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 :(