4 more ores

Today was a chance to get 200 digs in during early waxing crescent (due to the JP midnight falling on a favorable time), well I pulled up 2 ores during the time, Wind Ore at 17% in Pashhow (Water Element) and a Dark Ore at 7% in East Ronfaure (during Fog). The Wind Ore came in on successful dig #94 after the JP midnight.

I decided to dig at 21% waxing, even though I never had any success at that moon phase in the past. I was surprised to see this in Pashhow, also during the Water element:
I was supposed to work over the weekend but a fever with strep throat kept me home all weekend. Oh well, I was able to dig during this early waxing crescent and pull this with the 97th successful dig of the day:

Aside from this, I have done little digging because I got the new WoTG expansion nearly 2 weeks ago and I been wasting more time leveling Scholar and doing Campaign Battles.

ronfaure

After Tohma was bragging about his light ore haul on Sunday, I decided to give Ronfaure a try the next early waxing crescent. Thankfully, I did not have to work or sleep during that time. This phase did not fall on iceday, thankfully, as I would had just went AFK during that game day.

It was Darksday, and Dark Ores go about the same price as Light Ores go for. So I went for some and wound up with this within 20 digs:




I continued to dig during the cloudy weather but got no more ores after that.

tohma and ice ores

Yesterday I was having a quick conservation with a fellow competitor called Tohma. He was getting tired of the price decline of elemental ores, namely the Ice Ores. Well the RMTs ditched digging and went to elemental ore gardening in recent months, usually going for Ice Ores as the failure of that tree sapling recipe is an item that sells to NPC vendor for ~1600 gil and each sapling plant yields about 4-8 of them on failure.

Even though I was getting an extra hour of sleep, I went to bed rather early after dumping excess stuff (BST and some PLD) gear to one of my mules. I woke up on Iceday but did not dig as Ice Ores sell less than Orich. Ores right now. I dug on Lightningday, which is right before JP midnight but failed to pull up any ores before fatigue. I mostly got crap except for enough mythril beastcoins to finish off a stack. After JP midnight passed it was lightsday, so I hit teleport-dem to the highlands after water element quickly ended in Rolanberry, as lightning was up. Within 5 or 6 digs I got an light ore, and the zone quickly ran dry after that with nothing else digging up of note. I went back to Rolanberry as the water element came back up but wound up with tons of crap.



Couple weeks ago, I was forced to dig at 7% again, got a single wind ore for my troubles - it was fitting as it was the first elemental ore since the end of August.

Just as I was getting ready to head off for church, Tohma told me he pulled up 2 light ores in Ronfaure in foggy weather. He skipped Iceday as well.

a lot to catch up

despite all the crap going on at my job, I been able to make early waxing crescent sessions for the past 2 weeks, even if it means having to crawl out of bed sooner than normal. On the 15th, I woke up an hour early to do this before work in Jugner Forest, even though it was the one day of the week I really didn't want to do it (Iceday):




I got nothing during the early waxing crescent that took place the ensuing weekend, partially due to the fact it wasn't elemental season in Jugner/Carpenters.

The next early waxing crescent was on August 22 right before JP midnight time, so I had a chance to do 200 successful digs during that moon phase. Due to the timing, however, I had no choice but to dig during 7% (where I never have success) but I was surprised to see this shortly after digging:


However, it was the only ore of that session, due to very high competition (every high level JP A10 digger was pretty much accounted for). Pashhow remained dug out for the rest of that moon phase.

I got home from work the ensuing Saturday just in the for early waxing crescent, so I went to Jugner as elemental season was starting to take shape. I failed to pull up ores, but made a little profit off Oak Logs and Mistletoes.

Then it comes today. Moon phase was in middle of the night/early morning hours. I decided to crawl out of bed at 05:00 CDT because I'll be waking up at that time for the rest of the week due to work. I quickly get enough inventory cleaned out (by muling or putting on AH), and then bought enough greens. I took my chocobo to Jugner at 14% Lightsday, even though there were 20 light ores on the AH. I have yet to dig a light ore myself and this moon phase rarely falls during lightsday, and my given success at 14% in recent session made me do it. It was now Thunder Elemental season, and before long this happened:



It was the only ore of the session. JP midnight is 2 hours away but the moon phase will be over by then.

