(yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

[Emurei]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

HOW many times have you been through Valkurm Dunes?

Considering I have 10 Jobs at Lv18 or higher and 1 Job (Blm) at Lv17 for warp obviously. Sooooo I been through the dunes twice :D and normally I bring friends, not a PL I'm aginst that, but other people in my LS or friendlist that is level a job around that level. So people tend to do as they are told if I invite a random extra. And most of the time I invite someone that doesn't have a subjob, just to have a chance to teach them a few things, and well spoil them with good party setup. I sometimes get thanked randomly from people I don't know cause of that gives me a warm fuzzy inside.

"Only twice you ask?" You see us Windy peeps have this place called the Maze where we fight you know non-moving, non-aggroing worms that gives really good exp and is extremely easy. Right after you hit 16-17 range you move to the extremely unpopulated area outside of Mhaura or travel to K.tunnel in Bastok to fight more, dare I say, overly easy worms till you hit 19-20 than you go and deal with the qufim undead woes Heck I even did my subjob quest in Mhaura so long long long long time ago. As well as most of my LS mates :D

[FatCharlie]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

Personally I feel if it's a player's 2nd or more time through the Dunes there is absolutely no excuse not to bring oils/powders with prices these days. 16-20k for a stack of oils AND powders. What veteran player cannot afford that?

As for the leader warning the n00b, meh. I don't think I've ever been in a PT outside my LS at any level where the leader gave me any warning or advice on what to bring. This is a game of assumptions.

I think it falls more upon the LS to prepare n00bs for their adventures. I know my first time through the dunes I shouted out in my LS that I got my 1st PT invite, and numerous people in my LS reminded me to bring oils/powders.

[Celeal]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

Isn't the secret beach a popular XP camp site O.o? 7 death within an hour for just unable to get to the camp, something is really wrong.

[Shinhiryu_Kage]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

You know, you can aggro the Sand Bats in both of the tunnels and run away from them and eventually, they will de-aggro. So, to be perfectly honest with you, unless you have extremely pathetic HP, don't maneuver well with your character, or stop dead in your tracks, the tunnels should not be an issue for any character. Besides that, I think like..... after LV14 or so, if you are a melee, you can solo the Sand Bats. Seems to me that a BLM could do that same thing to, even with Bind. I know as RDM, its quite easy to solo the bats. Maybe not if you are level 10, but then again, if you are not at LV13 or higher and trying to go thru the passages into Valkurm Dunes proper, you really shouldn't be going through the tunnels to meet an XP party. You have no business xping outside of the Konschtat zone lol. Unless, you're desperate for some form of a party. w

Gobs, on the other hand, are a whole different matter. But, the funny thing is, I've walked right behind the back of a Gob time and time again, never getting aggro. Even walking to their side on the left and right and it was no big deal. Its only until you get at a 45 or 90 degree angle that they start to go apesh*t and chase you lol.

I mean, where's the MGS leet skeelz at? Unless you are a glutton for punishment and like to repeat mistakes over and over again to waste time and anger a bunch of quote/unquote "fellow party members," you should be using your tactical Metal Gear Solid skills of stealth. And if you haven't played MGS, then you have no business playing FF11! lolu

[Riian]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

AAHHHHHHHHHH the doones...

Everybody hates the dunes and you all are right. A mixture of noobs with lazy high lvl players who are to good for oils/powders in the dunes is not a fun mixture. Best way to keep a party safe in the dunes is meet up at a zone and keep close together avoiding gobs along the way. A party can take those bats no problem. I find it hard to give noobs advice in the dunes though. One tries to be helpful because OBVIOUSLY some ppl need the advice and then they act offended or give you that crap about "I have 4 75 lvl jobs and I think I know what I'm doing!" B.S. These days I don't give advice unless somebody asks or is OBVIOUSLY a fresh on the sands noob. It's not worth it. You'd think though that a lvl 10 who somehow managed to get from say windy to selbina would have a few extra oils/powders on him/her from the trip across Bur. Penninsula.

[Taermus]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

I haven't been to Valkurm to xp for a long time. I've leveled 10 jobs there, and I'm going to solo whatever's left to 18~20.

The main reason is that camp. It's garbage. The mobs there don't pop fast enough, and their xp spread is foul. You get yellow hp during nighttime and you're dead. If you do die, it takes forever to get back from your hp, and waste more oil and dust (tonko does 1 job out of 18 any good at this level). I really would like to know what the fascination with the place is.

The xp loss from death at these levels is laughable. Man up and hp.

[Jei]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

I think it's so expected really, people aggroing bats and die in tunnels, that's the VK fun xD

If the person is rank 10 and still do that tho, I would be upset too.

[Nerotu]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

And my party is supposed to just stop everything that they're doing, and escort a party member, right?

But didn't you just say that the party hadn't even started yet? Wouldn't that imply that those of you waiting at the beach were basically just sitting there?
No matter what level you used to be, getting through the dunes at a low level (especially as a mage and especially alone) is very tough.
When a few of your Party members are coming from Konschtat Highlands, you could have chose a meeting point such as the exit to the cave, or maybe even the OutPost.
It's the leaders job to get everyone together, not just invite them and let them make their own way, but to help each other out and get to camp.
To be honest, if they got aggroed by Gobs, that's their own fault. Stay clear from gobs is all I have to say. But getting aggroed by bats can't be helped.
Think about it, which would have been quicker? Watching their healths going down and then dieing, and then spending your time shouting for a raise and meeting up again? Or meeting at a designated spot, and then travel through the dangerous areas together? (such as caves and the gob camp)

[Anaki]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

the problem i see people i stating that to play ffxi you have to use a walkthrough which is really a stupid point of view.

your first job you just started the game you are lvl 10 at this point in time you probably do not know about sneak and invisible. you may not know that mobs aggro to sound or sight by now heck all you know for monsters is some aggro and some dont. also oils/powders are NOT cheap so if you cant afford them at lvl 10 then you cant afford them at lvl 10. and laziness and lack of knowing are not the same thing.

if the people have lvled past dunes and KNOW of aggro and the sort then they are just lazy/stupid for getting killed. but if its your first time then your not lazy or stupid you just have yet to get killed alot in dunes to learn of how dunes works.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

Part of the fault is with the leader.

