My Personal DoL Collectable Rotations


Made this chart for a friend and thought it might be useful for some new DoL collectors.

Alec_Collectable_Rotations2b

There might be better or more suitable rotation for this, but this is what I used because it felt natural to me and it didn’t rely much on luck. And since I shaped this rotation to suit me, I cannot provide any reference or in-dept reading for it.

My rotation is good for when you still need 530 collectability to trade for the foil (to buy an equipment or tool using red scrips token). It also, most of the time, leaves at least 50 GP in your pool, so you can spend it on a 50 GP ability (Sharp Vision for MNR or Field Mastery for BTN) which is +5% success.

But if you no longer need 530 collectability, and only want to focus on more yield in each trip, you may want to consider another Rotations, for example, the one below:

Alec_Collectable_Rotations2

This one is not my invention. A friend told me this on Skype text chat and I am unable to find any reference.

Mainly, this rotation is trying to maximize the combo of 3 Discerning Eyes and + Apprisals (2 Impulsive and 1 Methodical). On the 2 Impulsive Appraisals, we could rely on it for 2 free Discerning Eyes. If and when the free Discerning Eye pops (procs), that is the opportunity to spend 200 GP on a Single Mind instead of a manual Discerning Eye. Each of the proc of Impulsive => Discerning means we get 1 extra Single Mind, which equals 1 extra strike (collect).

This rotation can yield 4 collects in 1 spawn. However, it is very likely that you will have to gamble with the success rate, using 95% success rate because there is no GP for +5% success skill. So sometimes, if you’re unlucky, your strike may miss.

 

 

My Gatherer’s (DoL) Macros

With the Unspoiled Nodes in Heavensward’s duration being so short, I can’t afford to waste time looking up on the internet or open a bookmarked link on my browser, I made /echo macro to tell me the slots. Then, realizing I have to head to the spawn spot before it actually spawns, in order to allow me a lot of time to pick the skills to use, I also added where to go.

ffxiv_07172015_010119_cr2/echo ★ ☆ MATERIALS : Unspoiled Heavensward Nodes ☆ ★
/echo  : Falcon’s Nest Chysahl Green [] — Top-left (Dragonspit)
/echo  : Falcon’s Nest Chives [], Prl. Sprout [], T. Leaves [] — Mid-right (Blk. Iron Br.)
/echo  : Camp Cloudtop Hv.Lemon [], Abal.Mistletoe [] — Mid-right (Vundu Ok’ Bendu)
/echo MNR 11:00 Helix Adamamtite Ore [6] — Top-mid
/echo MNR 12:00 Camp Cloudtop Abal. Rock Salt [1], Red Quartz [6] — Top-left (Cold Wind)
/echo  : Moghome Drav. Mistletoe [], Porcini [] — Top-right (Easton Eyes)
/echo  : Idyllshire Cloud Banana [], Morel [] — Low-left
/echo  : Tailfeather Old World’s Fig [] — Top-mid

The 2nd one is for nodes where Collectible items can be exchanged for Scrips. I pair the nodes list with execution of Collector’s Gloves skill as well as changing hotbar 1 to display my COllectible skills hotbar instead. You can manually switch between hotbars by using Shift + the number, or Shift + up/down button.

ffxiv_07172015_010119_cr1

/macroicon “Collector’s Glove” /action “Collector’s Glove” <me>
/hotbar change 6
/echo    Hotbar changed to collectable for Scrips   
/echo  : Camp Cloudtop Hv.Lemon [], Abl.Mistletoe [] — Mid-right (Vundu Ok’ Bendu)
/echo  : Idyllshire Cloud Banana [], Morel [] — Low-left
/echo MNR 12:00 Camp Cloudtop Abal. Rock Salt [1], Red Quartz [6] — Top-left (Cold Wind)
/echo MNR 2:00 Idyllshire Cuprite [2], Light Kidney Ore [3] — Low-right

Don’t fight on top of a gatherer

What the title says, be considerate to gatherers, please.

Seriously, there were too many instances where people brought enemies to fight on top of me while I was fishing, mining, or logging.