When it hasn't been the early waxing crescent phase, I been doing time in Rolanberry pulling up 1 to 3 orich ores per run. With the newest update, I expect the ores to go up in price.

fire and water

early waxing crescent came right before JP midnight time, which gave me 200 items instead of the usual 100 items. As a result, competition was expected to be high and I found at least 2 other A10 JP diggers out and about. Thunder elemental season was starting to get going again in Jugner, and at 10%, I made a trip into that zone. One of the competitors manages to dig it out on me, but not before I did the damage: I pulled up Fire Ore at 10%.

My fatigue hits soon after that, so I had to wait for 14%, as JP midnight will pass. Another competitor was already in Jugner/Carpenters, so I decided to check Pashhow after another competitor decided to leave that zone. About 25 digs later, I got an Water Ore.



I was cutting videos during the process but none of it has been edited.

grand total is up

I put the grand total up. It actually took me just over 8700 stacks of greens to cap digging. This number is low compared to what other diggers been talking about, but I believe that the update last July has helped contributed to the low numbers. It only takes me 15-18 stacks of greens to hit fatigue with a rental chocobo, 12-14 stacks with a personal chocobo. With higher success rates, there is higher rates of ranking up.

The last rank, though, was a doozy. It took me 1700 stacks over 4 months to rank up. However, the rank up did happen within my earlier projections of a Summer 2007 ding time.

The first early waxing crescent since the rank up yielded in a bunch of crappy items. The next early waxing crescent is due to happen shortly before JP midnight time on Sunday morning, which means double the chances of pulling up an elemental ore.

A10, at last

Finally dinged A10 today after I got home from work. 1700 stacks of greens from A15 to A10. I'm glad that this 19 month journey that started in February 2006 is over, now I'm going to think about focusing on profit zones whenever possible.

ice ore, at least that slump is over

I managed to pull an ice ore in Jugner during the thunder elemental season that is starting to wind down there at 10% early waxing crescent this morning. (despite what I had on the screenshot, it has actually been just over 2 months since the last time I pulled up an elemental ore.)



The bad news is that I'm still A15 and I'm approaching 1600 stacks into the level.

><

since the past month, the digging results have been so-so. Zero elemental ores since the session I have pulled up 3 of them, I still can't pull up Kaolin outside Al Zahbi (and then the price on them and Ebony Lumber started to drop so I don't waste my time out there right now). The past 2 weeks were even worse: I haven't pulled up any Orich. Ore in Rolanberry, and the past 9 or 10 digging sessions I have actually lost money.

I decided to take a day off from digging (based on JP time) earlier in the past week hoping that luck would change, well it hasn't. I noshowed the last early waxing crescent, opting to sleep instead.

I'm closing in on A10, however, but the next two weeks I'm going to have spotty access to the game due to a remodeling project in the house I live. I may just move my PS2 (not hooked up to the internet and no way to get it hooked up b/c dad bought the wrong type of wireless internet system) to the basement and play more Disgaea 2 to pass the time. After next week, I'm moving back to nights at work for at least 2 weeks.

triple the excitement

I got home from work around 01:00 early Sunday morning, waited for moon to hit 12% waxing, and got to work. I been looking forward to this, as I had been shut out for the past 2 months and I had to miss the last 3 windows to dig elemental ores because of work. I went to Batallia at lightningsday, and within the first 6 stacks of greens with a RENTAL chocobo I had pulled out 3 lightning ores during the same earth weather effect.

The all-star crew of JP A10 diggers have been out in the other zones and gotten themselves fatigued while I chose to kill crabs during the 7% to 10%. I just waited and got rewarded.

Since my last update, I'm usually getting 2 orich. ores per session in Rolanberry. They're only 25k a pop now, but usually move within a few hours. I also been inside Wajaoam provided that the stables npc isn't in some cell in the middle of Halvung as it was the case for 8 straight days last week. Ebony Lumber, Petrified Logs, and Adaman Ores have been major sellers as of late, and I get my fair share of them in the woodlands.

Veteran Rank Digger - at last

I finally dinged A15 over the weekend, which was nice because the past two weeks have not been yielding good results while digging. The only other highlight was pulling up 2 Adaman Ores in Wajaom and a Whistle Coupon from VCS crate on Friday.

It took me 1314.24 stacks of greens to level up. Just one more digging rank to go, and at least I don't have to worry about focusing on hidden rank up items. Its just pure profit zones from now on.

dunes chocograph

I got my dunes chocograph this morning, went digging in valkrum dunes, and ended up with the usual 100% piece of crap. the digging results in kazham were better, but no reishi mushrooms have been dug out of yhoator for quite some time.

