FFXI Skill

I believe skill in this game is based on knowledge and patience.

Knowledge to know what to do and when to do it and knowing more than just the general job description of the other jobs you are going to be interacting with. If you don't know something, ask someone who does. I.e. gear sets, macro sets, what enfeebs stack with what, skill chains and magic bursts...etc.

Patience to go out and implement this knew knowledge...whether it's camping an NM or farming for the money to acquire new gear, making sure all the weapons you might need are skill capped or even taking the time to re-write and restructure your macro's.

I think patience is often overlooked in this game as being a solid attribute. Just look at some of the examples above...not too many people are patient enough to fight an NM solo for an hour and give it 100% the whole time...that takes ALOT of patience. But almost everyone out there is a child of this modern culture and we are innately impatient creatures.

Beyond knowledge and patience, the game really only requires some very simple hand/eye coordination skills and that's not a guarantee of success. Sometimes things still boil down to a "luck" factor ...even if you have all the best stuff, sometimes things don't land, things get resisted and even with capped accuracy...sometimes you can still miss.

I love watching videos like that...just wish they weren't so fuzzy

It's all luck...Pure dumb luck!!! :D