Descent

So, ffxiapp and NASA met the hammer of justice from SE. This news would have been a glorious revelation in times past, but it seems like a hollow victory now.

There are many other bots. People will simply move on to them... and it's sad because most people who play FFXI bot. Most people don't care at all; simply an accepted reality.

Why do we play this game? Endgame is a bloated joke of its former self; an RMT/botting joke. A lot of people buy/sell accounts... botting is the name of the game, and people will quit only to come back on new characters to re-acquire the same gear they did... then lose interest and sell again.

What is the point? The whole experience feels hollow these days. The adventure is gone, and all that is left are the stark realities of botting, RMT, huge timesinks, forced grouping and pathetically low drop rates.

HNM is a huge botting/RMT hellhole without skill, with only the certainties of wasted hours to come. My LS splinters and crumbles with lack of attendance and so my time ingame is spent doing nothing but waiting on the whims of other players, hoping to be allowed to play. And if I do get to play? What is the point in the end.

Final Fantasy XI is Botting RMT Fantasy XI.

Burning out

Burning out on FFXI at the moment, if you wondering about the somewhat melancholy posts.

I don't know what it is... part of me has finally snapped I guess. I don't hate the game. I am very disillusioned though...

Issue #1: Exclusion

I already went over this in my last post so no need, but the playerbase is extremely annoying. Forced grouping is a horrible, horrible idea... it's not that I'm antisocial. I enjoy playing with people, I honestly do... but it's at the stage where you have to ask permission from people to play and it's simply ridiculous.

Issue #2: Frustration

Here's a big one. HNMs are frankly absolutely terribly designed. Any HNM camper will tell you that the HNM lifestyle comes with great "high"s and great "low"s. The "high"s feel so cheap because of the horribly designed system, and the "low"s make me question why I even bother logging on honestly.

HNMs consume a ridiculous amount of time for no reason. Some people find them relaxing, I find them horribly tedious. I play this game to play it, not sit around for three hours a day. It's not always that bad but regardless. And what happens when you claim said HNM? Your chances of claim are fractional and on top of that, your chances of getting desired drops even more fractional (looking at you, Aspidchelone and/or King Behemoth). Nobody wants to waste all of those hours trying to claim a monster which only drops something valuable 25% of the time or far less. It's stupid!

Three hour king windows are stupidity themselves, but what about REALLY long ones, like Tiamat/Khimaira etc. Does anyone really enjoy them being this long? Would anyone care if they were shorter? The time requirements for HNM are truly sickening... not to mention realistically, most of the time, you are getting one or two drops a week. If that. When you abandon traditional events like dynamis/limbus/sky/sea etc which typically have 5x or above that output, it's just all incredibly demoralising.

No, this isn't about greed.

I genuinelly enjoy getting other people drops... but the time/reward ratio (something which is horribly done in most of FFXI) is absolutely dire here. Aspidchelone I keep bringing up because it is a joke of an HNM. Dfeet/Mfeet - does anyone really want to camp for these? W Body - enjoy your 40MP over Errant. Dalmy - the treasure of the pool and even so outshadowed by other pieces nowadays. You have a 25% chance of not hideously wasting your time.

Which brings me to my next point;

Issue #3: Randomness

The game is far too random! The difference between rich and poor can simply be luck and often is - drop rates across the board are incredibly low and SE seem determined to make you bleed to get most of the stuff you want in this game. Claiming an HNM is (supposed to be) random. Getting the drop you desire is then random. Salvage... epitome of random. Limbus, drops are random. Dynamis; random. One shell can go years without seeing a Duelist's Chapeau whereas another can get four in a run. It's dumb! Einherjar, random in terms of what mobs you get (not a bad thing in my opinion) but random in the annoying sense with regards to what drops you get.

SE seem determined that the drops you get are determined solely by how lucky you are at rolling the dice. Would it really hurt if drop rates were higher? I personally wouldn't care if more people had Adaman Hauberks, or Hecatomb Subligar, or other drops. If you invest time, you deserve reward - the reward should not come from luck itself.

Of course a lot of people will disagree on this point because some people enjoy rarity... which brings me on to my next point;

Issue #4 - Emptiness

Does this game really have much content?

Rhetorical question I know, but think about it. We have been and will be grinding Dynamis... forever. Likewise HNM, likewise Limbus and nearly all of the other events.

This is because drop rates are random and low in most cases and the output is incredibly small compared to the number of participants. The grind becomes the focus, items become the focus... these events are generally not fun due to the sheer endless repetition involved... a sheer endless repetition due to lack of content.

Think about this: imagine all drop rates were 100% (in the case of Dynamis, presume each participating member receives one piece of AF2 per run and in the case of Limbus, that each member selects one piece of the Homam/Nashira set per run). How long would these events last? Salvage in particular is a very small, shallow event with intensely low drop rates just to perpetuate the grind.

There really isn't much content, is there?

Now eliminate all content which involves forced grouping.

It's a bit empty in here, isn't it?

