Wulff

Last night I dreamt that I was at home relaxing. I had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around butt-naked, when I noticed this man in a red coat on the lawn. I opened a window and called out to him, I told him that he was on private property and that he had best leave now. Immediately he pulled out a device from under his coat that looked like a gun and pointed it straight fucking at me. I quickly ducked away from the window and moved into another room while this weird of feeling of dread filled my stomach, I can't really explain it, but if you've ever been in a situation where you think there is a genuine chance you might die, you'll know what I mean. So I sit tight for a few moments before I peek out of the window and I see the guy still outside with his rifle-looking item and he's walking around scanning the exterior of my house. I decide that enough is enough and scramble into my bedroom to grab my phone.
 
I dial 112 (Which is my country's equivalent of 911) but I get an automated message saying that the emergency service phone number has recently been changed to 115 and the line I am currently on is now for postal service complaints. So I dial 115 instead and I get an automated message stating that a strange red-coated man has been reported in my neighborhood and if I am calling about that, there is nothing to worry about unless you've made contact with the man. The message then prompted me to "Press One" if I had made contact with the red-coated man. So I press one and I get put on hold to very stereotypical and cheesy waiting music.
 
At this point I decide to take my fucking chances and I grab a blanket and run out of the house as fast as I can, still butt-naked, only covering myself with said blanket. I don't see the red-coated guy anywhere and I am ducking and weaving in random directions through various different gardens and brushes. I finally get to the outskirt of the city when my call to the police department goes through. I get on the line with this police officer who is talking to me in a very soft and sing-songy voice as if I was a toddler. He asks me if I am having trouble with the red-coated man and I scream at him that yes I fucking am. At that moment I spot the red-coated man out of the corner of my eye. He is marching straight towards me, raised rifle and all. As he closes the distance, I drop my phone and just charge at him. He doesn't fire at me or anything, he just walks intently towards me with a stern look on his face as I rush towards him.
 
Once I get right on top of him, I slap the rifle out of his hands and he just bursts into flames. Not like exploded into gibs or anything, but he just fucking caught fire. As he burned he smiled at me and gave me a nod of approval and then I woke up.

Well, at least it's not like TERA's leveling system, which is an utter joke.

If you haven't played through the main storyline, then it's generally advised to play through it once, but otherwise, you do the various Vanguard Requests (which don't need an NPC to start or complete) and once you hit 20 you just use the Instance Matching system to run through the same dungeons and hit the level cap in about 2-3 days of serious play. The only time it slows down is when you're going from 60-65. It goes by even faster if you can get Elite status through temporary vouchers or if you just buy it, as that doubles all experience you gain, including from quests, I believe. Then you grind all the 65 dungeons for progressively better gear, and if you're not into PVP (like me), there's not much else for you once you've done all the quests and run each dungeon a couple times and played with the classes you want.

Although, it could be worse, I remember back when I used to play Fly For Fun and at one point it just got so fucking tedious to level, if you're lucky enough to keep playing to reach your 2nd class at level 60, experience gain grinds to a damn near standstill, even if you're running with an AoE build, and it even had an "ascension" once you hit level 120 that kicks you all the way back down to level 60, but gives you a few new skills and a fancy letter next to your name.

I wish I could play FFXIV, but I need a computer upgrade before I keep going with the Free-to-Play-until-level-20 part, and even then I really just can't justify paying subscriptions. Kinda wish it would go the same route that Guild Wars 2 went, of pay once play forever, and pay only for the most recent content. Speaking of which, I probably should think about trying Guild Wars 2 again in the near future.

 

I've been forcing myself to play Final Fantasy XIV recently, because a fair few of the people I hang around online are playing it and I want to get in on that. Unfortunately they're all max level and unfortunately the leveling process of this game is the worst I've ever experienced in any MMO and I've played quite a few. I very much belong to the more casual side of the MMO audience, in the sense that I got my first taste of the genre with World of Warcraft and never got to experience the much more unforgiving games of the past. Since World of Warcraft, I have tangled with a multitude of different MMO's for various periods of time. Aion, Warhammer Online, Guild Wars 1 & 2, RIFT, The Old Republic, Tera and Wildstar. Out of all of those, I've never been as frustrated leveling my character as I have been in FFXIV.
 
