lifeofabst_ffxi

Back in action!

Thu, 04 May 2006 23:48:09 GMT

My apologies for the lapse in comics. What was intended to be a week off to recuperate lasted a bit longer than I meant it to. Sorry. ToT

deshende has graciously offered to be my scapegoat, so you can all send him your hate mail.

You may have noticed the little panel over to the right. /em pokes the shiny new AD panel. That's right, folks; Tinuvael is a SELLOUT! >_>;;

In all seriousness, the ability to have LJ host the images for the comic was too compelling to pass up. I figured I'd just give it a try and see what I thought of it. I hope the addition of ads doesn't turn anyone away. ; ; Besides, it's easy enough to block out. /em huggles her AdBlock tightly. I also wanted a place to test out the new Sponsered+ account type before using it on my main journal. That means you are my guinea pigs. Yay!

I tried to clean things up a little bit to make the new layout less annoying. It was hard enough before to squish the sidebar and the main comic (800px wide D;) into one page without dealing with the extra AD panel. Please please please let me know if it's a horrible change. If I get enough complaints, I suppose I'll just go back to hosting the comic myself.

Over the next hour or so I'll be migrating the rest of the comics and misc images into this journal's scrapbook. Hopefully everything will be seamless. ^^;

24 - The Joy of Gardening

Thu, 04 May 2006 23:17:03 GMT

This is why you never trust someone else to help you out. ;-)

« Previous Comic - 23 - Boomeraxe!

Let's just say that Fitzy-Witzy and I had a bit of a ... creative disagreement as far as the direction we wanted to take LoB in the future. Eventually, he came around. I can be very persuasive when I want to be. /em pets Fluffy.

And yes, the first panel is shamelessly copied off of this. Come on; who doesn't love Bob Ross? :D

23 - Boomeraxe!

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 17:24:12 GMT

Mistral Axe is my new favorite weaponskill. :3

My dirty little secret — now I use this whenever possible to end fights instead of Rampage. I'm a bad little kitten. ; ;

« Previous Comic - 22 - Cape (death)

The Joy of Gardening - 24 - Next Comic »

Sorry, Myrna. I can't remember what sword you had equipped, and I couldn't make it out from the screenshot I took. m(._.)m

22 - Cape (death)

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 22:20:06 GMT

It is in my opinion that they should rename Cape Teriggan to something more morbid. The first time I went there, I used up 7/10 charges on my Reraise Gorget in the space of 2-3 hours. The sad thing is that the XP I made in that time was still comperable to what I would generally make without the deaths elsewhere. ^^;

« Previous Comic - 21 - Charmed

Boomeraxe! - 23 - Next Comic »

Let the staff and Galkan sausage jokes abound! :3

21 - Charmed

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 01:00:45 GMT

It was originally my intention to draw this one by hand, scan it in, and attempt to ink and color it with my mouse. Yeah, that's never gonna happen. ;-)

So here's the comic you should've gotten last week, when it would have been more appropriate.

« Previous Comic - 20 - Good Sorce of Fiber

Cape (death) - 22 - Next Comic »

Because nothing says "I love you" like a good smack on the head.

Also, because I promised I'd quote him and it didn't actually make it into the comic, here's deshende's priceless quote:

20 - Good Source of Fiber

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:54:46 GMT

Our esteemed LS leader went on a snowboarding trip recently. Naturally, I had to make fun of him. ;-)

« Previous Comic - 19 - Waiting

Charmed - 21 - Next Comic »

Perhaps I have an unhealthy obsession with deadmeatffxi's subligar. =X

19 - Waiting

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:06:36 GMT

I soloed Limit Break 3 last week. (I know, I know, any job can do it. =P) I wish I could say I did it without any deaths, but Castle O turned out to be the bane of my existance.

« Previous Comic - 18 - Anger Management

Good Source of Fiber - 20 - Next Comic »

Feel free to sing that first bit to the tune of Green Day's Waiting if you like. It mostly works out. ^^;

Sadly, I can't claim such an honorable death as one at the hands of Tzee Xicu the Manifest. First one was behind that evil brass door that requires the lighting of torches to open. I bought Powder Boots so I could attempt to light the torch and Flee through the door in time. First two tries, I dropped Invisible, activated the torch, used my boots, cast Invisible after the casting delay wore off (darn items ><), and by the time I would reach the door it was already closed.

That 10 minute reuse cool down gave me some time to kill between suicide runs. At one point, Tinuvael got a little hungry and decided that roasted crab sounded mighty fine...

Third time, I decided to just run for it. As luck would have it, the Assassin turned at the wrong time and cast a spell on me before I could activate my boots. I put my trusty crab on it, used the boots, and got the heck out of there! Not a single Yagudo noticed me on the way, either. oO;

My plan was to attempt to log out behind the door while my crab kept the Assassin's attention. Unfortunately, that traitorous bastard decided to Heel after me (I still haven't the faintest idea why; bug maybe?) after I activated my boots, and so I was frantically counting down with the /shutdown timer as I watched the Assassin and a Flagellent wail away at my poor crab. Naturally, he bit the dust about 10 seconds before I would have logged out safely. The Flagellent went away, but the Assassin came straight for me, and that was the end of it. Yay for Reraise 2!

