Apathy, bane of hard work.

[Eviticus]

So....here I am. I have passed the tree line on Mount Levelgrind, sitting pretty on Lv 70. As far as what I can -buy-, I have a couple pieces of gear I'm not getting rid of till 75....even then there's one or two I'll be keeping. I've done Dynamis-Sandy with minimal loss of exp, 2k, and only had a Relic Lance to show for it. I've solo'ed a Lv5 Besiged wave and got full Exp/IS....2 Lv5 waves actually.

I'm Bastokan 6-1, ZM4, and CoP...need to do promy mea. As for ToAU plot, I need to do all the basic Assaults, I'm a Second Private or something. 2....years........2 years at this game. And you know what I'm doing?

Putting my account on hold. I'm so burned out. I may not have gotten to where I am fast, but it still feels like I've gotten no where. Yes, I'm at the level where end game LS's might accept a Melee, let alone a Drg. But as I sit here at the tree line of Mount Levelgrind, I wonder if the headache and pain of climbing to the sumit is worth it.

The little voice in the back of my head says, "Stupid. 2 years and you're considering leaving? What was the point?" Well, it was fun, yes. But it's gotten alot harsher lately. I need to do this and that to fund X, food is expensive, gear is expensive...I've been lucky so far, and there's only so much headache and drama I'll endure for the sake of hanging around with friends on LS.

And that's what I've played FFXI for, the social aspect. Well, that, and mostly the plot elements. But those are so sloooooow and far inbetween....so untill further notice I think I'll be setting my account in limbo.

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

Awwwww....

/comfort

Here's hoping you come back revitalized after your break.

[Keavy]

I hate to say it, but a break is often the best thing. Even though my breaks have both been forced on me they've been great.

Play some other games, go outside (that big yellow thing in the sky is the sun. It won't hurt you. I promise ) and well, write a pilot to a TV show.

Like one I got in the works: Its about a group of friends and these friends all meet at a coffee shop where they discuss their friendships and such.

I'm thinking of calling it "A bunch of losers in a coffee bar."

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

that big yellow thing in the sky is the sun. It won't hurt you. I promise

Yes it will. Anyone from Seattle, Portland OR, or either Vancouver will tell you this. Its trrrue.

[JediKitsune]

that big yellow thing in the sky is the sun. It won't hurt you. I promise

Yes it will. Anyone from Seattle, Portland OR, or either Vancouver will tell you this. Its trrrue.

From Portland here.

I've been having some problems getting back into FFXI lately, ever since I got another game card for... you guessed it, WoW. It's just been so much easier to get into, especially before school was out and I still had work to do and little time to relax.

My usual question to myself is: "Do I want to progress my character in WoW or farm for gil in FFXI?"

In that case, WoW generally wins...

[Aony]

I've been having some problems getting back into FFXI lately, ever since I got another game card for... you guessed it, WoW. It's just been so much easier to get into, especially before school was out and I still had work to do and little time to relax.

My usual question to myself is: "Do I want to progress my character in WoW or farm for gil in FFXI?"

In that case, WoW generally wins...

It's true, a game is much easier to get into than stay in. The choice is up to you, but eventually WoW is going to end up the same way once you get to some relatively high point (which I've heard doesnt take too long, but I'm just going on stories).

So just keep it in mind, remember at our first levels we didnt exactly farm 24/7 either, we got most of the money we needed just leveling out in sarutabaruta/ronfuare/gustaburg for awhile. That is, unless you're a HQ freak

And Evi, you do whatever your heart desires. I know it's already been said, but I'll say it again for the sake of saying it, a break is often the best thing to do. I havent taken any major month-long ones or whatever, It's usually just a few days, but it always gives a bit of a fresher view of everything, less irritated with the irritatedness of everything, all that good stuff. So if you want to, go ahead, take a few days/weeks/months off, and whenever you feel like it, come back and check everything out again.

[Sugami]

To keep at this cursed game you need to set yourself goals.

Originally my goal for DRG was 71 with full barone and Impulse Drive.
For RDM 72 with full JSE. Ontop of those I wanted sky but it turned out to be so hard to get I quit after achieving the other goals.

I came back out of boredom and lack of anything else to do. Got Sky and Impulse Drive (no one helped me before I quit) then tried my hand at NIN (my first love), which promptly got ruined for me by some thoughtless jackass.

Then along came COR aswell as trying to get Evisceration, Savage Blade and Retribution and I joined a nice endgame LS. AF2 makes me want to get to 75.

Anyways the break was good, and I recommend it. Play Guild Wars no monthly fee and very easy to get into, great game (just really hard without competant help at the end).
Come back to FFXI refreshed with new goals and a purpose and you might enjoy it again.

