Days at the races

While I'm still stuck on the Survival Race in the Pashhow Swamptrot (recently placed 8th and 7th in the last two attempts), I actually had better results in the Crystal Stakes with my first chocobo, placing 4th, 8th, 4th, and--finally!--3rd. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to observe the 3rd-place race, but having noticed that my low-endurance chocobo always loses steam toward the end of races even on a "keep pace" directive, I went with an elm saddle and a stamina apple.

By low-endurance, I actually mean no-endurance. By the time I took chocobo raising seriously, my first chocobo's endurance wasn't high enough to withstand the "digging for treasure" care plan and it ended up being completely depleted. An 8/1/4/1 chocobo isn't very effective in C1 or C2 races, and it definitely won't make it through the whole Pashhow Swamptrot series. (However, my chocobo did actually win a C2 race because a superior PC chocobo stumbled in the rain and was the target of the NPC chocobo's attacks before its accident. What a fluke!)

Still, I'm satisfied that my old chocobo was good enough to accumulate a few first-place finishes and actually place in the Crystal Stakes. And while it was scrapping its way up the ranks I got to witness some amusing events. For example, assuming receptivity actually does affect a chocobo's ability to repel attacks and avoid accidents in races, I wouldn't expect a poor-receptivity chocobo to resist all attacks thrown at him. (This is a C4 race, if that matters.)



I've temporarily halted participation in the Chocobo Circuit (it hurts the pocketbook a little having spent 320 chocobucks to acquire a CS bronze trophy and stand), but not before having the "Winning Owner" title bestowed on me after my chocobo's 10th first-place finish. (According to the Japanese FFXIwiki, "Victorious Owner" is earned after 25 first-place finishes, and "Triumphant Owner" after 50 first-place finishes, presumably.) My racing data so far:

Solo Victory Points: 71
Number of races: 32
First-place finishes: 10

Fortunately, my second chocobo seems to be coming along well even though its STR and END progression seems a bit slow. After the day 33 progress report, both STR and END are still at "better than average." (STR and END changed to "better than average" after the day 29 report.) If I have to use chocobo training to raise STR or RCP after day 64, I can live with that.

Honestly, the extreme time and gil costs associated with acquiring chocobucks for training programs don't bother me much anymore. Considering the possibility of winning about 700k every week (before entry costs) just by signing up for C1 races (which takes a few minutes at most) makes the initial outlay seem like a good investment in the long run. We'll see in a few weeks.

Of course, the adventurer races require chocobuck entry fees, and chocobucks cost time and money. But taking first place in any of the C1-C4 races basically results in a refund of the chocobuck entry fee. Since C1 races require entry fees of 10k and 80 chocobucks, no net change in chocobucks for a first-place result would save the owner the trouble of having to spend about 23k and wasting a few hours to reclaim 80 chocobucks through free races. (I must say though that the separate gil entry fee is annoying since you have to spend gil anyway to accumulate chocobucks in a timely manner.)

Of those players who actually spent time with chocobo raising and racing, I'd hardly be the first person to say correctly that the FFXI devs did a terrible job with the implementation and execution of this feature, but I suppose the high barriers to entry are necessary to prevent RMT from exploiting it. But at least it's still a more satisfying activity than Pankration and bottom-of-the-barrel quests such as "The Miraculous Dale." Seriously, how old is FFXI? Shit like "The Miraculous Dale" with absolutely no redeeming qualities you would've expected in 2004.

The albatross

I probably wouldn't have even bothered leveling black mage all the way to 75 were it not for the Sorcerer's Ring, which allowed me to "one-shot" Yagudo's elementals and Goblin's pets up to level 70.

When elementals pause to cast magic before pursuing you, and the vagaries of beastmen movement can interrupt experience chains, the additional damage from the ring can provide just enough oomph to kill with a single ancient magic spell and allow you to avoid these issues. For me, the irritating expense of cobbling together a set of HP-reduction equipment was worth reducing the risk inherent in soloing.