The grind is all that remains. Why do so many people quit after receiving items? It is because the grind removes all fun, and just burns you out severely over time. Once you receive the item, you realise it is a relief rather than a joy... I speak from personal experience here. Adaman Hauberk did not make me that excited. I tried to be. I really did... it just felt so hollow compared to my old triumphs like Homam Cosciales. My dominant emotion was relief, not joy. That's not to say I didn't appreciate getting it and love it -- because I do. It just doesn't feel all that amazing and that's probably because I'm burned out... I will appreciate it evermore.

Issue #5 - Hatred

People hate me, I am fairly certain. I cannot blame them for I have become bitter and cynical since the grind has completely burned me out. There is a faction in my very linkshell who hate me and I generally don't enjoy logging in to that animosity.

I am a very opinionated individual. I speak my intents and my meanings clearly... and earn enemies for it. I never wanted this hatred.

The most painful part of it all is with a good friend with whom a rift has been developing and is very wide... I feel used. A placeholder until other friends arrive. I am only talked to when I am the only one or when she needs something, and I wish it wasn't that way. Very occasionally attempts will be made to reconcile but I feel like I should distance myself to prevent feeling like a placeholder once again.

Well, if you survived that wall of text of a post you deserve congratulations. I am aware it is incredibly boring and I apologise. I just need somewhere to pool my thoughts and my blog seems somewhat appropriate.

I currently have no plans to quit, but I may severely cut back my playtime. I do enjoy this game when not burned out, but I really am not particularly at the moment.

Exclusion

FFXI is dying.

Maybe it's been dead for a long time now... and it's because of the people. Allow me to elaborate.

FFXI enforces grouping for most activities... twenty jobs and you have to select six to make a party with. Let's list the jobs.

Bard
Beastmaster
Corsair
Dancer
Dark Knight
Dragoon
Monk
Ninja
Paladin
Puppetmaster
Ranger
Red Mage
Samurai
Scholar
Summoner
Thief
Warrior
White Mage

Colour coded;

Green = allowed to play
Orange = sometimes allowed to play
Purple = rarely allowed to play

You see, the main flaw in a game where grouping is ENFORCED is that some jobs can be completely cut out of the loop. That's not too awful right, 16/20 jobs can still play?! Only lost 20% of the jobs there. Well, let's examine closer:

Bard - Universally accepted
Corsair - Universally accepted
Dark Knight - Zerging only
Dragoon - Zerging only
Monk - Salvage only
Paladin - Accepted into endgame tanking situations
Ranger - Zerging/ranged fight only
Red Mage - Universally accepted
Samurai - Universally accepted
Scholar - Universally accepted
Summoner - Poor man's Ranger, good for astralburns though
Thief - Treasure Hunter only
Warrior - Universally accepted
White Mage - Universally accepted

So only eight out of twenty jobs get any real playtime and attention... 40%. Now, let's look at the original list and I will colour which jobs are ACTUALLY weak.

Bard
Beastmaster
Corsair
Dancer
Dark Knight
Dragoon
Monk
Ninja
Paladin
Puppetmaster
Ranger
Red Mage
Samurai
Scholar
Summoner
Thief
Warrior
White Mage

So where only eight jobs are allowed to play, sixteen are actually very capable. 100% more! The problems with those in red are simply mechanic problems created by SE; pet jobs as a whole do not function well and Dancer relies too much on TP to be -that- effective on anything strong.

This is the problem though: for DDs, it's WAR or SAM only. People will not accept anything else. My Adaman Hauberk is towngear since it's DRK only; I'll never get to play it properly. Worked so hard for Towngear Hauberk; it's all so ... wrong.

DRK is a very powerful DD with considerable utility. Hugely underestimated... there really isn't much of a difference between it and SAM. People are blind however...

DRG... there was recently drama on BG about someone's Valkyrie's Fork being ninja-lotted and people responded "who cares?" since it's "only a DRG weapon", which made me disgusted. If this was some Samurai's Hagun everyone would be up in arms, but because it's not Warrior or Samurai, it's perfectly fine? Ridiculous.

MNK has intense DoT and can keep up even with superbuffed 2handers; it shouldn't be relegated to Salvage only. This is a sad, sad view.

NIN is a perfectly capable tank. It should not be excluded; a capable Ninja is still and will still always be a very strong tank. This is another sad thing.

RNG is also fairly strong. People don't like them for meleeburn events like Einherjar yet these same people bring BLMs to deal damage in these events? Do they realise that a RNG's method of damage is essentially that of a BLM's, except they will easily surpass the Black Mage's damage over time?

THF is relegated to "Treasure Hunter whore", where none of your gear is considered in the least and nobody cares as long as you're using the knife and the hands; two symbols of the playerbase's pathetic hatred and scorching uncaring attitude toward you. YOU ARE JUST A WHORE. If that's why you play, have fun; I prefer to play my THF as the capable DD it is, against the whims of the playerbase... but they'll never let you play it for that, never.

