Military

Hey all,
So I'm in the military. Navy actually. I was just wondering how other military members handle being in statics or event linkshells AND being away for an extended period of time. It's a little disrupting to me because there are many things I would like to do in the game that take streaks of time to accomplish. I feel that I could never be in a static because living the military lifestyle, and not being able to tell anyone when I am leaving and when I will be back, makes it unable for me to devote myself for long periods of time. For instance, I was gone for a 7 month period of time and a couple of LS mates and I were trying to get CoP done. Well, after that much time, I don't expect them to wait for me and they are much farther ahead than I am. Now I'm stuck trying to find others willing to help out or converting back to helping others to catch up to where I am. By the time we are ready to move on, it's time for me to head out again. How do you guys handle it?

Navy here also, lost my CoP static due to back to back deployments when CoP came out, still on 6-4 now. Fortunately, I'm on shore duty, getting back into the swing of hard gaming. As for handling it? Just sucking it up, finding something else to do with my time, be it another single player game, or putting my mind to other tasks at hand.

Navy here as well it's not easy been playing since a few months before the PS2 Launch and all I can part to you in some advice is to do what you can with what time you have and static when you have long weekends, leave, or get to shore duty. Just wait till you get stationed overseas in a timezone that takes you away from all your ingame friends it sucks!

lol Armandan, I'm in Japan, had to find a late night tweeker LS to do endgame with

In the Air Force, in Japan. It worked out pretty good when I was working nights, I'd get off at 8am here, which is 5pm Central, good time to get a pt or do events.

Now I'm on days...I get off at 5-6pm, 2-3am Central. I go on maybe 10mins a day since that shift change, just to try for some BLU spells.

Army here, never quite been able to do all the end game i want to, either i can get into a shell then they change my shifts on me and i'm unable to attend due to time difference. so now I just solo jobs, slowly, and try to catch up with end game stuff in between deployments. other than that, military folks just gotta suck it up or find a very patient ls ; ;

Navy here also I have a tough time with CoP but good firends help me out once I got back from deployment. So my end game has mainly just been popped NM's and gods. Its tough and now with a child you get the point.

Navy Seabee here in Italy! Get to play till 3am even 4am in the morning my time for egls events, well sometimes (usually only up to 1 or 2am LOL)... A bit tiring when PT the next day... LOL
Love the linkshell I'm in though, and I'm afraid when I get stationed to another time zone I might have to find a different one again T.T

i second this, i been military over the 5 last years me too, i never been able to attempt anything related to endgame "Sky/Sea/Limbus/HNMs/einherjar/etc" untill i get finished of it "6~7 months ago" all i could be able to do was Lv up/Merit & farm sometimes, once a month or when i was on hols.

If you are military you better not try to get into that kind of stuff, you will be very disapointed & frustrated, because the fact you wont be able to attempt events seriously will lead you nowhere, your LS will still be working but you will alway be the last on everything, considering its a point system, for a sky LS by example, or so somes LS will just ask you to leave for a simple reason, no activity, somes LS work like that sadly :(

Army here, and its hard with deployments and training. I'd say just find a good linkshell that understands that you can't always be there for stuff, and make the events you can.

I used to play with a group of about 4 or 5 guys all stationed on the same ship (and then in different parts of the world). We worked things out to a point. I usually waited for them to come back when they went to sea and I held off on stuff.

And then, in the long run they were never able to wait for me and it got old fast. They all still play together I believe. Maybe starting an all military LS on your server would help? You'd be more likely to find people with schedules like yours and I have yet to be on a server that wasn't full of military boys.

Army here.

My first trip to Iraq was before I played, and I got in about a year of playing before my second trip to Iraq.

I have been back now for about 7 months this time, and it's always odd when someone asks me how long I've been playing, because my actual start date is a lot longer ago than the amount of time I've actually been at it.

In my job, I go TDY quite a bit (no, I'm not a recruiter), so it's not uncommon for me to be gone from my LS for 3-7 days at a time when that happens, and sometime more if it's for a school or something. Not sure when my next deployment is coming, but I will probably have to think long and hard about whether that's time to just wrap it up for good.

My endgame shell leader was in the military for 4 years, so he understands about how suddenly schedules can change due to mission. I always try to keep him informed the best I can within the limits of OPSEC. Additiionally, we are not "hardcore" and once people have finished a trial period, the attendance requirement to remain active with full bidding rights is pretty easy to maintain, even when busy with RL stuff.

