The free login was only 14 days long. I had something in mind that I wanted to do when I first login. Unfortunately, I kept getting side-tracked.
The E4s was actually NOT one of them. Then, I did the Diamond Weapon Ex and Hades Ex, which again was not planned. None of them were too difficult, but the I join a farm or two. It was a waste of time, because farm party often were worse then clearing party. There were other things as well, in the end they just kept taking up time from what I should be doing.
It feels like back on college days when you finally start working on the paper the night right before it dues. It is always a last minute big rush, and somehow any attempt to start early never works.
In my previous sub, I started doing Eureka. I went in solo in Amenos and started working on the challenge log. The challenge log gives a lot of experience in Amenos. I think I got at least 7 elemental level just from the bonus from log, on top of what I got from killing mobs. The process was still long, as the log requires killing like 300 mobs per week. If on average it takes you a minute to travel to a mob and kill it, it will take you 300 minutes, or 5 hours.
Things got difficult in Pagos, because the challenge log no longer gave 7 elemental level worth of exp per week. We are looking at may be 2-3. Going from elv 15-35 was such a draining process. I ended up in joining groups to spawn NM. It was so boring that I gave up in my last sub.
I thought I would pick up from where I left off last time. Maybe this time I can go to Baldasian Arsenal with my friend this time.
Pago was still horrible. Fortunately, I had done some of the work during last sub. I did a few hours of killing mobs and joining NM, and I got enough level to get to Pyros.
The start of the Pyros was just as disguisting as Pagos. I was still doing the challenge log, even though it won't get me much exp in comparison to the exp requires to gain a level. Luckily, I got a random invite from a SCH when I was killing mobs alone. Then he invited a DRG. After a while, a BLM joined us. We mass pulled mob that were 3-4 level above us and aoe them down. With their help, I was able to get to elv39 without much fuss. In fact, we didn't got to say goodbye. I was timed out from the instance while we were pulling another pack of mob.
I knew Eureka guides recommend people to make the Reflect L logogram and to use it on the sprites once you reach elv42. Initially I didn't plan to do it, because my character doesn't look good naked. If I had to fight naked, I would have change my skin tone or musle tone a bit, maybe even a body tatoo if we can have it.
Unfortunately, it was a serious torture to level in Eureka. When I finally hit elv 42, I was ready to try anything outside killing mob one by one on my own, or spawning NM.
So I created a Reflect L logogram, went to the place where were all these white flame, stripped naked, hit Reflect and pull the mob.
At first it didn't go well. It took many Reflect for the mob to die. So I have to pull more, but then some times I was too busy pulling and forgot to refresh Reflect, then I die.
I think I must have died here at least 10 times before I got a slight clue on what I should be doing.
A strange song kept popping into mind. I wonder when was it. Was it back in the day when I ride the schoolbus home? Anyway, it goes something like,
This is how I feel Cold and I am shamed Lying naked on the floor...
Yike.
The problem I had was I went in as a tank. Normally you would pull mob with Unmend, or provoke, then the pack of mob will come to you and you use your aoe skill to get aggro. Well, there is no pack of mob in Eureka really, so you need to pull them one by one. To make it worse, Reflect is a GCD skill. Meaning that if you have 3 second left when you hit Unmend, then you have to wait 2.5 sec for the next Reflect, which often was too late.
The correct way to do Reflect leveling is Eureka is, strip naked, hit reflect, hit sprint, then face pull. Don't bother if the mob doesn't notice you. Don't bother to attack. Just make sure you dodge all the ground aoe and refresh Reflect before the timer run out. Keep face pulling the mob. Eventually I got to elv48, then I went back to spawn more NM. Eventually I got to elv50, and got to the last zone in Eureka, Hydatos.
In any case, I have Yuyunori Sasanori from Phoenix server to thanks. I died at least 10 times as a Reflect newbie, and it was always him who came to rez me.
Maybe there are good things about Hydatos. But by this point, the amount of grind made me desensitize on anything. I joined group to spawn NM. Then once I got enough elv, I went to do the naked Reflect at the Mammet. Spawn NM, then head to the sprite Island and do more naked reflect. The last leg was actually very annoying. Because some of the NM we spawned was in the East side of the island where the lv65 mobs are. My level wasn't high enough to get any exp by killing them. Worse, if they hit me, often it will be a one shot. I went along not only because of the mob we were trying to spawn, but also for Ovni. It spawns every now and then and it gives better experience than soloing mob.
I remember it was 3am when I got to elv 58 for the sprite island. I stripped naked, reflect and kill everything. Then tab out, read a comics, news or what not. Wait for the sprite to respawn and repeated. I think it took like 15 or 20 times for me to finally get to elv 60.
Personally, I struggle to enjoy this type of content. From FATE, Diadem, Eureka and then now Brojza, it was run to this spot, kill some mobs. If you have a large enough group to mass pull, you basically run around spamming your aoe skill over and over again. After you kill a few of them, the next dozen feels exactly the same. I struggle to enjoy any of these, along with gathering and fishing. I feel like it is so repeatative, so low skill that you could have got a bot to do it.
Maybe when the content was new, it was not as boring. Well, I was not there. But I can say as of now, even if you can solo Eureka, or most of it, it is very boring.
I am not sure if it is what open world content is like. I don't feel I have the freedom in this "open world". The region is locked to your progression on the story quest. You are restricted to where you can go because of the monster level, and there is story quest lock, even the teleport is elv locked. Logogram can give additional skill. So I can case heal as a tank, but it doesn't fundamentally change how my job is played. Having a cure logogram doesn't make me a healer. And if you want progession on relic, you kill stuff at certain area. You will be doing what is the fastest, instead of poking around.
One can say that some NM in Eureka and some CE in Brojza has mechanics and they were fun. I am sure that solo engagement will be fun, except that I never have any logogram/essence to prepare for it. I didn't have the time to run around baiting for it to spawn.
Well, I even walk around that area just to enjoy the scenary? Maybe for Sea of Cloud, maybe for Azim Sloppe. I am not sure which part in Brozja or Eureka is enjoyable to look at.
I remember once upon a time that we use our FC airship to get to Diadem, when we went there with a group of friends. The fun part was not we got to kill stuff, or got some ilv260 gear with rubblish sub stat. The fun part was the joke we got to throw at each other. Back then tank has to sac himself to open a path for us to get spot we can turn aether to get to fly. I remember meeting people from the other server, namely Leleyo in the instance. Back then there was no server traveling, the only way met other people you knew on Lodestone was via alt, or somehow, we met in an instance.
It was just so long ago.
Oh, if anyone has to ask me what I remember from the whole in Eureka, my response would be:
(music starts)
This is how I feel Cold and I am shamed Lying naked on the floor...
----------------------- Table of content of this series is here
Annabel, what it was like is not what it is now. Eureka is designed in a way that if you play it when it first release, maybe you can find fun of it. I remember going into Pagos, and there was like less than 10 people in the whole instance.
I would say similar thing about Bozja, but at least the place is not empty, because it give exp. Therefore, at least I often run into other people there.
