An open letter to White Mages.

[CubsWoo]

(Note: This also applies to others in the mage/support category, but as a WHM I feel a need to get this off my chest.)

About 10-15 minutes ago I'm seeking for a PT in Garlaige, sitting at the zone I notice another WHM has his flag up. Same level, same race etc. I /check his EQ.

Mostly sub-level 20 gear at level 34 and minimal +MP and +MND gear, things like Fish Scale Shield, Yew Wand, etc. I plop myself down right next to him, hoping anyone passing by would /check both of us (or see my search comment advertising +20 MND and +62 MP) and make the right choice.

You can all guess what happened next.

I'm not quite sure how, or why, it happened. (It's fucking stupid not to be able to check EQ on people with their flag up, but that's a story for another time.) But I'm still seeking while Gimpy McTaru gets to leech more XP from his party.

So, to all WHM's out there, I have a simple request:

BUY SOME FUCKING GEAR. LOOK RESPECTABLE OUT THERE.

Now, I'm not saying dual Astrals @ 10 (And honestly, I wouldn't recommend that due to errant gobbebombs) or anything like that. But for the most part, mage gear is cheap. Cheap as hell. And it's not hard to find. Most of the gear on me is +1, +2, or a NM drop - and I doubt the sum total of all of it is over 150k. And to shoot down the complaints at the pass:

"But (insert mage class) has to pay for spells too!"

So? Aside from a few (Erase, Dispel, Phalanx, Drain/Aspir) low-level mage spells don't cost more than 10k apiece if you get them from NPC's. You could make a nice amount of gil running Raise scrolls from NPC's to the AH... which brings me to #2.

"WHM's can't farm, they're too weak!"

So don't fucking farm! Craft or fish instead. Carp fishing requires minimal investment and is a nigh-guaranteed 6-10k/hr. Or go skillup your Divine magic on things in second-tier areas (@30 I was able to farm basically non-stop in Tahrongi without risk.)

"Gil making is boring?"

And? XPing is boring, after a time. The more you mix it up, the more fun you get. I normally spend an half-hour fishing, then put my flag up and fish until I've got an invite. Then I XP until the pt breaks up, and either log off or go back to fishing. Makes every day profitable.

"If we get hit, it's the melee's fault for not keeping hate!"

Oh, get off your fucking high horse. I can say it's YOUR fault for not spacing out your cures/nukes enough to let the melee hold hate. A mage isn't a tank. Far from it. But you should be able to take a hit or 2 without going into the red and forcing cures to be dumped on you.

This game, at least as you get into the higher levels, is all about how you're viewed by others. 1, 2, 3 months from now, do you want to be known as the mage that gimped by - the one that nobody wants to group with to go get their Genkai items? Or do you want to leave them with the knowledge that you care enough about your character to make them the best they can be? If you're in category 1, I hope you learn how to farm by 50, because you're going to have to have a lot of scratch to bribe people to get your paper for you.

 

[Theorist]

Agreed. If I have to boot 1 more WHM21+ for not having Regen, or WHM27 for not having Protectra 2...well I dunno what. I guess that would have been an empty threat cause all I can do is kick them...maybe yell at them a bit...try to get my point across. Definately a lot of emoting and capital letters.

 

[Ellah]

Wow ! I can't imagine not having Regen ... as a RDM or WHM. Regen has got to be the Single most useful healing spell in the Game.
And I do have to admit .. I had to stop Leveleing WHM because right now i'm not going to afford Protectra 2.
I play Mages, exclusively, and one of the biggest charms about being a Mage is Spells. If you're not going to Hoard Spells, why are you a Mage ? Isn't that the Point of it ?
Well, Equipment wise ... I'll agree somewhat, although when i buy Eq. i look at the Bonuses, not the Level.
For instance it'll be a while till i buy a Ring that gives me Int+2 and Fire +2 for 15k, when i get one with Int+2 for 3k.
But in any Case ... Buy your Spells, it's what Mages do.