As far as playing deployed, I wasn't able to get on for about the first 5 months I was gone last time, and after that the connection was very bad and cut out a lot (and cost way too much).

Probably the biggest thing that deployment did was change my jobs. I had been leveling PLD pretty hard before I deployed, but I did not want to be an unreliable tank, so I didn't touch PLD the entire time I was gone. With main jobs of WHM and BRD, I was pretty much shut out on those for the same reason.

So... I unlocked SAM and went almost all of 1-30 alone or with my NPC (this was before /DNC craze, too). I actually finished SAM to 75 in Kuwait on the way home, but a large portion of 50-75 was done either when I was home on midtour leave or in Kuwait waiting to be manifested home.

There really are a lot of other military people who play, either current or former, and you probably could find enough to put together a small linkshell with that member group as the core and build around it. It certainly helps in operational planning and such.

I'm an officer in my LS, and when I'm running an event, I tend to move at a much more dynamic pace than a lot of other people do. I'm sure a lot of it comes from my RL job, and the stronger players really seem to like it, and the weaker ones either step up or struggle.

EDIT: Almost forgot to mention...

While in Iraq, because of my schedule, when I was able to get online I was almost always playing with JP/EU player base. It was rare that I was crossing paths with my NA friends for more than a few minutes here and there.

I definitely learned to appreciate and respect how Japanese cultural influences change the way that the average JP plays compared to the average NA player. I really very much prefer to EXP and Merit with Japanese groups when I can now, but my schedule back in the US doesn't allow it very much except weekend mornings, and then it's a question of getting an invite.

Army here. I am in Iraq right now. The internet connection is garbage for playing, way to slow. So I just get on once a day and do a quest for a map, or buy materials and do some synthing. Not much to do but it keeps me connected with the game and the few remaining people I know.

Air Force stateside. I have a problem of being stationed in the Mountain Time Zone and most people in my LS will schedule things for either Eastern or Greenwich Mean Time so typically I'm just getting in the door after work when weekday events are just ending. That and having a baby that's not even a year old makes it hard to have much time.

My solution for the most part has been to use my time on weekdays to do some gardening or find a quick exp pt and grind at the best one level. My LS understands people have a life outside the game and usually tries to arrange major things like a CoP run for Saturdays. As for if I was to deploy I would just tell my friends "Laters" and pick up where I left off when I return.

Navy here-
What I did, was find linkshells that work on the point system and are fairly stable.
My Dynamis LS, Beerfest, allowed me to be gone for 6 months for a deployment and when I came back, I recovered all of my points. I just had to reattend 2-3 runs and I was able to lot again.
As for Sky/Sea, I made my own LS- LavitzReborn. We have some military members that leave for 2-3 months and I keep their points while they are gone.

I think that is your best bet.
~Yote

Yeah, that's one of the best things in my Sea/Sky/Limbus/etc. shell, Vindication on Odin.

Your points are always kept unless you are kicked from the shell. There's a pretty easy reactivation if you have not attended an event in at least 30 days (4 events within a 30-day span to regain bidding rights).

If your LS doesn't have some sort of similar method that works for you, maybe you can suggest one.

As for living in Mountain Time, I have a few friends from Idaho and Utah that deal with it, but most stuff seems to be planning for GMT or EST, and it's rare to even see things shouted for PST. We have many PST people in my LS, but our events don't typically start until late enough that they would still be home from school/work and could either make OT or just join in slightly late.

There's not much that we do (other than Limbus) where people can't join in late, and more often than not, they just get pre-positioned and go /away with a /seacom listing roughly when they expect to be back. That's not a requirement, but from a leadership angle, it's greatly apprecitated.

At the same time, I have the digits of some of the other people in my shell, so if I get hung up late at work unexpectedly, I can at least shoot them a text to say "hey, gonna be late, maybe around XXXX time." Again, it's just a respect thing. That way if they are counting on your PLD or WHM for something, at least they know that they might have to have someone else gear up.

~Navy here,

-When this game came out on PS2 I had gotten myself up to getting a chocobo liscence the day before I got deployed ;p. Came back 7 months later and just didnt have the drive to play the game like I did when I started. Started up again on 2007, happened to walk by the game section at a local game store and thought to myself I wasnt going to get back into it. Lol to much dismay I walked right back and picked it up. Been on it till now, I have friends and my brother playing this game. I was unable to join most endgame ls's or keep my static going with the work hours I had. However I am very fortunate to have an endgame ls I found that worked around my ever so changing work hours. I dont do much statics because alot of the members would have to wait till I logged on.

