Lawtechguy's FFXI videos

WotG San d'Oria - Part 4

2011-12-03T05:35:00.001-06:00

Part four of the San d'Oria quests is now available. With the Bloodwing Horde dealing a devastating blow, Excenmille must find the strength to overcome his fiercest enemy.

See my original WotG post for full details.

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 4

WotG San d'Oria - Part 3

2011-12-02T05:57:00.000-06:00

Part three of the San d'Oria quests is now available. The Swiftwing Griffons face new challenges as the horrors of war strike close to home.

See my original WotG post for full details.

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 3

WotG Windurst - Part 4

2011-06-22T20:10:00.002-05:00

This video includes one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring scenes in all of FFXI. Hope you enjoy!

As usual, for full details, visit my original WotG post.

Watch WotG Windurst - Part 4

WotG Windurst - Part 3

2011-06-21T20:07:00.001-05:00

Get your tissues ready for this one; WotG Windurst part 3 is now uploaded.

For full details, visit my original WotG post, which has been updated to reflect the new material. I have also updated this post to reflect my current progress on completing and recording these missions.

Watch WotG - Windurst Part 3

Three Men...

2011-06-16T05:50:00.002-05:00

Bashraf, Wahboud and Foudeel... Oh My!

While I'm somewhat indifferent about this quest myself, it is frequently cited as one of the most loved in FFXI, and you gotta admit, there's a couple of great lines. Bill Withers reference anyone?

This video includes the cutscenes from the two related quests:

Got It All
Three Men and a Closet

Watch Three Men

A Shantotto Acension

2011-06-14T05:48:00.004-05:00

She's the taru you love to hate;
Watch this video to learn her fate!
O~hohohohoho!!!

This video includes all the missions from the mini-expansion, including:

Burgeoning Dread
That Which Curdles Blood
Sugar-coated Directive
Enemy of the Empire
Sugar-coated Subterfuge
Shantotto in Chains
Fountain of Trouble
Battaru Royale
Romancing the Clone
Sisters in Arms
Project: Shantottofication
An Uneasy Peace

Watch A Shantotto Acension

New WotG additions

2011-05-18T22:31:00.002-05:00

Two new videos have been added to Veoh, Missions part 3, and Bastok part 3. For full details, visit my original WotG post, which has been updated to reflect the new material.

Watch WotG Missions Part 3

Watch WotG - Bastok Part 3

Additional WotG videos (and maybe a surprise!) will be recorded and uploaded in the next few weeks.

A Crystalline Prophecy

2010-09-01T22:00:00.003-05:00

Picking back up with the mini-expansions released last year, A Crystalline Prophecy brings the lore of Memoria de la Ŝtona full circle, re-uniting Aldo with his long lost sister when Vana'diel is faced with an other-worldly threat.

This video includes all the missions from the mini-expansion, including:

The Echo Awakens
Gatherer of Light
Those Who Lurk in Shadows
Remember Me in Your Dreams
Born of Her Nightmares
Banishing the Echo
Ode of Life Bestowing

Watch A Crystalline Prophecy

**********
The final fight of this add-on was a real bitch for me, requiring numerous attempts with many different setups over the course of about a year. In the end, I think we won with only one person left alive at a couple hundred HP left. Many thanks to my comrades at Got Jugs for bringing these missions to a close.

Of course, even though I finished and recorded the cutscenes a couple of months ago, Veoh continues to be tempermental about accepting my large divx files. I finally lucked out with a random attempt to upload this week, so here you are.

As for the overall project and my playtime, I had a couple of months this summer where I got back in the swing of WotG, but my schedule caught up with me again, especially given the new job I started recently. My future play time is therefore in limbo, and my highest job is still only 76, but I am at least planning on spending some time this holiday weekend editing part three of the missions (#16-26) and trying to record parts three and four of the nation quests through Q11, which have all been completed except Bastok - What Price Loyalty. As for Shantotto, the final fight is every bit as annoying as ACP and I'm 0/3.

Oh, and in case ya'll are wondering, while I did reserve a blog space for FFXIV, I'm really not sure if that's gonna happen or not, especially with FFXI not even done, but you never know.

Wings of the Goddess - Part 2

2010-06-18T14:28:00.003-05:00

These videos were recorded and prepared several months ago, but due to technical issues, I was unable to get them uploaded to Veoh. After some recent software updates, I am finally able to bring them to you.

For full details on the cutscenes contained in these videos, please consult my original WotG post, which has been updated to reflect the new material.

Watch WotG Missions Part 2

Watch WotG - Bastok Part 2

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 2

Watch WotG - Windurst Part 2

***************
As I've mentioned in several comment responses, the future of this project is currently in limbo due to ongoing real life issues over the past several months. Simply put, I'm not a kid with endless amounts of time to sink into MMORPGs. While I have recently reactivated my content IDs and have returned to FFXI, my schedule is more unpredictable than ever and I cannot make any definite commitments on future installments at this time. With new updates and level cap increases, there is so much happening in game that it's often difficult to simply try to find people willing to help me through the fights. My only request from my fans is that if you play on the Shiva server, or know others that do, {Help me out!}. The faster I can actually get through the missions, the quicker I get the scenes recorded and edited.

I appreciate everyone's enthusiastic support for this project over the years and certainly hope I'll be able to bring you more in the months ahead.

A Moogle Kupo d'Etat

2010-01-24T08:16:00.004-06:00

One of the new experiments Square-Enix launched in 2009 was the release of three "add-on scenarios". Each one provides a compact story which offers a unique reward with customizable augments.

While released as the second of the three, the first one I've been able to complete is A Moogle Kupo d'Etat - Evil in Small Doses. While certainly nothing as epic as the true expansions, these missions feature a light-hearted take on our sometimes overlooked mog house pals.

This video includes all the missions from the mini-expansion, including:

Drenched! It Began with a Raindrop
Hasten! In a Jam in Jeuno?
Welcome! To My Decrepit Domicile
Curses! A Horrifically Harrowing Hex
An Errand! The Professor's Price
Shock! Arrant Abuse of Authority
Lender Beware! Read the Fine Print
Rescue! A Moogle's Labor of Love
Roar! A Cat Burglar Bares Her Fangs
Relief! A Triumphant Return
Joy! Summoned to a Fabulous Fete
A Challenge! You Could Be a Winner
Smash! A Malevolent Menace

Watch A Moogle Kupo d'Etat

A note about this video: this is my first using the new hardware and software. I'm still trying to find the best balance between quality and file-size, so I'm especially interested in feedback along these lines.

Also, FYI, I haven't been able to finish the other two add-ons yet, so I don't know when I'll be able to post those.

