Dunes dead?

[One-Winged Aniki]

I played this game a couple years ago when it first hit the ps2, then again a while later on the PC, and just recently I've come back. This is my first time on fenrir server, so I'm not sure....but are the dunes usually dead?

I was making a suicide trip from bastok to selbina and I entered the Dunes expecting to see the standard chaos of the dunes that I know and love...but it was barren, except for the monsters. There were actually monsters standing around waiting to be pulled and die!

Is there a new place for newbie-partying and leveling up? Has it been so long that a 'low level' character is far and few between? Am I on a bad server?

Thanks!

[Murphie]

There have always been other places for newbie partying and leveling up. It's just that no one ever goes there. The Dunes should generally have about 100 or so people in them. You might have been there at a bad time.

[One-Winged Aniki]

I certainly hope so. I wrangled my girlfriend into playing this so she could see why I loved it so much, only to have it be dead for newbies :/

[Murphie]

There are about 131 players in Valkurm on Bahamut. About 2770 folks online total, so that's about average.

I think you were just there at a bad time.

[little ninja]

Reminds mee of the xplay comment. "Adam" who wants to go to the dunes.. cricket cricket cricket. Yeah this game is slowly nearing the end of its course. most dont bother lvling the lower jobs. an those who do usually get a PL, to hurry the hell out of the dunes. right now im trying to get my blu to 37, an let me tell u the parties are extinct for me. i try to make parties, but the picking are slim. i think i spent more time soloing, then actually pting..

[Murphie]

What are you talking about, Little Ninja? That's not at all the reality of the situation.

[Bricklayer]

I played this game a couple years ago when it first hit the ps2, then again a while later on the PC, and just recently I've come back. This is my first time on fenrir server, so I'm not sure....but are the dunes usually dead?

I was making a suicide trip from bastok to selbina and I entered the Dunes expecting to see the standard chaos of the dunes that I know and love...but it was barren, except for the monsters. There were actually monsters standing around waiting to be pulled and die!

Is there a new place for newbie-partying and leveling up? Has it been so long that a 'low level' character is far and few between? Am I on a bad server?

Thanks!

Yep, you could try using the search function (like Murphie did) to figure out just how many people are online and how many are in the Dunes. Over here, in Taiwan, it seems like (this is totally subjective, so take it with a grain of salt) a lot of players start dropping off after about 11pm Japan time. Otherwise, I tend to think that, with so many different jobs out there to level, you will almost certainly have people partying in the Dunes most evenings and weekends...

[Haggai]

Valkurm Dunes on Remora is usually pretty full when I run through. In fact, I just ran a level 1 mule to Selbina for the cabbage quest with very little trouble. I only had to worry about avoiding Goblins after the cave and in front of Selbina. All of the rest were dead.

[One-Winged Aniki]

^yeah, those were my intentions. trouble is, there weren't enough meat shields for me to get through the tunnel to the other side of the dunes at the time >XD darn sand bats...

I just figured that with this new expansion and the release of the xbox version, there would be more people like me, or at least new players to party with.

[Murphie]

There really are. Seriously, the dunes are generally packed. Some people do exp elsewhere, and many also solo further than they used to, but you can still find a fair number of conventional dunes parties if you look. Well, most have a PL attached, but whatev.

[Haggai]

There really are. Seriously, the dunes are generally packed. Some people do exp elsewhere, and many also solo further than they used to, but you can still find a fair number of conventional dunes parties if you look. Well, most have a PL attached, but whatev.
Don't you know that a PL'd party is the conventional dunes party now? :rofl:

^yeah, those were my intentions. trouble is, there weren't enough meat shields for me to get through the tunnel to the other side of the dunes at the time >XD darn sand bats...
Oh, there were sand bats on my way back, too. I was just patient enough to wait for someone else to aggro them instead. I was going back through because it was my Jeuno mule. I was going Jeuno>Dem>Selbina>Bastok. I still need more Bastok Fame, though. Darn Mog Safe upgrades.

