The Age of the Titans...

Mythology... our first encounter with incredible creatures and fantastic worlds. Through the history of mankind, different cultures and societies have tried to describe the creation of life and the world we know with amazing and fabulous tales. Nowadays, after the Age of Reasoning and the scientific explanation of the universe, these stories are slowly and sadly fading away from our general knowledge. In any case, Humanity keeps its own dream of a prosperous and harmonious future and from that dream we expect to build a better tomorrow.

The Titans, the first gods from ancient Greece, rule the known world during the legendary Golden Age. Well, mythology is a good beginning but not the main point for FFXI. After the Red Dragon Brigade was created, I needed to invite and recruit people in order to build a strong community. How could I start? To whom I should offer a linkpearl? It was a time when I realized that being a leader is not only a matter of showing power or knowledge. A leader needs to recognize the abilities of the people around him and combine the best and the worst of each individual to get a balanced group. If there is an item that can give you CHR +10 you need to wear it at all time.

Monkeylori, Distructivepuma, and Blueeyed

I was wandering around the Konschtat Highlands when I saw a White Mage level-10 alone and fighting mobs!!! (I got the bad habit to check on people). It was the first time that I talked with Lori. She was with her friend Rachelsan who was acting as a Power Level. Lori was the first girl to join the LS. Even though, she was a low level WHM she offered to help as a Main Healer and as a Teleporter (Well, when she gets the level to teleport).

Puma met Lori in a random party, and she gave him a pearl to join us. I met Puma through Lori and Puma's sister Britneyjane with whom I used to party when I was leveling up my Monk. Puma is a massive Galka with a huge heart and few words to share. You could say he is a little bit shy but he is the first to jump into the action. He has been playing as a Warrior for a very long time. Puma became the LS Tank and he always lend a hand when the LS requires for his service. He also love to do some crafting; if you have some wood crafting and mining questions, Puma can give you some good advice on those.

I was leveling up my Monk in the Valkrum Dunes when I met Blue. He was a little crazy Tarutaru playing as a Red Mage. Blue used to fell asleep while he was in a party and that causes a few complaints from some people. Unfortunately, he earned a bad reputation for that reason and there were rumors stating that he was a terrible player. Who could it say I am the ultimate player? Everybody makes mistakes so I took my chances with Blue.

Red Dragon Brigade... Charge!!!

As I said in a previous blog only few of the original gang members still are in the LS and in the game. These were the first leaders of a new born Linkshell. They brought new ideas, new challenges, and new faces start to show in the RDB. Dexter our multi-character friend (Bene, Mho, and Soupy), Zelll and Darktaru, Chucho, Makemepurrr (Kitty), Magruder, Stoik, Aerinravage (Aerin WHM Amateur), Foreverlust, Archerj, Morningdove, Enziorian, Alimahaj, Starfirex, Isabiel, Ryuusama, Darkanda, Rakithebrave, Phax, Oshiro, Miodio and many others follow them. These are the characters that built the history of The Red Dragon Brigade. These are the Titans.

For new players

Linkpearl: AKA Pearl. You need a pearl to be part of a Linkshell.
Check: You can check on characters and mobs to see main info about them.
PL: Short for Power Level. A high level character helping a low level to get xp.

All the roads end in Rome

What does Rome have to do with FFXI? Well, allow me to explain it. As I already implied in a previous blog, the character that I play in the game is a Red Mage (I am a hell of a RDM). At the beginning, I did not know the role of my character at all. I played some previous FF games and I saw ninjas, samurais, monks, dragoons, white mages, wizards (or black mages), thieves, dancers and some other "jobs". Never a Red Mage in my memory.

So I started to level up going from level-1 to level-10 and then I got my first invitation to be in a party. I did not know about Aggro, Links, Macros, WS, SC, AOE, DOT or any concept about a party or my function inside the group. The only thing I knew was that there were fighters and mages, but I was a mix between them. A RDM can fight with a sword or dagger and also cast spells. A simple question popped in my mind "What am I then?"