Videos now on Veoh

2010-01-18T15:47:00.002-06:00

All right, it took a month, but all of my videos are finally fully uploaded on Veoh now. A couple of notes about the new host:

1. For videos longer than 30 minutes, if you want to watch the full video rather than just a 5 minute preview, you need download/install the Veoh Web Player. There is a link over on the right side of my blog, or you can let the website prompt you.

2. Full-screen viewing using Veoh's built-in viewers will display in lower quality than the original movies. For best results, I recommend downloading the entire videos using the Web Player, then opening up the downloaded file using Windows Media Player, DivX Player, or some other viewer. Since the videos are all .divx files, you'll need the DivX codec. There is a link on the right of this page to download the codec if you don't already have it.

3. If you are trying to view the videos using the embedded viewer on this blog, and it won't work, there is a link directly below each video for where you can go to view/download directly on the Veoh website. I am not sure why the embedded viewers seem to work on some computers / browsers and not on others.

4. In the future (no definite ETA on this yet), I may be adding additional host sites where you can go to download the videos. I'll add these locations directly below the embedded players.

*********************************************

As for new installments of the videos, I did start recording some new cutscenes. Unfortunately, I've discovered that my current editing software, DivX Author, will not work correctly on a 64-bit operating system. This means I will either have to use an older, less powerful machine to do my encoding/publishing, or I'm going to need to find a new program. Since part of the reason I just invested so much in my new computer (i7 processor, 6 GB RAM, GeForce GTS 250 gpu) was to speed up the editing/publishing of my videos, I don't want to resort to the first option. Right now I'm in the process of evaluating Pinnacle Studio 14, and I'm hopeful that will be the right solution. If anyone would like to suggest some other software that's not terribly expensive (preferably around $50, definitely not more than $100), please feel free to comment. As an FYI, Windows Movie maker severely restricts the output quality so that's not an option. Also, I tried using VirtualDub in the past and could never really figure it out :/

Until then, thank you everyone for your support. I'm hoping to bring you some new material soon.

Videos Temporarily Unavailable

2009-12-19T05:38:00.000-06:00

Well, folks, it seems as though once again my publishing site of choice has abandoned me. First it was Stage6, which completely shut down in early 2008, which prompted me to create this blog in the first place. Now it's Vuze, which is no longer accepting user-generated content as of December 1, 2009. In fact, it appears that none of my videos are available from Vuze anymore, which is why all my links and embedded previews are now broken. I'm sorry it took me a while to figure out what was going on.

So now I must re-evaluate where I can host my videos. At this point, I may try to go back to Veoh, since a couple of my vids are already there. Or I may explore some other options like BlipTV. If other people know of some good sites that accept very long, HD videos (at least up to 3 hours and 4 GB in size), please leave a comment. One of the things I will miss about Vuze was the Peer-to-Peer aspect which allowed the videos to be downloaded quite rapidly compared to other sites.

I had planned to try to do some recording of new videos over the holidays, but I doubt that will happen now since I have to re-upload all the previous videos. Rest assured, I do plan to continue this project, at least through completion of WotG, even if it means hanging in there after FFXIV comes out. Thank you everyone for you patience and support through this disappointing time.

Oh, and thanks a lot, Vuze; you sure do know how to give people a Merry Christmas.....

Bastok Rank Missions

2009-06-14T10:21:00.002-05:00

It's finally here: the video I personally never really wanted to take the time to do, but happens to be what many, many people have been asking for for quite some time. I've also always been a sucker for completeness...

Even though I started out in Bastok when I first set foot in Vana'diel five years ago, I was largely disappointed with the story and characters overall, and it ended up being the last rank 10 I achieved. To me, it always felt somewhat disjointed, like a haphazard assortment of go here, kill this NM, retrieve that item. To this day I still don't really understand the last mission in relation to the rest of the story; I kind of think maybe it could have just ended after 9-1. In short, these missions lacked cohesion to me, and I guess that's why I never felt all that compelled to record the custscenes. But I will admit, now that it's done, that while I still remain unimpressed with the overall plot, there are some moments that are touching, and some I found quite humorous.

When I recorded the San d'Oria and Windurst missions, I largely omitted the parts having to do with the Shadow Lord and put that in a separate video. However, the Shadow Lord plays a much more integral relation to Galkan history, so I decided to include MOST (though not all) of those scenes in this video. I did still omit the portions of the Magicite missions having to do with Aldo, Verena, and Fickie, and I left out the one sceen with Ajido-Marujido in Castle Oztroja (which conversely was pretty integral to the Windurst plot). On the flip side, I took the liberty to add in a few scenes from the Dark Knight job quest and a small snippet from DRK AF, since these shed a little more light on Gumbah and Zeid.

The Bastok missions cover a wide variety of subjects, but if I had to pick an underlying theme, it would be about the legend of the Talkekeeper, set against a backdrop of racial tension between Humes and Galka.

Watch BastokMissions

Wings of the Goddess

2008-08-07T08:33:00.021-05:00

I am still making my way through FFXI's last full expansion, but the story essentially gives us a glimpse into the history of Crystal War, with a twist. Things aren't happening the way they're supposed to, and somehow a mysterious cat figures into things. What is the link between Atomos, emptiness, creation, and the Champions of the Dawn?

Part 1 of the WotG Missions include:
1 - Cavernous Maws
2 - Back to the Beginning
3 - Cait Sith
4 - The Queen of the Dance
5 - While the Cat is Away
6 - A Timeswept Butterfly
7 - Purple, The New Black
8 - In the Name of the Father

Watch WotG Missions Part 1

Part 2 of the WotG Missions include:
9 - Dancers in Distress
10 - Daughter of a Knight
11 - A Spoonful of Sugar
12 - Affairs of State
13 - Borne by the Wind
14 - A Nation on the Brink
15 - Crossroads of Time

Watch WotG Missions Part 2

Part 3 of the WotG Missions include:
16 - Sandswept Memories
17 - Northland Exposure
18 - Traitor in the Midst
19 - Betrayal at Beaucedine
20 - On Thin Ice
21 - Proof of Valor
22 - A Sanguinary Prelude
23 - Dungeons and Dancers
24 - Distorter of Time
25 - The Will of the World
26 - Fate in Haze

Watch WotG Missions Part 3

Part 4 of the WotG Missions will include
27 - The Scent of Battle
28 - Another World
29 - A Hawk in Repose
30 - The Battle of Xarcabard
31 - Prelude to a Storm
32 - Storm's Crescendo
33 - Into the Beast's Maw
34 - The Hunter Ensnared
35 - Flight of the Lion
36 - Fall of the Hawk
37 - Darkness Descends
38 - Adieu, Lilisette
(missions completed; will record in near future)

Part 5 of the WotG Missions will include
39 - By the Fading Light
40 - Edge of Existence
41 - Her Memories
42 - Forget Me Not
43 - Pillar of Hope
44 - Glimmer of Life
45 - Time Slips Away
46 - When Wills Collide
47 - Whispers of Dawn
48 - A Dreamy Interlude
49 - Cait in the Woods
50 - Fork in the Road
51 - Maiden of the Dusk
52 - Where It All Began
53 - A Token of Troth
54 - Lest We Forget
(missions completed; will record in near future)

WoTG Quests:
In addition to the mainline missions, each nation has it's own independent storyline, which I have recorded separately.

