Q&A with Japanese Players

[Tagrineth]

1. Do foreign players have a lot of interest in joining social Japanese Linkshells? (Especially ones with only JP members) I ask because when I recruit for my shell in Japanese, I get a lot of tells from foreigners looking to join. Personally, I feel like even if they could understand my /shout, it still would be hard to keep up with regular conversation. They wouldn’t understand pop-culture references to old TV shows, for instance.

I wouldn't mind joining a JP end-game LS because my play time usually coincides with JP time more than NA time, but on a social scale the language barrier would be {Incredibly Tough}.

2. Parties that cycle in replacement members seem to be popular amongst foreigners, but a lot of times the party will just disband once the replacement arrives. Of course, there are times when the replacement is contacted before they get all the way there, but there are many instances when no one says anything. There are also many cases where inappropriate jobs are invited and the party can no longer function well.

To me, this is a big reason behind some of the negative images Japanese players have about foreign players. What do you think about this?

I bump into this all the time. I always tell people if they want to replace themselves, they really need to let the party know, and find out how long the rest of the party intends to keep fighting. If the party would be disbanding within a half hour anyway, getting a short term replacement will usually be more trouble than it's worth. I suppose some people are okay with moving out for 20 minutes of experience points though, but oftentimes people aren't warned beforehand that the party may disband in a short time.

Why does it seem like many foreign players don’t bother to bring medicines and potions to Missions and BCs? Many Japanese players make sure to have Vile Elixirs, Hi-Potions and/or Reraise Earrings.

It really depends on the mission, but a lot of it stems from laziness with looking up mission information. My first Proto-Omega encounter bumped into just that, with no forewarning from the more experienced members that he had an AoE Silence attack, several mages failed to bring Echo Drops - myself included (I'm more of a melee type so I forgot to bring them on my Summoner). It isn't as much of an issue anymore with Mog Satchel however - I keep a lot of medicines in there now.

4. Sometimes I see foreign pick-up parties recruiting for members using Auto-Translate, but then when I join the party, all the conversation and battle planning is in English. I’ll ask for them to {Please use the Auto-Translate function.} but nobody ever does. If you are going to /shout for help with the Auto-Translator, why not use it in the party? It feels like I was tricked.

In some cases, if only one or two members are Japanese, I will iron out the plan in English first with the majority of the group, then pass on the finalised plan using the Translator. The Translator in and of itself can be very difficult to work with when discussing battle strategy due to its inherent limitations. I wish it had more tactics-related phrases - for example, "pulling" still hasn't found its way into the translator yet, nor has "Wide Scan". {Fishing} can somewhat make up for not having "Pulling", but if Wide Scan is needed, I'm not aware of any good way to suggest/discuss that with the Translator effectively.

5. How many NA and EU players do Campaign? Any thoughts about the recent nerf to Fortifications?

I can't answer this one, I haven't yet done Campaign... still busy too busy with other missions!

6. What equipment do you think has great stats but horrible looks?
What equipment do you think has the best graphics?

Great stats with horrible looks: Assault Jerkin. Best looking equipment: hard to decide on a top pick but I really like the Summoner Relic set.

7. Outside of your normal party gear, is there any equipment that you go out of your way to get strictly for looks? What are your favorite pieces of casual equipment?

I like my Relic Armour sets. The Warrior set is terrible for combat, but looks pretty nice. I have an Opaline Dress set that I like to wear casually, as well as my Kirin Osode set, depending on which Job I am on.

8. I’m a Mithra, and I find that a lot of foreigners seem to be into Mithra fashion. They examine me and ask where I got my equipment and such. Do you think male players enjoy dressing up their Mithra in cute outfits?

I am indeed guilty of this :3

9. I wonder if you calculate the XP/hr of parties, and if so, do you think that Skillchain/Magic Burst or Weaponskill spam produces the best results? Before parsing became widespread, Japanese players used to think Skillchain/Magic Burst was the best.

I do calculate XP/hr of my parties and so far I haven't seen a Skillchain/Magic Burst party that can even come close to a weaponskill spam party. The Skillchain/Magic Burst system was better when equipment options were still relatively poor and a group of DD could not kill efficiently enough to warrant opting out of having a dedicated tank. The inability of the DD to overcome the mobs' evasion and defense meant that Black Mages were needed to deal a significant portion of the mobs' HP - most notably against highly defensive but offensively weak mobs like Crabs and Beetles, the old XP staples. Even tanks needed to fight weaker mobs to make up for poor defensive gear.

