User:InspectorGadget

About Me
Formerly Bizznatch of the Kujata Server. I started anew on December 26th, 2007 on the Shiva Server. Since then I have made a ton of new friends and progressed faster than I ever thought possible.

I have been involved in all sorts of different linkshells on my original character, from entry level, to mid level, to social, to beginner-endgame, to the best endgame linkshell on the Kujata server. I have tons of experience and i'm always willing to give advice to anything that pertains to this game.

At first I was a slow learner in the game. My first job was Warrior. I did all sorts of dumb things with it until level 40. My main weapon was a 1H sword. My sub was Red Mage. I wore freakin +HP rings and AGI earrings. I didnt really pick up the battle aspect of the game until about level 49. A lot of the stuff I learned I got from the infamous BradyGames Guide. After I got used to how the game was supposed to be played I started turning heads, made a lot of friends, and finally started enjoying the way FFXI as it should be played.

When Bizznatch hit level 65 I got into my first pre-endgame linkshell. Even though I got all the endgame knowledge I needed from this linkshell, sadly it was thee worst linkshell I have ever been in. All the negativity, drama, put-downs, etc. it was nothing but a bad atmosphere. At the time I was very involved in my social linkshell, and they were starting to figure out ways we can take the linkshell to the next level. This linkshell was called TheBlueCrew. We started out a bunch of lvl 50's needing help with caps and AF, and went on to become the first NA linkshell to beat Dynamis Lord without outside help, the first linkshell in FFXI (all servers) to kill Tiamat 100 times, among many, many, many other things. It was great to be a part of that, and I wouldnt have traded that experience for anything else in the world.

As the linkshell got stronger so did I. I went from being your average Level 75 Warrior to one of the strongest on the server. Sadly part of this game involves players who cant enjoy the game as it is and become jealous, rude, and just plain hateful. Endgame linkshells can be fun but there will always be some sort of rivalry going on. That rivalry usually causes fights, drama, and all sorts of other bad stuff. During a Beseiged in December 2006, a member froma rival linkshell who didnt like me for some reason decided to call a GM on me for spamming, which unfortunately led to my permanent banning, in which I wrote this: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/.../Bizznatch.htm

That was the hardest day of my life. I felt all sorts of emotions that I couldnt just pick one other than shock. I was the nicest guy you could have ever met on that server, and to have something like this happen to me, I just couldnt believe it.

After I was banned I felt the need to just put this past me and get back on my horse and start over again. Which I did in creating my 2nd character: Valorous. Valorous progressed very, very fast. I was level a level 67 Warrior with ZM10 complete, Riverne A01 complete, Rank 6, with all Warrior subs (NIN, THF, SAM) leveled in just 3 months. It was suprising, but it only happened because I was putting everything else IRL off.

I was playing the game 10-12 hours a day, getting 4 hours of sleep per night, every night. I blew off friends. I blew off my job. I blew off my girlfriend of 8 years. I was even too busy to eat food. I lost 20 pounds, which isnt good if you only weigh 145 as it is. Just to try and get back to the level I once was as a player. The game burned me out physically, and emotionally.

On top of that during the course of my return I ended up getting all sorts of negativity from many different places. Ive even seen members from my own linkshell say that I should not have come back. Rival linkshell members even labeled me as a 'botter' or a 'hacker' just because I got banned. I have never, ever, cheated in this game (Windower is not a cheat, IMHO), in fact I was very vocal against the use of cheats both in-game and on public forums, even though I was right, it still drew the ire from them.

I quit the game for good on March 3rd 2007. Giving my account to one of my friends in the game. I vowed to never play the game again, or any other MMO for that matter. I spent over $600 in subscription fees over that 3 year span and got $0 out of it.

After I quit FFXI I started playing a TON of other PC games. One of which I grew to love was Counterstrike Source. I got my life back on track as well. After playing a steady diet of FPS's and RTS's I ran out of games to play. For Christmas I got a $20 gift card to Gamestop from a friend. The only game I didn't already have in that price range was FFXI. I decided to buy it, plainly for nostalgic reasons, I love the Gustaburg Music, and the overall basics of this game.