Bastok

Political strife between the Galka and Humes are at an all time high, and now the murder of an official only aggravates matters. See the relationship between friends Werei and Gumbah, and the rivalry between Volker and Zeid.

Part 1: Quests in this video include
1 - The Fighting Fourth
2 - Better Part of Valor
3 - Fires of Discontent
4 - Light in the Darkness
5 - Burden of Suspicion

Watch WotG - Bastok Part 1

Part 2: Quests in this video include
6 - Storm on the Horizon
7 - Fire in the Hole

Watch WotG - Bastok Part 2

Part 3: Quests in this video include
8 - Quelling the Storm
9 - Honor Under Fire

Watch WotG - Bastok Part 3

Part 4: Quests in this video will include
10 - Beneath the Mask
11 - What Price Loyalty
(I have completed the quests; will record in near future)

Part 5: Quests in this video will include
12 - The Truth Lies Hid
13 - Bonds of Mythril
(quests started but not yet completed)

San d'Oria

This story features the adventures of the Young Giffons, a group of rambunctious kids unsatisfied with the way adults handle affairs of war. What does the future hold for Excenmille and Rahal?

Part 1: Quests in this video include
1 - Steamed Rams
2 - Gifts of the Griffon
3 - Claws of the Griffon
4 - Boy and the Beast
5 - Wrath of the Griffon

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 1

Part 2: Quests in this video include
6 - Perils of the Griffon
7 - In a Haze of Glory

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 2

Part 3: Quests in this video include
8 - The Price of Valor
9 - Bonds That Never Die

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 3

Part 4: Quests in this video include
10 - Songbirds in a Snowstorm
11 - Blood of Heroes

Watch WotG - San d'Oria Part 4

Part 5: Quests in this video will include
12 - Chasing Shadows
13 - Face of the Future
(quests completed; will record in near future)

Also, by special request, here is a short clip featuring Excenmille's Dynamic Entry from Wrath of the Griffon:

Watch DynamicEntry

Windurst

The Yagudo will stop at nothing to destroy the Tarutaru, but all efforts to prevent disaster are being lead by the Warlock Warlord, with the help of the Ministers, Mithra Mercenaries, a young Ajido-Marujido, and... a Mithra male?!?

Part 1: Quests in this video include
1 - Snake on the Plains
2 - The Tigress Stirs
3 - The Tigress Strikes
4 - Knot Quite There
5 - A Manifest Problem

Watch WotG - Windurst Part 1

Part 2: Quests in this video include
6 - When One Man is Not Enough
7 - A Feast for Gnats

Watch WotG - Windurst Part 2

Part 3: Quests in this video include
8 - The Long March North
9 - The Forbidden Path

Watch WotG - Windurst Part 3

Part 4: Quests in this video will include
10 - Sins of the Mothers
11 - Howl from the Heavens

Watch WotG Windurst - Part 4

Part 5: Quests in this video will include
12 - Manifest Destiny
13 - At Journey's End
(quests started but not yet completed)

For ease of reference and to keep them all in one location, as new missions and quests are released, I will edit this post and add them here, but I'll make sure to make an update post as well.

Windurst Missions and SOB Quests

2008-04-30T23:42:00.001-05:00

Being a “career mage”, I fell in love with Windurst and the mysterious aura of magic that enveloped the city and surrounding ancient ruins. What makes the Windurst missions unique among the nations is the way they tie in so well with other quests, as well as the RoTZ and CoP missions. In particular, the “Star Onion Brigade” (S.O.B.) quests are intricately linked with the events from the Windurst story line, so much so that I heavily debated whether I should make them their own video (about 30 minutes long), or integrate them with the already two-hour long Windurst mission video. I decided that in order to fully understand the sequence of events, the two could not be separated. I also found it important to include cutscenes from the Summoner Flag quest (I Can Hear a Rainbow) and the Fenrir Prime quest (The Moonlit Path). The result is the longest video I have produced to-date, even 20 minutes longer than CoP Chapter 5.

This story is as much about the Cardian named “Joker” as it is about the Star Sybil, Karuha-Baruha, Ajido-Marujido, and the history of Windurst. You also get background into the Kuluu and Zilart, and the origin of summoning magic. Only by combining the various sources described above does the viewer/player understand how Joker comes be resurrected, the rebirth of Fenrir, and the final outcome of his/their promise to the S.O.B.s.

As with the San d’Oria missions, I have omitted those cutscenes which deal specifically and exclusively with the Shadow Lord, as you can get that complete story in my Shadow Lord Missions video. I have also slightly altered the order of the scene from the “magicite” mission since placing it earlier actually explains events in 3-1 and 3-2. I inserted the SOB and Carbuncle/Fenrir quests in the positions I felt made the most sense to the story overall, trying to follow the grand sequence of events of the various characters’ interactions with each other, specifically the Ace Cardians, Nanaa Mihgo, and Semih Lafihna.

This video has been a long time in the making for me. While I completed the Windy missions right after the new year, I have held off completing the recording until beating Fenrir (which I finally did last weekend); I’m now glad I did, as the result is much more cohesive video than would have otherwise been possible.

Watch FFXI Windurst Missions

Mithra Trackers

2008-04-19T20:45:00.001-05:00

Yet another set of side quests to CoP provide additional story related to the Mithra Trackers, which were sent to the middle lands to accomplish three things:

- subdue the wyrms that threaten the world with destruction (Shikaree X)
- learn more of the sleeping gods who supposedly hold the power to obliterate the emptiness (Shikaree Y)
- discover the location of Mildaurion, who knows the method to awaken the deities (Shikaree Z)

While the CoP missions themselves deal primarily with Shikaree Z, the quests "Tuning In" and "Tuning Out" give a great deal of information into Shikaree Y's investigation. Specifically, this video provides yet more background for the Dark Divinity (see the NPC Fellowship quests).

Watch TuningIn+Out

The other quest presented here ties in the Trackers with Goldmane, and gives a brief glimpse of Tiamat in her rage. This video is a compilation of the cutscenes from "One Good Deed".