I wasn't upset in the least because I was expecting a death at that point. 400XP isn't all that hard to swallow. I waited forever to get to the point where I could muster the courage to grab the crest off the central platform, nervously asking my linkshell again and again whether or not Yagudo High Priests were True Sound as well as True Sight.

So I got my crest, but the glow of victory did not last for long. I had forgotten to swap in a useable warp item before heading out! I thought I might be okay until I realized that the door behind the platform required a special key to open. I ran around that open area several times to see if I could find a way out. I had pretty much come to the conclusion that death would be my only release when I ran right past the High Priest (Invis was up, so I was careless) and aggroed the entire room of Yagudo. At least that took care of that problem!

It was only later that I remembered the Return Ring in my inventory. Aragoneu was under Windurstian control that week, it turns out. orz

18 - Anger Management

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 21:00:11 GMT

Ever wonder what good moogles are for? Read on to find out. There are just some things adventurers can't be expected to do.

« Previous Comic - 17 - Horn-y

Waiting - 19 - Next Comic »

(fact) : I drop at least half a dozen little socks on the floor every time I bring my kids' laundry up the stairs. God, I wish I had an axe. D:<

Base mithra mood icon thanks to this site.

(Today's comic is brought to you by randomness and laundry day.)

17 - Horn-y

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 03:13:12 GMT

More AF fun. Don't ask me why I always seem to get mixed up in my LS's pervertedness; I'm about as pure as they come! :3

« Previous Comic - 16 - Pretty in Pink

Anger Management - 18 - Next Comic »

Thanks again to Worrgrendel (Hume NIN), Sparoky (Mithra THF), and a botted Aramil (Taru BLM) for coming along for the key and to help me open Banishing Gates, and then for sticking around long enough to get my Sauromugue Clay Tablet as well. :3

16 - Pretty in Pink

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 20:59:34 GMT

Took a bit longer off than I planned; the family visit was a bit... stressful. Sorry about that. =)

But I think it's worth the wait, because I finally got my Gaudy Harness (thanks to deshende and a fellow BST, Clevene) and could skip ahead to posting this comic that I thought of a while ago.

« Previous Comic - 15 - 12 Days of Xmas

Horn-y - 17 - Next Comic »

All the NPC text is real; I can't make stuff like this up. Those that have done the quest already can back me up about Brygid, but I found this funny little bit when talking to my NPC fellow in Bastok:

Yes, he does really say that. XD

15 - 12 Days of Xmas

Sun, 25 Dec 2005 16:08:00 GMT

Strip is up a little early because I have family flying in to visit all week and will not likely be spending much time on the computer. Besides, being Christmas-themed, it seemed appropriate to post it on Christmas.

« Previous Comic - 14 - On a Rampage

Pretty in Pink - 16 - Next Comic »

Hehe, Tin's not very nice, is she? ;-)

Here's wishing you all a very Happy Holiday season. Travel safe, and have fun! =^-^=

14 - On a Rampage

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 20:57:35 GMT

« Previous Comic - 13 - Sweet Dreams

12 Days of Xmas - 15 - Next Comic »

My personal record on Rampage is 600 to an EP Vampire Bat, followed by a 360 Distortion since I was farming with my NPC buddy. Nothing special, but it made me feel über. :3

It's been entirely too long since I last went on a rampage. I think it's time to remedy that.

Word up?

13 - Sweet Dreams

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 20:29:35 GMT

Since SE seems to want to make our jug pets our new best friends, I thought I should let the world know how they really feel about us. Consider yourself warned.

« Previous Comic - 12 - Liar, Liar, Boots on Fire!

On a Rampage - 14 - Next Comic »

I'm not planning on making a huge post to say how I feel about the way this new MPK "fix" affects us post-Leave. Unless you really want me to go into details, what I will say is this: yes, it sucks, but other than Bostaunieux and Toraimarai pre-57, I can't say it really will change how I've been soloing thus far. It's true that I have not yet been to Boyahda or any of the later zones, and so I am not really a definitive voice on the matter. I tend not to drag pets far from their homes as it is, and so there will be very little adjustment for me as far as losing pets to Leave-vanish goes.

I'm not saying we have no right to vent our righteous anger. I am upset about how much of a blow to BST soloing this has turned out to be; actually, the thing that irks me the most is that they made a point of saying that the exact same monster will respawn in its original location, and yet I've heard from various sources that they do reroll their toughness rating. I'm just saying that it is not an insurmountable obstacle; for me, it is not the nerf to end all nerfs and completely destroy the BST's way of life. I for one have no intention to quit soloing and only see this as one more challenge to be overcome.

Take care, and happy BSTing! ^^/

Welcome to our new home!

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 18:24:52 GMT

I finally decided to register a separate journal for the comic here on LiveJournal, partly inspired by easypreyffxi.