It seems that in a bid to force variety upon the player, the developers of FFXIV decided to just not put enough quests into the game to actually reach max level. On top of that, the "Main Scenario Quest", which is a long-running quest that moves the story of the game and your character along, is level-gated, meaning that you could be going through it and then suddenly hit a brick wall because you're not a high enough level to accept the next part of the MSQ. So what are the alternatives? A pitiful amount of sidequests that past level 35 won't even be enough experience to push you through the MSQ. A world-quest type system called "Fates" which spawn on the map for a set period of time that unfortunately suffer from being very inefficient to do, because half of them are painfully slow to complete without other players actively helping you out. Dungeons, which will give you a very nice bonus experience ONCE per 24-hours and otherwise are alright for experience gain, but are very boring to spam continuously. Finally you have a unique leveling system called "Palace of the Dead", which is extremely powerful for experience gain theoretically, but unfortunately you have to clear it in 10-floor increments at a time and if your party wipes at any point, all progress is lost and 0 experience is gained.
 
On paper, I realize that it might not sound so bad, but once you hit level 45+ it starts to become truly fucking tedious and my enjoyment of the game has been very rapidly declining, to the point where I am technically only a few steps away from being able to move into the next part of the game, but I am demotivated to log on to my character, because I know that the only way forward is by subjecting myself to extreme boredom.

Last night I dreamt that I was at home relaxing. I had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around butt-naked, when I noticed this man in a red coat on the lawn. I opened a window and called out to him, I told him that he was on private property and that he had best leave now. Immediately he pulled out a device from under his coat that looked like a gun and pointed it straight fucking at me. I quickly ducked away from the window and moved into another room while this weird of feeling of dread filled my stomach, I can't really explain it, but if you've ever been in a situation where you think there is a genuine chance you might die, you'll know what I mean. So I sit tight for a few moments before I peek out of the window and I see the guy still outside with his rifle-looking item and he's walking around scanning the exterior of my house. I decide that enough is enough and scramble into my bedroom to grab my phone.
 
I dial 112 (Which is my country's equivalent of 911) but I get an automated message saying that the emergency service phone number has recently been changed to 115 and the line I am currently on is now for postal service complaints. So I dial 115 instead and I get an automated message stating that a strange red-coated man has been reported in my neighborhood and if I am calling about that, there is nothing to worry about unless you've made contact with the man. The message then prompted me to "Press One" if I had made contact with the red-coated man. So I press one and I get put on hold to very stereotypical and cheesy waiting music.
 
At this point I decide to take my fucking chances and I grab a blanket and run out of the house as fast as I can, still butt-naked, only covering myself with said blanket. I don't see the red-coated guy anywhere and I am ducking and weaving in random directions through various different gardens and brushes. I finally get to the outskirt of the city when my call to the police department goes through. I get on the line with this police officer who is talking to me in a very soft and sing-songy voice as if I was a toddler. He asks me if I am having trouble with the red-coated man and I scream at him that yes I fucking am. At that moment I spot the red-coated man out of the corner of my eye. He is marching straight towards me, raised rifle and all. As he closes the distance, I drop my phone and just charge at him. He doesn't fire at me or anything, he just walks intently towards me with a stern look on his face as I rush towards him.
 
Once I get right on top of him, I slap the rifle out of his hands and he just bursts into flames. Not like exploded into gibs or anything, but he just fucking caught fire. As he burned he smiled at me and gave me a nod of approval and then I woke up.