But since there was no reasonable way to one-shot anything T-IT for experience after Newton even with the Sorcerer's Ring, I considered the ring to have no practical use any longer, and so I got rid of the ring and the latent-activating gear altogether.

Recently though, the tantalizing prospect of killing an Ebony Pudding with only three "tier IV" nukes led me to reacquire the ring. And since soloing puddings is a bread-and-butter activity for any "respectable" black mage, this is enough of a pretext for me to keep the ring for good and to put together a set of HP-reduction equipment that is "acceptable" for situations beyond puddings.

The whole point of being able to kill a pudding with only three tier IV nukes is to minimize the MP expenditure per kill (since tier IV spells are among the most efficient of offensive magic available to BLM, in stark contrast to the AM II series, which are generally less MP-efficient than tier 4 and even the tier 3 nukes), thereby allowing a reasonable opportunity to attain exp chain #5. Unfortunately, doing the math with my current equipment and maximum lightning and ice potency shows that this is possible only with the Rairin Obi (lightning) to activate the damage bonus on Lightningday.

For example, with a Rairin Obi a sequence of Thunder IV > Gravity > Blizzard IV > Aspir > Thunder IV on Lightningday should inflict 4467 damage (1548, 1371, 1548). With a 200+ HP Drain to finish the pudding off, the total MP cost is 551 MP at worst.

What about Iceday? With a Hyorin Obi a sequence of Blizzard IV > Gravity > Thunder IV > Aspir > Blizzard IV on Iceday should inflict 4393 damage (1481, 1431, 1481), but it's optimistic to think that Drain will finish off a pudding (544 MP at worst), although it's possible. Here, the Sorcerer's Tonban would be useful, but I don't expect to obtain this ever.

While I don't ever expect to obtain Sorcerer's Tonban or any of the Zenith gear, much less a Novio, at least there's a window of opportunity to be able to chain #5 with puddings even if it's a small one. For all other days I resign myself to chain #4.

As for situations beyond puddings, the extremely peculiar properties of the Sorcerer's Ring latent (which I will not discuss) actually allow the latent to activate above 75% of some "base" HP level and thus without drawing blood aggro. Although this is rather annoying to accomplish without relying on Zenith Mitts (which I don't have), I was actually able to configure a set of HP-reduction equipment so that the Sorcerer's Ring activates at 579/771 HP--it is important to note that the "base" HP is 762 HP before Rainbow Cape, which adds 9 HP--with the following equipment:

 Main Asklepios        (-30 HP)
  Sub Astral Aspis     (-25)
 Head Wivre Hairpin    (-20)
 Neck Evasion Torque   (+ 7)
 Body Black Cotehardie (-25)
Hands Errant Cuffs     (-20)
Ring1 Ether Ring       (-30)
Ring2 Electrum Ring    (-20)
 Back (empty)          (- 9)
Waist Penitent's Rope
 Legs (empty)
 Feet Errant Pigaches  (-20)

Since Penitent's Rope is used for nuking, the net HP reduction is -192. Unfortunately, this setup includes nine pieces of equipment that I would otherwise not use. If I had Zenith Crown, Zenith Mitts, Zenith Slacks, and Serket Ring (three of them I would otherwise not use), the setup would instead be this:

 Head Zenith Crown     (-50 HP)
 Neck Evasion Torque   (+ 7)
Hands Zenith Mitts     (-50)
Ring1 Serket Ring      (-50)
 Back (empty)          (- 9)
Waist Penitent's Rope
 Legs Zenith Slacks    (-50)

Although I do save inventory space, the net HP reduction (again using Penitent's Rope for nuking, but not using Zenith Mitts) is -202. Suppose I had three more HP merits (pretty much for the sake of using merits, as extra HP "wouldn't hurt") so that my maximum HP were 801 HP instead (or 792 "base" HP for latent activation). The ring would then activate at 601/801 HP instead. At this point I wouldn't remove the Rainbow Cape for HP reduction, and my HP-reduction equipment would then look like this:

