Triumphant Return to Vana'Diel

For this post, I wanted to do something a little different and talk a little about myself.  Yes, I have been noticeably absent from Youtube and my other public ventures lately and this gives perfect opportunity to explain one of the reasons I don't wish to be paid for my work.  This is because I do Youtube, GameFAQs guides/reviews and stories for fun as a hobby and I want to be able to break away from it and do something else if I wish.  Lately, I've enjoyed playing through some games and hanging out with my fiancee and it's been a blast which hasn't left me with a huge amount of free time for the above things.  And truthfully, that's the reason for the gaps between uploads.  Yes, it was true that my computer crapped out for a couple years (til I got a new one) but if there are a few month gaps between uploads it's usually because I'm doing something else I enjoy (or working on a lengthy new upload behind the scenes).  And personally, that's the way I want to keep it, not as a slight towards any subscribers or people who enjoy my content and want more but because I want to reserve the option to take a break and enjoy life every so often.  I truly appreciate everyone who subscribes, leaves a comment/feedback or simply enjoys the content I've uploaded and I am extremely grateful to all of you.  But there will be gaps in my upload schedule due to real life as that is my main priority.

So lately I've been playing games like Final Fantasy XV and spending time with my fiancee.  And the other night, my fiancee and I took a trip back to 2002/2003 to play a few homemade games I cooked up back then in RPG Maker 2000.  It was a huge blast and a big nostalgia trip for me while giving my fiancee insight into my life back then.  We both enjoyed ourselves a lot.  But one of them stuck out to me and it was a fangame I made based on Final Fantasy XI, in which you could switch to any of FF's classes, explore Windurst, Bastok, Gustaberg, San D'Oria and Jeuno (though I was still working on adding other areas) and complete a brand new quest involving uniting the three kingdoms.  It made me incredibly nostalgic for FF11 which I had quit in 2007 or 2008 (I can't remember though I'm pretty sure it was in 2007) after having played it since Christmas of 2003.

Though I loved the game, the environments and back story, I wasn't a fan of the game's 6 person level system nor did I enjoy leveling down because I would die several times and half my gear wouldn't work anymore.  I also thought the crafting system was a bit too confusing for my liking.  But still, I enjoyed playing and getting to know the people who joined my guild.  I enjoyed exploring and listening to the music.  And though I played for 4/5 years, eventually I got into other games and MMOs and stopped playing.  But during the recent Steam sale, I saw FFXI's Ultimate edition on sale and I remembered my fond memories of the game.  I also read that the game system was incredibly different and no longer required any party members to grind to max.  So I bought it.

That's where you guys come in.  If any of you watched me on Twitch yesterday, you probably saw my broadcast entitled "Returning to Vana'Diel after 10 years".  I was eager to see what had changed and what remained the same and I wanted you guys to be there with me for the ride.  It was awesome reliving the game once again and seeing all the new additions, the treasure chests, the gained EXP bonuses and dying over and over again before I finally got the trust system quest.  I was able to get up to level 11, complete several missions and explore the area around Bastok, all the while providing boring commentary and noobish information.  But it was fun.  And I have well over 5 hours of footage saved that I can upload.

But at this point, I'm not entirely sure I want to upload it.  As is, I'm a terrible commentator.  And a lot of the footage is grinding and exploring.  As you know, I try to have a clear focus and precise walkthroughs on my channel and this video was anything but (more like a let's play).  Now, I'm debating on whether to upload the entire footage as a live stream archive, edit it into a LP style video series or simply leave it on the hard drive.  Sure, I'd love to cover the game as part of the FF series but I'm afraid it'll be more than 500 parts if I keep this up and most of them will be me running around punching Quadavs.  But lemme know if you guys enjoyed the stream yesterday and whether or not that footage is something you want to see.

Now I'm off to go stream/record more footage!  Hope to see you guys there!