10. How come it seems like so many people don’t utilize Search Comments properly? Why don’t they write their camp location for others to see? Also, it’s strange to see so many people seeking without basic information written like available jobs and where they can access. Don’t you want an invite?

I use them all the time, but it seems that oftentimes NA players will not even read comments when they are up - I've often had "{Level Sync}{No Thanks.}" in my comment when seeking a Merit PT and will still receive the odd level sync PT invite, so some players may get discouraged and decide it isn't worth the effort to put up a good search comment. Alternately, many players simply may not be familiar with how to use them effectively, or even how to macro them for easy re-use.

11. If you know you are going to be busy, how come you don’t alert people at the beginning of the party instead of surprising everyone at the last minute?

Inconsiderate players. I see this from JP a lot too, though - {Have stuff to do, gotta go!} or {Time for work} followed by an abrupt departure. It depends entirely on the individual.

12. Honestly, the largest difference in thinking between Japanse and foreign players exists
in the Merit party.
You often say 5 DDs and a RDM is so good, but having a single, solitary healer is hard
on the RDM.
Japanese realize that healers can be in short supply, so we make sacrifices to lighten
their burden, like subbing a mage job, or using Utsusemi.
I feel like many people don’t show proper respect to healers.

When we say JP ONLY, it isn’t always an issue of language,
but the fact that we feel there are other dangers and demerits associated with
a non-JP party, stemming from our different play-styles, that we wish to avoid.

This key difference in thinking, more than any race or language issue,
is what really sets us apart as players. They are just looking to sit back, relax
and earn some decent XP.

This seems like a biased question, since this will also vary from person to person, and I've personally been invited to several JP-run parties that used what this question suggests is an NA-centric setup - four DD, support (bard, corsair), healer (red mage, white mage) - as well as seen from our camp a Japanese party using such a configuration at a neighbouring camp. And for such a setup, among NA it is assumed that you should sub Ninja for utsusemi most of the time as well. I really do not feel this is a valid question on this survey at all. I hope I'm not the only one who sees this as a very poor question.

What type of sushi do you like best?

Unfortunately I don't eat sushi enough to really answer this question, I have only had it maybe two or three times in my lifetime. Sushi can be comparatively expensive here, and I figure I should probably stay away from the cheaply made varieties.

 

[Mattaru]

Hi Elmer, Nice to see you here.

I'll answer the questions in English because I don't have the time to write them in Japanese at the moment - If you just want me to try and translate them I can try tomorrow heh-

1. I personally have thought about joining a JP social shell, but it would be difficult to incorporate foreigners unless they have a good sense of what is going on in Japan or live in Japan - endgame is naturally a different question - mixed endgame shells are not uncommon.

2. First, I think the issue about replacements getting to camps and then PTs disbanding is not the majority case, and even we find it rude or annoying when it happens to us. Most players in general try to avoid this if possible. Second, when less than optimal jobs are picked its simply a kind of compromise: What will net the most exp? a) Having a party that isn't as efficient or b) sitting in whitegate. Especially if your pt has jobs that are hard to get invites on. Naturally, no one likes a ridiculous replacement that ruins the party, I think everyone agrees focusing on those types of players is more an issue of stupidity rather than a general play style.

Personally, I only like it if 1 or 2 max reps are made in a pt.

3. I think its the environment those players kind of "grow up" in if you will. I noticed my tendency to bring meds comes from being in a linkshell that stresses it and also playing a particular job often so I got used to carrying around the same meds. Versus being in a linkshell or in a group where meds are not stressed leads to less meds being used. I think it is mainly an issue with a) leadership and b) the particular player.

4. Its hard for me to answer this because I speak Japanese and even when I didn't like 4-5 years ago I tried to use the auto-translate whenever I could. First, I would say outside of finding a camp a lot of NA players assume everyone knows what to do in their PT and if something is being done incorrectly then they say something. I think this is a product of the decreased use in skill chaining. As far as things like preferred songs go - a Bard/support in my experience almost always talks to melees about it. Outside of battle planning even if I am in a JP pt, even before I spoke Japanese all other conversation was in Japanese - which is fine, that is what I would expect.

5. I campaign - I'd say JP players do campaign slightly more than NA on my server. I just got back to the game because I was busy IRL so I am not sure.

6.
Gayters
Beastmaster Headpiece - It even makes scary galkas look kind of cute.

7. It changes, I don't do it so much anymore but it would usually be some sort of goofy hat....or subligar.

8. Yes. They do. Haha.

9. Once PTs get to TOAU areas or doing Colibris in Ronfaure I think TP burn is pretty much unquestionably better taken the players don't suck. Another NA somewhere out there I am sure is replying with a much more complicated response and parses.