Simply put, there are too many conceited Samurais and Warriors who think they are god because they play an incredibly easy to play job and get results out of it. The blind playerbase follow these idiots and so the problem perpetuates, until the game loses all fun and becomes a case of "play these eight jobs or quit".

FFXI is dying.

It is the playerbase's fault.

I only hope FF14 eliminates forced grouping and in FFXI that they nerf Samurai or Warrior, just to destroy these idiots.

I am SICK of all of my efforts becoming naught because people would rather have an AF feet WAR or a Domaru SAM over an Ebody DRK, great THF, strong DRG, awesome MNK etc etc.

This is what will happen to even the top drops in the game if you are not WAR or SAM.

Armageddon

A sequence of events unfolds to bring about a dream.

I cannot believe that this is a reality, that the dream itself has come true.

I thank all of my friends and comrades who have assisted me in getting this far. I have progressed far in this game, and although people can sometimes be a hindrance, in the end it is only possible due to their unfailing aid.

Sometimes I can be hotheaded and hard to get on with, and I apologise for that.

I have come far since my first days in Sarutabaruta, and the screenshot above is to reflect this. I first walked the path of the warrior, unsure of the adventure to come. Now, I am a knight of armageddon. May my enemies be cleansed with dark fire.

Wrath of the Skies

Dragoon 75.

Render of the skies, maelstrom in the shadow of the storm.

As my fifth 75, it's already well geared when it hit here. DRK zerg gear greatly helped my Breath set and Homam/Ace's Helm etc obviously helps a fair bit. Below is my gear and I know it's not optimal. In fact, because of this, I am welcoming criticism. Be as critical as you wish! It will only help me.

Rose Strap is used to facilitate 6hit.

TP

Jump (that backpiece should be Forager's, screenshot messed up)

High Jump

Penta Thrust (no Drakesbane yet)

Breath

So yeah, needs a LOT of work. I've basically geared Jump as a WS and High Jump as a "TP-giver" since it is essentially a normal hit. I could use Spike Necklace or something on Jump but -7.75acc for +3str seems VERY meh on a non-100% accurate move. Yes, I know I need Gorget for Penta but I'll have Drakes soon which I do have the Gorget for and 2x Yovra Organ SUCKS to farm. In terms of DRG's potential as a DD, I'd say it's high. A lot higher than people say ... while it's not as flashy as SAM or WAR in terms of the huge damages (unless you're fighting pink birds), I think Angon speaks for itself. Accuracy Bonus II is also very sexy... a shame body pieces are so limited. I'll write more soon, am just tired after "binge exping" for this sexy 75 :D

Small update! Drakes setup and Wheeling Thrust setup respectively. Ecphoria in Wheeling Thrust setup to maintain 6hit (will also have to TP in it afterwards); I have a Triumph Ring to swap in if necessary. My Drakes set needs more DEX :(

Faust

Faust

Faust is well known as a very challenging solo trial for a RDM/NIN and it is definitely a very painful rite of passage. There are quite a few Faust solo guides going around the internet so I'm not sure what this one could really add, but hey. Even though I have soloed Faust several times now, it's still not easy and I still don't feel like I'm absolutely going to win when fighting him, so don't expect a pushover. Faust also moves at flee speed so he's not easy to kite!

Preparation

• Very strong enfeebling magic build/merits. You are going to see resists unless your gear is top-notch but it is best to minimise them.
• Convert merits are very useful here.
  
• Tavnazian Tacos reduce damage taken by a significant amount and should be eaten.
• MND-heavy Paralyze build can be a lifesaver but is not necessary and many RDMs don't use it; largely a playstyle difference since Typhoon cannot be paralyzed. Note Faust CANNOT be slowed.
  
• Haste/fast cast build for Utsusemi/Stoneskin recommended.
• Physical damage reduction set HIGHLY recommended.
• Crimson Cuisses help to an extent but are not necessary. Still somewhat useful if you have them.
• Powder Boots for the initial pull.
• Bio3 speeds up the fight and weakens him more than Bio2 and so is recommended but not necessary (my first kill was done using Bio2).
• Knowing the arena - very important! I've used my artistic talents on some pictures below using MS paint to illustrate things for you;

You can cast directly through the "arms" of the teleporter, as represented by the arrows. This can be very useful (note that Faust will run straight through them when pursuing you though).

Similarly, you can cast through the "legs" of the teleporter either way. Faust will run around these.

Finally, you can stand on top of the teleporter and cast straight over it although this is a one-way thing (not that Faust will stand on top of the teleporter); just don't get trapped on top of it. Just for completion's sake I repeated the fact you can cast through the "arm" there with a green arrow.

The Fight

Okay, let's begin with the pull. Fully buff yourself and run to near Faust (note his vision range is about twice as long as usual: around 30'). When he faces away, start using Powder Boots and as soon as he's spotted you, run to whichever teleporter room is empty. DO NOT STOP. DO NOT STOP. He will rape you if you do. The moment you enter the room, either cast Bio3 or Bind and redo your defences/apply Poison et cetera.