Last night I dreamt that I was at home relaxing. I had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around butt-naked, when I noticed this man in a red coat on the lawn. I opened a window and called out to him, I told him that he was on private property and that he had best leave now. Immediately he pulled out a device from under his coat that looked like a gun and pointed it straight fucking at me. I quickly ducked away from the window and moved into another room while this weird of feeling of dread filled my stomach, I can't really explain it, but if you've ever been in a situation where you think there is a genuine chance you might die, you'll know what I mean. So I sit tight for a few moments before I peek out of the window and I see the guy still outside with his rifle-looking item and he's walking around scanning the exterior of my house. I decide that enough is enough and scramble into my bedroom to grab my phone.
 
I dial 112 (Which is my country's equivalent of 911) but I get an automated message saying that the emergency service phone number has recently been changed to 115 and the line I am currently on is now for postal service complaints. So I dial 115 instead and I get an automated message stating that a strange red-coated man has been reported in my neighborhood and if I am calling about that, there is nothing to worry about unless you've made contact with the man. The message then prompted me to "Press One" if I had made contact with the red-coated man. So I press one and I get put on hold to very stereotypical and cheesy waiting music.
 
At this point I decide to take my fucking chances and I grab a blanket and run out of the house as fast as I can, still butt-naked, only covering myself with said blanket. I don't see the red-coated guy anywhere and I am ducking and weaving in random directions through various different gardens and brushes. I finally get to the outskirt of the city when my call to the police department goes through. I get on the line with this police officer who is talking to me in a very soft and sing-songy voice as if I was a toddler. He asks me if I am having trouble with the red-coated man and I scream at him that yes I fucking am. At that moment I spot the red-coated man out of the corner of my eye. He is marching straight towards me, raised rifle and all. As he closes the distance, I drop my phone and just charge at him. He doesn't fire at me or anything, he just walks intently towards me with a stern look on his face as I rush towards him.
 
Once I get right on top of him, I slap the rifle out of his hands and he just bursts into flames. Not like exploded into gibs or anything, but he just fucking caught fire. As he burned he smiled at me and gave me a nod of approval and then I woke up.

Last night I dreamt that I was at home relaxing. I had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around butt-naked, when I noticed this man in a red coat on the lawn. I opened a window and called out to him, I told him that he was on private property and that he had best leave now. Immediately he pulled out a device from under his coat that looked like a gun and pointed it straight fucking at me. I quickly ducked away from the window and moved into another room while this weird of feeling of dread filled my stomach, I can't really explain it, but if you've ever been in a situation where you think there is a genuine chance you might die, you'll know what I mean. So I sit tight for a few moments before I peek out of the window and I see the guy still outside with his rifle-looking item and he's walking around scanning the exterior of my house. I decide that enough is enough and scramble into my bedroom to grab my phone.
 
I dial 112 (Which is my country's equivalent of 911) but I get an automated message saying that the emergency service phone number has recently been changed to 115 and the line I am currently on is now for postal service complaints. So I dial 115 instead and I get an automated message stating that a strange red-coated man has been reported in my neighborhood and if I am calling about that, there is nothing to worry about unless you've made contact with the man. The message then prompted me to "Press One" if I had made contact with the red-coated man. So I press one and I get put on hold to very stereotypical and cheesy waiting music.
 
At this point I decide to take my fucking chances and I grab a blanket and run out of the house as fast as I can, still butt-naked, only covering myself with said blanket. I don't see the red-coated guy anywhere and I am ducking and weaving in random directions through various different gardens and brushes. I finally get to the outskirt of the city when my call to the police department goes through. I get on the line with this police officer who is talking to me in a very soft and sing-songy voice as if I was a toddler. He asks me if I am having trouble with the red-coated man and I scream at him that yes I fucking am. At that moment I spot the red-coated man out of the corner of my eye. He is marching straight towards me, raised rifle and all. As he closes the distance, I drop my phone and just charge at him. He doesn't fire at me or anything, he just walks intently towards me with a stern look on his face as I rush towards him.
 
Once I get right on top of him, I slap the rifle out of his hands and he just bursts into flames. Not like exploded into gibs or anything, but he just fucking caught fire. As he burned he smiled at me and gave me a nod of approval and then I woke up.

