Section 4 - Preparation for Garrison
Unlike Eco-warrior events where each person is guaranteed a reward if successful and preparation is minimal, Garrison requires a great deal of planning and organization to run smoothly.
Below, you will find a list of key things that should be done in order to ensure a smooth, clean Garrison event. If you are responsible for organizing such an event, you should take the time to explain each point to your party/alliance.
1) Organizing Treasure Distribution
Because a maximum of only 5-6 items drop per successful round, I suggest setting up strict lotting rules before the event even begins. This may become difficult to control as having 18 people lot on six items using a ruleset is fairly hectic. With practice and a good group though, it should run fairly smoothly. Section 7 of this guide gives a more detailed review of setting up a treasure lotting system.
As well, since there will usually be 18 players involved, it may be a good idea to run several rounds in a row so that each person may receive an item. This is the best way to be fair, but will require more planning. Each round of Garrison will require one item, so you must ensure you have an adequate number of traders. Also, each round takes about 8-10 minutes, but a 30 minute wait period exists between Garrison rounds. This gives ample time to rest up and build tp between raids, but can make multiple runs very time consuming.
2) Organizing Traders
Before even planning this event, it is important to obtain at least one trade item. In order to initiate a round of Garrison, you need to acquire a specific item that corresponds with the outpost/region you have chosen.
To run multiple rounds in the same day/night, your group must include a number of participants who have the appropriate trade item and belong to the nation that currently controls the outpost. Take the time to organize your traders and the order in which they will trade.
3) Equipment
Make sure your gear is appropriate for the level cap. There is literally no time for you to change gear after you are capped. The mobs spawn almost immediately and will instantly aggro the NPCs you are supposed to protect. You have to be ready to go the second Garrison starts.
4) Building TP
The level cap status effect does not reduce your TP to 0%, so long as your weapon is not automatically unequipped. To take advantage of this, all melee participants should equip a weapon appropriate for the specific level cap and begin killing enemies in the area to build up TP.
This TP will enable the melee damage dealers to open with several weaponskills, greatly speeding up the first wave. This will save them from taking damage and save the mages from having to expend MP to heal them.
Gaining TP can be difficult. If your chosen job is much higher in level than the area the event is to take place in, it may take 20-30 enemies to build 300% TP. Also, in higher level areas, it can be very difficult to build full TP without endangering yourself. This difficulty is well worth it though as it will make the entire Garrison event run much more smoothly.
As there is a 30 minute wait between initiating rounds of Garrison, there is plenty of time to build full TP between multiple Garrison events.
5) Warning Surrounding Area
Because one of the most interesting aspects of this game is observing events and battles, it is entirely possible that your Garrison event may draw spectators. Also, it is entirely possible that a player outside your party/alliance may not be aware a Garrison is taking place and may wander into the fray.
While spectators and bystanders are not a bad thing in and of themselves, their presence can lead to some frustration. People who are not familiar with Garrison may start asking questions which can make it difficult to follow the instructions of the group leader.
As a note, I find it always polite to shout a warning to the entire area before beginning any Garrison. Something along the lines of “Warning! Garrison at outpost! Stay clear for safety.” This warning has a three-pronged effect:
- people who are either unaware or unprepared can stay clear of the immediate area and keep themselves safe from AoE attacks
- people who are aware, prepared, and of sufficient level can come by and spectate
- several bad players who are not prepared will run to the outpost and will be killed by random AoE attacks. We call this Darwinism.
Okay, the third was a joke, but you get my point. You will find that when doing Garrison, many people will show up to watch. You will see random shouts of panic and even see people walk right into the middle of the battle. Most of these mobs have some form of AoE attack and you will see many people outside your alliance die. In general, it is always good to shout a warning for everyone’s sake.
6) Food and Buffs
Just before starting a Garrison raid, each member of your group should use any food that best suits their role. Suggestions for food are covered below in the Job Class Strategy section. Also, all members should receive the highest enhancing spells available from the WHMs. Enhancing spells will remain after the automatic cap is placed on your level, so having the WHMs cast Protect III and Shell III on tanks is very important. These mobs hit hard and fast, and you will need all the buffs you can get.
If you are fortunate enough to have a higher level Summoner among your group with Garuda and Titan, group Blink and Stoneskin can also prove an asset.
Only once everyone is prepared, the designated leader should signal the trader to start and everyone should prepare for War.
| Quote: |
Quick Preparation Checklist
Have you:- Discussed and agreed upon a treasure distribution system?
- Explained the order of item traders?
- Prepared and equipped all level appropriate gear?
- Taken the time to build full TP?
- Shouted a warning to the surrounding area?
- Set up all available buff spells and job specific foods?
|
| Quote: |
WARNING!
The number of models on screen during Garrison will cause tremendous lag. Before starting, you should turn off all battle and weather effects, and turn on all chat filters.
You should also avoid using macros if possible. A momentary lag could cause a macro to misfire and pose a serious threat. |