When using composure, prioritise Haste over all else. Refresh and then Phalanx are luxuries.

Like most RDM solo fights, defence is more important than offence in this fight. Recast Stoneskin when you get injured and keep 3 Utsusemi shadows up AT ALL TIMES. Stoneskin is VITALLY important because it will prevent interruption when you get hit by Typhoon. Remember Bio breaks Bind but I don't think I should have to tell you this if you're feeling up to doing Faust.

In terms of using the arena to your advantage, learn those awesome diagrams above and stay on the opposite side of the teleporter to him as much as you can.

This will give you more time to manoeuvre if he unbinds early and generally make things easier for you. Unless your gear is very top-notch, expect resists. A lot of them in some cases. If you ever have him unbind on you without gravity at >~11s until next Bind or flatout resist a bind, Gravity him. He will decimate you if he gets half a chance.

While defence is more important than offence, you do ideally want to kill him before gravity starts resisting because Faust WILL be a bitch and he WILL resist your bind and/or gravity and put you in a horrible situation at some point in the fight. You want him dead before he can. Blizz3 works fairly well against him, doing about ~500-550 damage (4% of HP roughly) though he does resist a fair bit. Obviously don't put yourself in a bad position if you do this, and bear in mind he doesn't stand around much after Bind breaks: he will be after you immediately, and he will destroy you if he gets a chance.

As for TP moves, he only has one...

1. Typhoon - three shadows and damage potentially, knockback and medium range. Threat rating: high.
   

Typhoon CAN take all of your shadows and then do damage and this typically does a hell of a lot of damage if you don't have a full 3 shadows. This happens at random and will mess you up if he does it too often; just be ready for it. Blinking your gear during Typhoon can prevent the knockback effect which is very important and is what screws you up typically, not the damage of the move itself (which isn't THAT strong in a proper physical reduction set).

Note that Faust DOES sometimes stand around looking like an idiot after a Typhoon but not always.

With a bit of luck, Faust will look like this!

Oh, one more very important thing to note: the Faust glitch. This has only happened to me twice now but it's insanely annoying when it does. Occasionally for no reason a doll will come through the wall to attack you, triggered by magic aggro (way out of range though). Initially I thought this was the doll by the door but it happened to me just today when I was at the very back of the room, miles away from it.

How to deal with it? Solo, it's very difficult. You can sleep it but this is a very challenging ordeal.

Good luck; achieve this and you are on the top end of RDM soloists!

Difficulty rating: *****

What of the pieces that remain?

Suppose a fire steadily burning bright suddenly produces a violent flame, scorching the air. After the conflagaration in its place remains a smaller fire burning but not with any kind of heat like before. The remnants drift like embers.

What then does one do? There is unlikely to be enough material to relight the fire so do we continue to cultivate the one we have for stability? Or for hope that it will one day rekindle? Or do we leave the warmth and wander the cold wilderness of what once was searching for a new fire?

This fire was not one of passion but one of affection. A fire not of heat but of warmth. Losing such warmth can leave you colder but is among many ruined fires at this stage.

What of the pieces that remain?

To hold them in our hands, the shattered pieces of a once whole. Do we rebuild or do we destroy... this fire in its weakened state is somehow colder than it would be without... perhaps.

Fenrir Prime

Fenrir Prime

Contrary to popular belief, Fenrir Prime can be solo'd by a RDM/NIN. This is a fairly popular fight where most people struggle to get armies of summoners or something to defeat him when it is very unnecessary if you are or know a skilful RDM. All of the screenshots here are from my first Fenrir Prime solo and so do not indicate my most refined form of play. Continuous improvement is important, after all.

Preparation

• Remedies in case you get paralyzed
• Eat Cream Puffs or a similar INT food unless you're unconfident, in which case eat Tavnazian Tacos
  
• A good elemental skill setup designed to minimise resists and maximise MP efficiency
• Reasonable Bind/Gravity setup
• A good paralyze/slow setup (MND-heavy) is useful
  
• Crimson Cuisses do help but are definitely not necessary
• A magic defence set to minimise damage taken by Howling Moon is recommended but not necessary
• Fast cast/haste set for Utsusemi is helpful but not necessary
  

The Fight

There is a strict thirty minute time limit on this fight and your DoTs alone will not kill him, so you need to be offensive. You can buff outside of the arena and they will carry over so do so outside to save time.

When you enter, you will run through a corridor and into a large open area with Fenrir looking at you opposite. This is where I recommend kiting him, and just do so in a big circle. Do not get cornered in the corridor.

I recommend opening with a Blizzard3 though he will probably aggro you when you start casting if not before, so be ready to cast a hasty Bind (or perhaps Gravity if you want to Bio2/3 him and dump most of your MP into him early). Be sure to debuff him with Paralyze and Slow; makes straight tanking a lot easier. If you nuke him hard early you can Convert and so have more MP at your disposal over the course of the battle.

