A Clockwork Rat

Relatively easy day at work today. I got out at an earlier time for the extra time I put in during the week, so I got home with time to spare. Tossed some lasagna in the oven, started a load of Clara’s laundry, picked up the usual breakfast and lunch trash left behind from Colin’s and DeAnn’s rush out the door and still found myself with a little extra time.

I logged in game to find a couple people looking for something to do, so I asked if anyone was interested in farming up some pop items for FNLE. We camped in what is the present day coffer mob room in Castle Oztroja [S] and farmed up two pop items. I took hate at one point from reposing one of the links and took a Fire IV followed by a Firaga III to the face. x.X; I knew I had that coming the minute the repose took hold. I got a pop item and I think Emma did as well. I also got a Yagudo Kote for the Windurst Campaign Op off of one of the lower Yags running around up there.

That farming run lead right up into static. Our camp was back out at the ruins. I subbed my severely gimped corsair for Corsair’s Roll to help boost the experience we were getting. We tried a few different configurations of roaming, but eventually found that running the whole circuit in fact did produce more experience than just bouncing between the rooms with the most targets. We skipped the “secret rooms” altogether – I don’t want to do those again until we can land sleep more reliably. We’re on the verge of getting Lv63; we’ll easily get it next time.

While we were there, I drew up a color-coded map of the area to help us and future Soulfire BLMs. I joked that I’m thinking about releasing a manaburn party guide, since there are none out there. But with all the blogging I’ve done, the maps I’ve made and the adaptations and improvisations we’ve developed from other guides, it would probably save someone a lot of time somewhere down the road. I mean, I’ve been using a mix of the Beastmaster Soloing Guide, the Black Mage Solo Guide by Lion Heart, some forum research and a good chunk of exploration and hearsay. I would have been glad to been spared the time if someone had posted a guide of what they did first. And it’s not like it would take me a ton of time either – I already have everything written down somewhere, just have to pull it together in one place. So I’m considering it…

For FNLE tomorrow, we’re going to pop a bunch of NMs from the past. One of them (the one we were farming pop items for today) drops a really nice pair of gloves for BLMs and DRKs that enhances Absorb spells and boosts magic attack. Eiael, Emma and Crazygirl tried to trio the NM and “got worked like school girls” as Eiael put it. Should be an interesting fight with a full alliance.