Expanding

I stated before. I did not grow up playing MMOs. The closest thing I had was PSO for Dreamcast, and that barely counted.

As someone new to the whole MMORPG thing, I was pleasantly surprised when they started releasing expansions for FFXI.

Sure, Rise of the Zilart was the first expansion, but the western release came with it already, so I never got to experience a world-changing event such as adding an entire new area full of shit to murder.

But about a year into the game, then things started to change. Something was coming. Something big.

It started with broken teleport points. I remember it well, because people were freaking out. I might have had something to do with that.

Then, all of a sudden, like a gift from above, Chains of Promathia was released.

New areas? New missions? New everything? What sort of sorcery is this?

I must have read through the booklet a million times, carefully absorbing the descriptions of areas I could go, and monsters I could murder. I memorized each picture, everything about them drawing me in, beckoning me to come find them. To be deep inside them. Mmmmm yes, my love. Soon. Soon.

Then quickly found out that 75% of the content were mission locked.

Fuck.

I actually have to mission to murder.

But that came later. Initially, exploration of the new areas was required.

My friend Alana and I were the first in server to visit Movalpolos. I know this because when we zoned in on day one, there was no one else in the zone. And we did it by accident, mind you.

We were checking shit out in Gusgen mines when all of a sudden we turned a corner, and the screen went black. I thought my PS2 had froze, so I started for the power button, but then it happened.

My screen came back on and I was somewhere... New. Somewhere, scary.

Everything was easy prey, even for my level 70 samurai. Shit was about to get interesting.

We killed a few moblins, learning their attack strategies. Crazy guys with their fireworks and frying pans.

We went in deeper, killing bugbear and moblins with red masks. Then we hit a level wall, where everything started turning tough and very tough, so we headed back to check other sites.

Bibiki Bay was the second area we went to. The efts were crazy looking. Little fish dogs with all the teeth ever. We rode the manaclipper to Purgonorgo Island, learning quickly not to mess with uragnites without some way to get rid of poison.

The last area we visited together was Attowah Chasm. And let me tell you. This place was the coolest fucking thing I ever saw.

If you've never been there, it's a huge desert area with a mountain in the center that you have to follow a very specific path to climb. I memorized how to climb it. Even before I found out it was required for a quest, I memorized the way to the top. Pretty sure if I could log in right now, I would be able to get up there.

I'm always good at getting up.

We also met the antlions. My favorite fucking creature in the game. I love those big scary looking things. I was thrilled when they added them as a jug pet for beastmaster. Controlling a hulking nightmare machine has always been on my bucket list.

Eventually I did have to get a party together and do promyvion, but at that point, people realized you needed a very, very specific lineup to make it work. So I fucking farmed the shit out of Delkfutt's tower to afford gear for my ranger. I went in there, arrows flying, and got my ass handed to me several times. I eventually became a master at navigating the area.

When I finally did unlock Lufaise Meadows and Tavnazian Safehold, it was... A bit disappointing.

Lufaise Meadows was well put together and beautiful, but theh Safehold felt so empty and sad. I realize everyone there is a refugee from a war-torn nation, but jeeze, put a picture of a silly cat on the wall, guys.

Not to mention the fact that you had to unlock everything in the city. Shops, auction house, more quests.

You had to do quests to be able to do quests.

Alana and I fucked around in Lufaise for a while, but there wasn't any pressing need or want to unlock anything else. Sea was the next thing, but I actually did that years later after the cap was lifted on the missions, and I feel like I didn't miss anything.

Yeah, I heard about Absolute Virtue and the Pandemonium Warden 18 hour fight. But I really didn't care. I was content with what the expansion had given me.

Content with the content. Spelled the same, said differently in context. Engrish language.