I don't think it's much work for leaders to remind invitee:

"You need to get through a tunnel to reach camp, and gobliins like to gather at the entrance--make sure you bring Silent Oil and Prism Powder (or Shinobi-Tabi)"

Part of the fault is with the player coming to camp.

If someone hasn't picked up the fact that you need Silent Oil and Prism Powder (or Shinobi-Tabi) when not on chocobo by the 2nd or 3rd time in Valkurm Dunes, that person is just stupid. Laziness is a form of stupidity, too, of course.

I always have a full or nearly full stack of silent oil, prism powder, and echo drop in my inventory. Usually, also a Reraise item as well. I' was tempted to bring Antidotes last time I was in VD, but decided to use the inventory space for juice material instead. It's hard to believe the number of WHM's out there w/out Barfira and Poisona, though.

Part of the fault is with the people in party who have already seen deaths on way to camp not reminding leader and inviteee to take precaution, too, BTW.

* * *

The only time I can remember being invited to any place other than Valkrum Dunes at those levels is to Gusgen Mines. It sucked, badly. If I only knew that's where they were headed--I could have easily predicated that my RNG's damage on skeletons wouldn't exactly be impressive.

[tdh]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

I've leveled all of the following jobs in the Dunes at one point or another. Some of them I leveled almost entirely in the Dunes from Lv.10 to Lv.19 or 20.

RDM
BLM
WHM
WAR
THF
MNK
DRK
RNG
BRD
NIN
DRG
SAM

I've been aggro'd and killed by Gobbys more times than I ever care to admit, and I'd have to say about 50% of them happened in the Dunes. I've run through the Bat tunnel and narrowly escaped to the zone with my life. And as much as I have hated that ashtray of Vana'diel, it has taught me to skirk the edge of detection and avoid a lot of aggro.

My first job to Lv.75 was RDM, so basically I didn't need to bring Sneak/Invis items by the time I really needed them. Well I've been leveling a lot of melee jobs, and I always have the items handy now. So if I find myself in Qufim when the lights go out, I just pop a Silent Oil and walk right past the Wights with out a worry.

[Aeolus]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

Salutations.

Aeolus here.

You should stay in the dunes and personally educate every new person or newb 2nd jober that zones into valkurm, supply them with oils/powders and maybe even escort them to their parties only helping if they pull aggro so they can learn to dodge aggro themselves without death. And maybe use another word than flipping or just miss it out of your sentences completey.

[eticket109]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

Getting aggro on the way to camp is just how it goes in the dunes. I know I didn't buy oils and powders for my first trip through the dunes. I wouldn't expect anyone else to either.

On another note, if someone bites it on the secret beach... look for a Raise from a 40 pt in Gustav. They're a bit closer, though if they are into heavy xp, they may not be able to come out for a while.

[Icemage]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

You can't expect new players to understand these mechanics. That's what you get for inviting people to party in Valkurm - it just happens, live with it or stay away from that hellhole.

I'm working on my 4th job through Dunes level, but I'll admit I hate that place with a passion. Maze of Shakrami and Korroloka Tunnel are 10 times better if you can get even 2 other people to come with you. There's really no need to go to Valkurm if you know what you're doing.

If you absolutely insist on going to "VD", then the only way to avoid a repeat performance of this is for you to bring extra stealth meds and personally escort these ninnies across the zone.


Icemage

[Eauijhkuu]

Re: (yet another) Valkurm Dunes Rant

You're supposed to provide an escort for mages through the Secret Beach tunnel. They cannot pass it themselves without Powder/Oil and a lot of low-levels are new and don't have money. You can't expect newbs with virtually no farming ability or crafting skill to pony up 30-40k for stealth items -and- keep their gear and spells up to date. Be nice.

A lot of high-levels get lazy about stealth because they have a tendency to run through areas where they're on the top of the food chain. This sets in a bit of subconscious laziness.

It should be a trivial matter for high-levs to pay for stealth in this region--that is as inexcusable as not bringing stealth to other dangerous areas like Ifrit's Cauldron.

And my party is supposed to just stop everything that they're doing, and escort a party member, right?


If you can't avoid agro. Buy stealth items. Period.
I don't care who you are, what level you are, what job you are, how experienced you think you are, and at higher levels, they won't either.

Big deal if you're wearing insanely uber gear and have all of your spells.
If you can't make it to point A from point B without dying or endangering the party, what use are you to the group?

I would rather you stealth your way to a party spot instead of agroing everything in your path before you even reach camp, and then be forced to wait for a Raise from an edgy WHM who doesn't care much to bother to walk and find your dead carcass lying in the sands.

Because there's not going to be an escort available all the time, just like there wasn't in my instance Since I had to heal an already active party in the first place.

And I'm not going to be biased to mages either; A good Melee has the same, if not more, monetary issues to deal with concerning stealth items and gear and food. You're going to show heavy understanding for that THF that wanted to skill up his marksmanship and grab some +1 gear as well, and yet, agroes everything in his path? And honestly, what mage or melee is ever wearing 10k worth of gil in gear at that level anymore?