He has TP regain and so expect a lot of TP moves to come your way; typically whenever he unbinds he will take a couple of snaps at you and then TP move. His TP moves are as follows;

1. Moonlit Charge - one shadow, blinds if it hits you. Medium range. Threat rating: low.
2. Crescent Fang - one shadow, paralyzes if it hits you. Short range. Threat rating: fairly low.
3. Eclipse Bite - three shadows, pure damage. Short range. Threat rating: medium.
4. Lunar Cry - doesn't affect shadows, accuracy and evasion down. Medium range. Threat rating: Nonexistant.
5. Lunar Roar - dispels up to 9 buffs. Medium range. Threat rating: fairly high.
6. Howling Moon - 2hr ability; quite strong and strips shadows. Threat rating: medium.

Despite what you may expect, his 2hr is not his most dangerous ability. In fact, it can be relatively harmless...

No, his most dangerous ability is definitely Lunar Roar. It puts you in a lot of danger and will expend your MP recovering your buffs... avoid at all costs. Speaking of which, how do you avoid the TP moves? Well, since most are short range if you simply run when he comes towards you in a straight line away from him, you'll outrange most of them. Stop to cast Bind when you're sure he won't TP move you. Paralyze/Slow render his melee damage quite impotent.

Note he will stand around looking like a dumbass after a TP move, allowing ample time for regroup/recovery.

It is a good idea to not run as far as you can from him but stand at a moderate range, so you have room to run and waste his TP moves; you're a lot less likely to if you're turning a corner or whatever at the time. Sometimes Bind will wear early and he won't TP immediately but this is when you can Gravity or straight tank for a bit... just be careful of Lunar Roar in particular (though Eclipse Bite can be painful if you don't have many shadows up at the time).

Overall, his offence is very limited... when you get used to him, the real challenge is simply killing him in time.

Good luck~ my subsequent attempts took roughly 20 minutes and the first one I was overly cautious since I didn't know what to expect. Make sure you keep track of how much time you have left.

Difficulty rating: **

Reflect.

This will be a wordyish entry, doesn't have much to do with FFXI and has a somewhat depressing tone! Just skip over it if you're only here for the FFXI-related stuffs.

Have you ever looked in the mirror (metaphorical or physical) and not recognised the person you see? Obviously, as we all move through life, things change. Friendships and loves are won and lost; we encounter numerous failures and hopefully even greater successes. We take strength from our victories and move on from our defeats.

What then is the price of this development, this personal evolution of sorts? Throughout my life I have drifted apart from and lost many good friends and some of my naive, compassionate childhood outlook on life has been transformed into cold calculation. Why do I dislike, even almost hate some people? People who often have personally done nothing against me ...

I've been reflecting both on my real life and my ingame life recently; both of which have changed significantly. In real life, I don't drink alcohol and do not enjoy those types of parties which has led to ostracisation in some ways. People take these things for granted and just dismiss me and my foolish perspectives on fun unaware of the damage they cause. The fact remains: I am not accepted. I am perhaps hated for what and who I am. This in turn fosters hatred in me -- hatred I do not want and do not enjoy! It is not a hatred for the individual but instead the ideas of the individual as a unit group. In short, it is a hatred for the status quo of the "youth".

This projects itself in FFXI as a temporary hatred towards competing HNMLSs. Why should I hate them? We are not enemies, but rivals for the same goal. Can I really fault them for achieving success when one of us must? Nevertheless, there is anger. Anger and hatred I do not want... again, not towards individuals but towards the concept of competition as a whole. Maybe I'm spoiled, I don't know. It's certainly a temporary thing though and I am sorry for anyone whom I have lashed out at.

Hatred is corruption. It corrupts the purest things within all of us. I value love above all else; love and affection are the two things in life to live for and I try to remain compassionate towards everyone... but their hatred or perhaps pity can evoke a hatred in me which I do not want and which twists me.

Looking at my FFXI friend list... 75% of people on it I do not talk to anymore for whatever reason... either quit, on other servers or simply drifted apart. In real life, I don't talk to 75%+ of people I once knew well. It's truly disturbing to be honest... everyone uses the idea that "you will meet new people" but people are not quantitative. I appreciate every moment I spend with my friends and I still feel the loss of many of my friends acutely. I guess the message is to hold on with all of your might; don't let relationships just become a memory. Time is the greatest of enemies.

Even now I have likely lost a close friend due to many arguments and perhaps because of the darkness dormant in me. As I restate, a darkness -- a hatred that I do not want any part of. Oh well, loss is one of the parts of life and with luck it won't be permanent.

I'm not depressed contrary to how this entry sounds; I just like expressing my ideas powerfully!

General Principles of Red Mage Solo

Foreword

I am by no means a perfect RDM soloist. Everyone has their own techniques and strategies and so you shouldn't see a lot of mine as "the correct way" to solo something, rather "one of the ways" to solo something.

I am constantly improving and refining my techniques and so this data may change at any time.

How does a Red Mage solo?

