What's gimp to you? Are you gimp?

[Garland]

There are several types of players out there. At which point would you label a player a gimp/noob/(insert derogatory term here)? In which category do you fall?

Player A has every luxury item that can possibly benefit his class. To equip better than Player A is impossible, because Player A's gil is endless, and his equipment is perfect as far as the game allows. He uses +1 foods in every pt. His spell list is always full for his level.

Player B has only those luxury item that are especially useful. If the +1 version of an equipment gives only a trivial boost, but costs exponentially more, Player B saves his gil and makes the most out of his gil. IE: Eremite's Ring, +2 int, 2,000 gil. Eremite's Ring +1, +3 Int, 60,000 gil. Is +1 int worth 58,000 gil? Player A says yes. Player B says no. Player B uses food in every pt, though costs will determine whether the food is +1. He min/maxes his gil spending to equipment power. His spell list is full for his level as much as possible, excepting extraordinary cases like Erase, where the completion of BCNM 40 is only 8 levels away, and said spell isn't party critical to warrant a 300,000 gil pricetag.

Player C also fills out his equipment slots. His gear is up to date, and sometimes luxury, but unlike players A or B, Player C's gear isn't always optimized to his class. For example, at level 33, if Player C were a Tarutaru mage, he might still use his RSE equipment instead of gear that further enhances his strengths. This player as a 51 whm might equip a holy shield and hammer instead of a light/dark staff. His gear is current, and it's clear the intent to pull his weight in a pt is there, but he could make better choices in gear selection. Player C uses food in every pt. Player C's spell situation mirrors Player B's.

Player D also keeps his equipment slots full. However, Player D's equipment is often mildly outdated, or simply outclassed by other available gear. He could've been mistaken for Player B 10 levels ago. This player would only use food in a pt if at his level, players didn't get parties without it. Player D only buys the spells that people use most in parties. He'll have his cures and protectra's, and maybe even Barfira, but don't be asking for Barwatera or you'll be out of luck

Player E can't even keep his equipment slots full. His gear is even more dated than Player D's. Have you partied with a taru in Qufim that was still wearing his level 1 green RSE? How about the warrior in Kazham still wearing Lizard armor? Say hello to Player E. Missing equipment slots, horribly outdated gear, and not a meal in sight are the trademarks of Player E. Player E's spell situation mirror's Player D's for the most part, except Player E wouldn't have even situationally useful spells like Barfira. Cures and protects and the absolute minimum for Player E.

I actually modelled Player C after myself. That is where I fall. My gear is always up to date, but my priorities in buying for my Taru Whm have always put survivability ahead of specialization. In effect, my gear might be best classified as well suited to soloing. My philosophy has always been that a dead white mage can't cure the tank. No Astral Rings for me. +1 Saintly Rings will still enhance my effectiveness as a whm. I'm a Player C because the current thinking amongst the more experienced players is that MP > MND in terms of white magery. I'll be using a Holy Shield and whatever the best hammer is at level 51 instead of the staves because hammers and shields are the whm unique weapon set. This is how Whm's were intended to look, in my oppinion. Staves are for Blm's and Smn's, I think. I'm picking my choice in weapons based on class skill with said weapon, and not based solely on the stats accompanying the weapon. That said, I do plan to use Asklepious for the same +10% curing potency as the light staff.

What do I consider gimp? Player E is obvious. Once, when I was levelling my blm sub, I pt'd with a whm that didn't have barfira yet. Fortunately, not only did I have it, but my blm was levelled enough to have it uncapped. I hate picking up slack for someone else. Player D I'll tolerate. I believe Player D to be the most common low level type of player. It takes many levels to have the means of a Player A, B or even C. Sometimes, shear poverty keeps a potential Player B/C down. When I get to the "high levels", I'll consider Player D's gimp. By a certain level (I'd imagine 30's or so, since such was my case), players should have means of money making fairly squared away. Besides, at low to mid levels, the benefits to a party of a Player B over a Player D aren't as pronounced as they are at high levels where even a small weakness kills exp gain. In the levels where "anything can work", I won't call a Player D gimp.

