Originally Posted by Hatheron  |
| Y'know, I've only been a member on this website for an hour and already I have experienced rudeness. It seems that nearly everyone I've encountered both in and out of game who has at least one 70+ character and has been playing since 2003 or earlier not only feels it necessary to tell others how FFXI SHOULD be played, but also tells you what you SHOULD do in a way that makes you, the questioner, sound like a complete idiot. Some of us are just trying to learn. Give us a break and remember that you were once a noob too. Call me whiny if you wish, but c'mon. Lighten up. It's just a game, and it's supposed to be fun. |
Depends on how you take it, I guess. Yes, there are a lot of us kicking around who have been playing since 2003 or even earlier - on the other hand, a lot of people who've been around that long have had a chance to see first-hand what works and what doesn't.
For a sizable portion of veteran players (i.e. those who have at least 1 job at level 75), many of us are not impressed with the act of partying for XP. We've been there - many times, and are more interested in fluid party dynamics so everyone can have a good time and make some visible progress in terms of XP.
Some people do take the attitude a bit far, but by and large information on the game is widely available. Places like FFXIOnline are a great tool for new players to learn the ropes without having to experience first-hand the lessons that those of us who wrote the guides, FAQs, and other miscellaneous commentary that are available on this and other forums had to go through. There's a lot of wisdom contained in the posts in this forum, much of it picked over in detail by some very smart and experienced players.
Does that mean you have to obey the common wisdom at all times? Certainly not. If you're not really in the market to make the game harder on yourself and prefer an easier time, then reading up on the experiences of other players (and getting their constructive feedback) is a valid way to play the game, but no one else is paying your monthly fees, and you are free to play however you so choose.
That said, there's also a point to be made that appearances count in an online game, especially in FFXI. It's always a good idea to be careful about how you present yourself to others in-game, because making good impressions is essential to making friendships, and you need friends to be successful at FFXI. I think the reason most experienced players try so hard to convince newer players about going with what works is that, unless you have a an established reputation for knowing what you're doing, bucking trends and experimenting unsuccessfully with less efficient playing styles will result in people getting a negative impression of you.
The fact is, starting around level 30, you
need other players to accomplish many of the important goals in FFXI (missions, quests, limit breaks, etc.). Since so much of the content of FFXI is heavily dependent on the assistance of friends and acquaintances, leaving too many bad impressions usually ends up really hurting some players who insist on being "unique" at the expense of being effective - and it's often these selfsame players who then bemoan the fact that no one will help them with the more challenging tasks, from artifact armors to Chains of Promathia missions.
Here on this forum, we try pretty hard to be accomodating to many views, but as a new player, it's really not a bad idea to learn about how other players are playing your job, and the reasons why. You might not agree with those reasons, and that's OK (especially as there are times when the general playing population seems no better than a pack of lemmings), but it's best to know as much about what you're doing as possible so you can make informed decisions about how to improve your playing experiences.
Icemage
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