This will sound very obvious, but a Red Mage solos monsters over a period of time using attrition tactics due to its immense defensive capabilities combined with access to potent enfeebling and damage over time magic. The most common subjob used is /nin, though /blm and /blu can also and are also used situationally.

This does not mean that it is ONLY possible to defeat certain monsters with a certain subjob! You generally use /blm on solos involving the use of the Elemental Seal JA (Brothers ENM comes to mind), /blu can be used on monsters where Utsusemi is generally ineffective (a straight-tanked Aquarius for instance) and /nin is used everywhere else.

The reason /nin is so powerful should be fairly obvious. With the Haste spell, "Fast Cast" gear and traits along with Haste equipment, you have a very low recast time and, combined with Stoneskin and speedily-cast Utsusemis can survive for a very long time. Blink is a somewhat unpredictable replacement for Utsusemi when not /nin.

Using Composure

Composure is very powerful on RDM because it means you take less MP and time to buff yourself and don't have to worry about them falling as often. As a rule, make sure the monster is unable to reach you while under Composure and prioritise Refresh and Haste (whichever one comes first depends on how often you have to recast things in that particular solo - you'd use Haste first on Faust for instance). The order is important in case you have to cancel Composure halfway through. Typically I go Refresh/Haste > Haste/Refresh > Phalanx > Regen > Stoneskin.

Defensive Tactics

The most important part of a (non-timed) RDM solo is survival. The whole strategy of attrition involves keeping yourself alive while slowly whittling an enemy to death. The following are your tools for survival;

Defensive Spells

Protect IV/Shell IV - 65MP, 75MP; both duration 30 minutes (Composure does not effect).

Defence actually works for RDM so keep Protect IV up at all times and definitely keep up Shell IV if you are going to be taking magic damage. They are quite costly in terms of MP so plan ahead.

Stoneskin - 29MP, duration 5 minutes (15 with Composure).

An essential spell. Absorbs up to 410 points of damage (350 unless you have Stone Gorget and Stone Mufflers which add +30 each) and prevents interruption from damage while it is active unless you are knocked back.

I very much recommend casting Stoneskin in Haste/Fast Cast gear to reduce its recast because you will sometimes be pushed to recast very quickly on some monsters (Faust and Cactrot Rapido come to mind).

Note that it has a long casting time and does not overwrite itself. It should be recast semi-regularly to prevent it dropping at an inopportune moment.

A Red Mage with 256 Enhancing Magic skill needs 95MND to cap Stoneskin.

Phalanx - 21mp, duration 3 minutes (9 with Composure)

Useful spell. Negates damage from each hit (including en-effect damage) by floor[(Enhancing Magic / 10) - 2]. You may think that -25~ damage per hit isn't that much but if it makes Stoneskin hold out for an extra hit, it can literally be a lifesaver. I wouldn't prioritise it above the other defensive abilities though.

Blink - 20mp, duration 5 minutes (15 with Composure)

This is your Utsusemi substitute if you are /notnin or in a desperate situation /nin I suppose. Doesn't always absorb attacks and has a long casting time so take care.

Aquaveil - 12mp, duration 5 minutes (15 with Composure)

Decent if you get a spare moment though "Spell Interruption Rate down" is going to only be useful in desperate moments (and even then, unlikely to save you).

Utsusemi: Ichi and Utsusemi: Ni

Arguably the ultimate defensive tool. Things which you should know but I'll say again already: Ichi overwrites Ichi but not Ni, Ni overwrites Ichi and Ni. Both grant 3 shadows which absorb spells and other attacks but which AoEs damage in some way (most completely destroying). Cast these in a full haste/fast cast build for maximum recast reduction.

Another note; my personal style is to not cast Ni so much but generally cast Ichi and convert my Ni casts into Ichis whenever I get a spare moment. This is so I can simply recast Ichi over itself without worry of it failing due to not cancelling Ni properly. It is easy to cast Ichi between the attack rounds of most monsters.

Carry ample amounts of Shihei at all times!

Enfeebles

Paralyzes - keep these on at all times if applicable. Casting in nearly full MND is advisable due to low recast (easier to spam) and the fact that higher MND is a more potent (procs more often) paralysis. 6MP for para1 is a huge bargain given how much damage reduction it can grant.

Slows - again, keep these on all times if applicable. Their recasts are slightly longer than Paralyze but you can still "spam" them to a degree (you can also overwrite Slow1 with Slow2, so can always cast Slow1 if Slow2 is resisted). 15MP and 45MP are huge bargains yet again.

Blind is largely placebo and will barely have an effect on most mobs but every little helps, right? I wouldn't really make it a priority to keep it on the monster but if you can, go for it.

Note that it is still useful to keep kited mobs slowed and paralyzed. If you ever have to straight tank something due to Bind wearing prematurely etc, these can potentially save you a lot of MP!

