As my play-experience has been maturing this past month, I’m finding more to like and less to dislike about FFXI than I had initially expected. I’m still chafing at the flagrant recipe-following tendancies that a great many players have (see previous reference to fansite resources). This results in areas such as the Valkrum Dunes being chock-full of adventurers, including a lot of my fellow Windurstans. Meanwhile the Tahrongi region (right next door to the Sarutabaruta Plains, the heartland of the Republic of Windurst) is neglected to the point that none of the civilized kingdoms exert control over it.
Many of my brave young countrymen are making a long voyage by sea to Selbina in order to partake in a quest to acquire the “subjob” ability. A similar quest is possible closer to home, but our blackmages, warriors, and monks have been emigrating steadily at the behest of their web-found follow-the-instructions recipies. The result of this has been neglect of our own hinterland. How are our Dhalmel herders to get Papaka Grass? Who will ensure that our books of lore and magic are properly accounted for?
As a Windurstan nationalist and patriot, I find this to be inexcusable, and am doing my utmost to remedy the situation. Alas, game mechanics restrict Expeditionary missions to citizens that are both powerful and in high regard (level 25 and rank 3 required), so I have only been able to participate thus far by thinning out the Goblin, Dhalmel, and Rarab populations of the Tahrongi Canyons and Buburimu Peninsula areas. Keep those signets up, folks!
I for one, am tempted to not even leave the confines of my home country Windurst. I steadily smited dhamels in Tahrongi and have recently moved on to slaughtering goblins and bull dhamels in buburimu. I’ll be returning to the Sartubartu areas soon as I will be leveling my white and red mage sub classes, but I do notice the lack of controlled areas. If all of the citizens in a nation went to one area at one time and just spent a day killing everything, that region would be ours. Instead, they spend hours at the auction house trying to turn a buck.
I must admit that when I’ve been in San d’Orian or Bastokan territory, the Windurstans stick pretty close together. There’s an air of camaraderie amongst our good folk than in the other nations. If only that were to translate into some more bold hunting behavior, that would be great. I can’t say I really blame the little Tarutarus for trying to avoid getting too deep in trouble in Buburimu, as they’re fragile little folk, but I feel we can do better.
Heh. Yeah, that’s REALLY true. I know this is an older post, but…I agree. It’s like no one goes to Buburimu. Why? Because most people insist on going with the crowd. 😛
On my main(Shirubi, 43RDM/BLM, rank 5 Windurstian) I did the Mhaura sub-job quest. 😀 They say it’s harder, but honestly…Bogy’s are harder to kill, but there’s a higher drop rate for the Bloody Robe.
I am SO glad I wasn’t there the day of the PS2 release. ;;>_>