Young Again: Experiences with the ExpansionFollow

I wasn't expecting a lot out of CoP.

I'd heard of the new storyline, great; the new areas, my major interest; new armor, new mobs to fight.
All of this is good, but I didn't see it affecting me that much because my level is still relatively low. I haven't done Genkai 1, little fame in nations other than my own, and Rank 5; not that impressive. There's still a lot to Rise of the Zilart that I haven't encountered, and CoP was more of an investment in future play sessions than anything else.

But after all members of our LS were on, the expansion pack proved its worth.

Most of my strongest friendships in this game were forged pre-Valkurm. Back when no one cared if you didn't have a subjob, no one had equipment issues with others, and if you got examined it was probably because someone was curious about you, not looking for something to criticize.

(This is a tangent, but how much of 'check-shyness' comes from this? We're examined at level 50 and think 'crap...I still have my swordbelt on from farming. I don't have my Tathlum, just an old bow for pulling. Why oh why haven't I replaced that RSE yet?!')

Back then the game was something to be explored, not mastered. The variety of jobs was enough to be enchanted by...nothing more amazing than partying with that white mage for the first time. And most of all, pre-Dunes, you didn't CARE if your party had four warriors and a thief. Three BLM and a RDM. You found people to party with, they agreed, you teamed up and beat the heck out of a mob together. It was still a game...not a grind.

And when my LS friends and I took our first steps into Carpenter's Landing, well, we were all level 14 again. The mobs were new; we examined them, took out our weapons and beat on them, because they were new, in a new area. We didn't care if we got exp, or how much. We weren't watching to see if the WAR had good technique, or how often the SAM missed. We had FUN (!).

We met others on the boat, and we invited them to the party. In the end that party consisted of a RDM, a SAM, a WAR, two DRKs and a NIN. One of the DRKs left, and we invited a BLM; not because we needed DD, come on, we were level 50 at the time pounding on level 15-20 stuff.
Because the BLM was a friend. We just plain had fun.

Like newbies given vicious strength, we trained about a million beetles around and killed them, simply because they were in a new area. I'll never forget the sight of Xodious, our SAM, hauling butt after this big train of level 15 mobs with his sword out ^^ I laughed so hard.

Our motley gang then headed to Jeuno, with the intention of checking out Bibiki Bay; we scattered at that point, some of us to see the cutscene, others to kill the Kraken. I can say honestly this was the most fun I've had in this game since I realized how critical others can be in a party situation.
(And that's fine; at higher levels, mobs are a lot harder to kill and require a great deal of teamwork. But you lose so much...you lose that migrating party of marauders, interested more in exploring than killing for the chain.)

I post this partly as observation and partly invitation; I know I saw others out in motley parties, just doing whatever, killing Bat Traps because they're weird looking ^^
What did you do to explore the expansion? And did you get that level 14 feeling back, for just a little while?

Edited, Sat Sep 25 02:36:27 2004 by Sioux

Wait, you're supposed to pay attention to how other people in your parties perform? >.>

Haha, just kidding. But really, I'm going to have a hell of a good time exploring the new areas. I'll probably make it a LS event and get everyone to invite al their friends too. Nothing like an alliance or two running around of people from level 10 to level 52 beating on everything they find. XD

Anyway, I'll be doing the same thing very soon. I love exploring new places even if it means death, haha. XD

Just ask my LS. I died tonight and deleveled from 36 to 35 because I was watching Donnie Darko with a friend and trying to fish on the boat that the same time. (Bad idea! >.<) I started spamming "lol" and "hahahahahahahaha" in LS chat, and got a few "???" responses back and then explained that I had gotten owned in 2 hits, before I could even try to warp.

Oh man. Now I know it's late. I'm rambling. Ok, end post now, damnit! XD

what.... I can go there damn it >.<

I've only done the first couple of PM missions and been to Promyvion-Holla, though only for a little bit and not going too deep inside. It's entertaining to hear my LS-mates going to the other regions though and talking about what they saw there, or what not to touch (like the bushes that poison you for 20 HP a pop!)

And Sioux, in regards to the check-shyness, I'd say it comes more from the JP attitude than anything else. I've heard of JP people threatening to tell a GM on a person just because they were checked. I must say I could care less if I were checked, whether I'm a 63 Red Mage decked out in full AF, or a 36 White Mage with my RSE on, or a 21 Black Mage with barely enough armor to survive a hit... ^^