I won't be digging the next early waxing crescent. I have to work during this time, and by the time I get home that moon phase is over.

I am looking forward to chocobo racing (bred my mule's chocobo for that purpose) but that six hour maintenance on Wednesday going to suck. I'll be gone for 5 of the 6 hours due to work, however.

slept in til 14% waxing, paid off

when i woke up today 14% waxing crescent was up, and so was thunder in carpenters' landing. I called DoreAvenger and thunder weather soon ended but it was still cloudy so I continued digging. Soon, I pulled up a Water Ore. It was the only elemental ore I pulled up before fatigue hit, but it was icing on the cake after a digging session that featured 14 Oak Logs.

coastal chocograph

i failed to dig up elemental ores on Tuesday evening, but that night did not go to waste. I finally got a coastal chocograph and I did hot and cold game with that chocograph, and came up with whistle coupon. Wednesday in the jungles was uneventual but again got my usual dose of crap with hot and cold game. Thursday got more crap but should have enough successful digs for dunes chocograph.

Luck of the Irish

after being shut out of elemental ores during early waxing crescent for the past 2 months (although work caused me to miss a couple of them), the latest early waxing crescent occurred during the early afternoon hours of St. Patrick's Day. I put on my green clothes, and went into Pashhow Marshlands at 10% Waxing Crescent. It wasn't until 21:00 until the water element finally came up but I had no competition and in less than 15 digs later my chocobo DoreAvenger came up with an Fire Ore. Well, a short time later a new game day happened and boom an Earth Ore. This is the first time I have pulled up 2 elemental ores in a single digging session, much less on the same chocobo whistle call. This is a yield of just under 400k profit in just two digs, by the time those ores sell.

I uploaded screenshots at my FFXIOnline photo gallery, since the other FFXI screenshot viewing site seems to be down.

sigh

after maintenance screwed us out of the past early waxing crescent, I was so thankful for the next one coming on my day off from work. with thunder elemental season underway in Carpenter's Landing I went there, but came out with only 9 oak logs and 4 elm logs for the trouble. While I made a profit today, its going on 2 months since the last elemental ore was dug up.

uneventual week

its been an uneventful week. I spent most of it digging in north gustaberg to pull up darksteel ores for a friend that was leveling up smithing and needed some. i didn't use my chocobo for this like usual, as I did not want to dig up crystals at all.

now with that part over, I'll be heading into kazham this week, as he wants Rattan Lumber, and beastmen have control of elshimo lowlands on our server.

gold ores

last 2 days i dug in altep. 2 alum. ores, 6 gold ores, 4 coral fragments, 4 philo. stones, and 3 darksteel ores later, I felt like I made a good judgment. A little consolation prize for having to miss the upcoming early waxing crescent because of work, but at least I'm over 100k richer as a result. I sold the alum. ores, and saving the others for later (though will eventually sell the stones once I get a stack).

my mule's chocobo will be black :)

so-so

its been a so-so week in chocobo digging. last 2 early waxing crescents yielded no elemental ores. the chocobo is being stubborn about digging up items and as a result i been forced to use 15-18 stacks instead of the usual 11-13 to hit fatigue. today, however, I came up with a very hard to dig up dragon scales (even with a first class discernment chocobo with bore and adept digging rank) and enough turtle shells to break even. I think I made a small profit with the elm logs I dug up the day before too.

i'm still 0 for the good stuff (aside from alum. ores where i'm 2 for) on the hot and cold digging game. all week long its been failures or 100% crap, with the exception of a single fresh mugwort.

competition, whatever

a lot of diggers out today for this early waxing crescent. yes, this was in the middle of JP prime time as it was 3 AM here, but I was able to get about 6 wildgrass seeds, reishi mushroom (rank promotion item), and some other assorted junk yet no elemental ores today. my chocobo also failed at hot and cold game today in Pashhow, so I have to head to a different zone for that game tomorrow.

Getting Elemental Ore through Chocobo Digging

DoreAvenger scores in La Thiene Plateau at 12% Early Waxing Crescent today. It was an icing to the cake that yielded 6 wildgrass seeds and enough iron ores that resulted in a steel ingot. This video is uncut, and I added some music to it.

grrrr

another early waxing crescent, went to batallia, no competition, earth weather, and what do i get? 3 tree cuttings, enough iron ores to make 2 iron ingots and a steel ingot, and 4 wildgrass seeds. no elemental ores but at least i made a little profit.

buburimu

tahrongi had a competitor already present, so I went into buburimu. Pulled up coral fragment and platinum ore, two items that are difficult to pull up there.

