So, things have been busy at work, and my time in FFXI has been extremely limited.

Since I knew this was going to be the case for awhile,  I put Paladin on hold and took up Bard, thinking I’d slowly level it to 25 (for Mage’s Ballad) while real life shook out.  With only an hour (maybe two) per week, I figured I’d be set.

So last night, inside of 70 minutes, I went from 24.9 to 26.5.  So now what?

Actually I have lots of other things to do when/if I play the game, but I was a bit surprised at how fast I went up in levels.  I was also amazed at how much Bard can influence the way a party works.  That is not to say the job can make or break a party — that simply isn’t true.  A party that will fail without a Bard will most likely fail with one.  Likewise, a party that will succeed without a Bard will probably do well with one.

However, put a Bard into a good, balanced party, and things can go amazingly fast — as I found out.  Likewise, put a Bard into a balanced party, and the bard is kept busy.  I’ve settled on a routine where mages get Ballad — no surprise, and an etude if applicable.  All front-line jobs get Madrigal for accuracy.  Pure DD’ers get Valor Minuet for the Attack bonus.  Ninjas (if tanking) get Mambo. Paladins are the wild card; they get Knights Minne for Defense, but if MP is an issue then I sacrifice their Madrigal for Ballad.  That’s up to five songs per fight.

I’ve also found I prefer to pull as Bard.  That allows me to land a Threnody or Requiem on the monster without having to try to fit those songs into my routine of buffing the rest of the party.

On a side note; when did players become incapable of leveling without the assistance of a PL?  I ended up putting “PL {No, Thanks}” into my search comment from Qufim Island on, and still had to turn down parties (because the player couldn’t be bothered to read).  I find this ridiculous.  If you want an easy-mode MMO, go play something other than FFXI.

As I’ve stated previously, I’ve been playing bard as time allows.  Level 21 as of this post.  I plan on taking Bard to 25 before going back to Paladin full time.  At that point I have Mage’s Ballad, and finding parties will be easier if/when I decide to come back.

There’s a couple things that have happened to make me start really enjoying bard.  First, and specific to the job, getting Foe Lullaby at level 16.  Second, and completely outside of any SE could do, there seems to have been an influx of new players to FFXI.

How are those things connected?  Glad you asked (actually seasoned players will have already guessed).  First, Foe Lullaby opens up the utility of the job.  From level 10 (when you start to party) to level 15.9999, you play two songs almost exclusively. Sword Madrigal and Valor Minuet.

So the battle sequence would go something like this:

• Puller announces they’re coming back
• I start casting Madrigal in time to hit the puller as they arrive
• I cast Light Threnody
• I cast Minuet
• I cast Foe Lullaby (if I haven’t managed to take hate)
• I pull out my sword and start hacking away.
• rinse, lather, repeat

*yawn*

That trend would almost certainly continue if I had been in parties where the puller was a veteran player.  However, thanks to many new players, the parties I’ve been in have had the pullers come back with the target and one or more links.  I’m not casting aspersions on new players — pulling is a learned art.    Now suddenly I’m buffing the party, keeping the add slept, and fighting the current monster, and adding Paeon to my buffs right at the tail end of the fight so we can take the second sleeper.  In cases multiple adds, I’m sleeping one, getting enmity of the others and sleeping them on the way to the zone.

This is the kind of support I appreciate being able to provide, and what makes the job fun.

Although it is generally known, I think it’s about time to announce that I was born at a very early age.

– Groucho Marx

While it never surprises me to find out that most of the linkshell is populated by twenty-somethings, which renders me in the age bracket where I can tell most everyone “I’m old enough to be your parent,” one recent LinkShell conversation left me nonplussed.

One of the members was talking about how progressive their dad was when it game to entertainment.  They explained that he’s an avid gamer, but sticks to old-school FPS genres like Bioshock, Half-Life 2, and any number of the WWII games.  This member went on to say that upon seeing his kid play Final Fantasy XI, the dad in question thought he might start playing to try it out.

Of course everyone in the twenty-something age bracket has to make some remark either expressing wonder and/or bewilderment that someone that old would want to try a MMO, particularly one as grindish as FFXI.

Then the realization hit me.  Instead of Mialyn talking about her dad, Irisnyx could be talking about me, and the conversation would exactly fit.  Suddenly I started worrying about the Sandmen showing up at my door.

I tell you what, I’m not reporting to Carousel for Renewal.  I don’t care if my palm flower is black. I’m heading for Sanctuary.  Hopefully there’s an outlet and WiFi there so I can keep gaming with all the Greens and Reds.