[Lionx]

Garland tbh a WHM without those staves is pretty...messed up. Sure it works but you really really hinder the party..>.> I strongly recommend at LEAST the darkstaff when healing. The difference is just that huge...i had like 200 mp, and my BLM friend had no staff with 400. Our max mp is 600 and in the end we almost nearly finished healing around the same time....i strongly recommend DarkStaff at least. Becuase i really feel its too good not to get. Holy Shield is a luxery item...it has very little use...once you get the staff you dont need anything else.

I actually consider Player D gimp. You should be ready to perform your duty to at least the minimum in every situation. I would tolerate a bit but its frustrating becuase your WHM dies and he doesnt have ReRaise because he thinks its not useful...I agree with you that under 30, i also can somewhat tolerate Player D. But after 30...i really think you should shape up at least a little bit and update your stuff...

Me? I would think...somewhere between C and B. I dont have unlimited gil, but i would think anyone with unlimited gil, would be Player A. I strive to get the best gears as i can, but i would NOT pay 60Kish for a Saintly +1...that is total BS. I always make wise choices, never paying for a +1 if its too much to even bargain for...but if possible i definetly will. However i will get things that are expensive(imo expensive is over 100K), if they will optimize my performance...even though that piece of gear might not be +1 itself...like my Light and Dark staves...i wont get +1 until i got surplus gil...but i will get the normal versions at the minimum. I try never to underperform if i dont have to.

Mmm so far this is about gil and the things you can get...this is without skill lvl. If a person with Player D equips, can do exceptionally well given his skill, then i would rather take him than a Player A that is horrible at doing his/her job. Why not Player E? Sometimes skill can only take you so far...sometimes you just gotta get those equips...Scale Mail at lvl 25...is suicide and no matter how much skill...sometimes skill just cant make up for equips.

EDIT: I think my Leonine profile is sorta good to show it, i use Mith and not Chefkabobs, but my gear is somewhere in B and a little of C. I would get the best things i can afford. WAR Belt +1 is cheap enough to get, +1 rings are good becuase you really want those boosts in stats early on. The rest like Chainmail, be realistic...just a full set is enough. Tiger Stole is great, and Neckchopper i feel is a worthy investment. The boomerang i dont upgrade, theres just no need when pulling. Shield earrings are cheap too, and i dont upgrade my back to a nomad+1 mantle cuz..frankly while its nice...i dont think its worth my time to get that high priced equipement for its boosts...its not that big a boost to my performance for its given cost. K? ^^

[Garland]

You're right about skill being more important than equipment, but I left skill out of the picture simply because I believe the two go hand in hand. The player willing to put the effort into farming for the expensive items needed for a good party takes his role seriously, and it usually follows that he pays equal attention to his play techniques. That said, if gil-buying becomes any more prevalant, we might start seeing a lot more Player A's who bought their uber equipment with their last weeks paycheck, and make it to level 75 with all the gaming prowess of the War 18/Whm 1 in Valkurm dunes that calls himself a tank. Heck, I hear you can even buy full accounts now, so perhaps skill and dedication to good equipment aren't as hand in hand as I imagine.

[Lionx]

so perhaps skill and dedication to good equipment aren't as hand in hand as I imagine.


Untrue, skill and dedication will just be harder, becuase it does NOT take much skill and dedication to buy your way thorugh, so for those that put the effort into their gear, they put that much more harder, than the ppl that buy their way through.

[VDeity]

I'm definately a "Player B" Paladin :) I always update my items with the best things out there whenever I can, but when the difference between a regular item and a HQ item is only like 2 defense or 1 VIT but the HQ is like 50K more, forget it. I can live without that one or two extra points. Food: Always, not always the best foods, but oh well :) I'm happy that I'm finally in the 50's range. It was nice selling my boots for 25K and getting a free pair in return :) One more level and I'll get my Gallant Gauntlets and some more easy money back :D


Then I'll blow it all on the Gluttony Sword... Yay. ^^

[Snappie88]

I'm somewhere between a D and a E. No offence, but I just started. I use food when I got it, but most of the times I don't. I try to get as much spells as posible, with some gabs along the road. My gear slots aren't full, because I don't have quite the money for gear that is worth it. The gear I have is quite up-to-date, just a few levels behind.

