[Elwynn]

One thing that's interesting is how Buburimu has become much more utilized since FoV came out. A couple of months before when I was leveling, it was pretty lonely, but I soloed WHM out there because I didn't want to go through it just to take a boat ride to dunes. I would get tells asking me to pt in valkurm (because at those levels, not being anon on WHM apparently means LFG) and I was like "yeah right I just barely got out of Tahrongi". I did finally agree to go once, my first pt, went from 18 to 20 in secret beach, then on the way back, I got ambushed by a gobbie on the way back through Bubu and de-leveled. >.<

I even got pearled for my LS when I was soloing in Buburimu by the OP. But I've always done things the "wrong" way. I even did my first xp'ing outside the Port Windurst gate, when everybody else uses the other two gates.

Nowadays, the main reason I solo in the dunes when leveling is that I have hopes that it might possibly help Windurst win Zulkheim. I still don't have the Valkurm warp because the one week last summer when Windurst had it was I didn't understand OP warps yet. We've had Bastok take over the other two starter zones in the past month or so, so I have hopes for an invasion in the next month or two.

[Neverslip]

I think it's just what everyone is used to and going outside the box, however awesome it could turn out, usually ends in a wipe and the party dies. I only party in the Dunes anymore if it's a LS party full of buddies. The headaches otherwise just aren't worth it for me anymore so I avoid that place like the plague. With the implementation of FoV, solo'n past the dunes is very simple. Duo'n is even better. I also always wondered why the Dunes was the choice over others but ... seemed like other places may have had better options but people seemed too lazy to organize themselves a new experience party area.

Also, with Smn "Flow" parties popping up so much lately, I imagine the lvl's 12-22'ish will see some drop in LFP's. I now plan on leveling at least one (maybe two) mules up to Whm12 (maybe BLM for Warp) then go LFP but stick in my comment {Astral Flow}{Level Synch}{Yes, please} so I can get one to Jeuno and get a choco license on them with ease. It's my mule so turning down those regular party requests will make me feel guilty but my true character will not be negatively effect'd by all the "No thanks... pleas /check my comment..."

[neighbortaru]

Originally Posted by Chubsmgee

I like the dunes when you get down to secret beach other than that I dont like it

dude, year old thread!

[Chubsmgee]

I sorry its just that im stuck in a hotel room for the next couple days and I figured the ffxi forums was a good pace to spend it

[Kafeen]

Originally Posted by Ziero

Honestly

If you have smart people in a good spot the dunes freaking rocks. Going after T-low ITs with no competition and you can pretty much chain your life away. Plus being right in the middle of so much, it's a very convienent spot to go to.

The problem is that *everyone* goes there and most suck at this game. The zone itself is great exp for a good 10 lvls, it's the people that ruin it.

For BLU and DNC I got pretty good exp soloing my way through Valkurm. Parties kept going wrong, they pull something too hard for the party, get aggroed or linked or do something else stupid and the party would end up wiping. I found soloing much faster and safer than relying on other people in Dunes.

[Reilk]

I've recently come back to the game on a trial, and the Dunes seem a lot different since '05 or so.

Syncing has made partying a completely different ball game, and I've only really camped in the <I-7> oasis instead of a variety of different places. Curious, I went down to Siren Sands to go see if you could still run through the mangroves to get out into open water, but they had completely redesigned the place. Stupid Gobbos assaulting the beach as if it were Normandy, and there were only two or three snippers and a single pugil.

Needless to say, I got firmly trounced by two head hunters (and then a bat or two) as I tried to escape out to sea.
What hurt me more than the pain of death was that of losing the ability to "swim".

[Takelli]

Reilk, you might want to check the last post date before you post.

As for the pugils and teh goblins... FFXI killed the beach camp, and made the Pugs 3X stronger to kill than what they used to be as well. I remember killing those guys at lvl 18 to lvl 20 fairly fast ealier in the game.

Doing glitches can get you banned from the game, so I don't suggest doing them. The level sync has lowered the playing skill of other players as well. The higher lvls are doing lvl syncs, and are killing their skills and syncing lvl 5-15 lvls below their current level.

[Reilk]

I'm sorry for the necro, didn't notice date.
And regarding the glitch, although I see why exploits and the like are looked down upon, but simply walking into the water didn't give you any in-game advantage and was a really memorable experience, chilling with the schools of fish out there.

[Takelli]

Well, it was more with messing with the games coding. It was doing an exploit, and doing any exploit in any game is grounds for banning.

[Reilk]

Yeah, I guess I'll have to go back over the legal stuff, but seems to be a moot point anyway, as it's been removed from the game.