One time in Mor Dhona, someone aggroed a Gigas and brought it onto a group of Botanists who were trying to get some Clusters. Of course the AoE not only canceled the Stealth effect, but also kicked them (and me!) out of gathering menu. These Unspoiled gathering spots cannot be resumed after action gathering gets canceled, because they disappear once disengaged.

I don’t know if there had been any fix to gathering getting canceled, because my Botanist and Miner haven’t been eating other people’s enemy’s AoE since. But just a few days ago, I rushed to help with a Raise shout from a Botanist at Proud Creek in North Shroud, the person said someone brought a Dullahan to the tree (highly like accidentally) and its AoE killed him/her.

Yesterday I was mad, but luckily I escaped alive and didn’t have to be even more mad. I was trying to fish this elusive Titanic Sawfish which needs clear or fair weather, daytime 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. approx., and also double mooch. I was on stealth. Then, there came a BLM who seemed to struggle to find a safe spot to fight and not get swarmed, and thus coindicentally brought a Vanguard near me. I was fishing and staring at the Vanguard, so when it readied its AoE attack, with hazard zone (or crisis zone, I can’t remember what it’s called) missing me by a hairsplit, I said in /say “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” and the person moved it away from me immediately.

That wasn’t what got me mad.

After that, the weather wasn’t suitable, so I just parked myself there with Stealth on while I did other stuffs, checking back periodically to see the game-time and weather. Then there came another person. I was reading work e-mail and writing a very long reply so I didn’t pay attention to the game. I heard fighting and assumed that it had nothing to do with me. I continued typing my e-mail until the battle sound somehow caught my attention.

I checked FFXIV window and found that I was being attacked by an enemy. I ran around in frantic, trying to shake him off me, aggroing some more enemies in the process. I think I ran around the area 3 times until I managed to shake all the enemies off, and returned to Stealth mode.

FFXIV_CapeWestwind_Fishing1

It was ugly, because one cannot change job while under attack, so I had no way to fend for myself as a fisher. I thought I canceled my own Stealth while I moved and forgot to put it back on, but I checked battle log and found out that THIS person’s Vanguard did some damage to me, canceling my Stealth effect. Then, unaware if this, I kept standing there until another enemy found me.

Alright, there was a hell lot of space along the edge of the cliff to bring your enemy to without getting swarmed, yet the person had to drag it on top of me (yeah I saw the person standing right next to me when I found out I was under attack). Come on! Well, that wasn’t really what made me mad, as it could be honest mistake. But the person never said anything. No oops, no sorry, and no trying to help AT ALL while I was struggling to lose aggro. I must say I was pretty miffed.

When I bring my enemy’s AoE onto someone else, I always said sorry. Even in the heat of a battle, yes. I don’t expect people to always look out for other players, although that’s a nice thing to do, but at least when someone causes inconvenient or damage to others, they should apologize or try to help ease the damage. Not, like, leaving them to their own fate (an ugly fate induced by you, by the way.)

Moreover, even with Stealth on, I wasn’t totally invisible. You only need to look a bit harder to see the gatherer when they’re on Stealth. You have to be blind or completely ignorant to not see them. It is more than inconsiderate to bring enemy (or enemies) to fight on top of a gatherer. Seriously, they can’t fend for themselves at all. (I really miss the pebble stun that we had in 1.0! What was it? Stone Throw?)

By the way, now I moved to another spot where I don’t need Stealth. No enemy would wander my way, unless someone brings it. I can fish without Stealth, so now even people who’s less observant won’t overlook me and won’t accidentally bring an enemy on top of me again.

 

Fishing Hammerhead Sharks at Silver Bazaar

 

 

Today I was trying to catch my quest fish at Cape Westwind for Wawalago but the weather wasn’t suitable, so I went to Silver Bazaar for some sharks instead, as I have accumulated quite a stock of Silver Sharks from trying to fish the THING. If I could get some Hammerhead, I could spend all the sharks make some oils instead of having to sell them.