I'm proud of it ;)

[Garland]

It's ok not to have every slot full when you just start. Some equipment slots can't be filled right away. The lowest level cape is level 7 for example. Some slots like rings and earrings have nothing worth buying till level 10, if that. Filling slots is nice, but wasting hard earned gil for an item just because it's available is an exercise in futility. It's not till around level 15-20 that you should strive to keep in top form. Take the early soloing levels as a chance to get a head start on gil, because when partying surpasses soloing as your exp method of choice, you'll be happy to stand out from your Valkurm peers with good equipment. There are hundreds of people looking for groups in Valkurm, and most of them have crappy gear. Valkurm is about the earliest that you start building an in game reputation, so take advantage of a chance for a good first impression. Be the Warrior that CAN hold hate, and HAS the armor to last more than two hits, and your LFG times will be much less painful.

[UltimateSpamGrover]

I'm somewhere between a B and a C (mainly cuz I'm a WAR/RDM and people dont like that), but I get by...

[Lionx]

Maybe a WAR/RDM counts as a lower grade cuz of that..? I seriously think that you need a better sub..although WARs get invited anyone to tank...

[Rostum]

I'm somewhere between a B and a C (mainly cuz I'm a WAR/RDM and people dont like that), but I get by...

Sub MNK, THF or NIN.

[Dante]

Definitely B. I don't have an unlimited supply of gil, but I farm often enough to get the gear I need. Being a DRK, I opt for stat gear over the highest level gear I could be wearing, and I think that should always be a factor taken into account before labeling someone as gimped. Depending on the players job, having lower level gear doesn't neccesarily make them gimped.

I think the only gear of mine that's out of date is my back slot. But after spending over 1.3 million gil on 2 Sniper's Rings, a Valkyrie Mask, and a Life Belt, getting a new cape isn't really a priority for me right now. Not to mention there's not really any capes that would benefit me much more than my current.

[Yeargdribble]

I tend to be between A and B with my BRD. I kinda gimp my WHM a tad but it's not my main focus and I rarely use it in PTs so it's not an issue.

As a BRD I definately always make sure I have +1 Instruments and almost all of my gear is +1. I always have all possible spells and some of the best weapons of EVERY type that I can equip.

However, my gil is not endless and far from it. I spend quite a bit of time farming/crafting etc.

[Lord Chainsaw]

I used to be terribly gimped. It wasn't my fault. I just couldn't make any money.

Now I'm far from it. Level 25 Blackmage is my highest job, and 20 Red is my subjob. I've spent at least 220k on equipment and spells that I don't really need. I still have 130k left over. I think it's pretty good considering I'm only a level 25 rank 2 and haven't started any sort of crafting yet.

I'm looking into getting into a craft. Hopefully I can turn that money into more money. Right now I can make 45k in 2 hours 20 minutes, but as time goes on and the levels increase that won't cut it.

I don't have the eremite rings +1, but I do have a yew wand +1, a mage's tunic, and the very unnecessary Ice Spikes. The last was a decision I made not because I thought I would actually use the spell, but because my name happens to be Icewires and I had money to throw away.

[Lionx]

Where is the ice now? ;-;

[Roogle]

I am player D or player E, but nobody really cares because I am level 75.

[Lord Chainsaw]

The Ice is taking a small break from FFXI because a monstrous pile of unplayed games have stacked up.

I find myself immersed in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time at the moment. I just can't stop playing.

Now all they need to do is give me a Star Ocean Online and I'll be in heaven.