Layout's pretty simple for now, since I wanted to have tag functionality; apparently those are not compatible with the old S1 style system, so I had to make do with S2. At least the Smooth Sailing style is fairly flexible and allowed me to change most of what I wanted.

I'll be using this post to keep the FAQ and other miscellany. Although I'm going to let it fall off the front, there's a link to it up in the menu bar, so it'll be easy enough to find in the future. Also, if you just want to view comics only (I doubt I'll be posting much more than that anyway), just use the handy comic tag over there, and it'll only display posts with actual content. ;-)

.: Frequently Asked Questions :.

How do you make the comic?
I use a combination of tools, but most of the work is done between Photoshop and the Translated Model Viewer. Sometimes when I need a background that's difficult to get in game, I use FFXItool2 (which allows you to view and move around game zones) and then paste in sky (or doors oO;) if necessary. And sometimes I'm just lazy and rip entire frames from screenshots.

What font do you use in [such-and-such comic]?
I actually use a variety of fonts for different things, but here's the current list (as of the post date):
+ Comic Sans 9pt for bubble text. (was ITC Franklin Gothic in the first few)
+ ITC Franklin Gothic 14pt for chat box text.
+ Franklin Gothic 14pt for some frame header text.
+ Jenkins v2.0 24pt for random sound effects, the date, and part of the header.
+ Croobie for some others.
+ Umberto for really-big-scary-monster text and part of the header.
+ Pussycat 30pt for the comic title.
+ Anke Calligraphic FG when I want something more formal looking.

I use a few other fonts here and there, but that's about the gist of it.

Why is it so freaking big? oO;
I typically need more than the standard three or four panels to get my stories out. I found a width I liked and just went with it. Sometimes I worry about how long the images will take people to load, but I try not to worry about it too often. ;-) Sorry.

Oh noes! I can't see the comic! The intarweb is broken! (/panic)
Sometimes the place I host my comic on goes down, simple as that. If you can't see the header image or the page background, chances are you won't be able to see the comics either. I have no control over it, but they've never been down for more than an hour or so (and very rarely at that), so just check back a bit later.

(edit: this should no longer be an issue, as LJ hosts the comic for me now.)

It's [usual day of comic-posting] and there's no comic up. What gives?
I know it's a tired excuse, but (wait for it!) I have a real life to manage too. ;-)

Seriously, although I am a stay-at-home mom, I don't always have the time to devote to the comic when I want to. Sometimes things out of my control prevent me from sticking to my personal deadline. The best I can promise is that I will do everything possible to make sure you have a comic once a week. Right now, Tuesday seems to be working out pretty well.

Will you ever post more than one comic a week?
It's doubtful. Right now I have about four ideas in reserve, but I suspect that even if I bump up to twice-a-week I might run out of material more quickly than I can come up with ideas. Also, it takes me at least 2 hours on average to finish a comic, and many times I do it when I would otherwise be playing FFXI. Since I already have a limited time to do the latter, you'd better believe that I won't be giving up even more of my free time for a frakking comic. ;-)

I have an idea for a comic. Would you use it?
As long as it fits at least loosely with the theme of LoB (being a BST related story), fire away. I'll be sure to credit you. Feel free to be as vague or as detailed (names, armor, zone) as you like.

Can my character be in your comic?
Unless I know you in some way and interact with you from time to time, or unless you have an idea for a comic (see above), it's not likely. But if you see someone that looks like you, you can pretend that it is you!

Does Tinuvael ever wear pants?
She did briefly (no pun intended) from level 43-50, but once I got my Darksteel Codpiece there was no turning back! When I get my AF pants at 60, Tin will most likely not be baring her thighs for a good while.

What server are you on?
Caitsith. I was originally posting this on our server LJ community (ffxi_caitsith) as well as the BST forums on Alla and my LS website.

Can you make me an avatar/signature banner/wallpaper?
Yes, probably, and most likely not. I have the most experience making avatars, and those are pretty easy to whip out, especially if you give me lots of detail. I can do animations as well. Signature banners are a bit trickier, but again if you know what you want it will make my job easier. I've only made one wallpaper in my life, and it pretty much sucks.

If you have a burning question that I have not yet answered, please comment and I'll do my best to remedy the situation. If you have a burning sensation when you pee, well you're on your own for that one. ;-)

12 - Liar, Liar, Boots on Fire!

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 17:26:56 GMT

Here's a bit of an oldie, as I got my AF (boots) nearly two months ago.

« Previous Comic - 11 - She's Outta There!!

Sweet Dreams - 13 - Next Comic »

I feel like I should include a disclaimer on this one, since many people who read this don't know deadmeatffxi. 1) He is never this mean except in jest, and 2) he didn't actually make fun of me for claiming to have soloed the NM. In truth, he wasn't even around at the time; I had most of Fei'yin to myself, and those pesky Droma in the room to deal with. (Staying clear of them to avoid their magic aggro was not difficult at all.)

(aside: If any up-and-coming Beastmasters out there want to try to solo this guy and want some pointers, please feel free to ask. ^^)