[JediKitsune]

I've been taking time out from FFXI to play other games besides WoW or FFXI, single player games. I bought a bunch recently.

I bought F.E.A.R. last week and beat it a couple days ago. It's a great game, and I highly recommend anyone with a computer capable of running it to go out and get it. Now, I'm gonna work on Unreal Tournament 2004 and maybe Xenosaga on console.

[Eviticus]

Well, a friend of mine bought Guild Wars...and...it's kinda too powerful for my computer to play. ^.^; I bought a Dell back in '02, and not upgraded since. The only thing it really lacks in is Ram, I got like 256mb. Well, that and the Vid card is GForce MX4 or something, which for some reason my brother always snickers when he hears...

Anyways, one of the reasons I've decided to take a break that I didn't mention above(though they are all valid reasons) is that I'd discovered an MMO that just calls to me.

My very first MMO was 'Earth and Beyond' which I suspect 5-10% of you have even heard of, and less then 5% have ever played. It was a Space MMO started by Westwood Studios(I think), bought out by EA Games, and dropped into the trash can a year later. I loved it to death, but EA screwed it.

But, I have found EVE Online....and I am on day 2 of the 14 day trial. ^.^; It reminds me so much of my first love, EnB.

[Alya Mizar (Tsybil)]

What I have heard of Eve:

Totally awesome graphics. You may want to upgrade your vid card.

In game schemes, plots, and scams that are mind bogglingly amazing. One such took over a year RT to put in place. It took down the wealthist orginazation in the game, stripped most of its loot, and killed off the leader, someone who had spent enough to buy a battle fleet on personal modifactions. Of course there are back up clones, but the mods go with the orignal body.

Downside: at one point the designers modified a device that let traders escape pirates easily. It now took more power to opperate than their engines could ever put out. No more get out of piracy free. No warning either. Traders found out about it when they hit their panic button then watched their ships go nowhere and their shields fail at the same time. This was done at the request of pirates.

Basic mechanics and devices altered and/or nerfed with no announcement....

[Sugami]

Well, a friend of mine bought Guild Wars...and...it's kinda too powerful for my computer to play. ^.^;

Doh I still want to get the expansion/new game but my friend plays FFXI again so no time for GW and the community there isn't good

[Kessa]

Taking breaks helped me get back into the game. I am not close to 75, but I have been playing the game almost 2 years. However that includes the 2 deployments.

Ive been in Iraq since Jan this year, and I am now fiending for the game. Its a good escape for me.

If you get to the point to where you are not having fun anymore than its time to go. GL Eviticus.

[Eviticus]

Guild Wars is teh suxx. Play Diablo II, more fun.

[Sugami]

Diablo II is awesome but again bit boring by yourself.

Guild Wars takes a bit to get into, the taster you get at the start is nothing like the awesomeness later on. The EXP system is the best, and you don't have to farm for hours on end to get new armour 'cause you'll have enough moneys for it by selling all the crap you pick up.
I only wish Aesha was still around so could play it with her again

[Kistala]

Currently I am playing all of three games: FFXI, FFIV on GBA, and Armored Core: Last Raven.


Armored Core Last Raven is the second expansion onto the storyline started with Armored Core 2 that continued through AC2: Another Age, AC3, Silent Line Armored Core, and Armored Core Nexus. It is the last Armored Core game on PS2 (AC4 has been announced for PS3.) The Armored Core games are, in my experience, the best console mecha series without exception (save possibly for Steel Battalion, which is prohibitively expensive.)

[Kahvi]

theres other online games that are free that can be fun.

Maple Story: A cute little 2d mmorpg
Shot-Online: Golf... pure golf
Flyff: a 3d free mmorpg
Gunbound: Tanks shooting eachother a la "Scorched earth" from the 80'and 90's
Silk Road: a 3d mmorpg set in china around the time of Marco Polo.. maybe a little earlier.
Space Cowboy Online: flyer/shooter where you have a tank or plane you fly around and customize. lots of PVP elements ((Go BCU!! Beat those ANI scum!!))
Monster and Me: think of it as a fighting mmorpg with pokemon-esqe elements, Fights are done in a different submap rather than the main map.

Legend of the Red Dragon: an old BBS door program resurected from the dead thanks to active-x controls, Java, and other methods. not necessarily mmo... but theres lots of pvp involved in the background and the game is played in rounds... unless you get a jerk of a sysop that doesnt reset the game.

and these are only a few of the games out there that are free to play and no initial purchase necessary. some of them have special stuff you can by from a website based "cash shop" for that game to enhance stats, access cool equipment, or reset mistakenly placed stat/skill points