Week 5: Four Years 05/19/2010

After four years now, I’ve come to realize how far I’ve really come. I started as a noob like everyone else struggling to get through the dunes. I remember when the DD’s started coming into their own and I was helpless to do much of anything except mash my Cover button and pray for the mob’s death. I remember when I first heard about DD Paladin tanking and how I was completely on board with it. I didn’t resist it and stick to the old VIT and DEF methods of 2004.

Since that day 4 years ago, when I first leveled Paladin, I’ve been drooling over the gear you see above. Unfortunately some pieces like Valor Surcoat are out of date and aren’t as useful as they once were. However, all my Homam I recently acquired within the span of two weeks (insane I know) will see a ginormous amount of use.

Still though, it’s amazing how far I’ve come in these four years, for better or worse. I’ve switched systems 3 times now from Xbox 360, to my crappy laptop, and now to this beautiful new computer. I remember having to e-mail myself screenshots from Playonline for the website I used to maintain for a Sky Linkshell. Now I can hit the Print Screen button and instantly upload it wherever I want.

I remember many of the people I’ve met in FFXI. The people are what make this game so great. I seriously doubt it would have the lifespan it currently entertains if the community wasn’t there to constantly support it. Some of my friends I met when I first started are still around like Leondimas and Lsbknives my mentor. Some friends have left for other reasons, like Brokenhelmet. And some friends became complete assholes and ran off with the linkshell bank.

Then there’s now, I’m glad to have the friends I have now like Samhain, Chewzer, Shurikenger, Odude, and all the Ventrilo gang. Not because they’ve helped me get so many of the things I’ve wanted for years, but more for their companionship.

Playing FFXI with these guys makes it worth coming back to every day to see what kind of new adventure we can concoct in our cockamamie brains of ours. All this waxing eloquent makes me want to pose a question to the readers here.

What things do you remember most dearly about FFXI and what keeps you coming back?