Change of Style
-So I’m trying something new.
-In past sessions of FFXI, I did only one mission at a time. This meant I’d pick up a quest, go to the zone it was in, complete it, and return, before starting work on a different quest.
-Instead, I’m going to try working on quests simultaneously, and breaking my notes up depending on quest. It’s…kind of hard to describe I guess, but I’ll see how it goes, and I don’t love that my notes might not be totally chronological, but we’ll see.
-The other thing is that I know this could get overwhelming, so I plan to only do… say…4-5 quests at once?
-I’m noticing something about FFXI. I will not complete many of these quests. And there are a LOT of them.
-The way the quests are set-up is FAAAAR different than any modern MMO. In most modern MMOs, there are quest hubs. If you pick up a quest, it’s likely that you’re supposed to complete the quest nearby, in a clearly-marked location.
That’s absolutely not the case here. Many of the quests are completed far from the questgiver, and many of the quests are unclear in terms of where I go or even when I’m supposed to do them.
-So even within the session, I have a change of plans. I’m going to play the game as aggressively as I can. Not aiming to complete everything. Will just write about the game I experience as I play it. That may result in some sessions where I just pick up a bunch of quests and don’t complete them, and that’s okay.
I may never complete said quests. Again: that’s okay. That seems to be part of the nature of FFXI.
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Quest: A Proper Burial (incomplete)
-Offa is a former soldier who skipped work today. He and some friends buried a time capsule a while back, but goblins dug it up and plundered it. He wants me to help find it – not because there was gold or anything inside. He just wants to remember what his hopes/dreams were then. That’s kind of sweet.
-There’s no real hint where the letter might be, so I have to assume that if I hunt down some goblins, one might drop it.
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Quest: All by Myself (incomplete)
-A brother and sister, Ken and Marin, argue. The brother wants to do some military test alone, to survey the Dangruf Wadi. His sister wants him to have help, so I agree.
-Now where is the Dangruf Wadi…?
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Quest: The Elvaan Goldsmith (complete!)
-Michea is an Elvaan woman. She isn’t in the Goldsmiths’ Guild for mysterious reasons, but is having trouble collecting materials for her own goldsmithing. Wants me to get her a copper ingot.
-I went to the Goldsmiths’ Guild in case they sold one. No luck.
-I joined the Goldsmiths’ Guild! They gave me a first recipe: Fire Crystal + 3x chunks of zinc ore = pinch of zinc oxide.
-One of the NPCs here had an option: “Synthesis image support.” I selected it, and he raised my goldsmithing skill instantly. But only the once. Maybe it’s a once daily boost or something? No… I was able to get the synthesis image support shortly after.
-But it didn’t raise my skills. Hm. Perhaps it just gives a temporary increased chance for success with the next crafting attempt.
-THERE! Found it. One of the other Goldsmiths’ Guild merchants sold me a copper ingot. Gave it to her and she thanked me.
-I also now know why she doesn’t join the Guild. She thinks that real artisans are creative, but that the Guild folks just repeat and repeat and repeat their crafting.
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Quest: Father Figure (incomplete)
-Follow-up quest for the Elvaan Goldsmith, Michea. Mister Dalzakk took her in 20 years ago, and she loves him as a father. Wants to craft a present for him, but needs a silver ingot.
-Went back there to the vendors in the Goldsmiths’ Guild. No luck.
-Did a quick search of other vendors in the area and didn’t see any silver ingots, so I’ll table this for now. Good chance I need actually use crafting to make it, and not focusing on that.
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Quest: The Cold Light of Day (incomplete)
-An old woman named Malene said her courier was carrying something near the lighthouse in South Gustaberg and was attacked. Asks me to help get it back.
-She suggests I might have to lure the beast out somehow. Name-dropped “Dalzakk,” who is informed in such matters, but he’s out of town.
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Quest: Buckets of Gold (incomplete)
-A FISHING QUEST! This dude Foss wants me to sell him five rusty buckets (that I apparently fish up if I suck at fishing). He wants them because he cleans them up and sells them for a markup.
