Remember When...

[Areya]

Oh look.  It's one of those threads where we old players ramble about our FFXI experiences.  All sorts of things the newbies of today will never get to experience!  I'll get us started off.

I'm sure many of you remember the old monster trains.  Goblin Smithies trained to the Yhoator Jungle zone, killing all the parties on the way back!  What about the evil Wingrats trains in Garlaige Citadel?  Or those evil crawler or beetle trains in Crawlers' Nest.  Or the crab trains in Kuftal Tunnel (and occasionally, Guivre!).

Or, remember when endgame gear included items like Optical Hat, Haubergeon, or Scorpion Harness?

What about 18 person alliances doing 30-cap Promyvion climbs?

Then there was the infamous "Rol-Mart", the huge crowd of people bazaaring in Rolanberry Fields outside of Jeuno to avoid the Jeuno tax.  (Bazaar taxes are totally gone now, and Port Jeuno is the usual spot.)

How about the times wasted sitting at Fafnir pop, 28 minutes of boredom, 2 minutes of stress when the window was ready?  Only to lose the claim half the time to a stunbot someone else was using?

And once upon a time, the foods of choice were items like Meat Mithkabobs, Melon Pies, and Roast Mushrooms...

Speaking of Optical Hats, Hakutaku runs were always one of those things you had to suffer through.

Let's not even get started about the craziness that was old Dynamis...

Looking back now, so many things have changed, and these types of experiences are long gone.  Almost kind of miss them.   ..Almost.

[Areya]

Getting experience on jobs is one area where things are radically different than they used to be!

In the old days:

Good luck getting a random invite on most melees!  Most of them ended up having to make their own parties.

And forget about solo on most jobs, the exp rate was just awful, and especially before WotG (which let /DNC become an option) it took forever to heal the damage you sustain just taking on a DC.

Building a party?  Well, if there's no Paladins or Ninjas seeking (or Warriors at lower levels), you had no tank!  And most people refused to go without a Bard and/or a Red Mage!  Ballad and Refresh to sustain the fighting.

And your puller needed to know how to pull!  It's a lost art these days to know how to manage a camp and keep cranking out those exp chains.

Glory be unto ye who could consistently get Chain #5 (or #6, even) !  Often it would require the mages managing mp carefully to have enough in the tank to fight that last battle.

And of course, who didn't at one point angrily lash out at the Beastmaster who stupidly decided to move into your camp?

Knowledge of all the good camps in level ranges was a must!  And when someone overleveled the camp, they'd often have to find a replacement in town to come out and take their spot.

Don't forget the glory that is the SATA Skillchain!  One DD would first voke, WS, then the THF or DRK/THF or SAM/THF or whatever would close the SC placing hate squarely on the tank.  Then if there was a BLM or such, a massive MB!  Then with the monster half dead, the rest of the fight would be storing up TP for the next one!

Speaking of famous exp camps, who doesn't remember some of these?:
The worm lake in Qufim?  Watch out for Banshees at night!
The mandy camp behind the wooden fences outside of Kazham?  Goblin train!
The entrance to Garlaige Citadel?  Don't pull a bat on the other side of a hole!  And don't fall!
The egg sack room in CN?  Oops, did your mage accidentally Dia a lizard?
The secret room in CN?  That evil glowly green tunnel!  (Doesn't exist now)
Crab camps at Kuftal?  Oops, Guivre popped!
Robber Crabs at Boyahda Tree?  Don't hit the bunnies!
Leypoint Lesser Colibri camp?  Don't open up with Sidewinder!
The Torama camp at Labyrinth of Onzozo?  And of course the fun that is fighting Ose when it popped.
The waterfall room down in Boyahda Tree?  Steelshells, Processionaires, and Darters!  (Also doesn't exist now)
Decorative Weapons in sky?  Home of the original arrowburns!

There's plenty more of those, but thought I'd stop there!

Nowadays, between Abyssea parties, Trust NPCs, Fields of Valor, and Records of Eminence, experience is definitely a lot easier to gain than the old days.

[Selan]

I loved the RNG X4 RDM BRD PTs!!!

[Areya]

I loved the RNG X4 RDM BRD PTs!!!

And back then I was usually said BRD that was made to go pull!  Good old Stormweaver, always kept dragging me along up there lol.

[Ryudei]

That first run to Jeuno through Jugner!  SABER TOOTH TIGER NROOOO.

Speaking of tigers, farming tiger fangs.  Ugh!

Speaking of farming!  Stroper Chymes.  Double UGH!  Man what were all the RMT names.  I can only remember Indians atm...

Dreaming of Level 75.

Trying to find a party on DRG...

...

Making parties on DRG.  With no prior camp knowledge.

That first SATA Wheeling Thrust Light Skill Chain.  Pew pew!

CoP glory days, man that was a good xpac.

[Areya]

Speaking of farming!  Stroper Chymes.  Double UGH!  Man what were all the RMT names.  I can only remember Indians atm...

Good ol' Archer Rings..

Speaking of RMTs, remember the Cats?

[JstJnxy]

how about that stupid dragon .....freaking stupid thing would agro SELAN everytime!!   

And yes...i got LOST on a regular basis and WHMs hated me as i always managed to die in some retarded place that you had have a blm to get me outta there lol

Being dragged by crazy Storm and that silly Ranger pulling trains......UGH!! lol

my favorite memory is in quifim island ....WHM shouting "Bring out your dead!!"

OHHHH and remember those retarded Prom-V runs...sigh

umm hmmm i got lots....sadly...they all involve "princess selan" in some way lol

I could sit here and reminisce for like long time lol

[Selan]

That's how we roll! Aggro is fun Jnxy!

[Areya]

Yes, I'm sure we all have our share of Selan stories...

Like, you know, camping Sewer Syrup and aggroing ghosts and dying.

[Zerila]

And of course, who didn't at one point angrily lash out at the Beastmaster who stupidly decided to move into your camp?

Not me! I'd usually try to team up with them! 

[Areya]

[Not me! I'd usually try to team up with them! 

While leveling Beastmaster I ran into tons of other BSTs that just didn't want to team up at all....  And would try to run you out of the camp.