Random Updates

February 6-12 2008

I’ve had a very rough month at work and haven’t really had the energy to blog lately. My annual review went poorly and apparently one of my co-workers has been talking smack about my hours to my boss >< Also, I was told I’d have to put in a full lunch hour whether or not I chose to, meaning I can’t leave at 5:30 with the rest of the gang.

I probably forgot most everything but here’s what does appear in my memory:

• Partied with Artemico on Defoliators. Much better party than last Subterrane expedition but PLD got taken out by back-to-back hard hits. I tried to cover while the rest zoned and did the die-reraise-sleep-run thing. Had to be reminded about zoning all the way out to avoid a pissed-off mob tracking me down (I had stopped right at the zoneline to avoid resting aggro). This group included Espoira again.
• Got my AF hat finally! I had logged out sitting just inside the first door and on logging in later I find myself face to face with a high-level party doing an escort mission. A ranger looking for his AF was also loitering around. I followed the whole mess offering occasional cures but mostly watched this likely all-75 group decimate everything in sight. I wound up magic-aggroing an Explosure but got rescued. Once inside the Ranger beat me to it but 40 minutes later it popped back in the second gate’s area and I recovered my hat with no drama.
• Duoed with a Japanese WAR69 for the Jody’s Acid drop for AU12. Tried 4 Ameretats: killed 2/4, wiped on other 2. He got his drop right away, I recommended a disband after second weakness. Days later, Brandonn and others were commenting on being bored in Whitegate so I helpfully shouted for #12 aid: Brandonn and Jerf took me out and in 5 or 6 kills had three drops. Did I mention one of them is a high-level Thief with TH2?
• Got broadband last week – did back to back Besieged with no problems.
• Shell has been REALLY quiet
• Got Fame 7 in Windy but did not get Mog Safe III quest on Sunday. Need to soon to get money back out of the bed! Plus it’s just fugly.
• Did Gobbie V for 15.4k last night.
• Finally got a few tele-taxi customers. Nothing impressive but enough to pay bills.
• Saw Tii again while farming Test Answers. Hers aren’t showing in Jeuno so she’s offloading them elsewhere or through other channels. Latest Gravity sold for 4k.
• Tried to start Campaign but Maw in Rolanberry won’t take me. Did I go through Konschaht the first trip past-ward?

Also, I had what *I* thought would be a great enhancement that would foster more job mix strategy in parties and emphasize grouping (why oh why?):

• All jobs get an ability called “Dual Drive”. Level restricted, quested, etc. TBD
• To make it work, two people in a party have to have the same job, but one as main and one subbed. Or maybe both main or both sub with varied potency?
• In a narrow window of opportunity, both players activate the JA and use the same spell/ability/etc. on the same target (player or mob). The first player to activate is the “opener” and the second is the “closer”.
• Timed right it would be like a skillchain – increased effectiveness.
• Penalty for doing it wrong TBD – ability lockout?
• The attack/spell/ability boosted by Dual Drive would only count as one in terms of a skillchain or magic burst.
• Hate would be spread either based on the “input” efforts or by a formula weighting either the opener or closer.
• Consider allowing sub/sub drives to access higher-level abilities/spells based on an average of the levels: ( /x + /y ) / 1.333. Obviously, both would otherwise need to have access to the ability/spell if uncapped.