FFXIV_Hammerhead_shark2

 

– My setup – 
Location: Silver Bazaar, Western Thanalan
Bait/lure: Heavy Steel Jig
Gathering: 291
Perception: 235
No food and no buff
Duration: 1 hour

Results:
41 NQ + 8 HQ Hammerhead Sharks
13 Indigo Herrings
10 Rothlyt Oysters
8 Pebble Crabs
5 Tiger Cods
13 Lominsan Anchovy

Shark count : other fish count = 49 : 49
Whoa, LOL, 1:1. Not bad!

FFXIV_Hammerhead_shark1

FFXIV Gatherer: How to gain GP

Lately I’ve noticed search keywords to my blog which are “how to increase GP” “how to recover gp ffxiv” “ffxiv arr regaining gp” so I’m writing about it today.

FFXIV_GP_Medicine

First off, you can’t get more max GP from leveling up. It stays the same. What you can do, however, is to use gatherer’s accessories (rings, necklace, earring and wristguard) that increase your maximum GP. When you level up higher, you gain access to better accessories which give more and more GP.

Average people have about 500 GP at level 50, this is without extra effort in, for example, using HQ accessories and gear that gives more GP, using GP food or melding GP materia. So if you make extra effort, you can have higher than 500 max GP.

As to recover GP, you either have to stand still (or run around, it doesn’t matter. Your GP will naturally regenerate over time. Also, if you don’t want to be idle, but rather continue gathering, you will regain 5 GP for every successful gathering attempt you make. However, since when you are engaged in gathering position, natural regen will stop. please note that when gather full time, even if you are successful every attempt, your GP will regenerate slightly slower than just letting the natural auto-regen work on it.

After patch 2.1, though, the speed your character will make the swing to gather items is a tad bit faster than before, so now it MIGHT be an equal match. I haven’t tested how much GP I regen in 1 minute while gathering yet, but I do notice that the gathering process takes shorter pause between attempts now.

Now (as of 2016) I do notice that, at ~600 max GP, it takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes in-game for me to fully recover my spent GP. Please take this in mind when you use up your GP for red scrips and blue scrips and hopping between nodes.

Also, there is a medicine called Cordial which will instantly give you 300 GP. This can be useful when, for example, you changed your class too late and when you arrive at an Unspoiled gathering node which is about to appear, you don’t have enough time to wait around for your natural GP regen to get you the amount of GP you need to use on it.

How to obtain this medicine? In taking Botany Levequests or Mining Levequests, you will have a chance to get an LQ that says it gives 1 vial of Cordial as reward. So Levemetes are where you can farm this medicine. Also, now you can buy it from your Grand Company using GC seals.

Remember that you cannot drink this medicine in the middle of gathering, so nope it won’t allow you to use Blessed Harvest, then drink the medicine, then use Leaf Turn in one gathering node. (I wished it would LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

GP Regenaration

Today I went to Gridania to level up my Carpenter as well as to take Guild Test Quests. I wanted to get the lv 50 saw from quest reward, so that I may be able to attempt Spruce Lumber recipe. Then, I went to Bentbranch to gather some Elm Logs and decided to time myself to see how long it takes to regen my GP to full, as I wanted to use Blessed Harvest II which consumes 500 GP in order to increase gathering yield.

ffxiv_10252013_125605sOnce I spend my GP activating the skill, I started timing. When I was fully active, and continued to keep chopping at the trees as fast as I could, it took me 2h 30m game-time to get my full GP back. However, when I just stood there idly, my GP would get back to full within 1h 45m game-time.

I guess this is because the natural regen tick rate is a bit faster than the fastest we could log/harvest the nodes, as while gathering at each node, the natural regen will be frozen and not moving at all. And each successful gathering attempt gives back only 5 GP.

So, while gathering, if you only want to gain and spend GP for specific result, standing (or walking, running, chocobo riding, doesn’t matter) and waiting for GP regen from natural regeneration rate will make it faster. However, if you are gathering for quantity, keep logging or digging will earn you more items in the same span of time, but your GP will regen a tad slower.