Watch OneGoodDeed

A Timely Visit

2008-04-19T20:43:00.001-05:00

This is a compilation of cutscenes from the quest “A Timely Visit”, which many players frequently site as one of the most memorable side quests in FFXI. This video tells the story of Vijartal Caphleux and gives a little history on an important San d’Orian artifact, the Scepter Rouyaulais.

Watch ATimelyVisit

Goldmane & Louverance

2008-04-19T20:31:00.002-05:00

Several quests share the stories of various side characters from the CoP storyline. Two in particular share a very close relationship with each other

The first video presented here is the story of a young girl named Sanctia who sets out to find the legendary bounty hunter that captured Atarefaunet. This is a compilation of cutscenes from two quests - "Chasing Dreams" and "The Search for Goldmane".

Watch GoldmaneQuests

The second video is a compilation of cutscenes from the quests "Signed in Blood” and “Tea with a Tonberry”. These quests give additional background into the characters of Louverance and Atarefaunet.

Watch Louverance Side Quests

This story ties into the Goldmane quests, as well as CoP missions 3-3, 5-3, 7-2, and the epilogue. It is also somewhat related to the flashbacks in the 4-1 magicite missions. The identity of the two Louverances (one in red mask, one in purple) is one of the more confusing plot-lines in CoP. However, based on the information from these various sources, I pieced together the following:

The real Louverance (in the purple mask) is the grandson of Francmage Mistalle, who died mysteriously in Bostaunieux Oubliette after coming back from the northlands allied expedition. His family used to own Carpenter’s Landing but was stripped of its land and title after challenging another family to a duel, which is against San d’Orian law.

The new count of Carpenter’s Landing was Teulomme. He had ties with Atarefaunet’s Band, but when the leader was captured by Goldmane (Vukki-Chebukki), Teulomme tried to poison Atarefaunet to prevent him from revealing secrets about his customers. Atarefaunet used this opportunity to fake his death and escape the San d’Orian prisons. Atarefaunet then stole Louverance’s identity and donned a red mask. Atarefaunet attempted to use this false identity to take revenge on Teulomme and steal his lands back from him.

The “Louverance” in the red mask that features prominently in the Chains of Promathia missions is therefore actually Atarefaunet. This explains why Honoi-Gomoi gives him the Mimeo Mirror (the taru admitted ties to Atarefaunet in Chapter 3-3), and it also explains the history between the red-masked “Louverance” and Vukki-Chebukki (Goldmane) in CoP Chapter 5-3, and why Vukki threatens to notify the San d’Orian authorities. However, when the real Louverance (purple mask) attempted to interfere and re-claim his identity, Atarefaunet tried to set a trap for him in Carpenter’s Landing (which you end up foiling in Chapter 7). In the end, Atarefaunet challenges Louverance to a duel so as to fake his death yet again and don a new identity as a San d’Orian priest, and perhaps restore the Remevel name.

Incidentally, I also found out that Atarefaunet’s Band plays a role in the THF AF quests (which I don’t plan on doing) and that Atarefaunet may have adopted the identity of Vauderame, who plays a role in the San d’Orian rank missions and the quest “A Timely Visit”. For some interesting discussion, visit:

http://killingifrit.com/forums/topic/157528-wings-of-the-goddess-speculation-thread

http://killingifrit.com/forums/topic/176370-cop-plot-questions/

NPC Fellowship Quests

2008-04-15T20:16:00.001-05:00

While CoP and ToAU may at first seem unrelated, there is in fact a hidden link between the two. In the process of forming a bond with our Adventuring Fellows, we learn of two mirrors, two entities in conflict with another, and a revelation concerning the Divinity of Darkness.

This NPC Fellowship storyline directly relates to the Treasures of Aht Urhgan missions involving Odin and Alexander, as the mirrors are of near eastern origin and are tied to the "Age of Judgment" or "Ragnarok". It also ties into the Chains of Promathia missions pertaining to the "Dark Divinity" (specifically in Chapter 5, at the Bearclaw Pinnacle), and the Mithra Tracker quests "Tuning In" and "Tuning Out". Based on these various sources, I am convinced that Odin is indeed the Dark Divinity.

This video is a compilation of all cutscenes from the NPC Adventuring Fellow quests:
Unlisted Qualities
Girl in the Looking Glass
Mirror, Mirror
Past Reflections
Blighted Gloom
Blessed Radiance
Mirror Images

Watch Fellowship Quests

CoP Advanced Quests

2008-04-15T20:08:00.001-05:00

In case you were fooled into thinking you had truly toppled the Keeper of the Apocalypse, additional quests after completion of both CoP and RoTZ reveal that the threat of Vana'diel's destruction was merely postponed. The video below presents all cutscenes from the additional quests Storms of Fate, Shadows of the Departed, and Apocalypse Nigh.

Is this story really the "Last Verse", or will Square Enix surprise us yet again at some later time down the road?

Watch CoP_QuestsAdvanced

For Forbin

2008-04-07T04:37:00.002-05:00

If I had to choose a single friend I've met in this game who has had the most profound impact on my FFXI experience, it would be Forbin. Of course, I've had plenty of other friends who shaped my time in this game, but Forb has been my constant companion, confidante, and all-around pal. We've had plenty of ups and downs, though, and there have been periods where neither one of us much wanted to talk to the other.

Maybe it's because he has the same black-haired Hume model, and because he has actually leveled PLD and worn the Ducal Guard gear, but on some level, during these times of conflict between us, I've drawn similarities in our relationship with that of Wolfgang and Monberaux. That's not to say that I haven't been the one to act more like Wolfgang than Forbatron has on several occasions, but the truth is, we're both stubborn ass-holes who don't like to back down.

Because of this, in all of CoP, there is one scene that means the most to me. It's not a scene with a lot of fancy effects and explosions, or that reveals some deep mystery of Vana'diel's history. Instead, it is the story of two friends, who despite their disagreements, continue to believe in and rely on that friendship.

Forbo… thank you for all that you've done to make FFXI more than just a game.

Watch ForForbin

Chains of Promathia

2008-04-06T17:32:00.003-05:00

I personally love the Chains of Promathia expansion and think it has one of the best plots of any RPG I've ever played. Like many other players, I owe a debt of gratitude to Erecia's "For Glory" guide, without which I'd probably still be trying to figure out how access Tavnazian Safehold. Additionally, I am excited about Erecia's new project to compile the written transcript of the CoP story. It's still in development, but I urge people to check it out: Memoria de la S'tona

These videos have been divided up by Chapter, with a separate video for the Epilogue. Also, as those who have completed CoP know, the final cutscene is actually a full FMV, the only one in all of FFXI. The song “Distant Worlds” (lyrics below) will for many remain the ultimate memory of this wonderful experience.