[eternalshiva]

mm I'm a B. I have lots of useless spells as RDM/WHM but I'm lvl 53 and basically RDM doesn't really learn any new spells from here to 75 so I spend my money on uber equipement :/

[Mikztsu]

I think I belong to group B. For example, I paid 75k for my noct doublet+1, which only gives +1 more in ranged accuracy compared to normal noct doublet.

I ...just want to be as good as possible. :I I'm a good player, but I want all the extra help I can get from my equips, too. Eventhough ranger/ninja is probably the most expensive job as it is ( I spend about 40k in arrows and shihei for every level and it's getting worse), I also eat meat mithkabobs just to be better. I love being good + every bonus my equips and food gives.

[Spritz]

I'm midway between A and B. 70 WHM here. I have astral rings, light staff, death earings and just had to buy the seriously expensive R3 ; ;.

When I used to play THf i had +1 items, leapers and a hairpin though, best knives for my level but i never used +1 food @@.

To me a gimped player is someone not being the best C class equip possible (I hope you get what i mean here xD), lower than C and it's really not acceptable in a party situation in my books, although at lower levels this doesn;t apply as much.

[Mikztsu]

Hey Spiritz, what server are you on?

[VDeity]

I think you're making plenty of money and I believe it will cut it later on :P

I'm no BLM, but I believe that the Ancient Magic spells can only go for up to maybe 100K and that doesn't seem so horrible to me at the rate you're earning gil.

I'm definately not an 'A' player though... Level 55: Defense 509 Vit only like +12 (Mithra), it COULD be better, but 1 point of Vit is a difference between 30K and 250K... didn't seem really worth it. The important thing is I got all my AF ready and my Gluttony Sword, all my spells, etc... I could definately use a little more gil though, I too have yet to start a craft, though, right now, excluding my AF gear all my equipment and spells combined is about maybe only 750K... then when I hit level 57, drop 50K and add 215K (I picked a bad time to buy that Gluttony sword, I've seen it as low as 170K >.<) and I just got the Dark Staff and Earth Staff (doing wonders) and ONLY began using Steamed Crabs... that's right.. I'm the PLD who used Fish Mithkabobs for 54 levels :)

Maybe you could share your secret with me? :D

[Grand Lethal]

I would say I'm probably in the C range... although while leveling DRG I would say I made it to between B-A. I haven't mastered the money making in this game... usually having between 30-100k on me at a time, I think its time to start doing BCNM 40's and getting some real gil.

I hate the D's and E's, that don't care enough to at elast keep their gear and spells relatively up to date. I remember spending a week farming so I could go to Valkurm and not have to worry about heading anywhere to get gear/spells... Sure I couldn't gte any drops there becuase I was so full of gear, but it was worth it not to have to break ^^

I am more concerned about the "Level Gimp" and the "Bunk Sub Gimp"... those poor idiots you see as RNG/NIN at 45/12, or the WHM/WAR that Melees in a party. These are the people I worry about... I had shake my head at the DRK the PT invited the other day.... ok, normally you sub /war or maybe even /thf (even though before 30 its not really worth it), but he Had /nin subbed... AND WAS USING DUAL WEILD WITH SWORDS!!!! We kinda bugged him and said, ok switch back to your Scythe, we're gonna start pulling... He didn't have one >< His dual weild sucked, the War was hitting for more in one hit than he was in 2, and he was still missing a lot because his gear was gimp to say the least. I was lvling NIN/WAR because I wanted to PT with an LS mate... I had no gear and 30k on me... and still ended up gettting more gear than him (thanks to good old CP)

ok, rant is done... Level your sub, keep your gear better than the WHM's and know your role... thats my 2 cents

[Rostum]

I am t3h g!mp!

[VDeity]

I've partied some DRK/NIN's before. As long as they're equiped well, it can potentially be a good class. The two swords... maybe not, but two axes is really good...

These DRK/NIN can also stack their JA's more effectively. When a DRK/WAR uses even just Souleater, he gets a bunch of hate and sometimes get their butts kicked because of their puny defense. Utsusemi: Ichi protects the DRK for a while and since they aren't doing quite as much damage in individual hits, I believe the 2x Axes keep up in damage pretty well, but it's more spread out and consistant.


