Angular Momentum

(I'm back from the dead and I just read something romantic)

Important note - while I am in fact, back from the dead of downtime, I am not a zombie. Please do not try to put me down with headshots or large appliances. Thank you.

When I got home last night I checked on TheFunMachine's status - everything worked! So I logged in, pulled down my macro set and started playing. Immediately I notice three things: I did lose some macros - my killer SCH set for both /WHM and /BLM isn't there. The PS2 is slower reading from the hard drive (and noisier) than the PS3 - it's really noticeable when paging through macro lines. And the PS2 graphics are underwhelming. I'm normally charitable to the PS2 jaggies but after about 18 months on PS3 it's very obvious how smoothing and a better video connection improve the look.

I checked RDB for activity and finding none at 7:30, I jump over to GD and chat a bit. Aside from Enz trying to find a party in the 30s, I didn't see anything going down. Anxious to get some action, I change to Ninja and flag up. Five minutes later Aleu is talking about a BCNM run at 9. Whoa - I ask for an invite and take my flag down.

It took some doing, and a delay waiting for everyone to assemble, but near 10 we were lining up outside Ghelsbpa Outpost. I don't think they really knew how BCNM's work, especially orbs and drops, so I worked with Arch to get the framework set. I explained YOYD but said as organizer he was free to do it however. Also, I think there was some surprise about only using one orb at a time, meaning several fights if everyone brought theirs.

The chosen fight was Toadal Recall, which has a scroll of Utsusemi: Ni as a possible drop. Four funguars versus six adventurers. Conventional wisdom is to go in with 3 RDMs for kiting and three DDs to take on the free funguar. Some groups use 1 less RDM in favor of more DD or mage support and that's what Archer opted for.

I recommended we /random to see who traded orbs first because I expected the early fights to go down hard and at the end we'd pick up better experience and tactics, meaning the front-runners would be more likely to lose out. Everyone agreed, we rolled, and Aleu won (lost?) and got us in for the first fight.

I'll have to remember to move the screenies over, but the fight did not go well. Yalto and I were the designated RDM kiters and we each held onto a funguar, but 4-on-2 doesn't work. If I were to take a stab at the plan I'd see if we could use more /NIN and have 3 RDMs and 3 heavy melees. And use pots (or some /WHM) for status cures rather than giving up a whole slot to a backline mage.


It was fun and educational nonetheless, and the dead body avalanche is always fun to watch. Narsil was nearby after having raised the last group who wiped, but was AFK and did not answer our request for a raise on Enz. By then it was after 11 and most of the gang wanted to go to bed anyway so we all HPed. They may try again Friday night but I'll be off with Ape for our last summertime date-night: dinner, "Tropic Thunder" and...

Just before we had entered the Outpost, Fhox came on and we chatted briefly. He asked if I could farm with him and Isa in Promy-Dem after the BCNM and I told him I'd stop by. He said he had something personal to discuss but that it would wait until we met up. I mistakenly assumed the topic he was mulling over... One day, maybe I'll be right ^^

In any case, I swapped shells, changed into my dancing shoes and made use of the freewarp to reach Bastok instantly. They were already in Promy-Dem so I thought Windy > Bastok > Choco > Dem would be the best way. Not by a long shot =><= The freewarp lands you in Port Bastok, so it's two more city-zones just to reach the birds. Then three more zones to the crag. Fhox tells me after my blunder that he and Isa OP to Valkurm and walk. I /sighed.

It took a little doing to "seal my memories" of Promy-Mea and to find the right Apparatus in, but thankfully Fhox and Isa were near the entrance. I tried calling Sufhi but later learned she has to be 33 and I need a Tactics Pearl to summon her in the empty zones. Turns out we wouldn't need her help - the three of us, RDM, RDM, DNC cleaned house and got many valuable drops quickly. As creepy as the empty zones are, they're kind of intriguing too. I want to progress through these missions soon.

Since I came /NIN I was able to tank occasionally, voking off Fhox when he got roughed up and holding hate with cures. Aside from me not understanding the danger posed by memory receptacles, we had little trouble with anything we fought. And since the drops came fast, I wouldn't mind doing this more often.

As for the convo Fhox wanted to have, it basically sums up like this: RDB and GD need to stay separate. I do not wish to get between either shell and it's pretty clear that I'm the only person crossing borders by going back and forth. If either group is still with me in this post, please don't put me in a position of having to choose one set of friends over another. I'm fine with keeping each side separate, and I think I understand why that needs to be. But my friendships are more to me than the color of my pearls.

Now, for something a little lighter and sweeter:

Anyone who knows me IRL knows I'm a romantic kind of guy and also a huge nerd, so this just hit the spot.

In-game, anyone who knows me knows I'm just a little strange, and I reinforced that by showing the BCNM crew how Aerin watches tennis. Many lols and then Aleu agreed I was strange ^^