Mandau

Last night marked the end of my biggest endeavor in FFXi, and probably any game I have ever played.



This could never have been done without the help and and encouragement by the Seraphi and Interlopers linkshells. Thanks everyone. Now we start on working on the garden fork!
I also want to make a special thanks to my friend Jamibian, I dedicate this one to you.

And here are some screen shots:




(more will be added later)

Animated Dagger! Yes I'm the one..

So, last night we finally managed to get the zone. We went in with less people that I wanted to but everyone did a great job, and this is what happens when everyone work together as a team!

So close, but still so far away..

Above: This is what would happen if I meet that idiot JP LS leader.

So, I have my stage 4 done, have the currency needed for stage 5 (including the last 3000 piece loan).

But, for some reason, it is impossible for us the get into bloody Dynamis-Xarkabard. Yesterday was the 3rd night in a row where we gathered in Xark, just to have the zone stolen right infront of our eyes by a party of jp's, aiming to lowman the zone. I tried to no avail to reason with them, explaining we needed the zone to do a fragment-run. They just ignored us, didnt even bother sending a reply.

I only need that fragment, and I got my Mandau, but..
Sometimes I just feel like giving up..

Woot!

We had an amazing run today with Interlopers. Got plenty of good AF, 2 100-pieces, a successful death squad run, and then we did 2 of the attestation NMs.

And what do you know, the frickin thing dropped! 1/1!
Unfortunatly the other NM didnt drop the Polearm attest tho, but its was a VERY good run.

Quick update

I got nothing really significant to report but we do the usual events everyday.

I'm currently only waiting for 4 drops from the events we do with the LS; Homam pants, Hecatomb Legs, Byakko's Haidate, Justice Torque. I'm first in line for the the Homam and Hecatomb, so those things just have to drop.. The other pieces there's more people after, and it could take some time. Long gone are the times when you had nothing, and you were a potential candidate for almost anything that dropped. Back then, it was like your birthday every week, but now, once you get something you've dreamed about for so long it usually just leaves you speechless. I remember when I got my Love torque, I was stunned. Considering what had to be done to get it, have it drop, and get to lot on it, was something I didnt think I would manage a few years back. It's a good thing its been raining Love Torques over Seraphi, a lot of people can experience that feeling..

Yesterday we did a Dynamis-Xark run, farmed until we had 20 min left, andd then we gave Animated Dagger a try, I mostly wanted to see how tough it was and what needed to be cleared to make the pull possible. Turns out our usual farming was enough to clear a sacpull path. Once spawned it aggrod 1 group of 7 demons and 2 eyes, but these are no problem since they are brought away by the sacpuller. (Sac path is along the the wall towards WHM tower, and west past the PLD tower, down to the "snow-boobies", once there I headed back with the mobs to camp, since the dagger had warped by then. We camp to the south of WHM tower next to the wall)
I think we got it down 46% before it warped, not bad considering we had no bard 2hr and not very melee heavy. We are doing another Xark run on Sunday, which will include a DL fight.

After dynamis was over I was tired, but I headed out to Castle Zwahl to pick up my Dynamis Dagger (Stage 3) that was finished. I went to bed with a smile on my face.

Typo, I love you.

I just realised I had 2 errors in my spreadsheet for the Mandau currency, which I now have fixed. 

Stage 4 needed currency was set to 6700 instead of 6100, and stage 3 was set to 1600 instead of 1400. So by fixing these typos, I just made a huge leap closer to the goal, and it didnt cost me a thing, lol.

My goal for the end of April 2009 is to have have Stage1, Stage2, Stage3 at 100% complete and Stage4 and Stage5 at 10%.
I feel this can be done, but I will have to work hard for it. 

On a sidenote, someone asked me the reason for putting these kind of stuff up here, and the answer is simple. I set up goals (tallgates, if you are in to project management) so I have something to work towards. When the deadline for the goal is due, I evaluate my progress and see what I can do to improve.

So by the 1st of May 2008, I should be able to set up a new goal, depending on the outcome of the months ahead.

Planning for things in this game is sometimes harder than reallife since there are a lot of factors that change and you really cant anticipate what will come into effect until they hit you in the face. But if we ignore these factors for a moment and assume that the economy and such will remain the same on the server, my monthly income should increase as time goes, since I will get my crafting skills up, find more and better ways of making money and learn from any costly misstakes I do. Experience makes all the difference. However this is not something I calculate in when I set goals for the Mandau project. I see this "thingswillonlygetbetter-factor" as a backup fund that will ensure that any setbacks (like sickness, vacations, losses) wont put me below estimated earnings.

Yes, it's just a game, but anything you spend this much time on should be handled in a correct way.

Just a quick update..

..on whats going on.

Einherjar:



Mandau:
Still hunting around for dynamis currency, going slow but steady. I am positive I'll have all the bronzepieces and some more shells in about 3-4 months when we should be nearing completion of Seraphi's current relic (Excalibur).
So far I have been able to keep up with the expenses, pretty much breaking even on what currency I can find and what I can afford to pay. There's a infobox in the right column for those interested in prices/percents etc.

Crafting:
Recently got Wildbone to Bonecrafting 100+2. I want to get Leathercraft subcraft up to 60 asap, and thats what I have begun work on now. This will probably make a small dent in my relicfund, but it shouldnt be too bad. Ill just have to work harder in the weekends, scraping together more gil..

LS events:
We have started the new year good, doing all the usual events, and doing them well.
Things work mentioning so far is 1 Faith torque drop (grats Janeiro) and a Tier 3 clearance in Einherjar, making us 2/3 on Tier 3. Just 1 more before Odin.

The beginning of the biggest challenge yet..

..starts now.
I have decided to put all my future earnings into a relic fund, to ge me a Mandau.
Crazy, I know. But I feel that I have more or less gotten all the stuff I need to make my THf truly amazing. Only thing I'm missing is the Homam legs and I will get those eventually, and they wont cost me anything..
All gear for my BLM (that I need to buy) is mine already, and all buyable gear for SAM, I have already, not counting the Hagun, and I'm willing on skipping that for awhile.

I wont be able to sponsor any Dynamis runs, so I will have to buy currency. But I will get there eventually..