 Head Zenith Crown     (-50 HP)
Hands Zenith Mitts     (-50)
Ring1 Serket Ring      (-50)
 Back Rainbow Cape
Waist Penitent's Rope
 Legs Zenith Slacks    (-50)

From 801 maximum HP (in the presence of Penitent's Rope), a swap of just four pieces (Z. Crown, Z. Mitts, Z. Slacks, Serket Ring) reduces max HP to 601, which is 75.88% of 792 (before Rainbow Cape's HP+9) and 75.03% of 801 (after Rainbow Cape's HP+9, and still "in the white"). And if I chose to use Zenith Mitts instead of some other hand equipment, the "base HP" would still be 792, but the actual HP would then be 601/742 (also in the white). I could elect to use Wizard's Gloves (+1) where warranted, and Zenith Mitts for everything else while still maintaining "white" HP.

Zenith pieces would indeed make life easier, but since I don't count on ever getting them, I can make do with an unwieldy 12-slot equipment swap... without Windower macros. I did say "make do"...

Chocobo raising revisited

Even taking into account the previous tirade about chocobo training tokens, I still consider chocobo raising one of the few long-run activities in FFXI from which I have actually extracted something akin to pleasure. Why babysit a needy, spoiled, infantile linkshell member when you can dote over something similarly needy, spoiled, and infantile, but that you can abandon at your whim? So with an eye toward placing in the Crystal Stakes, I again take up the cause.

By the 60-day mark of my new chocobo's life, I aim for my chocobo to have the following attribute ratings, based on the idea that "balanced" chocobos with first-rate strength fare well in Chocobo Circuit and actually have a puncher's chance at overcoming the new cheap-ass Official Races (Pashhow Circuit):

STR - First-class
END - Better than average
DSC - Better than average
RCP - Better than average

While I proceed to spoil my new hatchling, I put my old, worn chocobo through the ringer, using it to accumulate chocobucks that will be invested instead in its pampered successor. And as a bonus, this old pro is actually earning Solo Victory Points for me in the Chocobo Circuit (29 at last count), only for the young buck to take its place eventually and seize the glory of placing in the Crystal Stakes, after which I'll toss the geezer's VCS registration card. (At least I hope that's how it pans out, as I'll be annoyed if SVPs are reset when registering a new race chocobo altogether.)

Of course, there has to be some nettlesome feature about Chocobo Circuit that's a result of some dubious design choice, and for me it's the fact that one cannot sign up for a C1 race every hour, any hour.

Instead, the schedule of races is such that one can sign up for C1 races every day only during six sign-up periods (times in JST):

5:45-6:00
6:45-7:00
13:45-14:00
14:45-15:00
21:45-22:00
22:45-23:00

It's already irritating enough that one can sign up for a race only every 24 hrs. (Even though you sign up at any time within the 15-minute sign-up period, the race starts at a fixed time 35-40 minutes after the end of the sign-up period.) It's even more annoying that if you wish to hew closely to the ideal situation of racing every 24 hrs, you are stuck with these limited registration times, which can be quite inconvenient depending on your time zone and schedule.

A conceptually simple remedy would be to scrap sign-up periods altogether, and limit signing up your chocobo in a 24-hour period such that one can register for the next upcoming C1 race (or any other race you wish to enter for that matter), no matter when it occurs, any time after midnight JST. So simple and convenient for the players that this will never be implemented.

Parser-mony

As someone who participates in merit parties about twice a year (learn to allocate merit points efficiently according to your everyday needs instead of being a "fully merited" retard), I rely on log parsers to keep me interested when the action in itself is boring as hell. I find KParser a very useful diagnostic tool in alleviating the boredom of meriting.

Why would I use KParser instead of other parsers? Parsers that I have previously used tend to cater solely to people jacking off to how much damage they do in a parsing session; their output doesn't tell you anything about the proportion of the monster's attention that each damage-dealer commands, which might be worth considering before one makes ridiculous generalizations regarding the relative effectiveness of a job combination or equipment set. In contrast, the sophisticated KParser actually crunches detailed numbers for defensive statistics (among other things, too many to discuss briefly)! KParser is not only interesting enough to keep me from being bored to tears, but it's also a pretty neat diagnostic tool to help me delve deeper into a parsed situation.