10. Once again, I think unless the player is a new player a lot of it is just assumed by other players. Its assumed you have your basic subs, its assumed you can access TOAU if you are of a certain rank and level. I put camp location if I am soloing and sometimes if I am a pt lead which I don't do often. I know if a place looks crowded NAs will tend to just ask the leader where they are at.

11. Rude people are rude.

12. I don't merit much in PTs since I solo a lot so I will just respond to playstyles.

I would say with that merit PT setup there are many NA/EU players who would not see that as optimal - it would be very much debatable and people do debate about it.

I can not agree more with you that it is not an issue of race or language, but it is an issue of play style. Play style is a preference and I think that that is as diverse as people. Naturally, this preference is shaped by the group you tend to play with most often so I think it is only natural that different styles grow out of it, but that is in no way monolithic and I feel like if we are looking at intelligent players on both sides that your experiences together will not be negative and stressful.

I think my response not only comes from me playing the game but living in Japan as well and the idea that people somehow think differently in a monolithic way. Of course we don't think the same because of where we grow up etc. but we all think, and it is fairly easy to come to an understanding on issues where "thinking" is different if even a slight effort is made. I believe this is a problem with people anywhere - NA, EU, and JP people do it.

Bonus: I only eat sushi when I play/played BST so tuna - just like in real life.

My own PS: I was surprised at the amount of questions that seemed to question some negative things NA players do - mainly because I see a lot of those things as negative as well and I feel like a lot of the player base that has been around for awhile views those things negatively to. Kind of like when I said "rude people are rude". I think I remember seeing a survey of the age groups that play ffxi and for NA players it tended to be a higher concentration of younger players - I'm 22 now and I started playing this game when I was 16.

 

[Celvantes]

Parties that cycle in replacement members seem to be popular amongst foreigners, but a lot of times the party will just disband once the replacement arrives. Of course, there are times when the replacement is contacted before they get all the way there, but there are many instances when no one says anything. There are also many cases where inappropriate jobs are invited and the party can no longer function well. To me, this is a big reason behind some of the negative images Japanese players have about foreign players. What do you think about this?

I usually build my own parties, because I don't like to wait forever to be invited. Most of the time, not all party members will be able to stay for the entire time a leader wants to exp. A good party member will let the leader know at least thirty minutes in advance so he can start looking for replacement. An inconsiderate member will just leave without warning, and that can leave the leader in bit of a bind.

When finding a replacement mid-party, I always try to make sure that the party will continue for at least an hour once the replacement arrives. If it seems to me that the majority of the party won't be able to stay that long, I opt to end the party when the first person leaves rather than get a replacement for only a short amount of time. Sometimes, though, you get blindsided by a bunch of people having to leave with no notice, and the poor replacement ends up coming out to camp for nothing. It's just bad luck at that point.

Some jobs, like tanks and refreshers, are hard to find. It's not easy when the leader has to look for a particular job to meet the camp's needs and that job just isn't available. At that point, he can either get a less-than-optimal job class that is seeking NOW, or make the party wait (without getting any exp), for someone with an optimal job to start seeking. Sometimes, a leader has to go the way of the inappropriate replacement, and opt to limp along with so-so exp instead of no exp at all. I don't like doing that, but sometimes it's the only alternative to disbanding the party.

Why does it seem like many foreign players don’t bother to bring medicines and potions to Missions and BCs? Many Japanese players make sure to have Vile Elixirs, Hi-Potions and/or Reraise Earrings.

I always have food, echo drops, sneak/invis and a reraise gorget on me. I'll bring hi-pots for the big fights as well as any meds needed for that particular monster (i.e. holy water if it likes to curse). IMO, Vile Elixirs are a bit much for anything other than *major* fights like Maat or the airship battle in Chains of Promathia.

4. Sometimes I see foreign pick-up parties recruiting for members using Auto-Translate, but then when I join the party, all the conversation and battle planning is in English. I’ll ask for them to {Please use the Auto-Translate function.} but nobody ever does. If you are going to /shout for help with the Auto-Translator, why not use it in the party? It feels like I was tricked.

It sucks that some leaders do this. If I recruit a JP player, I always make sure to include the parts of the battle plan that relate to him through auto-translate. I might not do *all* of the plan in the translator, though. For instance, if the DRK speaks English and I want him to sub /NIN insteaed of /SAM, I'm not going to put that in the autotranslator for the sake of a BRD who's Japanese. However, if I want the BRD to hit me with a specific song, I'll make sure that I translate it, and that everyone else knows to use the translator with the JP BRD as well.

