Farming and Hoard Stealing

This is an oppinion topic and not a rant. I've been farming gobs (esp. Weavers) in the caves of Inner Horototo. It's nice because all of the gobs are "Too Weak..." and go down in a single Banishga, and I can collect 3-6 at a time on a routine basis. Anyhow, maybe it's because I'm a Tarutaru; maybe it's because level 20 Black Tunics look like level 8 Tunics - people continue to play the hero and "rescue" me from my farming efforts. What's your oppinion on this sort of thing? While I was annoyed at first (when the person expected thanks, for example), but I've sort of mellowed out on the issue. After all, there's a reason SE only allows a player to "Lock" a single enemy at a time, and mobs are anyone's fair game. On the other hand, I do my best to respect the efforts of other "Farmers" (IE: if they aren't fleeing with a sliver of health or something, I wait for a call to help). Money making is tough, and one has to do what one can to get by. Do you agree with AOE farming? Should a person have the right to "Claim" all the enemies s/he can taunt with provoke, dia, etc? Should other players respect the need to "farm" or is an unlocked enemy anyone's game regardless of the farmer's intent?

I think its common and ok to AOE farm, i do that sometimes in palborough mines.

I think that if the person isnt dying from the own train they created, dont help them. Usually its easy to see if one person is dying or not by pressing f9 and watch their HP and compare to dmg. I know its annoying, but yea happens when someone takes one off the train. Its ok to farm this way so long as you dont try to take all the mobs and leave none for those lvling from them. You can techincally take it, but its more polite not to.

As for you training and locking onto one, dont complain when ppl take one off of your train, its yellow letters and therefore free game. But i personally wont take one off if i know the perosn is farming.

If it's not fair to grab a beastie off of a train, it shouldn't be fair to AoE farm in the first place--I've lost count of the times when I've given up on exping in disgust because ONE high-level bugger went around claiming every single target on the map.

I agree that AOE farming should be done respectfully. I hate it when one player grabs every crawler in SarutaBaruta as his own, when there are multiple characters hunting silks. The reason I do my AoE farming in the most out of the way corner of the underground area of a relatively unused Horototo tower is because there's a good chance any other player in there is mission focused, and won't mind me taking the enemies. (I know I love it when all the enemies in the way of my mission are beaten ahead of me and I get a free ride). AOE farming in standard levelraising areas (outside town, Valkurm, etc, is just as rude as deliberately stealing the mobs you don't really even need off a player attempting to farm.

It is tough for us lower level guys, trying to level up and a level 50 comes in and takes all the kills. I respect it though and go looking somewhere else but if I were trying to zone and had 10 gobs chaceing me I would appreciate someone trying to help me out. I don't think the farmers should get mad that someone is going out of their way and do what they are thinking is helping. The first time I saw in the highlands someone with 10 sheep on him I though, OMFG he is going to die and I rushed to help and started casting support magic. Was not till I say his health was full and checked that he was 20 levels over me that I went back on my way. The worst thing I has experienced is a Pladin was farming lizards in the dunes and our puller wrongly thought he was in trouble so he pulled one of the lizards. To thanks us for the help the paladin dropped 3 gobs on us and we all died. So please farmers think of it as brotherhood and being a friend, not some noobies taking your kills.
I know now to check before helping anyone so I don't step on any toes but remember we all need to level and we all need money.

I always check on the person first and stand by if they need help they tell me or shout then I go in and slaughter stuff or I will ask them if they need help. They could be farming. There was a Paladin yesterday that had 30 orcs in tow O_O and I saw his HP going down, he asked me to help heal him for a while and was ok if I beat some orcs if they aggro'd me. Farming is fine but being overly greedy is a pain when lower level people are looking to level and there's nothing around.

Yesterday, the oddest thing happenned. I was farming in my usual spot, the caves under the Horototo Ruins. I had 9 assorted gobs and a bat in my train. Half way through the battle (after my first casting of Banishga) someone tries to help me (he was higher levelled then I) and takes most of my gobs. Instead of getting mad or commenting, I just went over and found another gob. Realizing my farming intentions, he returned my gobs to me unkilled. I've never heard of someone returning a mob before. He walked over to me, disengaged, and let me get another banishga in.That's respect for farming if I ever saw it.

well to be honest its against the rules to AOE farm.

Where does it say that? Purposefully training things may be against the rules, but theres in no way anywhere that says its wrong to use AOE spells to farm. Why else are the AOE there? For the hell of it? It was meant to hit multiple enemies, thats a given fact. And i am sure you dont use that to hit multiple Incredibly Tough enemies and bring their wraith upon you.

Can you quote anywhere in the rules and TOS or anything that states explictly that says AOE farming is wrong or against the rules?

I have been told by many lvl 75 JP and a few high lvl NA players that it is against the rules, and i have witnessed a GM called on someone who was doing it. Even if its not against the rules its wrong, I would only see it acceptable if the area you are farming in is empty. AOE spells have uses in high lvl Magic bursts or for finishing off multiple enemies if your puller gets link and the party decides to take on both. I don't think their purpose was to link 30 mobs and kill them for gil.

How is it wrong? Playing the Japanese/High levelled player card to label something right or wrong isn't valid evidence. High level players dislike certain job/subjob combinations too, and Japanese players often have objections to "checking" without asking. Neither of these are wrong. It might be a matter of respect for levellers not to take every useful mob, but really, FFXI is every one for themself. While I try to farm out of people's way, I'm not going to stop farming if some levellers enter an area (especially if I was there first). Outcompete me, or move on, I say. I need gil, and I'm not going to get it by begging.

Checking without asking and someone minds? Now that is ridiculous. :P omg im so high level and u have 2 ask permission 2 check. xD Arrogance at it's best.

As for this topic, I really don't have good opinion since I haven't really experienced that kinda stuff yet.

The jpn client doesnt get the examine, and gets "Stares intently at you" Which is rude to them. I try to respect both sides of the gaming world. Its not that bad to check, but just dont get mad when they feel a bit offended i guess.

I disagree with everyone for himself, alot of ppl are willing to help, i think the NM is the only everyone for himself since its rare and i guess best fair that way.

I still dont see a rule section about it.

Stares at you intently? Is that really what they see? Wow. That explains it. I had always shared Mikztsu's sentiments on the issue. It certainly casts the function in a new light. I wonder if those other translated phrases are what they should be - IE is "Want to party?" coming across the translator as "Your mother is a horse!". You'd think the translation would try to get the tone right.

Yea i know, i never mean any harm or rudeness but sometimes i understand, after getting seeing intently at you for so many times...you really dont know i guess..><;; What irks me the most is the ENG players that say its rude for no reason...its not even remotely rude unless you do so multiple times..

I know for certain (Help me out!) isnt asking for help, its like Save Me! more of something used in battle...so its funny going to jeuno and seeing those help shouts...