I put KParser to the test during a pickup merit party at Tadjana Isle (Greater Colibri with the occasional Mamool Ja mixed in) with the following party configuration:

Myself as WAR/NIN #1: used Perdu Voulge exclusively; 12% Haste (Walahra Turban, Swift Belt, Dusk Gloves), mediocre WS equipment.

WAR/NIN #2: Used both Byakko's Axe and some dual-wield combo with main-hand axe, at least 17% haste probably.

WAR/NIN #3: Maneater/Ridill, Adaman Hauberk, at least 17% haste probably. (Kupo member.)

WAR/NIN #4: Maneater/Juggernaut, Ares's Cuirass, at least 17% haste probably.

RDM and BRD/NIN

Looking at the offensive numbers alone (102 monsters, 19,385 experience points over 1:09), I can't really conclude that any of the warriors is loafing; our damage proportions are within 5% of one another (this is just a rule of thumb of mine, not based on any statistical criterion):

Damage Summary
Player             Total Dmg   Damage %   Melee Dmg  WSkill Dmg
WAR/NIN #1            124488    26.17 %       74760       49728
WAR/NIN #2            108562    22.82 %       73771       34736
WAR/NIN #3            112252    23.60 %       77009       35242
RDM                     1080     0.23 %         926         153
WAR/NIN #4            128528    27.02 %       85934       42582
SC: Reverberation        776     0.16 %           0           0
Total                 475686   100.00 %      312400      162441

However, looking at the numbers for "attacks against," we see here that WAR/NIN #3 (Maneater/Ridill) took the fewest attacks of all the damage-dealers:

Attacks Against:
Player           Total   Attack# %   Avoided   Avoid %
WAR/NIN #1         174     24.58 %       145   83.33 %
WAR/NIN #2         118     16.67 %        85   72.03 %
WAR/NIN #3          83     11.72 %        54   65.06 %
RDM                  8      1.13 %         1   12.50 %
WAR/NIN #4         179     25.28 %       142   79.33 %
BRD/NIN            146     20.62 %       113   77.40 %

KParser even has a distinct category for Utsusemi casting. Notice that WAR/NIN #4 (Maneater/Juggernaut, Ares's Cuirass) cast Utsusemi: Ichi 25 times during the 1 hour, 9 minute session, which may have had a deleterious effect on his damage output:

Utsusemi

Player      Shadows Used   Ichi Cast  Ichi Fin  Ni Cast  Ni Fin
WAR/NIN #1           133          15        11       48      43
WAR/NIN #2            72           4         4       34      30
WAR/NIN #3            49           4         4       28      24
RDM                    1           0         0        0       0
WAR/NIN #4           130          25        19       44      42
BRD/NIN              112           4         4       43      40

The best feature of all is KParser's ability to filter types of chat, including Arena and NPC chat! Well, it can help when you want to review NPC dialogue by filtering out annoying /party and /shout crap. It could also be useful to revisit what someone said in /tell that you happened to gloss over hundreds of chat lines ago.

From a meriting standpoint, I don't use parsers to make sweeping, erroneous generalizations but as a diagnostic tool to help me fine-tune my own performance. There isn't much of a take-home message from a typical parse of a merit party; all I really care about is that the group as a whole is getting the job done and that I am pulling my own weight.

As far as soloing concerns go, of my outlandish, totally unrealistic "ninja solo" goals is to acquire the items chest on the second floor of SE Apollyon. KParser can help me determine the (lack of) effectiveness of my evasion setup and (poor) dagger accuracy when fighting the Adamantshells, and also the average time spent fighting each Adamantshell.

Note: parser output was truncated for clarity.

Are chocotrain tokens worth it?

Searching for a new challenge, I have been revisiting "content" that has basically been orphaned by the general playerbase. Chocobo racing, yeah, that's a hot ticket.