Chapter 1: Ancient Flames Beckon

Watch CoP_Chapter 1

Chapter 2: The Isle of Forgotten Saints

Watch CoP_Chapter 2

Chapter 3: A Transient Dream

Watch CoP_Chapter 3

Chapter 4: The Cradles of Children Lost

Watch CoP_Chapter 4

Chapter 5: The Return Home

Watch CoP_Chapter 5

Chapter 6 - Echoes of Time

Watch CoP_Chapter 6

Chapter 7 - In the Light of the Crystal

Watch CoP_Chapter 7

Chapter 8 - Emptiness Bleeds

Watch CoP_Chapter 8

Epilogue – The Chains Fall Free

Watch CoP_Epilogue

DISTANT WORLDS

Seas invite in the evening sun
To light the somber abyss
Clouds dance up with the heavens' stars
Chanting an air of joyous bliss

Water fades back from blue to jade
Guiding young rainbows high
Flowers bloom into red and whites
Quenching our hearts when they run dry

Angels chained by a beast locked in slumber
Sin washed away by the swift flow of time

I may know the answers
Journeys over snow and sand
What twist in fate has brought us
To tread upon this land?

Blessed by light and the burden of shadow
Souls abide to an endless desire

I may know the answers
Though one question I still hear
What twist in fate has brought us
To roads that run so near?

Distant worlds together
Miracles from realms beyond
The lifelight burns inside me
To sing to you this song
To sing with you this song
To sing to you your song

Flying Furry Squirrels

2008-04-05T08:10:00.001-05:00

Chains of Promathia tends to be one of those things you either totally love or totally hate. For some, the difficulty of the missions, coupled with few players wanting to help out or repeat the dreaded experience of CoP battles, left them with a bitter taste in their mouths over this expansion. For others, particularly those with a static group, the challenge and enormity of the adventure brought them closer together than ever before with their friends. I myself am part of that group which considers CoP one of the most memorable experiences in all of FFXI, and also my proudest accomplishment (at least before the missions were nerfed). It is thanks to my linkshell companions that I owe my ability to bring you the CoP mission videos.

Our static was unusual. We had all done the Promies separately, and our LS put together a big 2-3 Aqueducts run before we broke into our final group for 2-5 and beyond. When we started, none of us had any level 75 jobs, and our setup of PLD, WAR, RDM, RDM, WHM, BLM was definitely unorthodox (but it was what we had available). We did remarkably well, considering our lack of damage dealers. Many battles we went 1/1 (Ouryu, Promy-Vahzl, Bugbear, Zdei) or 1/2 (Diabolos, Snoll Tzar), while some proved more difficult and took several tries (Airship in particular, but also Mithra Trackers, Tenzen, and Promathia). What was most poignant to me about our group was how we ended up reverting to our 2-5 setup to finally defeat Promathia – PLD, PLD, RDM, RDM, WHM, BLM.

At some point (probably our 6th or 7th attempt at the airship) we grew so frustrated with our failed attempts that someone from the group exclaimed "FFS!" Noob that I was, I asked what that meant, and everyone started giving various non-sensical meanings to the acronym to keep me from finding out what it really stood for. For no real reason, the name "Flying Furry Squirrels" somehow stuck with us, and we adoped that as the name for the static.

To Jakaal, Morbo, Tigerlily, Yukonjack, and Sophus: my CoP videos are all dedicated to you. While we have mostly gone our separate ways, the hardships we endured and the camaraderie we shared will never be forgotten.

Special thanks to Jak for recording our Promathia battle and preserving the experience (even if it isn't quite up to my quality standards :-p ).

Watch Promathia_Battle

I also want to thank him for the excellent action portraits he put together of me and our static:

Treasures of Aht Urhgan

2008-04-04T05:39:00.001-05:00

While perhaps not as epic in scope as CoP, the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion presented a significant amount of story. There was definitely something to be desired as far as challenge goes – most of the "missions" were just cutscenes, and of the relatively small number of actual battles, only the last few really presented any difficulty. Still, ToAU gave us many memorable characters. Who will ever forget Naja and her "spiky friend"? Hey, at least she eventually gives back the glory crown.

My thanks go to both of the two statics I was a part of who through twists of fate completed the final mission on the same night:

Forbin, Kaimoria, Nolispe, Jonin, and Deyan

Aresfury, Jakaal, Nuclearmayhem, Zaephyr, and Koe

also to both Sophus and Yukonjack for stepping in to fill open spots in the 2nd group when Koe left

Here is a synopsis of how the missions are broken down for these videos:

PART 1
ToAU01 - Land of Sacred Serpents
ToAU02 - Immortal Sentries
ToAU03 - President Salaheem
ToAU04 - Knight of Gold
ToAU05 - Confessions of Royalty
ToAU06 - Easterly Winds
ToAU07 - Westerly Winds
ToAU08 - A Mercenary Life
ToAU09 - Undersea Scouting
ToAU10 - Astral Waves
ToAU11 - Imperial Schemes

Watch ToAU_Part1

PART 2
ToAU12 - Royal Puppeteer
ToAU13 - Lost Kingdom
ToAU14 - The Dolphin Crest
ToAU15 - The Black Coffin
ToAU16 - Ghosts of the Past
ToAU17 - Guests of the Empire
ToAU18 - Passing Glory
ToAU19 - Sweets for the Soul
ToAU20 - Teahouse Tumult
ToAU21 - Finders Keepers
ToAU22 - Shield of Diplomacy
ToAU23 - Social Graces
ToAU24 - Foiled Ambition
ToAU25 - Playing the Part

Watch ToAU_Part2

PART 3
ToAU26 - Seal of the Serpent
ToAU27 - Misplaced Nobility
ToAU28 - Bastion of Knowledge
ToAU29 - Puppet in Peril
ToAU30 - Prevalence of Pirates
ToAU31 - Shades of Vengeance
ToAU32 - In the Blood

Watch ToAU_Part 3

PART 4
ToAU33 - Sentinels' Honor
ToAU34 - Testing the Waters
ToAU35 - Legacy of the Lost
ToAU36 - Gaze of the Saboteur
ToAU37 - Path of Blood
ToAU38 - Stirrings of War
ToAU39 - Allied Rumblings
ToAU40 - Unraveling Reason

Watch ToAU_Part 4

PART 5
ToAU41 - Light of Judgment
ToAU42 - Path of Darkness
ToAU43 - Fangs of the Lion
ToAU44 - Nashmeira's Plea
ToAU45 - Ragnarok
ToAU46 - Imperial Coronation
ToAU47 - The Empress Crowned
ToAU48 - Eternal Mercenary

Watch ToAU_Part 5

Rise of the Zilart

2008-04-03T12:58:00.002-05:00

As the first expansion to the original FFXI game, RoTZ added so much new content it's hard to imagine the game without it. Aside from introducing the region we all know as "SKY", the Zilart Missions gave us a relatively compact story which greatly expanded and explained the FFXI mythos. This video, which is a compilation of all ZM cutscenes, reveals the origin of the Crags, explains the significance of the mothercrystals, delves into the ancient civilizations of the Zilart and Kuluu, and introduces the Dawn Maidens and the Crystal Warriors.