Bind is your staple defensive spell. Duration is largely random and its recast is quite long but it is one of the most important spells in your arsenal and costs a measly 8mp! Casting in full accuracy is advised although some people like to drop some potency pieces for haste/fast cast in order to reduce recast in some slots where you cannot get much INT/Macc/Enfeebling Magic skill (like Feet). Personally, I prefer to stick with full magic accuracy/int/enfeebling skill simply because Bind taking 3 seconds longer to be able to cast again is a lot less likely to kill me than it taking 25 more seconds to cast again. Damage of any kind is likely to break Bind, including Bio! Poison will not.

Gravity is your emergency spell in most situations, in the event of a resisted Bind or if you need to Convert/Composure sometimes. It is not wise to rely on this spell because most monsters build resistance to it over time. It can also be used to speed up kills by allowing them to be nuked more easily. It costs 24MP and has a very long recast and I would recommend casting in a full accuracy build; you shouldn't need it often enough to warrant shortening its recast by sacrificing other stats.

Sleep and Sleep II work well if the mob in question can be slept which doesn't apply to the majority of solos. Just remember you can't sleep a mob you have put damage over time spells on!

Techniques

Kiting is the most commonly used technique; remaining out of range of the target by using Bind, Gravity and terrain effectively. This also allows you to outrange many TP moves and spells.

Straight tanking is useful in the event of a bad Bind but where you don't want to waste a Gravity, or some monsters require you to straight tank them a lot of the time. It is essential that the monster is debuffed at all times (especially slowed) and that you are not nervous about recasting Stoneskin behind Utsusemi when the monster is attacking you. Obviously knowing how to shadow tank is a great benefit here. Do not underestimate straight tanking! Most Red Mages I observe soloing seem afraid of the idea but Red Mage is very good at it.

Offensive Tactics

Bio 2/3 and Poison 2 are your primary sources of whittling away a monster's HP. Poison 2 will easily be capped in potency (10/tick) but costs 38MP so ensure it doesn't get resisted too much or it can be a huge MP sink (it is water-based so use Water Staff/Neptune's Staff). Bio 2/3 on the other hand require 211+ Dark Magic to be at their most practically effective for Red Mage (skill cap at 75 is 200) so bear this in mind. Bio 3 is not MP-efficient compared to Bio 2 until it is meritted to at least 3/5 and unlike poison, it does give a monster TP and it does break Bind due to the fact it deals initial damage.

Elemental nukes are useful (though MP intensive) for destroying a monster's HP. Needless to say, they should only be used when your MP is high enough to support it (or Convert is ready for use). Nukes take about 6~ seconds to cast so if you start casting when your Bind is at 8 or so seconds until it can be cast again, you can nuke straight into a new Bind. Blizzard3 is generally your most consistent spell because of Ice Accuracy merits combined with +Elemental skill on the staff.

Types of solo

Standard mob: No regain, susceptile to standard enfeebles.

This is a generally simple solo once you are used to it because the main danger comes from TP moves. You will find most of these very trivial once you master the basics.

Examples: Most mobs in the game. Unut, Ungur, Amiriki (he has Store TP but this is a lot less dangerous than Regain).

Regain mob: TP regain, susceptible to standard enfeebles.

This is harder than a standard solo because it will be using a lot of TP moves throughout the fight. However, this also means you can predict when it will use its next TP move and use certain factors to control it (for instance, distance on Zipacna will cause him to use Crystal Shield).

Examples: Zipacna, Faust

Kited mob: Straight tanking not practical due to immunities/horrible TP moves/etc.

This kind of strategy involves knowing the terrain very well and generally just staying out of the way of the monster. Some of these fights will involve a monster immune to Bind or Gravity and so you will have to consider your strategy carefully.

Examples: Aquarius, Ix'drk

Straight-Tanked mob: Where due to immunities to Bind/Gravity or a small arena, you anticipate having to straight tank a monster for a period of time.

Red Mages are very good at straight tanking although most people seem afraid of doing so. It is very important to have physical damage reduction and haste gear in particular for this and to also be talented at keeping up buffs and debuffs between shadows. These can be very demanding.

Examples: Cactrot Rapido, MMM NMs

And of course, there are many solos which don't fit into any conventional pattern. Some allow you all of the time you need and some are more restricted (typically BCNM-type ones). The latter require you to use your MP far more aggressively of course and need different approaches. With so many different types of solo, what things then hold constant?

General Preparations

Knowledge - do you know this NM's TP moves? Does it have Regain? How do you deal with each TP move? Does it cast? Is it immune to bind/gravity/paralyze/slow etc? How much MP do each of your most important spells cost? Does your enemy have any specific elemental weakness you can take advantage of? Does it have enhanced movement speed?

These are just a few of the important things you have to think about and more. Before attempting a solo, ask yourself a few of these questions.

Equipment - Idle (regen/refresh/movement) / INT enfeebling / MND enfeebling / -PDT (Physical Damage Taken) set / -MDT (Magic Damage Taken) set (if applicable) / hMP set (if applicable).

Idle: Duelist's Chapeau + Dalmatica or Morrigan's Robe for Refresh; if not, wear a Vermillion Cloak. Orochi Nodowa and Garden Bangles are good Regen pieces.