I'm no damage dealer, and I've never played DRK, but I never invite DRK unless they sub NIN now :P

I don't even really like DRK at all... my ideal party is...

PLD/WAR (me ^^)
RNG/NIN
RDM/BRD
WHM/SMN
BLM/WHM
THF/NIN

:D :D :D

[Lionx]

I personally think DRK/NIN with Axes only work up until a certain lvl...i mean they dont have a super high rating with Axes right? So after a while their GSword and Scythes will eventually be better imo...I still fancy /THF so they almost never get hate after 60.

[Garland]

I'm a Class A now. I'm so darned lucky, it's unbelievable. Three weeks ago, I planted four tree saplings. Today I harvested Dark Ore. It sells for 300,000 gil in Quetzalcoatle Windurst. In the three weeks it took to harvest, I racked up 150,000 gil between farming and leaving a bazaarful of Insect Paste stacks overnight. I'm going to have 450,000 gil after my AH clears. Since I'm levelling beastmaster now, with plans of train control and raise camping in newb areas at 50, I'll have a great headstart, with +1 gear all the way. This Ore is like winning the lottory.

[Lionx]

I'm a Class A now. I'm so darned lucky, it's unbelievable. Three weeks ago, I planted four tree saplings. Today I harvested Dark Ore. It sells for 300,000 gil in Quetzalcoatle Windurst. In the three weeks it took to harvest, I racked up 150,000 gil between farming and leaving a bazaarful of Insect Paste stacks overnight. I'm going to have 450,000 gil after my AH clears. Since I'm levelling beastmaster now, with plans of train control and raise camping in newb areas at 50, I'll have a great headstart, with +1 gear all the way. This Ore is like winning the lottory.

Until everyone has a staff and theres no more demand...staff prices really dropped in midgard lately, i got darkstaff for 260K and many say thats cheap! But its like 170K and under and continually dropping. People that mule a garden with 45 pots in their mog houses getting tons of ore will eventually crash the price of the ores..>> Your so damn lucky to be able to sell it that high..most other servers's ore have dropped tremendously.

[Garland]

I wish you were wrong sometimes, :). When I started the gardening for a dark ore, it was 200,000 gil. By the time I succeeded, undercutting weiners in Jeuno killed the price to 89,000 gil. They've succeeded in making gardening ore not worthwhile. What *is* still worthwhile? I dunno. But when I find it and make my fortune, I'm not telling, because once someone knows how to make gil, someone else goes and cuts their profit in half to save 2 minutes in AH sale waiting time.

[VDeity]

260K for a Dark Staff!?!?! CHEAP!?!?!?!

lol

I would die in the Midgar server :P

I got mine for 90K off AH in Ragnarok, I think price has climbed since then to about 120K.

[Lionx]

260K was a while ago, it was a few months back....so yea some say thats cheap for that time period...it used to be 300K solid. But its dropping lots lately.

EDIT: Darkstaff is almost a need for mages, therefore its NOT worth it to grow those. Grow other kinds of staves like Wind(RDM Fave for genkai 5), and Fire and Lightning where BLMs only get em. Sure they sell slower, but the price is higher most likely. Somehow Fire ore is almost higher always..Light ore too since WHMs and RDMs use only but its not a real requirement like dark.

[Ichy]

Aye, I've been gardening, selling Fire Ores, and I've recieved a few for my efforts. My first one sold for 250K a month and a bit ago, however the 3 that I pulled from my last harvest... 2 only sold for 160K this time and it looks like the price has dropped to 150K before my 3rd has even sold. Here's the thing, every harvest I make from attempting these I get stupid amounts of Cinnamon and Ice Clusters, as well, and I wind up only coming up at a loss of 20-30K before any ores have sold, assuming I get any. Basically, what it comes down to is that unless the Ores drop below 50K or so it's still viable as a source of income, it's just not the liscence to mint your own gil anymore that it used to be. Someone argued with me yesterday that they could farm that much cash ten-fold while I sat around waiting for my plants to grow, and I rebutted that so could I, but I still had the gravy cash growing in my mog house when the final count came up. Although... if you want to give up on gardening, that's fine with me, it may help the price go up again for when I keep selling off it ;)

As for finding the big score, making a fortune, I would definately tell people about it. I'd never post things like that openly on a forum unless it was already public knowledge, however letting one or two friends know prevents inflation. Sure, this can be cool for you when you sell high, but think about how much you hate it when you're on the buying side of that. It helps keep things in check to have a few others supplying the AH with the same product as you.