Having recently entertained thoughts of putting my long-retired and seldom-used chocobo through the gauntlet of Chocobo Circuit races in the hopes of obtaining eventually any Crystal Stakes trophy, I considered the possibility of using Chocobo training tokens to raise its receptivity in order to mitigate adverse status effects inflicted by the other jockeys during the races. For example, one may use a Gysahl Bomb to reduce the speed of the other chocobos.

The following asides will help to explain my motivation for raising receptivity:

Aside 1: Chocobo racing in general is a microcosm of the FFXI experience where cheap-ass AI tactics or onerous restrictions provide most of the obstacles to gratification. The chocobo attribute "receptivity" is a measure of how well your chocobo copes with such tactics in the domain of chocobo racing. A higher receptivity level for your chocobo supposedly increases the probability that your chocobo "evades" the adverse effect altogether. And if your chocobo does suffer the adverse effect, receptivity supposedly lessens the effect in some way (reduced duration, attenuation of the effect itself, something).

Aside 2: Chocobo raisers generally accept the idea that the game measures chocobo attributes on a hidden point scale of 0-255, which corresponds to the eight discrete levels that the game actually reports:

0-31 - "Poor"
32-63 - "Substandard"
64-95 - "A bit deficient"
96-127 - "Average"
128-159 - "Better than average"
160-191 - "Impressive"
192-223 - "Outstanding"
224-255 - "First-class"

Aside 3: 80-chocobuck training programs are available to "adult chocobos still residing in the stables" (not retired) and are understood to raise attributes by 5 points. But these are not available to my retired chocobo.

For my retired chocobo, the only way to raise its receptivity attribute is to use Chocobo training tokens, which cost 100 chocobucks. Based on the above information I came to the terribly wrong assumption that these 100-chocobuck tokens also raise attributes by 5 points.

Unfortunately, after entire days of "botting" free runs to accumulate chocobucks, I found out that these tokens are actually less effective than the aforementioned 80-chocobuck training programs available to "active" chocobos. Not even seven RCP tokens--which I thought would raise receptivity by 35 points and thus raise my chocobo's receptivity from a "Poor" rating (0 points) to "Substandard" rating (35 points)--were sufficient to raise its receptivity from "Poor" to "Substandard." Who the hell knows how many points they're worth? Two points? Three points? Fuck that.

Considering the time and gil cost of accumulating chocobucks, to offer 100-chocobuck training tokens that are more expensive and less effective than the 80-chocobuck training programs is classic FFXI "development team" timesink/gilsink bullshit. I even wonder if the 90-chocobuck training tokens are similarly less effective, but there's no way in hell I'm going to check.

My hope was that I wouldn't have to raise another chocobo just to place in the Crystal Stakes months down the line. Instead, I would rather eat the time and gil cost now of "botting" hundreds of free runs a day to bring my chocobo up to competitive form rapidly and get a fucking inventory-1 trophy within the month.

Yet not even I am masochistic enough to throw away millions of good gil after bad. At least I can take solace that I can accumulate chocobucks for other purposes without actually attending to the game at all, one motherfucking four-minute free race, 3.5 chocobucks (on average) at a time.

Motivation behind this blog

I consider most Final Fantasy XI-oriented "blogs" utter trash. No one wants to read about some FOBs waxing solecistic or fat, narcissistic bitches preening about some loot they leeched or be inundated with screenshots demonstrating that they lootwhored such and such.

Now, I don't have any grandiose aspirations for this blog of mine other than to document some esoteric issues that I come across (rather, inflict upon myself) in the day-to-day playing of FFXI. But I do fancy the idea of building a reasonable alternative to those garbage "blogs" that shed no light whatsoever and serve only as monuments to grotesque self-importance.

Why bother discussing things of very limited interest anyway? Frankly, no one I know in FFXI actually cares about any of the issues I take up, so I don't bother bringing things up with them, but I hope that someone out there might care and call me on some mistaken assertion or learn something that is worth knowing to them. I'm an optimist that way.