5. How many NA and EU players do Campaign? Any thoughts about the recent nerf to Fortifications?

I do Campaign all the time and I don't like it. If you happen to get to a Campaign before or after the Beastmen are there, you're left with no way to get a good amount of points. I know Squeenix was trying to tell us to go after the mobs, but this is a bit ridiculous.

What equipment do you think has great stats but horrible looks?
What equipment do you think has the best graphics?

Ace's Helm is ugly as sin, but it's one of the best items in the game. Valor Armor looks awesome but is easily replaced by better gear.

7. Outside of your normal party gear, is there any equipment that you go out of your way to get strictly for looks? What are your favorite pieces of casual equipment?

I used to swap my Valor set in for walking around town, but I don't bother anymore.

8. I’m a Mithra, and I find that a lot of foreigners seem to be into Mithra fashion. They examine me and ask where I got my equipment and such. Do you think male players enjoy dressing up their Mithra in cute outfits?

I thought the whole catgirl thing was a Japanese invention, *laugh*.

Considering the amount of male players who have Mithra characters, I think there are plenty of guys out there who love dressing up (or undressing) their Mithra.

9. I wonder if you calculate the XP/hr of parties, and if so, do you think that Skillchain/Magic Burst or Weaponskill spam produces the best results? Before parsing became widespread, Japanese players used to think Skillchain/Magic Burst was the best.

As a PLD, I honestly miss the good old Skillchain/Magic Burst. Unfortunately, it's gone the way of the dinosaur, and unless Squeenix makes an EXP mob that takes a lot of extra damage from skillchains and magic bursts (but normal damage from regular attacks and elemental magic), I don't see it coming back.

The problem is, like you said, a matter of exp/hr. A melee burn party dropping Very Toughs every thirty seconds or less can make more exp in the same amount of time as a standard skillchain/burst party dropping Incredibly Toughs every 1-3 minutes.

10. How come it seems like so many people don’t utilize Search Comments properly? Why don’t they write their camp location for others to see? Also, it’s strange to see so many people seeking without basic information written like available jobs and where they can access. Don’t you want an invite?

It's just not a habit or courtesy ingrained in NA players as far as I see. I don't seek very often, but when I do, I put up my basic information. As far as camp location, I had never heard of putting it in search comments until I read this question. I'll start doing it from now on, but I'm willing to bet that random people will still drop in and counter camp my party.

11. If you know you are going to be busy, how come you don’t alert people at the beginning of the party instead of surprising everyone at the last minute?

There's a good English word for a person like this: Douchebag. Feel free to use it often when someone does this to you. Follow the word with {Black List} {You can have this.}

However, I've had this problem to with Japanese players, too. Often times, they'll leave with very little warning, and sometimes no warning at all. I get the impression that they didn't know how to say that their time was getting short, so please, use {Time remaining} 30 {minute} to let your party leader know when you're close to having to leave.

12. Honestly, the largest difference in thinking between Japanse and foreign players exists
in the Merit party.
You often say 5 DDs and a RDM is so good, but having a single, solitary healer is hard
on the RDM.
Japanese realize that healers can be in short supply, so we make sacrifices to lighten
their burden, like subbing a mage job, or using Utsusemi.
I feel like many people don’t show proper respect to healers.
When we say JP ONLY, it isn’t always an issue of language,
but the fact that we feel there are other dangers and demerits associated with
a non-JP party, stemming from our different play-styles, that we wish to avoid.
This key difference in thinking, more than any race or language issue,
is what really sets us apart as players. They are just looking to sit back, relax
and earn some decent XP.
Please feel free to provide your own insight and thoughts.

I fully understand the reason behind the JP ONLY search comment. Just know that from our end, it can seem a bit elitist, especially when a party leader has 5/6 members, and that *one* job he needs to get (usually a tank or refresher) has JP ONLY emblazoned on his search comment, and he is the only representative of that job available.

Yes, our play styles are a bit different, but sometimes, things work differently than you are used to. Just as I have been pleasantly surprised by some JP setups that I didn't think would work well, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by some NA setups. At least give the party leader a chance before you write him off, just because he is NA.

Look at it from the other perspective as well... how many NA ONLY search comments do you see?

Other than the one time I put it up as a joke for one of my JP friends, I've never seen it.

What type of sushi do you like best?

I like fish, but I absolutely cannot eat it raw. I realize that sushi is a delicacy to many, many people, but it's revolting to me.