I decided to not go back to my original server. The endgame scene is chaos there now, even worse than it was before. It got so bad that some of my longtime linkshell friends either quit the game or used the new World Transfer service to play elsewhere. TheBlueCrew just wasn't the same as it was without a lot of my old friends there anymore. And I didnt want to go back.

At first I didnt plan on become very active at all when I started my new character, I didnt even plan on leveling anything past level 50, but as I progessed Ive met a TON of new friends and joined a couple linkshells that made me love the game again, two linkshells I still am pretty active with are KindredSpirits and MysticFinger (now known as TheMuffFactory).

So here I am, third time around and a totally fresh start. Ive gotten so many things done in the past 5 months: 75 Warrior, Sky and DM complete, Sea Access, Good gear all earned through mining and getting quests done, etc. All done without putting off anything IRL or burning myself out. It only gets better from here on out.

On 7/4/2008 I finally made it into an endgame Linkshell, and looking to return to my former self. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead but most importantly to enjoy the game as I once did before.

Here is my photobucket where I have uploaded some of the pics from my original character: http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii210/bizzffxi/

My original Maat Fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i2mMgmYCNk

TheBlueCrew's 2nd Dynamis Lord kill (i'm cameo'ed in there on the far left): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8VdLd-POF4

See you all in game, nice meeting you all!

HP/MP (0/8)
Goal : HP Level 8

Attributes (0/5)
Goal : STR Level 5

Combat skills (1/20)
Axe : Level 1 Goals: Axe Level 8, Great Axe Level 8, Sword Level 4

Others (3/8)
Critical Hit Rate: level 4 (capped) Goal: Enmity Increase Level 4

Group 1 (5/10)
Double Attack : Level 5 (capped)

Group 2 (5/10)
Warrior's Charge : Level 5 (capped) Goal : Savagery Level 5

Current Warrior Gear Setup
Weapon #1 : Retributor (Unlocked) Weapon #2 : Maneater Great Axe : Gawain's Axe Grip : Mythril Grip +1 Ammo : Bomb Core Head : Fourth Haube Neck : Chivalrous Chain Earring #1 : Suppanomimi Earring #2 : Brutal Earring Body : Hauberk Hands : Pallas's Bracelets/Warrior's Mufflers Ring #1 : Flame Ring Ring #2 : Rajas Ring Back : Forager's Mantle Waist : Potent Belt/Warwolf Belt Legs : Barone Cosciales Feet : Marine M Boots

Mamool Ja Staging Point Merit Party Parse Results: 5/26/08

Hit% (Accuracy): 83.93%, Melee Hit Average: 80.18 dmg/hit, Highest Weapon Skill: 1476 dmg, Weapon Skill Average: 807.82 dmg, Critical Hitrate: 9.48%, Placed: 1st (Setup: WAR(me), WAR, MNK, PUP, BRD, RDM)

Nyzul/Bhaflau Thickets (Mamools) Merit Party Parse Results: 6/12/08

Hit% (Accuracy): 78.25%, Melee Hit Average: 70.57 dmg/hit, Highest Weapon Skill: 980 dmg, Weapon Skill Average: 661.84 dmg, Critical Hitrate: 8.19%, Placed: 3rd (Setup: WAR(me), NIN, MNK, COR, BRD, RDM)

Mamool Ja Staging Point Merit Party Parse Results: 6/13/08

Hit% (Accuracy): 82.58%, Melee Hit Average: 86.77 dmg/hit, Highest Weapon Skill: 1439 dmg, Weapon Skill Average: 847.52 dmg, Critical Hitrate: 11.7%, Placed: 2nd (Setup: WAR(me), WAR, NIN, BRD, BRD, RDM)

