CactuarSensei (PoM)
| Contents [hide] |
December 2008 Player of the Month
Profile
Character Race: Taru Taru
Character Job(s): BLM, DRG, WAR, PUP
Nation: Bastok *Rank: 10
Server: Gilgamesh
Real World Location: Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Career / Employment Industry / Current Level of School: Private Instructor and Translator
Hobbies: Studying kanji, translating, reading comics (US & JP)
Your Website: JPButton.com
Questionnaire
Besides Final Fantasy XI, what other MMORPGs have you played and how do they compare to Final Fantasy XI?
Way back in the day, I played Ultima Online and Everquest. I don't really remember the experience that well. Ultima Online involved standing in front of a pit making ingots, and Everquest had something to do with getting destroyed by Gnoll trains. I tried World of Warcraft briefly to be with real life friends, but I got bored with it by level 13. I tried Everquest 2, but only the trial version. I also tried the Dungeons and Dragons MMO, but didn't like it that much. Through it all, I ended up realizing I'm just not an MMO guy, and that I like FFXI because it's FFXI, not because it's an MMO.
How did you find out about Final Fantasy XI, and when did you begin playing?
Satisiun of Gilgamesh, who I've known since elementary school, started playing a few months before me. After much clamoring and cajoling, he convinced me to try it out. I set out with a friend of mine to pick it up during New Year's vacation. However, we ran into a snowstorm. It was so icy, while on an incline we (very slowly) slid into a parked car. We decided that FFXI could wait another day or two, and I ended up joining around the second week of January, 2004.
Do you know anyone in real life who plays Final Fantasy XI?
The above mentioned Satisiun, who plays on Gilgamesh. When I joined, I was accompanied by Porkchop, my girlfriend at the time. Swani and Mazikeen were good friends that joined some time after. Swani's brother also had a brief foray into Vana'diel as Juicebox. Only Satisiun plays any longer.
What is your favorite job and why?
Puppetmaster. I like the extra customization and control the job gives the player. It's also great for soloing and fighting in Campaign, especially now with DNC sub. I don't do a lot of endgame stuff, so I like a job with depth and the ability to go exploring and fend for myself.
About how often do you play Final Fantasy XI and how long is a typical playing session for you?
I pretty rarely have the time to sit down for a serious play session. I'm always using my free time looking through books and magazines and putting information online. However, once I saw what was coming at VanaFest, I couldn't help but get back into the game. I got all my DNC AF together recently, and usually I keep the PC running FFXI and glance over at shouts for Dynamis/Salvage etc, while I do JPButton stuff on the Mac. I foresee a lot of FFXI hours coming up during my Christmas break.
How do you spend your time in game?
Currently, I'm trying to catch up on some things. I got my DNC AF, so next is some PUP Relic. If I'm not browsing shouts, I like to get in on Campaign to earn XP. *Approximately how much of Vana'diel have you experienced? 80%? I'm behind on some recent content.
What is your favorite expansion?
Treasures of Aht Urghan
What is your least favorite expansion?
Rise of the Zilart. I can't really be too hard on it for being the first real expansion. It just doesn't compare in story or content to expansions that came after.
How far have you progressed in missions?
I finished Bastok Rank 10, Zilart and CoP. I have been through half of ToAU, and only the beginnings of WoG.
What is your favorite zone?
Hall of the Gods. It was the epitome of why FFXI is such a good RPG, not just MMO. I remember during my first year in the game, seeing Hall of the Gods written on the map, and knowing I just had to see that place. I died trying to sneak through Ro'maeve, but tried again and made it. I just sat in the area a while, taking in the majesty and mystery of it all. I love a deep story, and Hall of the Gods just gives that feeling of "you're almost there," "you've almost revealed the mystery beyond that gate." I remember making /cry motions as people went through without me. A few of them threw a /comfort back my way.
Who is your NPC hero and why?
As a TaruTaru who started the game as a Black Mage, it has to be Shantotto.
If Shantotto was your mom, give a good excuse for coming home 6 hours after curfew.
"I was putting up ads for Dissidia in Bastok Markets."
Describe your most memorable moment or proudest accomplishment in game.
Probably soloing the avatar battles with PUP. I know it's not so amazing in the context of game accomplishments, but it was a time when PUP was only several months old as a job. Just the whole process of pushing PUP's solo capability in that manner, and the fact that it succeeded was the most fun I have had in FFXI.
If you were stranded on Purgonorgo Isle what 5 items would you most want to have with you?
Usukane Somen, Usukane Haramaki, Usukane Gote, Usukane Hizayoroi and Usukane Sune-Ate.
How do you describe Final Fantasy XI to your coworkers or computer-illiterate friends?
I just tell them it's a game people can play together from all over the world.
What is next for you in the world of Final Fantasy XI?
I'm looking forward to Moblin Maze Mongers and Fields of Valor.
|
