples color your perception of the whole? The Knights actually stationed in the city are a tiny fraction of the whole Knighthood, you know." "It only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bushel." The girl replied. "With the Sahagin pressuring the city, and the threat of war with the Empire, most of the Knights are out in the field. Certainly all the ones who are of any use at all are. The ones who you see in the city are the useless rejects that they can't use out on the battlefield." Isilme said haughtily. "MOST Knights are fighting hard to protect this city." "And so all we get are the dregs? While Pirates run the city?" The other girl replied, unimpressed. The elezen raised his hand, to calm his companion, and looked up at Isilme. "I get the feeling you have a relative among the Knights?" Isilme turned her attention to him, and nodded curtly. "My father." "Ah, I see. My apologies then. We meant no offense." Isilme nodded slowly. Now that the flush of outraged pride had died down, she was feeling rather embarrassed about the whole thing. She decided to beat a retreat before she crammed both feet into her mouth, and turned to go. However, as she reached the door, she stopped and turned back to them. "My name is Isilme Turuphant. Remember it! Because if you really do sign on with the Knights of the Barracuda, one day you're going to be taking orders from me!" She turned and continued out of the hold without looking back. The girl turned to her companion, "I like her!"