 

[Garvin]

A friend and I were joking about something like this. He was having problems getting invites, even though he was competing with complete gimps with nothing. It got to the point where we were saying things like:

"Good equipment must be going out of style."
and
"Quick, take off your gear, leave slots open, then people will want to invite you. You've got too many bonuses."

Sad really that people who put no effort at all into their job get picked up and kept over those who do...

 

[Dalecooper]

"Good equipment must be going out of style."

Get this. In the Jungle last night, my party invites a 26 war. He's still wearing primarily Lizard gear (lvl 17 of course). He DOES have a lvl 24 iron mask, but all the rest was ~16. I can understand not taking the time to farm for lvl 24 armor. Lvl 27 is the same stuff except it 1) Doesn't look as cool and 2) is 3 important levels later. However it costs WAY less. In any case, that is NO excuse to skip the level 21 beetle gear. That stuff is NOT very expensive at all.

And to quote Onyx in "Slam" (don't tell me you don't remember!) "B-b-b-but wait, it gets worse!"

Another person left and we invited a 25 war. He didn't have lvl 24 gear. He didn't have lvl 21 gear. HE DIDNT EVEN HAVE LVL 17 GEAR!!! He was wearing a lvl 16 bone harness and lvl 15 gloves, amongst other things. LVL 25 WAR! War's are often expected to tank! Can you imagine him as your tank?

I didn't even ask either of them they're excuses for having drastically outdated gear. I didn't even care. The other experienced members of the party just laughed at them in /tells. I was the tank, 25 pld with plenty good gear, so they were just backup voke on the odd occasion that I'd lose hate, so in the end, it really didn't matter.

 

[Theorist]

Wow ! I can't imagine not having Regen ... as a RDM or WHM. Regen has got to be the Single most useful healing spell in the Game.

It happens...a lot. I even spent 10k on one WHM and bought him Pro2 and Regen - cause he was 28 and had neither. 10k to me is change and our PT waited over an hour for a healer to seek and he was the first one we saw.

And I do have to admit .. I had to stop Leveleing WHM because right now i'm not going to afford Protectra 2.

Good man (or woman ^^)! Seriously, I would hate to be the WHM27 that breaks out Protectra 1. /blush

There are some spells you can skip out on, Protectra spells are not one of them. And yes, Regen is the most powerful Healing spell in the game until you get...Regen 2. Just a tip for any new WHMs reading this.

I would have to admit, I would rather see a WHM under-equipped than without updated spells. But would definately prefer them to have both

 

[Kahlaan]

Wow, what timing on this post. Just had this same discussion/argument with some people tonight and I ended up getting very upset... I pride myself on having the very best gear/food/spells etc that it is possible for me to have. If I know that I have something expensive coming up that I will need to buy then I don't exp again until I have it. I may be anal but I don't care, I simply refuse to level if I am not living up to my potential as any given job.

 

[Mistaya]

I agree with this post.

I dont expect my pt members to have gear that costs 300k.
If the thf is wearing Merc Captins boots instead of leaping/winged thats fine. (This is pre-40 after that i would get a little umm testy) But the guy wearing BRONZE in quifm, LIZARD in the jungle, makes me want to beat him over the head with a stick. the funny thing is, if you sell you lizard set you can almost aford the entire beetle set! it trades up! :shock:

Mages suffer from this a lot. I believe an updated spell list is of course #1 priority for a mage but come on you should get the new crap for your lvl so you dont die in one hit when aggro comes your way (and it WILL every once in a while) especially if you are windurst. Windurst conquest point gear is FREE MAGE ARMOR. so put signet on and go get some gear mages

 

[ThisIsHamburgler]

Meh... Windurst conquest stuff is alright for mages, but as for stat bonuses I'll take bought stuff over it.

What I focus on is the best stat bonuses I can get, I dont worry too much about my equipment levels as long as they are so outdated that I look like a fool.

