Response to JPButton Questions (for WoW)

The Blizzard Style

There has been quite a big buzz for what ElmerthePointy posted on his blog. Well… although most of the answers are pretty… expected. However, I bet you would not know how would a WoW player answers the similar question :) So yea, let me present you the WoW answers of Elmer’s questions.

JP Question in WoW Style.

1. Do foreign players have a lot of interest in joining social Japanese (lets just say other languages’) 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.

In WoW, any language used other than English gets yelled at. You’d hear “This is WoW and there’s only English kthx”. Or you’d shortly hear “Reported”. WoW can’t put up with other cultures unlike FFXI. You try anything over trade or general channel that is not English, you will get yelled at by the kiddies ;D

However, I do reside and live in an Asian linkshell. All of us are mostly from Toronto/near Toronto, but during raids, we use English as the commanding language, even though we all have our Asian ascents. We have Canadians/American that is English only so… it only makes sense to speak in English. We worked well together but… if its not within the guild, it better be in English.

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.

You think member cycling is bad in FFXI (which I do not think it is at all), try WoW. People leave with merely 15second notice. 15sec? Yea just enough to type you a goodbye and Warp Cudgel. It is completely okay in WoW to ninja leave like that (and shit part is some people leave after they got their loot from 1st boss out of the 4). It happens SO OFTEN that you get used to it. However, that is why all instance have summoning stone, so people can be warped to the instance in a matter of seconds. There are also remote summoning too so… you can summon people right beside you, right now! Yea as much as people leave with 15sec warning, we also have fast summoning so to most WoW players, it is nothing but a party member died and need a raise/rest. Or lets just say, we will be up and running faster than waiting for someone’s sickness to wear off.

3. Why does it seem like many foreign players (NA Players) do not 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.

No one does it in WoW too. Guilds like mines even say, if you do not bring Flasks (Battle Elixir, Guardian Elixir) or Food, no loot! I guess it is just a natural tenancy for NA players to not bring shit. We are just all lazy mother fukers. I bring standard equipments like ARROWS, FOOD FLASK to RAIDS! but no I am not going to bring 15sec Speed Pump Elixirs, expensive Mana Potion for laughs and giggles (I bring the cheap ones, cheap bullets etc). I do not bring or carry Elixirs either in FFXI. When do I need them? Soloing! Other then that.. no thanks. What I save is mines :) I am with Kimiko here :D

4. Does not apply.

5. How many NA and EU players do Campaign (Quest for Rewards/Daily)? Any thoughts about the recent nerf to Fortifications?

Campaign is the latest “soloing” event where you can actually be any Job to go get some exp by yourselves without commitment to parties. We have that all over wow, in fact, we “campaign” from lv1 to 80 :o so no, if we see people using a camp, we’d do something else… well at least I would do something else and come back later. Campaign is a little different since it doesn’t continuous supply mobs. :D

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

Equipment is not as pretty as FFXI, so no I do not keep shit for shits and giggles. Nor do any WoW player goes for looks. However, I do go all the way for LOOKS in FFXI :) I got everything I wanted (well mostly), so I started hunting stuff for looks.. then next thing… the whole LS follows. As you all might notice, my favorite one is Nashira 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?

In FFXI, looks is yea.. body piece, head piece, legs and feet. You might put on something more HQ if you get checked in town but yea.. I do :) Nashira Manteel XD

In WoW, armor looks like crap (well, they tried to improve it recently with HQ dats) but still looks… not as great. So.. no not much people go into wearing it for looks. It is not like the Alliance can check Horde anyway. WoW is all about stats, so you better wear some good shit around. You want to show off? Just get a good flying mount. It is like… driving a BMW but in WoW.

8. I am 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?

Lets just say Blizzard knows about it too :D I play a BE Female Hunter too… well put it even more simple. Just watch the video on the right :D

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

I will jump back to FFXI for this part. I honestly loved the Skillchain/MB system that they have created back then. It was so horrible how they destroyed it with merits. Before, people would report TP, wait for TP and do WS, timed a magic burst to maximize damage for Fafnir or Sky Parties. Now… its all TP burn, reduce interaction and makes the game so easily played. Back then.. equipment selection and SKILLS comes hand in hand to execute everything right! You got to stand up and nuke when they do WS, time your rest etc. Now.. no skills at all… TP , swap equipment (which is not really a skill), WS, swap back and Exp.

I honestly hated today’s Exp system. They made exping easier, but took the FUN out of exping. Constantly scoring Chain 6 on Ullikummi camp was a challenge back then… now its like… a walk in the park. That is one thing I miss about FFXI, the old-school exping. Now, its exping with John Doe. You do not even need to talk anymore. You just.. do your own stuff.

10. How come it seems like so many people do not 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 do not know… but see in FF, you only do merits. What else would you write in there other than the obvious one. If I am a Samurai, I am obviously a DD. If I am a RDM, I am obviously a healer. I guess ya, you see melee RDM’s and Tanking Samurai’s :D. Even with full parry, I would not go tank. Let the CD manufacturer make CD, Let the CD Case maker makes CD Case, and everyone gains in specialization and synergy. So if its so obvious… why do we write comments? Well I guess.. idiot proof. If you are writing because “I do not have this area’s access” in your exp comment, then maybe… work on it? WTF :x

Now in WoW, people do not write where they can go. WoW’s LFP system were already sorted by dungeons/exp areas. They even have check boxes where you can tell the system if you are either a “DD”, “Tank” or “Healer”. So that means the only difference is gear. So yea, in our comment, I personally write

“5000AP SV Unbuffed 38% Crit”.

That means I have 5000 AP, probably Naxxramax + gear, unbuffed means I am not cheating those AP bonuses, and 38% crit is just to show my gear is not all socked with AP gems, hence the 5000 AP. I actually also have high crit, meaning it must have been a ton of AGI gear.

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?

I hate that when I see that, but then as explained above, in WoW it is completely OK. With summoning stone, everybody does it. It is completely normal to give as short as 15sec notice before you leave. Put it this way, even my friend Jayashaya who used to play on FFXI now in WoW pulled that on me.

I’d like to tell everyone this is just a game and take it easy, but then hay its a party (a pretty big e/virtual commitment), its for people who got the time and commitment to do so. If you do not then yea, please do not come budge in if you got 3 minutes. Honestly it is annoying. Both in FFXI and in WoW.

12, Honestly, the largest difference in thinking between Japanese 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.

I as a healer, yea… I do not know because I have always single-healed parties in any difficulty, I do not know how it is really like to heal without the I guess… decent equipment. However, do what you do best. If you are a good DD, go as full DD. If you are healer, focus on healing. Do not try to meet half way :x because I do not think a CD manufacturer who are good in making CD cases are also good with singing and recording. Let the person do what they do best and not cross each others line. It makes distributing responsibilities easier!

Anyway, healing in FFXI never got the fun or respect too in my opinion… you would never get a “Thank You” even though as a healer, your constantly working. Falling asleep = dead party. Whereas if a DD fell asleep, well it is only less DD but the party would not die. Healing in FFXI is also not as fun.. in comparison to WoW. Although WoW could be easier, its more fun because the environment plays with you.

So yea that is my 2c. Time for sleep and finish up Kimiko’s code cleaning :3