Decemble Rambers

Seems a bit strange after having the Alphabet Event for three whole months (yes, it really has been that long) that the entire thing is finally coming to a close. As of this last maint the boxes no longer drop from mobs, though the already-farmed boxes still exist in-game, as well as all the letters, and all other event-related paraphernalia. The UPCs will be in town until the Christmas Day maint next week. With a little luck, the words will change one more time before then during this weeks maint as Raiden has hinted. I really hope so, I'm just a few tokens from another shiny I want to get.. /QQ

As far as my Farming Guide was going, I had it about half-written when the end of the event was announced. With only a few days left of farming itself, I decided it wasn't worth finishing for a 48hr benefit at most, and so it has been archived for now. If in the future a similar event is implemented  I'll dust it off and finish it. Until then, well, it won't be.

I believe, instead (whenever time permits - heaven knows I've been severely short on that) I would like to flesh out a Raiding role guide. Not a guide on how to do x, y, and z raids.. but rather how to successfully fulfill the needed role within the raid to ensure success. It'll be divided into categories of: Tank, WC, Support, and finally DPS, in probably that order. I'll list preferred teams, gear, needed rings, useful buffs, stances required, and other information. With a little luck it'll be out by the time we switch over to the new server (lawl), or perhaps within a month or so after.

With three servers merging into one, there will be a lot more people to go raiding with, but the need for people who know who to tank/wc/etc won't necessarily decrease. In Orp, as far as I'm aware, there only tends to be a few certain people who nearly always fulfill the same roles. It tends to be, if they are not around or available for a raid, it simply doesn't happen. Besides, I think there would be more volunteers for other roles other than support/dps if people realized how little they actually needed to do so.. It's DPS that's the most gear intensive, imo. I'll save myself from rambling. I'll save that for the guide itself. :P

IRL has been a mess of busy schedules, so while I've managed to farm quite a bit during the Alphabet Event, I reallly haven't played much at all, save for the brief instances of come back from afk/empty inv/set up team/go afk again. Winter is a super busy time work-wise as it is, and with other plans also cooking on the back burner, free time? What play time? /nervous laughter x.x *cough* Ah well, so is life sometimes.

And cold. It's also freaking cold. It looks like the Katovic Snowfields outside, and feels like it too.

Admittedly, I do keep thinking of the massive update we'll have as Sword 2 becomes Granado Espada once again as it switches hands from G1 to T3Fun. It's labled as 10.23.4 (which is just a breath shy of Bristia, as far as I know - or maybe that is Bristia? The specifics are a bit unclear currently..). Ramiel (our resident t3 Admin) has been posting Update Previews on the new forums about once a week. So far it's only really listed 9.5 stuff, but I'm interested regardless. My theory is they're working on patch goodies from 9.5 -> 10.18 -> 10.6 -> 10.23.4 and we'll see thread updates as they progress that far. Either way, regardless of how you slice it, its a massive amount of content. And considering it's been a solid year since we updated to 8.5? About time!

Event-wise I've farmed up.. a seriously unhealthy amount of boxes. Sometimes I envy others who have farmed up a ton more than me, though, I'm not sure they blew all their tokens getting all the Promo Chars/Puni either.. which is exactly what I did. Alllll of them (well, sans the ones I already had ofc). Actually in hindsight it's kind of curious they'd even have Asoka in there.. actually a lot of things have been highly curious about the event.

1 - Punisher stance being readily avaliable (via tokens, ofc)
2 - Asoka being readily avaliable (after previously being stated that s2 was allowed 200 (or was it 300? I forget) Asokas *ONLY* and no more for server balance concerns.
3 - The insane amount of Raiden boxes one can acquire, and how 32 and 33 AR weapons have absolutely plummeted (I mean this in the fullest sense of the word) from 200m-1b in prices to a scant 50-100m ea.
4 - Not to mention, how all the Rune, HQ jewel, Const Symbol, and feso markets have been utterly ruined compared to what they once were.

From what I understand, it all boils down to one thing - future availability. Weeeeell and there was that lil factor of keeping a highly disgrunted community pacified and playing long enough to make the transfer. But that's besides the point.

Now I can't say anything about anything in point 4, but 1 and 3 points are all items that are either A - easily avaliable in other versions, for equally cheap prices (or so I've been told, #3), or are simply easier to get than in the current version (#1). I've heard Asoka gets nerfed a bit, so she isn't quite as Imba.. though I might be all washed up on that.. buuuut.. I'm just repeating what I've heard.

..Cripes.. in <20mins I've belted out all that ._. Yikes. I'll save some other content for later.
Possible future rambles:
- That supposed Raid guide, if/when it happens.
- Final loot tally from the Event Marathon we've had.
- Future speculations
- Feature: The new Family Level system and how it works. (Yes, yes I know there are translated guides on it, but there are a few quirks about it I've found that I haven't seen addressed.)
- Feature: Castilla AA
- ...maybe some other quirks if I think of them?
- Family profile page? (Yeah, I've been slacking on that. xD)
- Brief recollection on the (very recent) history of Orp and it's clan politics. (A background sort of glance)
Annd.. I think that's all I got. However, if anyone has any ideas/suggestions.. I'm all ears.

More 'Rambers' later.
~Alze