-Ham :shock:

 

[Songi_]

Blah!

I quit leveling BLM because I can't afford Bio II and Aero II, especially with even more spells that you're not allowed to skip coming up. Plus, my equipment is decent (+12 INT without food), but could be better.

Any rate, Garvin and Dalecooper, I have a story that blends in with yours.

Once upon a time, I was at kazham leveling my BLM. The party wants to invite a level 26 warrior. I, standing next to the warrior, say "don't invite this one, invite the level 25 warrior seeking." They ask why and I say because he's wearing Lizard armor, and has a level 18 sword and shield. The RDM says "I'm wearing lizard armor, does that mean I suck?" Now, we all know the answer is YES, but RDM shouldn't be getting hit anyway, so I say "no, you have spells to worry about, and you shouldn't be taking hits anyway." Then the party leader goes on a power trip and boots me for saying not to invite someone because his gear sucks.

So I send him a /tell: "Thank you for occupying the gimped players, now I can actually have a decent party. You should just make one big alliance of SHITTY PLAYERS so all of the decent players can get decent exp. Just don't train gobs. Good luck, retard."

So, to go with cubswoo, if you can't afford semi-decent equipment, BOO FUCKING HOO, go do something else, don't party.

 

[Ellah]

/blush

I stick with the Robes set on my Mage. so i went from 1-11 then 11-28 and from here on i've had the Wool Robes, as a Mage, even as a RDM, you should be able to get away with that, without being a bad Player. Spells are more important and way more Expensive.

But in Mages, usually i don't even watch the Equipment. I watch the Spells. If they don't have all the Spells, there is something wrong here. Mage Equipment is all about the Bonuses. The Level and the Armor really doesn't matter. Mercenary Captains Belt for Example is a Fine Piece of Equipment that i will use until i get something that offers me better Bonuses.

Well, so much for my 2 Gil.

 

[Firestreak]

I'll just point out, since I been leveling my second job towards 75+ I've noticed that very few NA whitemage now lvl 60+ even use food or have learned the Erase spell yet. More Blackmage have Erase from their subjob than whitemage.

 

[rabidsquirrel]

Oh yeah I was in a party last night where the WHM kept insisting on melee all night. I kept having to step in and do his job for him, to keep our party from dying the whole time.

 

[Mattaru]

Oh, get off your fucking high horse.

I tend to agree with most of what you are saying but seriously i found this a bit ass backwards. Good gear is important, my mage has it all of them should but going around and giving people shit about not having great gear as a mage is just.....ridiculous. I say have decent gear and you will be fine for a pt, the best, no, but fine. Not all of us have money all the time especially when leveling our main jobs. For me to have the best gear possible as a thf i spend a shit load of time farming and when leveling my mage i spent alot of time farming for gear and scrolls and at lvl 27 i was behind in spells after about two weeks of farming. (for thf i spend more than quadruple the time farming than i do lvling at least. I am aware you say that you dont have to have the best gear possible but dont jump on some mage because they arent wearing mainly +1 gear espescially when they are new to the game. This rant seems nice here but i dont think it is actually helping the problem. All of us here probably have decent gear, litlle gimpy mctaru does not, why arent you telling them. Seriously, get off your high horse. I'm sorry i dont have eremites ring +1 and energy earring and mages slacks and mages tunic, does that mean im a noob mage....no, no it doesnt. I eat plenty of food usually melon pies and my thf uses chiefkabobs. (my thf is pretty pimped out though). And i dont want to hear "maybe you should farm or craft" i do farm and craft a little, i farm like crazy and i have so much stuff to buy that i cant always get around to by some +1 and +2 gear for my blm who still doesnt have drain which is my major gimp, though i do have aspir.....which i never use.

 

[alanon]

Oh, get off your fucking high horse.

