FFXI Ultimate Abyssea Collection

[Areya]

For those of you that might be thinking about returning to the game, but dislike the idea of dropping $30 for all three Abyssea expansions, there's some good news for you~

May 15 is the release of the newest FFXI collection, which includes all addons released so far, for $20.  You also get a code for a new item, a Destrier Beret, which below level 30 gives you Regen/Refresh, +Movement Speed, +Skill Rate, and Auto-Reraise.  IT also lets you put on an adolescent chocobo costume.

[Kyuuketsuki]

Tempted to return just to stalk Noogies as a chicobo...

[Ryudei]

 Should come back!!!  All the cool kids are doing it! 

[Kyuuketsuki]

Sounds like too much work!

[Zerila]

You mean it sounds like too much FUN! Which is impossible! Your argument is invalid!

[Kyuuketsuki]

Zeri ;;

[Elizabet]

Right.

[Elizabet]

I'm tempted... How's my fav job faring? (Drk and Smn?)

[Areya]

DRK hasn't really changed all that much, seems like SE feels it's a bit low on the totem pole since they're boosting it this next update slightly.  (Last Resort duration matching Berserk's, a new Job Trait to help Souleater).  RNG and PUP getting boosted too.

As for SMN, SMN is basking in glory for the moment, Abyssea is a playground for them, Atmas boost pets too so you can do some sick numbers with avatars, not to mention MP is no longer an issue in there.  Caller's gear is also incredibly useful.  Proper Magian staves combined with upgraded Caller's gear can make any avatar free, not just Carbuncle.  Personally I have free Fenrir and Garuda.

[Inafking]

DRK hasn't really changed all that much

Last Resort / Stalwart Soul
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/5950

Nether Void
Arcane Crest
Increased Arcane Circle
Occult Acumen
Tactical Parry
Lv3 Ele Magic, Endark, Drain II, Dread Spikes, AbasorbTP/ACC
AF3
http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/DRK

SMN changes are prety accurate.  But look in to Avitar's Favor and the Magian Staff trials for perpetuation - and other supprises.  IDK how long you've been gone, but that's the long and short of it.

I hate to contradict Areya, but the idea is to talk Liz in to coming back, right?

[Areya]

Drain II, Dread Spikes, Absorb-Acc, and Absorb-TP were around last time Liz played I believe.  And Tactical Parry for DRK is pretty silly if you ask me.  Anyways, it's not that DRK hasn't gotten changes (Personally, I love Nether Void Drain II), it's just that overall the job plays similarly as before.  Compare it to, say, WAR or MNK who have new tank roles in Abyssea, NIN which can pull off elemental wheel nuking much better than before, and so forth.

In the days of SATA Skillchains and pre-Souleater nerf versus a lot of NMs, DRK was well sought after.  It's just that it's floated down towards mid-usefulness right now.  It's like how BLMs were originally quite useful in the skillchain era, then became really only used for Sleepga II for a while when the weaponburn parties/strategies came into their own, and now Abyssea and new spells put them back into a high spot on the list.

It's kind of like how RDM and SCH, two jobs that lean towards MP management, aren't as wanted as BLM or WHM in Abyssea, Refresh atmas make tricks like Refresh II / Sublimation not as needed.  That combined with the fact you miss yellow !! spells if you don't bring a BLM, and Cure IV doesn't cut it on a lot of Abyssea NMs (400 hp cure doesn't cut it when the worst mobs can hit 2000+) so WHM becomes very useful.

[Malikai]

I wish they woulda done this earlier since I only need the last two Aby packs. ;;

[Malikai]

I'll come back if people help me kill gods. It'll be fun! Come on!

[Kyuuketsuki]

I'd help... if I came back! Though I'm still not so sure with all the work of getting jobs from 75/80 to cap...

And the work of finishing Maat's cap because I was close and it would LOOM over me until I finished.

And all the abyssea stuff that I never touched...  I dunno, it's a bit overwhelming!

[Majestica]

Well Ket now you know how I felt when I started over completely from scratch! Except multiply what you feel times NINE THOUSAND.

[Areya]

At least you two will have a nice excess of Traverser Stones at this point!

[Kyuuketsuki]

Well Ket now you know how I felt when I started over completely from scratch! Except multiply what you feel times NINE THOUSAND.

Haha, at that point I totally would have hung the towel up... or just resorted to social gaming only.

[Areya]

Haha, at that point I totally would have hung the towel up... or just resorted to social gaming only.

FFXI -is- social gaming, isn't it?  :-P

If you use Abyssea, going 75->90 is easy.  Ryu got like 76->90BLM in one night.  One group, even.

[Inafking]

I'll come back if people help me kill gods.

I still need a turtle shield and most of the abyssea stuff.  Jobs are easy to level.  If you were starting from scratch that would be one thing.  Hell, Bruce hasn't done G3 and Selina hasn't done G6.  They're low priorities but I'm gonna get to them eventually @_@  If you got friends and any kind of characters to come back to, now is the time before 90-100 comes in later on this year.

[Ryudei]

I'd help... if I came back! Though I'm still not so sure with all the work of getting jobs from 75/80 to cap...

And the work of finishing Maat's cap because I was close and it would LOOM over me until I finished.

And all the abyssea stuff that I never touched...  I dunno, it's a bit overwhelming!

*Looms over Ketsuki*

COME BACK!