Saturday, May 28, 2011

Eat cookies.

Mithran White Mages of the class of 2011:

Eat cookies.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, cookies would be it. The long term benefits of cookies have been proved by the Culinary Guild whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I shall dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the levelling experience. Oh nevermind. You will not understand how great levelling up is until you hit level 90.

But trust me, in 89 levels you’ll look back at your Moghouse full of junk and recall in a way you can’t grasp right now how much fun those parties were, and how excited you were to first reach Jeuno.

You are not as useless in parties as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the DDs. Or worry, but know that worrying about DDs getting hit is about as useless as trying to teach a Galka table manners.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be monsters that you didn’t see coming. The kind that aggro you just as everyone eats a Stonega out in the Jungle.

Do one thing everyday that kills your PL.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s Buffs, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Reraise.

Don’t waste your time on gear-envy. Sometimes you’re well equipped. Sometimes you are not. The cost is high and in the end, it’s your gil.

Remember the people who Raised you. Forget those who didn’t.

If you get a good linkshell, hold on to it.

Keep your Kindred Seals. Throw away your old crab shells.

Protectra.

Don’t feel guilty if your tank dies. The most interesting tanks I knew at level 30 died at least once in parties. Some of the most interesting tanks I know at level 90 still do.

Get plenty of MP+.

Be kind to your Tank. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll beat Maat, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll Merit, maybe you won’t.

Maybe you’ll only level your sub to 49. Maybe you’ll find a subjob you love and level it to 90. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either – unless you forgot reraise in which case you’re an idiot.

Enjoy your Mission runs: you’ll miss them once they are done. Don’t be afraid of them, or what other people think of them, they’re some of the most entertainment you will ever have.

Skillup. Even if you have no-one to cast Cure on other than yourself.

Buy the map, even if you can’t follow it.

Do NOT eat Tarutaru, they will only give you hairballs.

Get to know your linkshell. You never know when you might need to hit on them for a Raise.

Be nice to your Red Mage, they are your best source of Refresh, and the most likely to Cure you if the shit hits the fan.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to get your teleport scrolls and open the telepoints because the higher level you get, the more you need those travel spells you learnt when you were young.

Live in Windurst once, but leave before you get too lost.

Live in Southern Sandoria once, but leave before you get stepped on by Elvaan.

Haste.

Accept certain inalienable truths; Monsters will aggro, DDs will bitch about Haste. You too will hit level 90. And when you do, you’ll fantasise that when you joined the game gear was cheap, Tanks would ask nicely for Cure and people respected their PL. Respect YOUR PL.

Don’t expect anyone else to Cure you. Maybe you have a backup heal, maybe you have a PL.; but you never know when either one will disconnect.

Don’t mess too much with the Rarabs, or by the time you reach level 90 they will still be beating the crap out of you in Abyssea.

Be careful whose gear you borrow, but, be careful to return it.

Be careful whose advice you ask, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.

But trust me on the cookies...