I tend to agree with most of what you are saying but seriously i found this a bit ass backwards. Good gear is important, my mage has it all of them should but going around and giving people shit about not having great gear as a mage is just.....ridiculous. I say have decent gear and you will be fine for a pt, the best, no, but fine. Not all of us have money all the time especially when leveling our main jobs. For me to have the best gear possible as a thf i spend a shit load of time farming and when leveling my mage i spent alot of time farming for gear and scrolls and at lvl 27 i was behind in spells after about two weeks of farming. (for thf i spend more than quadruple the time farming than i do lvling at least. I am aware you say that you dont have to have the best gear possible but dont jump on some mage because they arent wearing mainly +1 gear espescially when they are new to the game. This rant seems nice here but i dont think it is actually helping the problem. All of us here probably have decent gear, litlle gimpy mctaru does not, why arent you telling them. Seriously, get off your high horse. I'm sorry i dont have eremites ring +1 and energy earring and mages slacks and mages tunic, does that mean im a noob mage....no, no it doesnt. I eat plenty of food usually melon pies and my thf uses chiefkabobs. (my thf is pretty pimped out though). And i dont want to hear "maybe you should farm or craft" i do farm and craft a little, i farm like crazy and i have so much stuff to buy that i cant always get around to by some +1 and +2 gear for my blm who still doesnt have drain which is my major gimp, though i do have aspir.....which i never use.

I dont want to hear this. I too am a mage. I logged and logged and logged and logged to afford spells and armor from levels 20-35. Does it take time? Yes. But EVERYONE has to do it. Please dont whine to me about not being about to affors stuff. I'VE BEEN THERE! If you cant afford stuff now, stop playing mage IMMEDIATEDLY because the prices for NECESSARY (read:not luxury) items will increase TEN FOLD when you hit 50.
Aside from the rant, I will advise you to use Bio, Drain, and Aspir EVERY chance you get. Bio2 you can get away without for a few levels, because more than likely the Whm and Rdm will be casting Dia2 and will SCREAM at you if you even THINK about casting Bio. However it does help Dark Magic, and Drain is simply the most efficient spell that you will ever have as Blm. Aspir? All I can say is that at my level with aspir, dark staff, and the 55 Brd in my static with Ballad2, I very seldomly run out of MP, even when I burst with ancient magic.

 

[Nyahoho]

my blm who still doesnt have drain which is my major gimp, though i do have aspir.....which i never use.

Drain, Warp and Aspir are very easily attained; you can quest for them. Not having these spells is rather silly with how easy they are to attain.

 

[CubsWoo]

/em puts on Keits's Bracers...

I tend to agree with most of what you are saying but seriously i found this a bit ass backwards. Good gear is important, my mage has it all of them should but going around and giving people shit about not having great gear as a mage is just.....ridiculous. I say have decent gear and you will be fine for a pt, the best, no, but fine. Not all of us have money all the time especially when leveling our main jobs.

I'm glad you're ok with being 'fine' in a party. If that works for you, go for it. I prefer to be exceptional. Being exceptional makes you friends. Being 'fine' makes you forgettable. Invest in the future.

For me to have the best gear possible as a thf i spend a shit load of time farming and when leveling my mage i spent alot of time farming for gear and scrolls and at lvl 27 i was behind in spells after about two weeks of farming. (for thf i spend more than quadruple the time farming than i do lvling at least. I am aware you say that you dont have to have the best gear possible but dont jump on some mage because they arent wearing mainly +1 gear espescially when they are new to the game. This rant seems nice here but i dont think it is actually helping the problem. All of us here probably have decent gear, litlle gimpy mctaru does not, why arent you telling them. Seriously, get off your high horse.

You either don't farm effectively, or in the wrong area, or maybe you're just horrible at farming. Hell, I don't farm anymore - I fish. Why should I make 50k on a good day farming when I can make 150k on a slow day fishing? And as for Gimpy McTaru, I don't normally question armor on pre-30 jobs (especially subless folks in the Dunes who are more concered with learning their jobs.) And as I said before, early mage gear is CHEAP, even the NM drops like Holy Phial, Frost Robe, Zealot'ss/Devotee's Mitts, et al. 30k max for those when Leaping Boots are 250k and Hairpin is 300+. If you're 2 weeks into farming and you're still behind - FARM FOR ANOTHER GODDAMN WEEK.