The missions included in this video are:
ZM1 - The New Frontier
ZM2 - Welcome t'Norg
ZM3 - Kazham's Chieftainess
ZM4 - The Temple of Uggalepih
ZM5 - Headstone Pilgrimage
ZM6 - Through the Quicksand Caves
ZM7 - The Chamber of Oracles
ZM8 - Return to Delkfutt's Tower
ZM9 - Ro'Maeve
ZM10 - The Temple of Desolation
ZM11 - The Hall of the Gods
ZM12 - The Mithra and the Crystal
ZM13 - The Gate of the Gods
ZM14 - Ark Angels / Divine Might
ZM15 - The Sealed Shrine
ZM16 - The Celestial Nexus
ZM17 - Awakening

Watch FFXI Zilart Missions

San d'Oria Rank Missions

2008-04-03T12:54:00.002-05:00

I still can't believe that of all the nation ranks I finished San d'Oria first. I originally started out as Bastok and then pretty early on switched to Windurst after getting to rank 4. I stayed as Windy for a long, long time, getting up to rank 8, and then stalled out. Honestly, I never even thought I'd do Sandy missions at all, and I was somewhat reluctant to give up my complete set of outpost warps. But once a friend decided to pick up with his Bastok missions, I switched back, caught up to him at Rank 6, and then got to Rank 7 before the plan got disrupted and the holiday season struck. I then decided to get a head start on the "basic" Sandy missions through Rank 5, and then encountered another friend that pushed me through the rest of them to get my first Rank 10.

This video is a compilation of the cutscenes from the San d’Oria rank missions, excluding those that only deal with the Shadow Lord and aren’t integral to understanding the primary story. For the rest of the pre-Rank5 scenes, see the Shadow Lord missions video. As before, I had to be a little creative with piecing together some of these scenes, as not all scenes are available for replay from bards and goblin footprints. Accordingly, the sequence of events may be slightly different from the order it is actually experienced, but I tried to put everything together in a way that made the most sense based on the scenes I was able to record.

The Sandy missions provide background into the legendary sword Lightbringer and the fall of Tavnazia. While I am a big fan of the Windurst storyline, Sandy probably has the best "capstone" final scene of all the nations.

Watch FFXI San d'Oria Missions

Shadow Lord Missions

2008-04-03T10:10:00.001-05:00

Who can forget fighting their first real BCNM against a dragon? Or for finally defeating the re-incarnated menace from the Crystal War? While the story is simple, these missions form the backbone of the FFXI universe, uniting players from all nations against a common cause.

This video is a compilation of cutscenes from the rank missions common to all nations, which follows the main storyline of the return of the Shadow Lord. While this video tells that story primarily from the Windurst perspective, Bastok and San d’Oria present the same scenes with some minor differences. Scenes that are specific to each nation that are not critical to understanding the main Shadow Lord plot are not included here.

I had to be a little creative with piecing together some of these scenes. Since certain scenes are not actually available for replay from bards and goblin footprints, the sequence of events from mission 2-3 and rank 4 (magicite) is slightly different from the way it is actually experienced, but I thought the way I pieced it together made the most sense based on the scenes I was able to record.

Watch FFXI Shadow Lord Missions

FFXI Opening Movie / Memoria de la Ŝtona

2008-04-01T16:51:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has ever played FFXI has seen the opening movie, so this video is nothing new. Still I present it here for completeness' sake, and also to go a bit into the various versions of the song known as "Memoria de la Ŝtona".

Watch FFXI Opening Movie

The version of the song in the opening movie was written in the constructed language of Esperanto. The original lyrics are as follows:

Fluas nun sango senkulpa
Sur Vana’diel, vasta ter’
Tremas la tuta mond’
Pro l’ plago en desper’

Preventas ĝin
Nenia sort’
Haltigas ĝin
Nenia fort’

Sed tra la nokto tempesta
Brilas jen stelo de glor’!
Kontrau brutala kri’
Fontas jen kant-sonor’!

Stelo brilanta, kanto sonanta:
Revo kaj preĝo por ni!

Vana'diel! Vana'diel!

Mano kaj man’ kunpremitaj
Trans la eterno sen lim’
Ne dismetiĝos plu
Ne disligiĝos plu!

Here is the English translation of the above:

Now flows innocent blood
On Vana'diel, a vast land
The entire world trembles
In despair from the scourge

Prevented
By no fate
Stopped
By no strength

But through the stormy night
Behold: a star of glory shines!
Against a brutal outcry
Behold: a hymn springs forth!

A shining star, a ringing song:
Dream and pray for us!

Vana'diel! Vana'diel!

Hand and hand together
Across the limitless eternity
We will no longer be put asunder
We will no longer be bound!

The song known as "Memoria de la Ŝtono" plays a central role in the Chains of Promathia storyline as well, but the lyrics presented therein are entirely different. Known to some as the "Lay of the Immortals", the full import of the song is revealed as the story progresses We get our first glimpse of the song in Chapter 2 (verses 1 and 2), Chapter 4 (verse 3), Chapter 5 (verse 4), and Chapter 6 (verse 5 – although this is never entirely revealed).

It all began with a stone, or so the legend says
In ages past, a sentient jewel, enormous and beautiful, banished the darkness.
Its many-colored light filled the world with life and brought forth mighty gods.
Bathed in that light, the world entered an age of bliss until, after a time, the gods fell into slumber.
That world was called Vana'diel.
Our world, Vana'diel.

However, this age will not last. The great bane will devour the fair land of Vana'diel.
The ancient seal will be broken, awakening nightmares of ages past.
A tragic age of darkness will reign.
And yet, the gods will not wake from their slumber…
That world was called Vana'diel.

Innocent blood spills forth onto the plains of Vana'diel.
The world shudders as she is thrust into chaos and despair.
Neither power nor destiny can bring an end to what has already begun.
However, through the storm of the night, a star of glory shines bright.
Through the howling of the beasts, the song rings clear.
Shining star, echoing song
You are our dreams and prayers

That star is you, and the song is yours.
And someday, that hope will become our dreams… our prayers…
Shine forth, star of hope! Let your song ring out across all of Vana'diel!
And what was split asunder will once more become whole,
Complete and inseparable for all eternity.