Early waxing crescent will hit right before bedtime for me, but right after JP midnight time. I expect heavy competition in the morning.

hot and cold connects

I did hot and cold today and after several days of crappy results, I finally got an alum. ore from the game today. However, I was unable to dig during early waxing crescent early Friday morning due to work, but was able to dig up orich. ore in Rolanberry before I left for my overnight shift.

better yields

The last 2 days of hot and cold games were successes, but no whistle coupon or alum. ore to show for it. I went to tahrongi today to dig and came up with 5 demon horns, gold ore, 2 gold beastcoins, and 3 demon skulls.

bummer

today i go back to night shifts at work, but I made sure to wake up for early waxing crescent. I kinda wished I just slept through it, as DoreAvenger started being very stubborn after it pulled up 70 items. No elemental ores, but couple demon horns and HQ pugil scales in Tahrongi for the trouble.

saturday

i got a rare weekend off, and I went digging on Full Moon Darksday in Tahrongi today. I came out with 2 Demon Skulls and 5 Gold Beastcoins with DoreAvenger, the rest of the stuff wasn't worth mentioning. I did record a video but having problems with editing it with Windows Movie Maker right now.

treasure finder

finally I got those blasted cutscenes and the key item that allowed me to teach treasure finder to DoreAvenger. First story (after eating 40k on chocoexilir) attempt and it learns it.

I did another game of hot and cold and it yielded in crappy results. I went chocobo digging in the mountains and pulled up alum. ore with bore (which is very hard to do even at A20).

tahrongi today

Today i kept my promise and took my chocobo DoreAvenger (average discernment, bore) to a different zone, and it was Tahrongi Canyon. The chocobo simply amazed me: dragon scales, 3 demon skulls, 2 wyvern scales, 3 gold beastcoins, gold ore, 2 titanicus shells, 2 demon horns, and 2 high-quality pugil scales in 12 stacks of greens (on 21% waning crescent darksday). The dragon scales totally surprised me as it has the same difficulty of pulling up as an elemental ore.

hot and cold

today, another game of hot and cold with slightly better results: gausebit grass and fresh mugwort.

i decided to take the black one out digging today in pashhow marshlands (that has bore) and got tons and tons of crystals and no yellow ginseng or wildgrass seeds. I been trying for treasure hunter as it second ability. I'll be at another zone come tomorrow after I get home from work.

Mule's chocobo had strength rise to outstanding, but the endurance stat been stuck on outstanding for some time.

bah

i went into buburimu yesterday as there were diggers already sitting in Pashhow waiting for the moon phase to change yesterday night. I had that zone all to myself with wind element up. I used my chocobo and got 4 spider webs, 2 demon horns, 1 demon skull, 5 red moko grass, and no elemental ores.

Today I went back to the marshlands hoping for more wildgrass seeds. The results were tons of crap: 1 wildgrass seed, no tree cuttings, 5 mythril beastcoin, and inventory full of junk.

I been doing hot and cold game every day and I either get failures are 100% piece of crap items.

more pashhow digging

for the third straight day, i went into pashhow marshlands to target wildgrass seeds. I wound up with 5 today. I'll be staying up later than normal tomorrow as early waxing crescent will happen around bedtime. At least I don't have to be at work until 07:45 in the morning.

I also made this after I got back in the game:

sunday maintenance

the evil empire strikes again. regularly scheduled maintenance. . . on a Sunday! It never fails, they had to schedule it on my only day off. I haven't gone digging yet today, but here is a little image of the chocobo that my Sandy mule is raising.

i'm back

I got my new computer on Thursday afternoon and hooked it up after I got home from work. I had to wait til Friday morning before leaving for work, however, to check on my chocobos. The one on my main character pretty much behaved, although slightly behind on the discernment stat. The one on my mule, had outstanding and impressive stats in strength and endurance, but hated me and did not obey commands. I'm working on getting both whipped back into shape. I'll explain more at a later time.

I went digging on Friday night, as I did not had time to do so during Friday morning because of work (which also caused me to miss early waxing crescent). The results weren't amazing. Today, I went in same area and came out with 3 Tree Cuttings and 2 Puffballs.

Its a long time

Sorry for the long layoff. My computer died on 8 December and I have been off the game since. The good news is the fact my new computer has been ordered and I'll be back online sometime late next week if all goes well.