I'm sorry i dont have eremites ring +1 and energy earring and mages slacks and mages tunic, does that mean im a noob mage....no, no it doesnt. I eat plenty of food usually melon pies and my thf uses chiefkabobs. (my thf is pretty pimped out though).

Sounds like you're trying to make excuses... "I don't have great gear, but I use food! That makes up for it, right?" Of course, you could have both... but that's far beyond your reach, isn't it?

And i dont want to hear "maybe you should farm or craft" i do farm and craft a little, i farm like crazy and i have so much stuff to buy that i cant always get around to by some +1 and +2 gear for my blm who still doesnt have drain which is my major gimp, though i do have aspir.....which i never use.

So farm 'crazier.' And craft more. And switch to a level 1 job when you're in town so you don't get the temptation to get back out there and level. But hey, get Drain first. And learn to use Aspir. Those could bring you up to the rank of decent again. Then farm even MORE. And become exceptional. What's holding you back? It sure as hell isn't me, or anyone else on this server.

YOU decide whether or not you want to be good at this game. YOU decide your level of effort. And YOU determine your outcomes and consequences based on those decisions. Play your way. Just expect those that play in more comprehensive ways to feel differently about you than the 30WAR/8THF who's tanking for your 'fine' party.[/quote]

 

[Mattaru]

/em puts on Keits's Bracers...

I tend to agree with most of what you are saying but seriously i found this a bit ass backwards. Good gear is important, my mage has it all of them should but going around and giving people shit about not having great gear as a mage is just.....ridiculous. I say have decent gear and you will be fine for a pt, the best, no, but fine. Not all of us have money all the time especially when leveling our main jobs.

I'm glad you're ok with being 'fine' in a party. If that works for you, go for it. I prefer to be exceptional. Being exceptional makes you friends. Being 'fine' makes you forgettable. Invest in the future.

For me to have the best gear possible as a thf i spend a shit load of time farming and when leveling my mage i spent alot of time farming for gear and scrolls and at lvl 27 i was behind in spells after about two weeks of farming. (for thf i spend more than quadruple the time farming than i do lvling at least. I am aware you say that you dont have to have the best gear possible but dont jump on some mage because they arent wearing mainly +1 gear espescially when they are new to the game. This rant seems nice here but i dont think it is actually helping the problem. All of us here probably have decent gear, litlle gimpy mctaru does not, why arent you telling them. Seriously, get off your high horse.

You either don't farm effectively, or in the wrong area, or maybe you're just horrible at farming. Hell, I don't farm anymore - I fish. Why should I make 50k on a good day farming when I can make 150k on a slow day fishing? And as for Gimpy McTaru, I don't normally question armor on pre-30 jobs (especially subless folks in the Dunes who are more concered with learning their jobs.) And as I said before, early mage gear is CHEAP, even the NM drops like Holy Phial, Frost Robe, Zealot'ss/Devotee's Mitts, et al. 30k max for those when Leaping Boots are 250k and Hairpin is 300+. If you're 2 weeks into farming and you're still behind - FARM FOR ANOTHER GODDAMN WEEK.

I'm sorry i dont have eremites ring +1 and energy earring and mages slacks and mages tunic, does that mean im a noob mage....no, no it doesnt. I eat plenty of food usually melon pies and my thf uses chiefkabobs. (my thf is pretty pimped out though).

Sounds like you're trying to make excuses... "I don't have great gear, but I use food! That makes up for it, right?" Of course, you could have both... but that's far beyond your reach, isn't it?

And i dont want to hear "maybe you should farm or craft" i do farm and craft a little, i farm like crazy and i have so much stuff to buy that i cant always get around to by some +1 and +2 gear for my blm who still doesnt have drain which is my major gimp, though i do have aspir.....which i never use.