And so the legend ends…
…began..…crystal….

CoP is not the first time adventurers hear lines similar to this. Our first encounter was in the nation rank mission 5-1 (in Fei'Yin). Zeid starts out remembering the first line, but Lion completes the "old song" which she says is called "The Warriors of the Crystal"

The great bane will devour the fair land of Vana'diel
The ancient seal will be broken, awakening nightmares of ages past.
The blood of innocents will soak the earth, and the world will fall into fear and despair.
But as one bright star shines through the clouds at night…
And as one song rings clear above the roar of beasts…
We hold to one hope in these darkest of times.
That they will come, with the wisdom of ages and the strength of thousands,
to deliver us from our plight.
We await the awakening of the Warriors of the Crystal.

The mention in the Shadow Lord / rank missions is a precursor to the story that is told in the Rise of the Zilart missions. While the first three lines start out the same and is repeated throughout the missions, we do not find out the rest until after completing them all. The ZM ending is as follows:

It all began with a stone, or so the legend says
In ages past, a sentient jewel, enormous and beautiful, banished the darkness.
Its many-colored light filled the world with life and brought forth mighty gods.
Bathed in that light, the world entered an age of bliss until, after a time, the gods fell into slumber.
However, this age will not last. The great bane will devour the fair land of Vana'diel
The ancient seal will be broken, awakening nightmares of ages past.
The blood of innocents will soak the earth, and the world will fall into fear and despair.
But as one bright star shines through the clouds at night…
And as one song rings clear above the roar of beasts…
We hold to one hope in these darkest of times.
That star is you, and the song is yours.
And someday, that hope will become our dreams… our prayers…
Sine forth, star of hope! Let your song ring out across all of Vana'diel!
And what was split asunder will once more become whole,
Complete and inseparable for all eternity.

Finally, while not exactly a recitation of the song, the ending of CoP does give us one final version of this legend, brought to light after all the secrets of Promathia's origin are revealed:

In ages past, a sentient jewel, enormous and beautiful, banished the darkness.
Its many-colored light filled the world with life and brought forth mighty gods.
However, the arrival of death implacable brought an end to the God of Twilight.
Aglow with the essence of love eternal, the Dawn Goddess sought to restore the lost divinity.
Upon the fallen deity, Altana bestowed the light of the true crystal.
In the bodies of mortals uncounted was the Twilight God reborn.
Paradise was no longer.
Thus was born the world of Vana'diel.

There are plenty of different theories as to why these lyrics are so various, but the one most plausible to me is that SE wanted it to mimic what happens in real life. Like any folk song, different versions of Memoria de la Ŝtono were passed down from generation to generation, and race to race; accordingly, while the themes remain the same, the song changed in the same way that the numerous residents of Vana'diel have adapted and evolved over time.

This is my Story

2008-03-30T08:04:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned in my first post, there are two videos not produced by me that I feel are simply amazing. Gizmo on the Pandemonium server has put together a snapshot of his journey through Vana'diel that I think is fairly representative of why we FFXI players feel so drawn to the game. It's not so much about the game itself as it is about the genuine bonds of friendship that are formed.

These videos are what the game is all about. You should certainly never forget all the wonderful adventures you’ve had, but more importantly, remember those you shared them with.

These videos are truly EXCEPTIONAL. Even though I have no idea of the words or where they’re from, Gizmo’s selection of music is simply outstanding, and the way he matched the mood in the songs to the scenes is phenomenal. If you’ve experienced even a fraction of these moments for yourself, I’m sure you’ll be moved, and they might just bring a tear to your eye.

If you read Japanese, you might want to check out Gizmo's site:
http://gizmo.web.infoseek.co.jp/

Here is the video from 2005:

Watch This is my story 2005

Here is the video from 2006:

Watch This is my story 2006

Biography of Bart

2008-03-29T19:55:00.000-05:00

While I continue uploading my videos, I thought I'd share a little more about me. Back when I was starting out in the game, I wrote a background essay for my FFXI persona. It's not exactly prize-winning, but it was a fun way to express how I imagined my character. I don't really role-play or anything, but this story became an integral part to "Bartholomew of Shiva". In fact, the story played a big role in the artwork that became my forum signature (also at the bottom of this page). I commissioned two portraits by Ophiel (a now-retired player) which I truly cherish to this day. The first was my Black Mage portrait. As Ophi described it:

Bart's picture is another ground breaker. His character had a story that he had posted on the FableUnity boards once, so when he asked me to paint a portrait for him I was delighted! Not only was this a portrait comission (which are actually few and far between), but his character had a background, a past that allowed me to be creative within a context I knew would be relevant to my client.
His tattoos are magical sigils, etched into his skin as a sign of his hidden power... I had to use the weskit, and I had to make those pretty tattoos glow - I just had to! This compulsion brought forth one of the more dramatic pictures I've painted, a picture of Bart unleashing what is probably Thundaga MMCVII.

Later on, once I really started taking WHM up further (something I never originally thought I'd do), I commissioned the second piece of art. Again, described by Ophi:

One thing I like about Bartholomew's comissions is that he's specific in what he's like to see in his portraits and he and I are strangely on the same wave length. Here's him as his white mage self, though yes, I know, this has taken ages to complete due to school and stuff taking up my time.
Took me quite a while to get the spell, the background and the lighting in harmony. The mood that was desired was one of serenity, 'Glinda the Good Witch', and hopefully that has been accomplished. The layout of the signature was a bit of a sticky issue and while I'm pleased with the portrait, I'm not quite as happy with the sig. It's open to amendments.

And now, here's Bart's biography:

Bartholomew’s first memories are of waking in a desert wasteland, not knowing how he got there or where he was from. His head burned for reasons he could not determine, and his mouth was parched. Seeing a small puddle of water nearby, he reached for a drink, but before he could take a sip, he glimpsed his reflection and was astonished to discover his head was covered with strange glowing markings. He knew he needed to find help, as well as food and shelter. Noticing lights shining from city gates not too far away, he decided to seek refuge there.

Upon entering the city, Bartholomew found it to be populated with people of his own race, and being so close to where he awoke, he concluded this must be his home. But no one knew of him, as one young man named Flaco had only too eagerly pointed out. After arranging for quarters, and gaining a measure of rest, the pain of his head had subsided, but his Moogle was still concerned because she said, “Master, there is a faint aura coming from your markings, kupo!” Instantly, he knew it was true, and that he needed to find out more about them.