Sure, we'd all love a magic Exp Tool, free Gil, phat loot drops the same as common Crystals (and I'll happily be the first man in line to say the drop rates are far too low on some things), but after all the content is finally gone, regardless of how long that takes you to accomplish, what's left but to cancel your account? These time and money sinks are frustrating but necessary so that the dev teams over at SE are moving at an equal or greater pace than your character progress in order to always have something new for you before you get to it.

On topic: What's Gimp to me? Aside from the obvious such as bad job combos, under equipping (like my THF, I'll be up to date @21, honest, I'm just too lazy to buy new gear that'll be replaced in 2 of the shortest lvls in the game :P), and poor technique? Simple: Rotten attitudes in-game, obsessives, elietists, people who forget that this is a game and treat it instead as a lifestyle or a job. That's a FFXI Gimp IMO.

[Garland]

I'm not giving up gardening. I'm simply putting it on hold untill I can farm my own tree cuttings from Gobbues. The only thing I'm not doing is spending upwards of 50,000 gil for a gamble that could turn as little as a few dozen rocksalt. If the trees were free (time not being a cost), then gardening would be a no lose situation.

[Lionx]

Wasnt it Tree SAPLINGS? Cuz..i think its not cuttings somehow >>

I think the price going back up thing..isnt that easy. Once its that low, some people will not buy for any higher...and there are some people that do not need staves anymore. Staves are not consumables, and also, the people with high lvl crafter friends might get the HQ ones and then sell their old staves back. The only way prices can go back up is only if buyers are willing to buy significantly higher than the standard price now, or theres a huge influx of newbs that are willing to take it to 51 and have a use for the staves....once something drops in price that isnt a consumable...i rarely see it go back up unless its CP gear.

[KentaRawr!]

im player E, lvl 30 using black tunic ;-; (whitemage) I dont even have 1k of gil XD and also, I dont even have protectra 2, or protect 2.. if theres a player F then thats me lol

[Garland]

I've turned things around for myself, and have at least respectable gear. I'm a level 32 whm/blm. I've never seen so many white borders in my equipment list. Only the cape, belt, neck and earrings aren't +1. Only the Morion Earring could be.

Solid Wand (Mnd 5, Int 5)
Faerie Shield (no def, but +3 to all Elemental resistance)
Seers Crown +1
Seers Tunic +1 (Best Tunic Ever - no dumb looking hood)
Seers Mitts +1
Seer Slacks +1
Holy Phial
White Cape
Friar's Rope
Tranquility Ring (mnd+2 Water +2)
Knowledge Ring (int +2 Ice+2)
Wizard's earring (Elemental Skill +5)
Morion earring

[Lionx]

Only thing i dont get is the INT gear and the elemental + gear when your a BLM..=/

[Garland]

I keep my Mind and Intelligence about equal, so that if I need to cast a BLM enfeeble in an emergency, it sticks. What I do, is boost my Mind to the point where WHM enfeebles stick on IT mobs, and put the remainder to int. After all, +2 int is better than +3 mp in terms of cost effectiveness. The morion earring does both, +4 mp like the best MP earring around, and Int to boot. As for the Wizard's Earring, well, every so often, people ask me to magic burst when no other mages are around. Also, it's handy for farming with ga spells. I try to have good gear, but I don't carry specialty equipment for all facets of my character. Some people carry enfeebling gear, mp gear, resting gear, etc. I only carry one well rounded set.