So farm 'crazier.' And craft more. And switch to a level 1 job when you're in town so you don't get the temptation to get back out there and level. But hey, get Drain first. And learn to use Aspir. Those could bring you up to the rank of decent again. Then farm even MORE. And become exceptional. What's holding you back? It sure as hell isn't me, or anyone else on this server.

YOU decide whether or not you want to be good at this game. YOU decide your level of effort. And YOU determine your outcomes and consequences based on those decisions. Play your way. Just expect those that play in more comprehensive ways to feel differently about you than the 30WAR/8THF who's tanking for your 'fine' party.

[/quote]

I just qouted the whole thing.

Nyahoho i have warp and aspir just not drain. And I know how to use aspir, i never do because i hardly ever fight mage class mobs at least since ive had it, chances are that will change.

I believe that i am more than fine in a party. I can conserve mp, i hardly get aggrod, i always burst, i work out enfeebs, i am basically never the exp leech. My gear is good not exceptional but none the less it is good. Black tunic, cotton cape, mages sandals, 2 eremites rings, 2 opal earring, black silk neckerchief, yew wand +1, friars rope, black slacks, white mitts. Decent, not great but decent. If anything you are right, it can always be one step better but it doesnt make someone a bad player if there gear isnt great (one of the best mages ive seen is named Swede and he was elvaan, wore fishing tunica and was acting as a whm in an awesome pt in khazham, you think it wouldnt work but it was one of the best pts ive been in because we racked in exp and it was alot of fun). Just because you happen to have amazing gear (that you worked hard for no doubt) does not mean you can act so diminutively towards mages that dont.

Farming- I farm for about 2-3 hour blocks. Killing crawlers, and bees and stealing cotton from mandy's while hunting spipi as well. it gets me about 15k each time. Quite frankly, i don't have the time anymore, i have school and work (not for much longer) which eat up all my time. On weekends i do 7 hours of homework a day and go to work. Almost all my time during the week is spent on homework, so if i dont have two energy earrings and dont meet your standard as a good mage then fine, there are worse insults in the world. I'd like to spend more time at my game but when it is a choice between working hard so i can get a scholarship to a 35k a year school versus farm so i can have energy wearrings the choice should be obvious. The gear for mage is easier then getting boots or hairpin yeah, i know, i camped lizzy for 3 weeks for my boots i know. When i was a mage around twenty i spent alot of time ot get the gear and spells i have because at lower levels its harder to get the gil for that gear and quite frankly it isnt as important. I would have gotten through the dunes and qufim and kazham without having the best gear possible just fine because, well, i did without gimping any party i was in.

I'm not saying youo are holding me back i have a good idea what i need to do and i tend to do it. The only reason i posted in the first place is your statement doesnt only apply to the lvl 30war/8thf thats tanking (god knows why he got invited in the first place) it applies to anyone's gear that is sub par in your opinion and that people invite them. It seems that i fit into your broad category so obviuosly i should not get an invite because i must be a bad player. The mage in your story probably was craptacular but that doesnt mean that mages that have decent gear just arent trying, or are lazy, or make excuses (bad ones that is, i make excuses like school but its a legitimate one) or are players that dont want to excel and want to leech. Its a game and we decide how we play it, some ways work better than others and making sweeping generalizations about how people play and why they do it is unfair to those of us who cant meet your standard.

 

[Mattaru]

And once debate starts.......*watches his saturdays float away*

 

[Squirrelin]

I'm too busy reeling in the sticker shock of Ninjutsu -- forking over 5k for each 2-hours of blink-tanking ninjutsu tools (not including factoring in costs of spells, armor, or weapons) to feel sorry for mages who "can't afford" armor & spells which they only have to buy once every handful of levels.

I think it's probably a 2:1 or even 3:1 ratio on gil-raising vs. xp'ing for the Ninja at this point -- and I still haven't passed level 20.