[Murphie]

It's true. You're hard pressed to find one without. That's why I soro!

[Balfree]

Soloing until qufim has been common place for me for PUP, BLU, RDM and NIN, takes time, but its better imo.

Try duoing/trioing, its alot of fun.

[Haggai]

Soloing until qufim has been common place for me for PUP, BLU, RDM and NIN, takes time, but its better imo.

Try duoing/trioing, its alot of fun.
I think that will be my plan from now on. Not only do you get to skip the dreaded dunes, you also get more crystals, Beastman's seals and regular drops.

Hmm... that has me thinking... I should duo by myself, with my other account. I need to get her Whitemage up, and I have many jobs that could duo with her. Heck, I could trio by myself if I bring out my NPC.

Duo/trio by myself... Sounds like the opposite of "I solo'd it with my NPC!"

[Murphie]

I'd have to get friends to duo/trio. That's an impossible to gauge task. ; ;

[Haggai]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't want to try it.

[Murphie]

If you have a second account, I see no reason not to.^^

[ikkleste]

fenrir server, saturday evening (UK time) there were three or four parties in the range 11-14 (lizards etc.) all night. Sometimes more. I know because i was trying to pull against them.

[Kirsteena]

I'd have to get friends to duo/trio. That's an impossible to gauge task. ; ;

I order that you stop feeling sorry for yourself! You have friends - geez...

[neighbortaru]

soro to 20, egads! how do you stand the boredom?

[Murphie]

I order that you stop feeling sorry for yourself! You have friends - geez...Oh, I was just kidding anyway. :D

NT: Depending on the job it's really not so bad. Plus, it keeps you a lot saner when you consider some of the options you have during that level range party-wise. :/

[little ninja]

last 2 days i was in the dunes. there was no more then 5 pts in the whole zone. nobody seeking in the areas around them as well. you can talk about "other areas" but lets face it, nobody really goes there.

[Murphie]

Depending on the time of day, the dunes (like any other part of the server) can be pretty low, population-wise. So, either you were there at a bad time, or your server is dying.

[little ninja]

I was seeking dunes party from 5 central til 10 central for those days, so im well within NA primetime. i figured hell its after school for most of them, an they will sneak on for awhile to play. but then again i saw very low dunes parties.

To me im starting to get the sense that this game atleast on my server is starting to die more an more. Alot of the areas arent populated like they were awhile back. i dunno but when my friend complains he cant find his lvl 32 whm a pt, something with that just seems odd.

[Raydeus]

About people missing in VD... maybe [GM]Dave had a bad day, having Jormy running around and eating low lvl snacks wouldn't be too surprising if that was the case. :biggrin:


Seriously though, I've seen that too, (the lack of players in VD that is) maybe it's because more people in Fenrir are soloing right now or something, but everytime I go there I see less and less players leveling there.

I wonder if that's really the case, I haven't played much lately so I dunno.



PS> I solo till 30+ (and most of the times all the way to 37) so it's been years since I actually got an xp party at the dunes (or Qufim for that matter), and I feel really good about it that.

[w1nddancer]

What level are these Dunes for newbies

im level 8 , if im close can someone show them to me , i dont think ive gone 50 feet from the gate yet ...

winddancer

[Ameroth]

Love the enthusiasm Winddancer, but this is what folks round da internenent call necro. Last post was in 2006.

[w1nddancer]

oops haha .. i dont notice dates to often

just trying to do what everyone reccomends

[Ellipses]

Now that you know not to necro, it's Valkurm Dunes (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Valkurm_Dunes) everyone is talking about. Generally, you can start partying there as early as level 10, but that's difficult and painful if the party isn't a good one, and whether you'd be able to find a party these days... I don't know if Level Sync has made the place popular again or not, but you might be soloing a lot later than that while looking for a party anyway.

[Zoltar]

Valkurm Dunes is a major hotspot since the Level Sync feature....seems everyone wants to PT there as lvl12-14 for all job levels...it's good for xp but gets easily over-crowded.

yes, I realize this is a necro bump.