Today, I can dissipate that doubt easily. Red Mage as its title implies is a Mage. You may not like the answer, you can argue about it, at the end it is what it is. If you are playing as a Red Mage then YOU ARE A MAGE. I have to admit that I was a complete noob. I used to melee in parties (mages never melee) and I was wearing fighter's gear more than a mage one. My first sour taste came with the Support Job quest. Already on level-18 and ready to complete it, I learned that I needed to level up my support job as my main job too. Didn't I say could any RPG be a little bit easier?

From the six initial jobs: Warrior (WAR), Monk (MNK), Thief (THF), White Mage (WHM), Black Mage (BLM), Red Mage (RDM), I could choose and start to level any of them or I could wait until I reach level-30 and unlock the rest of the advance support jobs: Paladin (PLD), Ninja (NIN), Samurai (SAM), Corsair (COR), Dark Knight (DRK), Dragoon (DRG), Ranger (RNG), Beast Master (BST), Puppet Master (PUP), Summoner (SMN), Bard (BRD), Blue Mage (BLU), Dancer (DNC), and Scholar (SCH). So, with a wide gamma of pretty different jobs, powers, spells, abilities and gears I have to choose the more suitable one to backup my RDM.

But I can fight with my sword...

Yes, you can but as I said before you are a mage and you may not like it; at the end a fact is a fact. YOU ARE A MAGE. For low level parties, a RDM can help with some enfeeble or heal casting. They can allow you to melee but once you set a foot on the 40's every thing changes. Your noob days of melee are gone for good and your main instruction on Magic 101 begins.

The success of a party depends on its members. Every role is important, and you need to know the best and the worst of the job you get for your main character. From now on you become a Refresher. If you prefer action, smash on heads, slice bodies, ande get physical then you choose the wrong job. Black Mages and White Mages use Intelligence for Magic Accuracy and Mind for Magic Strenght respectively. As a solo RDM your life depends on your SJ to survive. As a party mage you need to make your Circle of Life (and forget about Akunamatata). Refresh yourself, refresh the WHM, refresh the PLD, and refresh any remaining MP user.

Red Mages... We rule!

Any job is fun. You just need to love it. Fighter, mage, damage dealer or puller just get one job and start having fun. This is Vana'Diel... so the dream is in you... your time has come!

- Ok guys this is my Refresh Circle: RDM>WHM>PLD the rest get a ticket and wait. You like it we are ok, you don't... then it is my way or the highway.

For new players

JOB: Other games name it as class FFXI offer 20 different jobs for your character to choose.

LEVEL: You start the game at level-1 and reach the highest level at 75.

SJ: Short for Support Job. Your SJ will be always half the level of your main job.

AGGRO: Short for Aggressive Behavior.

LINK: The "call for help" from a mob.

MACRO: A programmable command line assigned to a key to perform an action with your character.

MP: Short for Mana Points

SC: Short for Skill Chain

AOE: Short for Area of Effect

DOT: Short for Directly on Target

WS: Short for Weapon Skill

Linkshell... What is that?

When I started FFXI, I was completely lost. Though, I knew how to play an RPG I found myself facing the most common question: What do I need to do now?

The options were simple. Even I start to quest or I start to fight. So, I needed to talk with a Non-Player Character in order to follow the first cut scene in the game. This NPC asked me if I want to help people or kill monsters.

Usually, and this is from my personal experience, you get a better picture of any RPG when you complete some quests around town (and you can also get some Gil as a reward). So I chose to help people, but I found myself in the middle of a crossroad. Sometimes, in order to complete these quests, you need to spend some Gil or be in an specific level of experience to finish it. Boomer!!! Could any RPG be a little bit easier? Well, as you could guess I had to start killing some monsters, get some experience, level up my character and sell items in the Auction House to fill up my empty pockets. It was not a big deal until I reached level 10.

The monsters became stronger, more dangerous and harder to hit. The odds to kill them alone, fast and easy were running strongly away. The only way to stay alive it was getting involved into experience parties. From the parties I met people, from the people I got information, from the sea of thoughts I got the concept of a Linkshell.

A Linkshell is a special feature from FFXI. Inside a small shell (that you need to purchase) you can create little pearls which work as a communication device allowing the members of an online community to keep in contact with each other through the extensive world of Vana'Diel. You can chat with your friends, share information, ask for help, and set up events to do together.