Last night I dreamt that I was at home relaxing. I had just gotten out of the shower and was walking around butt-naked, when I noticed this man in a red coat on the lawn. I opened a window and called out to him, I told him that he was on private property and that he had best leave now. Immediately he pulled out a device from under his coat that looked like a gun and pointed it straight fucking at me. I quickly ducked away from the window and moved into another room while this weird of feeling of dread filled my stomach, I can't really explain it, but if you've ever been in a situation where you think there is a genuine chance you might die, you'll know what I mean. So I sit tight for a few moments before I peek out of the window and I see the guy still outside with his rifle-looking item and he's walking around scanning the exterior of my house. I decide that enough is enough and scramble into my bedroom to grab my phone.
 
I dial 112 (Which is my country's equivalent of 911) but I get an automated message saying that the emergency service phone number has recently been changed to 115 and the line I am currently on is now for postal service complaints. So I dial 115 instead and I get an automated message stating that a strange red-coated man has been reported in my neighborhood and if I am calling about that, there is nothing to worry about unless you've made contact with the man. The message then prompted me to "Press One" if I had made contact with the red-coated man. So I press one and I get put on hold to very stereotypical and cheesy waiting music.
 
At this point I decide to take my fucking chances and I grab a blanket and run out of the house as fast as I can, still butt-naked, only covering myself with said blanket. I don't see the red-coated guy anywhere and I am ducking and weaving in random directions through various different gardens and brushes. I finally get to the outskirt of the city when my call to the police department goes through. I get on the line with this police officer who is talking to me in a very soft and sing-songy voice as if I was a toddler. He asks me if I am having trouble with the red-coated man and I scream at him that yes I fucking am. At that moment I spot the red-coated man out of the corner of my eye. He is marching straight towards me, raised rifle and all. As he closes the distance, I drop my phone and just charge at him. He doesn't fire at me or anything, he just walks intently towards me with a stern look on his face as I rush towards him.
 
Once I get right on top of him, I slap the rifle out of his hands and he just bursts into flames. Not like exploded into gibs or anything, but he just fucking caught fire. As he burned he smiled at me and gave me a nod of approval and then I woke up.

Can we have a gentlemen's agreement that we all just use "upvote" instead of "like"?
 
really walked into that one huh

How much are Bungie paying you?

No one cares. Keep your notes to yourself in the future for the sake of the rest of us, thanks.

*level 1 Blood Elf warrior logs on next to me*
 
Me: It's a boy!

Any nigga's wanna RP in Thunder Bluff?

No one cares. Keep your notes to yourself in the future for the sake of the rest of us, thanks.

No one cares. Keep your notes to yourself in the future for the sake of the rest of us, thanks.

No one cares. Keep your notes to yourself in the future for the sake of the rest of us, thanks.

No one cares. Keep your notes to yourself in the future for the sake of the rest of us, thanks.

Your heroic restraint is noted and appreciated.

holy fuck lmao 

Yes, being obnoxious is very impressive. 

I didn't contend that. You're confusing me trying to outline more clearly what I believed Paero's point was with my own opinions. You seem to be arguing with me from a totally different base of understanding. You haven't showed why anything is bullshit, all you've done is jump down the throat of another user without reading his post properly, misrepresenting what he said in his post out of either ignorance, laziness or malice, given him unwarranted attitude for no fucking reason other than your own misplaced outrage and then continued to argue points that no one with half a brain would ever disagree on.
 
 
By the way, it's been several posts now and you still haven't showed us where Paero stated that he didn't want high level players to receive their "due renumeration"
 
.
Do you really think that this conclusion is an honest summary of Paero's original post. Do you really think that?
 
 
You should probably retract your last four or so posts in this thread as a whole tbh.