INT Enfeebling: 1 Enfeebling Magic skill = 1 Magic Accuracy = 1-2 INT (when (your INT - mob INT) is less than positive 10, 1int = 1macc and when it is greater than or equal to positive 10, 2int = 1macc) for how to evaluate them. Haste/fast cast perhaps.

MND Enfeebling: For Para/Slow, balance MND with Enfeebling Magic skill/Magic Accuracy there. MND also gives macc at the same rate as INT does described above. There is no such thing as potency of Silence, so cast that in full accuracy (though you will rarely have to use it).

-PDT: Darksteel (+1), Jelly Ring, Cheviot/Umbra Cape and Earth/Terra's Staff are your best sources. Caps at -50%.

-MDT: Coral is a good idea or even pure INT works most sources of magic damage. Pure resist builds to an element are viable against some monsters like Suzaku. Caps at -50%; note that -MDT is not the same as +MDB; -MDT is generally better but +MDB isn't weak either.

hMP: Pretty self-explanatory, anything with +hMP on it. Note that if comparing two fulltime pieces, Refresh from Chapeau/Robe/Dalmatica/Cloak is equal to 6.66hMP on the first tick and 3.33hMP on the subsequent ticks. The most effective way of doing it although requires a lot of attention is to swap on hMP for the tick and then sit in Refresh for the rest of it. It is applicable to rest in a lot of kited solos but don't do so until you're comfortable and confident.

Merits - This is obviously down to personal preference, but I would consider Ice Accuracy 5/5 a no-brainer (Bind/Paralyze/Blizzard3) and I personally opt for Convert 5/5 although I know a lot of RDMs like Wind Accuracy (Gravity/Silence/Aero3) or even Earth Accuracy (Slow, Stone3).

For group 2, definitely at least one merit in Slow2. Para2 can be useful in a way but I don't like it because of the MP cost and little if any improvement over Para1; Bio3 reduces monster Attack by more than Bio2 and kills the monster more quickly.

Food - Cream Puffs if you're not going to be taking a lot of damage, Tavnazian Tacos else; Stoneskin lasting a hit or so longer is a very good thing!

Learn from your mistakes - everyone makes mistakes and you will definitely die when soloing, or attempting to. Always learn from your mistakes and critically analyse your performance. Naturally, be careful where and when you Convert!

RDM solo is far more about technique than gear; things like Crimson Cuisses are very powerful but not necessary; neither is top-of-the-line equipment. Don't be put off if your gear is not perfect, just keep on trying. Naturally better gear allows for a greater margin of error and there are some solos you are not doing without really powerful gear but for the majority of solos, you can get by with minimal emphasis on equipment. It's mostly preparation and technique.

Good luck~

New Dawn

So I haven't posted here in about six months. Why? Well, a combination of many issues.

Firstly those pages to the side which you may or may not have noticed have disappeared were annoying because I always had to update them whenever I got gear and such and just ugh, no. Too much of a pain in the ass, so I've deleted them... should increase motivation to post.

Also, I've been busy with a variety of things both ingame and out and completely forgot about this blog to be honest. However, due to many people asking for an update I guess I should get around to it at some point!

So what has happened since 2008...?

Well, I left Wish shortly after finishing my Homam set as I told Cyr when I joined. Why did I leave? I applied to the most powerful and prestigious endgame linkshell on the server, ApkalluVendetta. I didn't expect to get in, especially since I had no mage 75. However ...

This was after my trial period which lasted about two weeks. I haven't been kicked yet :)


And other experiences, truly a great linkshell. During my course in AV I obtained many prestigious items, such as...


(I'm not a cat, I just adore plasticsurgeon. Mithra is too sexy not to play).

Ace's Helm and Hecatomb Cap in particular, two drops which I have desired forever. Amazing to finally have them, although both were painful to get.

ApkalluVendetta broke and reformed as Repentance which I am currently in now after a lot of members server transferred, but we're still incredibly strong. Did an eight-man KB today; quick kill, 0 deaths, 0 meteors, which led onto...

I've wanted Pixie for a long time so I was very happy to get it (also Koenig Diechlings which are actually good if used properly)!

I also got my fourth 75~

Red Mage, an amazing job. So versatile and so powerful, definitely one of my favourites. Speaking of which, I am steadily developing my solo talents as it is my favourite part of the job and game, so I might write up some basic guides for this and specific mob strategies later. I'm far from an adept, but I'm working on it and would welcome input.

Hmm, this is a messy entry structurally but oh well!

Did Hagun ENM for a bit, had good luck with it. YES GALATEIA DID IN FACT DROP. Still can't get over that either.

Also since my last post I've been duoing a lot with my favourite RDM partner, Rienea :O she's not too bad a friend either. Dualboxing her makes her a cat too :D

Everyone should level RDM, seriously. Immense job.

Anyway, very messy and extremely late post I know :( hopefully I'll update again soon. There were loads more screenshots but they'd be boring to go through... I'll just leave you with this.