Player of the Month December 2007

Real Name: Jason (yes, I'm a guy)
Age: 24
Character Name: Erecia
Character Race: Mithra
Character Job(s): White mage 75, Bard 75, Blue mage 75, Dancer 18 (but plans to take it to 75)
Nation: Bastok
Rank: 10
Server: Sylph
Linkshell: AncientsXI
Real World Location: Michigan, USA
Hobbies: fiction writing, RPG game design, FFXI of course
Family: only child
Website: http://promathia.runtimerepairs.com/

Besides Final Fantasy XI, what other MMORPGs have you played and how do they compare to Final Fantasy XI?

I've played small bits of EverQuest and World of Warcraft, but wasn't really gripped by either of them.

How did you find out about Final Fantasy XI, and when did you begin playing?

My former roommate got a copy of it and I made fun of it for a while, but eventually got interested. This was back right when the PlayStation version was released, but I've always played on the PC

Do you know anyone in real life who plays Final Fantasy XI?

My former roommate and his friend played when I started and play a little still today. My current roommate also plays and we do fun stuff together on Sylph.

How did you come up with your main character's name?

The name 'Erecia' comes from 'Erika', a name of some significance to me. I made it into Erecia to make it sound more Final Fantasy-ish.

What is your favorite job and why?

I only had White Mage to 75 for like two years and still care a lot about the job, but my new Blue Mage is probably my favorite. BLU is so adaptable and it's great fun to solo with.

Which forum(s) do you frequent the most?

Definately allakhazam. On alla my guide really got popular and so I stuck around to give sort of technical support for it, and now it's the only place I check for FFXI stuff.

About how often do you play Final Fantasy XI and how long is a typical playing session for you?

Alltogether too much. I'm logged on for many hours a night, though every few hours I need a break to go AFK and just get away from the computer.

How do you spend your time in game?

AXI, my endgame linkshell, keeps me decently busy with events and stuff. I most enjoy salvage and limbus. In off time time I'm duoing my Dancer, doing campaign battles and beseiged, and completing random quests. I do a fair amount solo though I'm happy to team up with people I meet.

Do you craft? If so, what are your skill levels?

I don't craft. I make money through unusually good luck on BCNM and ISNM drops. Khroma ore loves me, what can I say.

Approximately how much of Vana'diel have you experienced?

I'm not entirely sure how to answer this question. I've been to essentially every zone in the game and have done the majority of the possible events, even silly stuff like eco warrior and garrison. So I'd say I've experienced like 90% of the game's content at least once.

What is your favorite expansion?

Despite the fact it didn't really add THAT much, I loved Chains of Promathia. With the exception of ToAU's last fight, the CoP missions were unmmatched in terms of making me stop and think about how we were going to win. Plus there were so many rewards along the way even if most of them were unlocking new zones.

What is your least favorite expansion?

Currently its the Wings of the Goddess. I had such high hopes for it but campaign was quickly nerfed into something ugly and there just isn't that much to do in the new areas. It has so much potential but it just isn't there right now. I'm hoping considerably more content is released - and soon. I'll happily eat my words later on this one.

How far have you progressed in missions?

I've beaten every Bastok, RoZ, CoP, ToAU, and WotG mission released. I refuse to switch alliegeance to do the other storylines so I've done every mission in the game at this point.

What is your favorite zone?

Lufaise Meadows. I have a lot of good memories from the last Promyvion run that got me here, and having access to this beautiful zone with amazingly traquil music was overwhelming. Plus the entire Tavnazian region was empty when I got there, so it was like the game designers coded this little bit of the world just for me, if only for a few minutes.

Who is your NPC hero and why?

Prishe. A lot of NPCs talk pretty tough, but Prishe is the only person to run up and punch a god in the legs. At first I was thinking 'oh great, we gotta keep this weak NPC alive AND fight the mob' but I soon realized how backwards I had it. Heh. Prishe is awesome.

If Shantotto was your mom, give a good excuse for coming home 6 hours after curfew.

Oh geez. Um. 'Sorry mom, I was cursing some innocent bystander and got carried away for 6 hours.' Shantotto seems like the kind of taru that would appreciate that...

Describe your most memorable moment or proudest accomplishment in game.

Beating CoP 6-4: the airship fight. Like, beating it at all. Our static took four nights and fifteen tries to beat it. It was extremely painful but actually getting past it was one of my most memorable moments on the game ever.

What is the largest amount of gil you have ever had at one time, and how did you go about accumulating it?

13 million gil, back when Nobles tunics were about 12.5 mil gil. My linkshell wouldn't give me one so I decided to just buy the darn thing. My RL friend and I spent a lot of time selling stuff, crafting leathercraft on his character, and getting decently lucky on BCNM drops.

What are some things you would change or implement in order to improve Final Fantasy XI?

What the? A serious question buried in the middle? Hum, I dunno. More teleports on white mage. And better campaign battles. Yeah, I think that should about cover it. I usually let the whiners get more in depth about this one.

If you were stranded on Purgonorgo Isle what 5 items would you most want to have with you?

I suppose a manaclipper multi-ticket can't be one of them? Well.
1) My Tamas ring, just because I never go anywhere without it.
2) A stack of Angelwings, because those are amazingly cool fireworks.
3) My Nobles tunic, because it looks very soft.
4) A stack of flint stones. For fire and survival and stuff.
5) A kraken club. I don't actually own one, but you never said I had to own one. If I ever get off the island that would be worth a lot, ya know?

How do you describe Final Fantasy XI to your coworkers or computer-illiterate friends?

'It's this one online game I play' about covers it. Most aren't very interested.

What is next for you in the world of Final Fantasy XI?

Getting dancer to 75, enjoying whatever content gets added with Wings of the Goddess, taking lots of screenshots, making fun of silly peole, and generally having a good time.