The bad thing for military people to do all military LS's/statics is that we all know that orders are temporary, and that any of us can be sent out with minimal delay. If you truly cannot cope with online gaming and military at the same time, your best bet is single player RPGs. LSs usually understand that your committments cause you to take extended periods of time off, and if they can't, your probably better without them.
One thing that I've done to help myself with the odd time zones and deployment issues, is to take advantage of single player opportunities in-game, such as crafting. I love my crafting....

I'm in the Navy myself. I started playing when I was stationed in Naples, Italy at the NA PC release. I'm actually in Iraq right now. I am attached to an Army MP unit, and we rotate back to the real world in less the 30 days. I really hope I still have a place with my old LS when I get back. I try to keep in contact with them on our site. I pray things can go back to the way they were.

I've had three PCS's since I started playing, and each time, things got stupid and I wound up having to fly solo for a little while. I was a sitting counsel member of a Dynamis LS during one move, and because I couldn't connect to play for about 3 months, I was booted from my seat, and even kicked from the shell. I'll not name names, but I can say that that incident left me with a particularly bad taste in my mouth.

Alot of folks claim to understand and sympathize with military movements, but I a can attest to otherwise.


LT Jacqueline Rahziela Olivas, USN

Disabled Marine Corp Veteran. Been playing since 2004. When my anxiety/anger gets the best of me I usually end up moving and quit playing for a bit. A bunch of my friends on Shiva have jumped ahead of me on stuff but we all stick together and still help each other out (Thanks Generalramuh and Xellith, oh and Mayelili (you get a hug =^.^=). I miss serving in the Corp and went to reenlist, but they said I had to many Anger issues (What f%^kin anger issues I say they come with the job!/Viscious grin)

My LS is cool and lets me rejoin, but I loose my points I saved doing runs, but they are a good shell so I don't mind.

For any Marines who post "Semper Fi" for all others who have served "Thank you"

Is it me, or is a lot of the random BS that I see on the forums come straight out of Asura server?

I thought the MC wanted nasty angry people so they would kill more, faster, better...

Good RL friend of mine for 10+ years, Hull on Lakshmi, was in the Army. We managed to keep playing together during his training and initial domestic assignments, way before FFXIAH.com was founded, but it was hard working around Army schedules.

Eventually he got sent to the sandbox for quite awhile, and when his tour was up, rather than back to the US they sent him to Germany. The time difference made it basically impossible for us to play together, but we kept trying. Sadly a little over a year ago, on his third sandbox assignment, he never made it back. I still wear his tags.

So that having been said, a big salute and shout-out to all our current and past military users: thank you for your service.

True Paladins, all of you. Thank you and a heartfelt /salute to those who serve and have served; whatever one's views on war are, you have shown great courage and valor. THANK YOU.

And I'm sure every one of us appreciate support like this.

AF, Japan.

I was lucky enough that my shell has people that play in different time zones from all over the world. I left for about 4 months last time in the sandbox. They welcomed me back with open arms. FoReal <3

sorry to hear about your friend Jaerik. Respect

I guess I am about the only Military member on my server lol. I am in the Airforce out of Korea right now, moving to Japan in the next couple of months. Yes I know Chairforce and all the great jokes that come from that lol. Unlike the rest of my branch I DO work constant 12 hr shifts and sometimes have no weekends. It does cause pains for having in game fun but I have mannaged to work it pretty well I think. I think by requesting certain shift scheduals from my leadership helps. But you don't always get what you want we all know that lol. I have been in a couple of endgame LSs but I always make it clear to the leaders of the shell that I can't always be on because my ties with the military and have had no problems from the shells because of this. To be honest if a shell lets you go because you are absent from events and you notified them you wont be around for a bit then thats not a good shell to be in anyways. Great respect to the rest of my brothers and sisters out there fighting the good fight. I am proud to stand side by side with every one of you each day. May each of you have a great day!

Yeah Navy here as well, 16yrs this July and waiting for the 20 so I can retire lol. But being in the Navy, hasn't really effected my play time, except when out to sea, or deployment.

Statics, are a thing that's a pain to begin with, and yes having times when absent makes it harder to get things doen, cause you know people won't wait 6 months for you to get back lol. I try to do pick up events, or grab friends and shell mates to help out.

Lol AF here, still pretty new just over 2 years (anniversary in january). Getting ready to deploy in a few days :)