Bartholomew sought out others who looked like him, but unlike himself, all the others with his facial features had freely shaved their heads and chosen to have the symbols drawn with ink and needle, though none of them could explain what had driven them to do so. What could these symbols possibly mean? It became obvious to Bartholomew that they must symbolize enormous power, since somehow they had induced other men to endure such a painful process as tattooing.

And so Bartholomew began to seek to understand the meaning of these strange symbols, driving to study the magical arts in pursuit of that understanding. It was not long before he realized he could draw strength from the symbols, and they became an integral part of his inner being, their power innate within himself. Yet, he continued to study and try to understand how he had come to have this power, and why it was manifested through these markings.

After a short period of time, Bartholomew learned the layout of his home town of Bastok. Seeking to be useful, he began to help the townsfolk with various tasks they were in need of. But it was not enough for young Bartholomew; he decided to learn more about the world around him and serve his nation in a more official capacity. During this time, he learned of the powerful Beastmen plaguing the lands, and of rumors of evil being re-awakened. Bartholomew knew he must help his people and protect the inhabitants of Vana’diel.

One day, Bartholomew was asked by his country to ascertain the situation of the other nations and their dealings with the Beastmen. And so he traveled to the mighty Kingdom of San d’Oria, only to be snubbed by their people. And from their actions, he knew that even though they proclaimed themselves to be the very embodiment of honor, no one who felt themselves so superior to all others could be honorable. Nevertheless, after learning much of the goddess, he remained committed to assisting all Altana’s children despite his personal misgivings.

Bartholomew’s next stop on his mission was the Federation of Windurst. Once in the surrounding lands of Sarutabaruta, the humble city suddenly and inexplicably called to him. He discovered the tiny TaruTaru, an entire race devoted to the study and care of magic, and felt it might be a place where he could learn about himself and his power. He also noticed the incredibly strong bonds of friendship with the feline-like Mithra. This nation set an example of how loyalty and companionship could help prosper a civilization, which he was further drawn to.

Upon completing his mission and returning to Bastok, Bartholomew anxiously met with the President. It was during this meeting that he discovered Karst to be a misguided fool. Disillusioned, he knew he could no longer stay in the Republic, even though it would remain the homeland of his people and he would return to visit from time to time.

And so Bartholomew moved to Windurst to live and learn amongst the adorable Taru. But he was not fooled by their outward cuddliness. He knew it was they who held the secret to his origins. This became even more apparent as he undertook missions for the Federation. He continually encountered the mighty Ajido-Marujido, and while the others of the mage’s race had no trust in this visionary, he knew the man’s intentions were pure and thought him simply misunderstood. And thus, Bartholomew came to think of Ajido-Marujido as his personal hero.

But that was not all Bartholomew discovered in this new land. Eventually he was called to the Great Star Tree, where he was introduced to the wondrous Star Sybil. Immediately taken with her beauty, he devoted himself to fulfilling all of her desires, although he was sometimes conflicted when her commands concerned his hero. He and the Sybil became intimate lovers, and in exchange for his loyalty to her and the nation, the seer vowed to help her beau uncover the secrets of his past life and the meaning behind what he found out were not merely symbols, but powerful magical sigils. Not everyone understood why the two fell in love, and many frowned upon their relationship, but ultimately the Sybil’s maidens and Bartholomew’s friends simply wanted them to be happy, and so they were.

And so Bartholomew continued to quest for understanding of himself, all the while devoting his power to helping others. He noticed that unlike those who hastily rushed through their training of the magical arts, he studied meticulously and methodically so that he could not only cast spells, but so that he could understand and integrate their origin and power with himself and fully release their potential.

While always helpful to those in need, and while he has worked with a variety of individuals to enhance and develop his skills, he has only met a small number of trustworthy adventurers to closely ally with. To those select few who demonstrated mutual respect and a willingness to put aside insignificant personal differences, he gave his undying loyalty, save where it would interfere with his promises to his lover. These friends called him “Bart”, and so he became known throughout the lands.

Bartholomew continues to seek to understand magical power in all its forms, and to reconcile that power with his own. One day he hopes to know why he was chosen to be gifted with this blessing, and to discover the past he does not remember. He also continues to seek other adventuring companions to undertake his quest to help his nation and protect all the lands from evil, and seeks to form bonds with these heroes as he has with his other friends.

And away we go

2008-03-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

Whoooo-boy! Well, this is my first attempt at something like this, but ever since Stage6 shut down last month, I've been spinning my head around and around with what to do with all those videos I created. We're talking about reasonably high-definition, high-resolution videos that YouTube and other video sites simply won't support. Even though they are encoded with DIVX, these files are still several hundred MB, and some are even over 1 GB. Many of the videos are over an hour long, and some even over 2 hours (I'm looking at you ,CoP Chapter 5...).

At first, I really didn't want to think about having to re-upload everything. I mean, it took me a VERY long time to get everything up on Stage6 in the first place (several months), and I still have many cutscenes recorded that I haven't even edited and pieced together into comprehensive stories yet, not to mention the cutscenes I have yet to record. At times it has seemed like such an ambitious project, and I constantly wondered if people were even interested to the point that it was worth it. Well, it turns out that a lot of people were just as upset as I was that my videos were no longer available at Stage6. In fact, I received numerous comments from FFXI players that wanted me to get them back up somewhere.

So I've been toying around with different options. Some of my videos have been uploaded to Veoh. I created a channel for the cutscene vids at
http://www.veoh.com/channels/ffxicutscenes
I also wanted to put up those two "This is My Story" videos from Gizmo on Pandemonium that I just can't say enough good things about. Since they weren't part of the cutscene project, I was going to keep them off the channel and just on my regular profile:
http://www.veoh.com/users/lawtechguy

At first, this seemed like a promising option. But once I started uploading the longer vids, I noticed a couple of things:
1. You can only watch a 5 minute preview directly on their website. To view the full video you have to download and install VeohTV and view it that way. Not a super big deal, but still not exactly ideal.
2. If you try to watch in full screen mode, the video quality is HORRIBLE. It's painful to watch my work end up looking like such crap. The only solution is to fully download each video, then open it up in a completely separate viewer like Windows Media Player or the DIVX viewer.

So I'm not exactly back to square one. I mean, I can keep putting them up on Veoh even though I'm not completely happy with them. Or I can go with another idea.....

I'm now looking at VUZE.com, which allows high-def streaming content using BitTorrent protocol. In fact, several people had suggested creating torrents for my videos since they were so darn big. While there is a limited user profile page that links all the videos together, the site encourages users to use magnet links on their own website or blog.

And thus we have arrived to my creation of this page. The goal is to try to start getting my videos on VUZE or another torrent site and organize this blog as a portal to all the videos, as well as keep people updated on where I am with the overall project. If it turns out like I hope, then you will have one very happy lawtechguy!