I didn't contend that. You're confusing me trying to outline more clearly what I believed Paero's point was with my own opinions. You seem to be arguing with me from a totally different base of understanding. You haven't showed why anything is bullshit, all you've done is jump down the throat of another user without reading his post properly, misrepresenting what he said in his post out of either ignorance, laziness or malice, given him unwarranted attitude for no fucking reason other than your own misplaced outrage and then continued to argue points that no one with half a brain would ever disagree on.
 
 
By the way, it's been several posts now and you still haven't showed us where Paero stated that he didn't want high level players to receive their "due renumeration"
 
.
Do you really think that this conclusion is an honest summary of Paero's original post. Do you really think that?
 
 
You should probably retract your last four or so posts in this thread as a whole tbh.

I didn't contend that. You're confusing me trying to outline more clearly what I believed Paero's point was with my own opinions. You seem to be arguing with me from a totally different base of understanding. You haven't showed why anything is bullshit, all you've done is jump down the throat of another user without reading his post properly, misrepresenting what he said in his post out of either ignorance, laziness or malice, given him unwarranted attitude for no fucking reason other than your own misplaced outrage and then continued to argue points that no one with half a brain would ever disagree on.
 
 
By the way, it's been several posts now and you still haven't showed us where Paero stated that he didn't want high level players to receive their "due renumeration"
 
.
Do you really think that this conclusion is an honest summary of Paero's original post. Do you really think that?
 
 
You should probably retract your last four or so posts in this thread as a whole tbh.

Right, it leads back to what you said. Not what Paero said. Originally you concluded that Paero quote "wanted to be able to watch an esport without the players getting any of the remuneration they deserve from being at the top of a highly competitive and incredibly skilled game" unquote. I ask again, at what point did he say that? You seem to be reaching conclusions that simply does not exist in his original post and rather you are extrapolating meaning from his words that isn't there.
 
Posing the question of why high level players should even bother playing the game if they can't make a living out of it seems incredibly redundant. Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense would be able to conclude that they shouldn't. If there is not enough money to go around within a competitive scene of any given game, then it would be a disastrous financial decision for anyone to try to make a living off of it. If you start letting a game you love and the time you dedicate to playing and improving at it influence your daily life, such as the example you give with showing up for work late or tired, then you're a fucking idiot. Nothing more to it and I am not sure what argument you're trying to establish with that example.

As for your point about competitive scenes without proper monetary support artificially limiting the highest skill limit that players are able to show, I agree.
 
I don't agree completely, but I agree to an extent. Will you concede that it isn't necessarily a problem for all competitive games? Are you of the belief that if there isn't enough money in the competitive scene of a game to incentivize players going at it as a full-time job and pushing themselves to limits they would not be able to while also maintaining an education or a job outside of playing the game, then the game is not worth the time or the effort? What do you think of the idea of letting a game run its natural course and not trying to keep it alive by pumping money into it? Do you think that no one should ever bother playing games competitively because it might die out after some time and in that case the time investment is not worth it? Do you think that games that develop regional communities independent of each other are worse than games that incorporate everyone internationally?
 
 
I'm not even sure what the point of this paragraph is. Please elaborate on why stating facts that no one has disagreed with was necessary.
 
 
I never stated it was accurate for all games, it was an unspecified example I propped up in order to make Paero's original point more clear. You're arguing points that no one ever contested.
 
 
Keyword being 'probably'.

I didn't contend that. You're confusing me trying to outline more clearly what I believed Paero's point was with my own opinions. You seem to be arguing with me from a totally different base of understanding. You haven't showed why anything is bullshit, all you've done is jump down the throat of another user without reading his post properly, misrepresenting what he said in his post out of either ignorance, laziness or malice, given him unwarranted attitude for no fucking reason other than your own misplaced outrage and then continued to argue points that no one with half a brain would ever disagree on.
 
 
By the way, it's been several posts now and you still haven't showed us where Paero stated that he didn't want high level players to receive their "due renumeration"
 
.
Do you really think that this conclusion is an honest summary of Paero's original post. Do you really think that?
 
 
You should probably retract your last four or so posts in this thread as a whole tbh.