[Chveya]

I've only been playing for one year, but Vana'diel has provided me with many good memories.

I was so pumped when I killed my first NM, Spiny Spippi, that when we got the cape drop, my hands were shaking so much that I accidentally passed on it. Thank goodness my friend who was helping me understood, and he traded me the cape afterwards.

Visiting Purgonorgo Isle with my LS mates for an event, and having a blast playing tag on the beach and setting off fireworks.

Going into a promy for the first time and being amazed at this whole new experience in the game.

Meeting friends from all over the world, and developing close bonds with several people. It's what makes this game worth playing even though I don't have a lot of spare time to progress. I miss my friends when I'm away, and I keep coming back.

[Kaickul]

There were soooo many myths about how things worked in FFXI by the NA release. When I was hitting the dunes for the first time and we were killing goblins, people were telling me that if you had hate with a goblin and he started to use bomb toss that you should either:

a.) Run up close to the goblin.
b.) Run around behind the goblin.

The reasoning was that doing either of these would cause the goblin to bomb himself or lose sight of you and miss the bomb toss.

...and yes I listened to them.

I also remember when full AF1 on any job was a huge deal. Friends would send me tells or ls chat saying 'Holy shit! There is a full AF1 WAR in Jeuno!' People would respond 'OMG SS IT!'

[Sevv]

Originally Posted by net.drifter

There were soooo many myths about how things worked in FFXI by the NA release. When I was hitting the dunes for the first time and we were killing goblins, people were telling me that if you had hate with a goblin and he started to use bomb toss that you should either:
a.) Run up close to the goblin.
b.) Run around behind the goblin.
The reasoning was that doing either of these would cause the goblin to bomb himself or lose sight of you and miss the bomb toss.
...and yes I listened to them.
I also remember when full AF1 on any job was a huge deal. Friends would send me tells or ls chat saying 'Holy shit! There is a full AF1 WAR in Jeuno!' People would respond 'OMG SS IT!'

good times

[Mhurron]

I got me an unlit lantern.

[Lmnop]

4x warrior parties were the norm. I remember a brd/whm leaving a party because we wanted him to main heal. Everybody wanted a black mage to have a chance at decent exp, since all the melee were sword-using warriors in sub-par gear. 2 white mages was a Godsend for a while, even.

Then came the 3 melee/3 mage rule. I must say, it was a bit too rigid at times (it sorta ostracized Monks since they had no SC compatibility) but it really was the best phase of the game that I've experienced.

And now we return to multi-warrior layouts and never even consider inviting BLMs. If I weren't so pissed off about my favorite aspect of the game being marginalized horrendously (SC+MB), I'd laugh a bit more about the irony.

[Jakaal]

i remember the first time i walked into jeuno....i thought "Wow that huge!!"

[Shadowneko]

I go all the way back to the first NA beta test...where lizard eggs were 3k each(because of that bastok mission XD) and Lizard armor was just as expensive.

I remember walking into the highlands for the first time in beta and thinking that it was really impressive...and most off all from beta...I remember a little lvl 14 thf who wandered abit too close to Steelfleece Bardich and got knoked over in 1 hit!(I still want revenge)

Also when I got to retail I remember trying to help out some newbies by putting my experence playing the beta to good use...then getting told off for it XD

My favorite thing is still the invisible choboco trick...and I think I still have screen shots of it from the beta test...

[kglover1969]

Memories from FFxi:

Over the past four years I have seen many changes within the game.

I remember my first Xmas event with all the lights. It was so breath taking.

I remember.... my first journey to Jeuno and thinking that it was so far away, and that there were so many other areas that were futher. I felt so overwelmed.

I still remember leveling my first job (blm), and thinking that every turtle person was out to get me. (I swear i must have been killed 10 times by random quadavs aggroing me while i was resting.)

I remember my first LS and all the shells that followed. All my good friends and all the great people that took the time to show me how to survive in the game.

I remember getting my carby mitts , Fenrir and Diabolos and how proud i felt after i beat all of the avatars at level 20 (solo). I was so proud , i would go and just summon to see the animations.

FFxi has brought me so many good memories and proud moments.

On this, the 5 yr aniversary. I am just happy to have been involved with the game for so long, that now, i am one of those ppls that give back and can help.

[Mhurron]

My first time to the dunes was the first time I was so far from Windurst. At lvl 15 I had to get new gear so I took a 'vacation' to San d'Oria for a week.

I did the same thing with my first subjob and now at 15 when I'm leveling in the Dunes, I make a run to San d'Oria to get more food and gear.

[Skoal]

My first time I went to dunes the party wiped and they blamed it on me. It was the blm's fault for nuking a leech. They thought I attacked it with my war/thf (sword and shield). I still remember that ass. He recently came back to the game and asked me for help. LOL

[Sharks]

Originally Posted by Lmnop

4x warrior parties were the norm. I remember a brd/whm leaving a party because we wanted him to main heal. Everybody wanted a black mage to have a chance at decent exp, since all the melee were sword-using warriors in sub-par gear. 2 white mages was a Godsend for a while, even.
Then came the 3 melee/3 mage rule. I must say, it was a bit too rigid at times (it sorta ostracized Monks since they had no SC compatibility) but it really was the best phase of the game that I've experienced.
And now we return to multi-warrior layouts and never even consider inviting BLMs. If I weren't so pissed off about my favorite aspect of the game being marginalized horrendously (SC+MB), I'd laugh a bit more about the irony.

wha?

can someone explain the 3 melee/3 mage rule to me?

i'm very sorry, it's just i'm three years out of playing

[Murphie]

Tank, Melee x2, WHM, RDM, BLM probably.

[Sharks]

Originally Posted by Murphie

Tank, Melee x2, WHM, RDM, BLM probably.

ah, so it's not a forced rule then

thanks!

[Lmnop]

Many of us hated any party short of it. Though the same people probably wouldn't admit it now.

It was a stigma that if you had 4 melee, and none of them were Rangers, you were going to suck.

At any rate, there's no reason to learn about it because no one plays like that anymore.

[IfritnoItazura]

At least as of last Fall, front three/back three was still the standard for JP party in Gustav Tunnel. (One of the invite I had was to a 4/2 party, and the JP'ers were all nodding in agreement how they wished they could have the normal 3/3 party instead.)

Lately, I hear RDM's grumbling about how much better they like the "Three Mage" parties for meriting. Of course, the three are RDM, WHM, and BRD--no BLM need to apply, though SMN is sometimes used in place of WHM. >_>;

For what it's worth, the 3/3 party isn't dead, yet. JP players will never give on up that configuration, and some NA RDM's actually starting put in search comments like "2 mage {Party} {No Thanks.}" on my server. o_o;