Dark Army... my friends and masters

I found Siloette and Aleandro on the way from South Gustaberg to North Gustaberg. Gosh! I need to level up... Hmmm... What is that black orb over Siloette's head?

- Oh! You and Ale built an LS... Cool... Can I get a pearl, please? Thank you...

I am part of the Dark Army Linkshell now... Siloette and Aleandro are the leaders with them in the LS: Goldenkid, Ashter, Xantoro, and Evradin... I am the lowest level... Boomer!!!

- /wave Hello! Linkshell

For new players

NPC - Non-Player Character

MOB - Monster

CS - Cut Scene

XP - Experience Points

GIL - Vana'Diel Currency

PARTY - 6 players working together to overcome a stronger monster and get better xp.

Welcome to The Red Dragon Brigade!

This is the way we salute new members in the RDB Linkshell.

The Red Dragon Brigade was created as a friend based group with the idea to help each other, level up characters together, recollect information and have fun playing Final Fantasy XI Online. FFXI is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing game that challenges the normal solo gamer that used to play RPGs in a computer or console. This is another good reason to think about a community instead of any personal agenda. Although, only few of the original gang members still in the LS and in the game; we are always in a constant search of knowledge to complete quests, missions, campaign, besieged and any other task through our journey across the lands in the Vana'Diel world.

Why The Red Dragon Brigade?

The choice was obvious to me. In the late 90's I started to play a top table game known as Dungeons & Dragons. The game just hooked me immediately, dragging me down to strange and magical places. D&D appears in 1977 and it has been in the market for more than 30 years. It becomes the core format for most of the Role-playing games which appears lately after the first edition and most of the basic terms used for any RPG are based on D&D statistic character charts, whether the RPG has been designed for PC, Console, Top Table or Trading Cards.

Days passed and became years; changes in technology made possible to built better computers and game consoles. From Nintendo came the Final Fantasy franchise, making its way through Play Station One and there after Play Station 2. Now you can play any FF game on PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox360, Nintendo DS, and so on. I have been playing RPGs for PC and game consoles that I feel very familiar with this kind of software. The basics... you play a role of a fictional character, you quest, you fight, you level up, you die and you resurrect and become a Hero. In 2004 Final Fantasy franchise releases FFXI Online in the US and the game captured my attention for this computerized era as D&D did it in the 90's.

So, I was a Dungeon Master (the recipient of all knowledge in the D&D game) and when I started FFXI my mind was set to build a community similar to the one I got for D&D.

Dragons... ancient creatures of legend, might and majesty, owe and wonder, with their peculiar personality and psychology... and from the chromatic dragons the Red Dragon is the fearless and noble one. The idea of a Brigade came from Final Fantasy X-2. In the storyline there was a Crimson Brigade... an elite group of warriors who were slaughter and sacrificed for some kind of political game... the three leaders which survived the massacre were involved in a personal quest to find the true reason behind such an act.

I started to play FFXI in 2006 as a Red Mage without a true idea about the role I have to play. In my mind, I did not want to be a healer... nor a wizard acting behind the curtains... fighters... no... they need muscles and I believe that an idea can kill millions... Red Mage... yes, I am.

Story of a Beginning

I am a RDM40 now... I have been saving some Gil for this... I can purchase a Linkpearl now!... Red... yeah! the color must be Red as the crimson fluid running through my veins, but... Crimson... Red... hmmm! almost the same... a red platoon? why red?... a crimson platoon... it has to be a powerful group... yeah! we should show power... the power of a Dragon... but not any Dragon... a Red Dragon... a brigade... a brigade wearing Dragon' Scale Armor... a Red Dragon Brigade... Yes... We are The Red Dragon Brigade!!!

Understanding some abbreviations

From Dungeons & Dragons:

D&D - Dungeons & Dragons
DM - Dungeon Master
RPG - Role-playing Game

From Final Fantasy XI:

FFXI - Final Fantasy Eleventh Online
LS - Linkshell
MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game
RDB - Red Dragon Brigade
RDM - Red Mage