-I tried fishing, but unlike in WoW, I need to purchase a rod first. Makes sense. I just don’t know where to get one. I’ll keep watch on vendors as I go.
-Success! When I was walking around the Bastok Mines, I found fishing rods on one of the vendors. There are three: Willow, Yew, and Bamboo, in order from cheapest to priciest. I’ll buy the Bamboo. I can afford it. I also buy forty Little Worms for bait.
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Quest: Drachenfall (incomplete)
-A Gelka named Black Mud wants me to get him some water from Drachenfall in North Gustaberg.
-I actually had this quest from a little while back and tried finding a place to dunk the bucket he gave me in the Drachenfall River in North Gustaberg, but didn’t have any luck. Searched up and down. Couldn’t find it.
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Quest: Breaking Stones (incomplete)
-A gem trader named Horatius wants me to find a Dangruf Stone, from the Dangruf Wadi. It can only be found on bright, sunny days.
-That’s two quests for the Dangruf Wadi.
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Quest: Mom, the Adventurer? (complete!)
-A cat woman (can’t remember the race’s name) named Nbu Latteh wants me to give her daughter a copper ring. She gives me a Fire Crystal to synthesize one, but I have no frigging clue what recipe I need.
-Let’s see if the Goldsmiths’ Guild has a copper ring… they do! And it’s cheap.
-Now to find her daughter. I learned my lesson last time about using Wide Scan on the map to see which NPCs are where, so I want to find someone (presumably) with the last name Latteh.
-Success in the Bastok Mines District. Found her daughter, Roh Latteh. Gave her the ring, and she gave me back a note for her mother.
-The note itself is sweet and sad.
She is happy that her mom gives her presents often (like the ring), but would rather have her mom.
-I return the letter to Nbu Latteh. She thanks me… but also chides me. Says I shouldn’t have read it. BUT I’M PLAYING A VIDEO GAME!! Of course I read all the notes NPCs give me to pass on!! Maybe I shouldn’t for FFXI. I’ll bet I would’ve gotten a better reward than a bit of gil.
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Quest: A Flash in the Pan (incomplete)
-A chef, Aquillina, is out of flint stones. Wants me to bring her four.
-I think I remember seeing those as I quested through the world, just as random drops. I’ll keep an eye out for them on vendors and kills.
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Quest: Gourmet (incomplete)
-A mother named Salimah wants a special ingredient for today’s meal. No clue what that ingredient is – maybe be a bit more direct in your request, Salimah.
-Talked to her daughter nearby, who sang a song about stew with treant bulbs. I guess I’m after treant bulbs.
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-A random alchemist named Julio shows me a chart of elemental weaknesses. It’s really, really helpful in getting a sense of what defeats what.
-For instance, it tells me wind beats earth. This explains why when I fought earth enemies, my Aero did so well. Nice!
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Quest: Teak me to the Stars (incomplete)
-Jeuno currently has a monopoly on air travel. Cid’s assistant, Raibaht, wants to help Bastok improve its aeronautics development without Jeuno knowing.
-He tells me that Cid needs me to acquire pieces of Garhada teak lumber to help modify their airship.
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Quest: Smoke on the Mountain (incomplete)
-A Gelka (aptly named Hungry Wolf) is hungry. Wants Galkan sausages, but only his friend Offa can make them. I have to find Offa in the Markets District.
-Talked to Offa. I have to take a “slice of giant sheep meat” and stick it in a goblin campfire found up in the mountains. Not sure where I’ll get giant sheep meat. Maybe there’s a butcher in town.
-Oh right! There’s a restaurant in Port Bastok called the Steaming Sheep. Maybe there.
-No luck. The food they sell is already prepared. Makes sense. Perhaps the Craftsman’s Eatery in the Metalworks?
Nope. Same problem.
-I don’t know. Maybe when I go out questing I’ll loot some sheep meat from goblins.
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Next time: I have a good set of quests now, many of which are total dead ends, but a number of which I know what to try. Will leave the city of Bastok next time for South and North Gustaberg to explore those zones fully, kill goblins, and fish.