Mamool Ja Staging Point (near Jade Sepulcher) Merit Party Parse Results: 6/30/08

Hit% (Accuracy): 83.36%, Melee Hit Average: 71.19 dmg/hit, Highest Weapon Skill: 1085 dmg, Weapon Skill Average: 686.33 dmg, Critical Hitrate: 13.03%, Placed: 1st (Setup: WAR(me), WAR, NIN, BRD, WHM, RDM)

Dream Warrior Gear Setup
Weapon #1 : Retributor (Unlocked) Weapon #2 : Ridill Great Axe : Perdu Voulge Grip : Mythril Grip +1 Ammo : Bomb Core Head : Askar Zucchetto Neck : Chivalrous Chain Earring #1 : Suppanomimi/Fowling Earring Earring #2 : Brutal Earring Body : Adaman Hauberk Hands : Ares's Gauntlets Ring #1 : Flame Ring Ring #2 : Rajas Ring Back : Forager's Mantle Waist : Warwolf Belt (Cheapo, but you still can't beat the stats) Legs : Byakko's Haidate Feet : Marine M Boots

for WAR/NIN: STR: +42, DEX: +42, Haste%: +9% (not inlucing Dual Wield bonus from Suppanomimi), Attack: +42 (+61 if you include the bonus from STR), Accuracy: +30 (+51 if you include the bonus from DEX), Critical Hitrate: ~+13% for GreatAxe setup: STR: +45, DEX: +42, VIT: +17, Haste: +9%, Attack: +52 (+72 incl. STR), Accuracy: +40 (+72 incl. DEX)

Unlocked Retributor vs. Woodville's Axe comparison
Some people say Woodville's Axe is the best DPS 1-handed axe in the game for Warrior, but not many people have tried out an unlocked Retributor before. I have done some research on this to see which one is better, an Unlocked Retributor or a Woodville's Axe. I used both these axes in a recent merit party at Mamool Ja Staging Point near Jade Sepulcher on exactly 51 mobs, there arent that many different mobs in this area and the party setup stayed the same as well as the songs the bard was using. My gear setup stayed the same as well as the food choice. So far here's what I came up with:

Part 1: Retributor

Accuracy: 80.29%, Melee Hi/Lo: 134/29, Melee Average: 69.53, Weapon Skill Hi/Lo: 1175/332, Weapon Skill Average: 718.95, Critical Hitrate: 13.36%

Part 2: Woodville's Axe

Accuracy: 78.39%, Melee Hi/Lo: 127/34, Melee Average: 69.17, Weapon Skill Hi/Lo: 926/113, Weapon Skill Average: 600.35, Critical Hitrate: 9.68%

As you can see the melee average was very similar per swing, however the Retributor blew away the Woodville's axe in Weapon Skill Damage, and of course, Critical Hitrate. The Retributor had a whopping 19.8% better weapon skill average as well as a 3.68% better Critical Hitrate.

Please note that this data is in no ways complete. Its hard to have a truly accurate Parser comparison between 2 weapons unless you Fight the exact same mobs with the exact same party setup with the exact same buffs, food, songs, etc for the same exact amount of time. Then you gotta take in the differences in delays and so forth. One problem I had during this comparison was that there was a huge descrepancy in Total Damage after 51 fights in the favor of the Retributor (67268 vs. 36372) as well as total number of swings (690 vs 435, which doesnt make sense because Retributor has a much higher delay), so the only usable data I got out of this was the averages you see above. One thing I am going to try is a timed result between the 2 weapons at Fortifications in the WoTG Campaign areas. I will continue this research until I come up with a more accurate comparison, but for now these peliminary results show that the Retributor can in fact be a worthy competitor to the famous Woodville's Axe.

Current Goals
1. Finish Nyzul Isle Assaults, obtain Askar Zucchetto. 2. Assault Rank up to Second Lieutenant. 3. Samurai to 75. 4. Dark Knight to 75. 5. Paladin to 75.