When I was a level 1Follow

I've played Final Fantasy XI for over three years now. But, unlike many with my tenure, I have never leveled a job to 75. I have many at respectable levels, but not a single one has yet touched that magic number.

It's not that I never wanted to, it was because I was afraid of what would happen when I did.

In my three years, I have seen many rush to 75, only to find disappointment when nothing changes. They get there and ask themselves "What happens now?" Without fanfare, and unable to go back, they quietly disappear into the night.

So instead of rushing to the top, I decided to spend my time leisurely; after all, I was in no rush. I would help others to reach their goals, and--once there was no more I could do for them--I let them fly free. Sometimes they returned, sometimes they did not. It was so odd seeing many of them hit 75 before I did...

Until now, I told myself that I was only leveling again to better help others. But today I realize why I am really doing it: I want to answer the question "What happens now?" for myself.

I wonder, will I share the same fate? Once you have arrived, can you ever go back?

...do you want the romantic version or the realistic version?

AdventurerX reached level 75!!

PT member: Grats!
PT member: {Congratulations}
PT member: woot
PT member: Cong
PT member: Yay!
AdventurerX: OMG!! I'm finally 75!!!111!!!!ONE!!!

AdventurerX's Diary:

1) Romantic Version
Now that I am level 75, I can conquer the world, see what only those who have made it to that level, complete with necessary subjobs can see. I will fight in many battlefields, I may fall many times, but I will rise many times. I will explore the Sky, the Sea, the dreamy world of Limbus, and the "underworld" of Dynamis. I will fight the meaniest, toughest HNMs. I will conquer many Assaults and fight as noble Mercenary protect the Astral Candesenece. I will be the most complete and greatest Adventurer ever, and bring wealth to my army of mules with the many ENM and KS99s I can now attend!!

..then one day in Whitegate, AdventurerX sees:

/sh {Private First Class}{Assault}2/3 looking for BRD!
/sh KS30 Four Seasons! {BRD}{Do you have it?}
/sh New Limbus LS Recruiting! Spots open for BRDs!!
/sh HNMLS DarkHeroIII Recruiting! {/welcome}WHM, RDM, BRDs!!
/sh {Dynamis-Xarcabard} tonight at 8pm CST!! Spots open for BLMs!!

2) Realistic Version
Now that I am level 75, I figured out that my hard worked job is good for nothing. So I gotta start all over as a BRD level 1, level freakin' /NIN, /RDM, and /WHM, buy all new gear. I can still do a few of the end game stuff, but meh, no one really needs my job. Yet I die more than the stupid BLMs so now I gotta level it again - and I still get no invites. It's all about WAR/NINs and BRDs in Merit PTs. I get stuck with noobs lvl72-73s. I got rejected by almost all the HNMLSs cuz they don't need this job - they all want sissy jobs. I fianlly crawled into one, but since I don't have SEA and they've moved on to Sea Gods, I got nothing to do. Hell, I guess I'll use that time and go level that BRD...now where do I go to open it?




Uchipu: me? yea, I'm doing BRD next @@ After I finish /DRK.


Edited, Aug 21st 2006 at 6:28pm EDT by uchipu

lol i ran through valkur last night and helped a few people get subjob items. lol, it made me miss the old days.... back when seeing fire2 was the "coolest ever". these days i really can't find much that interests me that much.... except crafting. sky? meh. dynamis? pfft. beseiged? dare i say {Yawn}? if it didn't mean giving up all the work i've put into my charecter i'd love to go back to level 1.

Being BLM75 a long time I can say it's entertaining enough. You have as much fun as you make. Also I'm playing in not NA prime time, I'm commonly on at like 1 p.m. EST minus 2 hours. What funny things you can do as BLM75? Going manaburns is very old for me and boring. Wanna have some fun? Go organize good 75 PT with you and 5 JP when you don't know japanese and not manaburn. Go make NIN BRD RDM SAM THF + you (BLM) one with l33t players, not average then go Bhaflau Thickets from Mamool Ja staging points and make pt with SC Light and you laying BurstII with all that "tp-burn" pts there. Show them you've powder in your head not just "go where others are going. do what others are doing.". Or organize ENM, not 3-member one, but 18 member like Totentanz (can be beaten with 12ppl). Or go crack Bahamut #1. The only thing that spoils fun is that "Whining" and "Lazyness" skill. Many ppl has leveled it too far indeed.

I still go back to Gustaberg some days just to ******* destroy those damned Young Quadav....

Aaah the good ole' days:

I remember being in Tahrongi canyon, still trying to solo mobs at level 15 because I was too intimidated to venture beyond the safety of those canyon walls.

I was approached by an Elvaan white mage; Kimagabe, who looked at me and said: "Girl, you have to get out of this canyon and go to the dunes!"..... he then proceeded to literally take me on a world wide trip - all in one night to get ALL the rest of my crag crystals. I was totally in awe of him - I mean his Elvaan self - so high level; robe flying as he ran and all!

That is just one exmaple of the many helpful and giving people I have met along the way to where I am today.

And that is why I still *go back* in a different way to *give back* to people who need help; like so many here have stated.

p.s. Oh; and I can say that I am the ONLY one who has ever successfully stolen Sophus' pirate hat - I think I was only about level 30 at the time too! *wink*



Edited, Aug 24th 2006 at 10:10am EDT by femwhispers

Torture you say???????

hmmmm.....verrry interesting! Don't make me come down there Sophus! *wink*

Sophus doesn't have the balls to torture the ls.

And a few of us actually would enjoy it anyway. HARDER BIG DADDY, HARDER!

I remember going to dunes for the first time from la thiene plateau zone, and knowing that i should get an exp party..but not knowing what was all going to agro me. After getting my first invite, it took me a few minutes to realize that the maps dont show everything, and i had to find a way to get to my party. I then proceeded to avoid EVERY mob between me and them, and ended up getting kicked because i took too long getting there.