To Rylumin
Dear Rylumin Yamata - Where the hell did you go?
You were my very first friend in FFXIV, I believe I was at least one of your first as well. I still remember it, waiting outside of Sastasha for a duty pop and you waiting with me. I played on the PS3 without a keyboard (because I didn't think to check if a USB keyboard worked with the XIV). We were both DPS, you were an archer and I was a thaumaturge. I think we sat for a little while before either of us started talking and then we decided to just queue up together.
Prior to this I hadn't really tried to make any connections in the game, I was still quite low level and everything was brand new to explore so I didn't feel the need to socialize right out the bat but you were very easy to talk to and very easy to deal with. I remember we talked about stuff, you mentioned you had some plans for an MMORPG and that sounded so cool (it still does, and maybe that's where you are today).
If I recall you lived in one of the American territories, so when you would log in coincided with me because of my messed up sleeping schedule. We quickly became friends and talked for quite a while, we did Sastasha, Ifrit, Tam-Tara, Copperbell, Halatali and then we kinda went our different ways. I remember that we both leveled at a fairly even pace but when we reached Quarrymill you had to do something IRL and had to be off for a few days, that was enough for me to far surpass you but still - the beginning of the game bonded us and it's still a very cherished memory, we would do a ton of dungeons after. For a while, I remember standing outside the entrance to Maws thinking if I should wait for you to return or not, but I couldn't. That wasn't the end of our friendship obviously, and for close to 2 years we bonded quite a bit.
Even now, years later, seeing the intro to The Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak gives me a sense of nostalgia. Even something as simple as checking the map and seeing the blue dungeon icon gives me it. I remember the feeling of wonder when I saw the second blue dungeon icon on the map, I think I even asked you what that could be.
Thousand Maws was never my favorite of the first dungeons, Halatali was though - not that I like running it now, but the memory of it. And that has to do with you.
You showed me how flexible FFXIV could be and without you,
I don't think I would've still been playing the game. You're like the example I could go to when I thought about how to make friends and where to make them. I owe you quite a bit.
I remember us talking about FCs, which ones to join etc, we were both checking things out but I think you wanted to make your own one. I wanted to join you, but I figured I could join one now for some easy EXP buffs. I ended up joining an FC called Evolutions, I doubt it is still around but it made me question the quality of FCs. It was a very typical collection FC where the leader just invites everyone and nobody truly know anyone.
2.2 rolls around and with it the next step in the relics. We all farmed ATMAs but because of the RNG nature of the thing we couldn't do it together, one person would get an ATMA in 20 min, the next would get one in 20 hours. I was fairly lucky and got all my ATMAs on the first day and I believe you did too. The step after that though was a lot more hardcore, I believe it was probably the hardest step ever released. The community quickly found out that you could get the myth required in the step by doing Brayflox HM and beating the second boss then restart. I think you could do that in like 7-15min with a competent WAR-WHM-BLM-BRD team. At least that was the meta at the time. I did it for a while but I quickly gave up, while you actually completed the damn thing.
Sastasha and the early days
You were my very first friend in FFXIV, I believe I was at least one of your first as well. I still remember it, waiting outside of Sastasha for a duty pop and you waiting with me. I played on the PS3 without a keyboard (because I didn't think to check if a USB keyboard worked with the XIV). We were both DPS, you were an archer and I was a thaumaturge. I think we sat for a little while before either of us started talking and then we decided to just queue up together.
Prior to this I hadn't really tried to make any connections in the game, I was still quite low level and everything was brand new to explore so I didn't feel the need to socialize right out the bat but you were very easy to talk to and very easy to deal with. I remember we talked about stuff, you mentioned you had some plans for an MMORPG and that sounded so cool (it still does, and maybe that's where you are today).
If I recall you lived in one of the American territories, so when you would log in coincided with me because of my messed up sleeping schedule. We quickly became friends and talked for quite a while, we did Sastasha, Ifrit, Tam-Tara, Copperbell, Halatali and then we kinda went our different ways. I remember that we both leveled at a fairly even pace but when we reached Quarrymill you had to do something IRL and had to be off for a few days, that was enough for me to far surpass you but still - the beginning of the game bonded us and it's still a very cherished memory, we would do a ton of dungeons after. For a while, I remember standing outside the entrance to Maws thinking if I should wait for you to return or not, but I couldn't. That wasn't the end of our friendship obviously, and for close to 2 years we bonded quite a bit.
Even now, years later, seeing the intro to The Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak gives me a sense of nostalgia. Even something as simple as checking the map and seeing the blue dungeon icon gives me it. I remember the feeling of wonder when I saw the second blue dungeon icon on the map, I think I even asked you what that could be.Thousand Maws was never my favorite of the first dungeons, Halatali was though - not that I like running it now, but the memory of it. And that has to do with you.
You showed me how flexible FFXIV could be and without you,
I don't think I would've still been playing the game. You're like the example I could go to when I thought about how to make friends and where to make them. I owe you quite a bit.
I remember us talking about FCs, which ones to join etc, we were both checking things out but I think you wanted to make your own one. I wanted to join you, but I figured I could join one now for some easy EXP buffs. I ended up joining an FC called Evolutions, I doubt it is still around but it made me question the quality of FCs. It was a very typical collection FC where the leader just invites everyone and nobody truly know anyone.
Brayflox Longstop and The Bench Buddys
We both lost connection for a little while because I had joined Mi6 and had a blast getting to know them while at the same time you had finally created that FC you wanted to create. I remember you asking me if I wanted to join you but I turned it down for now because I really enjoyed Mi6. We both got to 50 and would often converge on the bench in New Gridania, updating each other on things we were doing. At this point I was more into socializing in the game while you were more into doing the content of the game.
I think you were invited to the original Bench Buddys though, it had 20-50 members and was just a mess with spam so we quite quickly shut that down. I don't know why you weren't invited to the second edition, I have a theory but I don't know why. Maybe you were asked but turned it down, but I can't remember. Anyway, I believe you kinda stopped coming as often to New Gridania or we stopped going there. Anyway, I now regret not thinking about that and being more adamant on you joining.
2.2 rolls around and with it the next step in the relics. We all farmed ATMAs but because of the RNG nature of the thing we couldn't do it together, one person would get an ATMA in 20 min, the next would get one in 20 hours. I was fairly lucky and got all my ATMAs on the first day and I believe you did too. The step after that though was a lot more hardcore, I believe it was probably the hardest step ever released. The community quickly found out that you could get the myth required in the step by doing Brayflox HM and beating the second boss then restart. I think you could do that in like 7-15min with a competent WAR-WHM-BLM-BRD team. At least that was the meta at the time. I did it for a while but I quickly gave up, while you actually completed the damn thing.
I still have my Stardust Rod Atma. I did finally get the complete relic with WAR years later, but not before every step had seen severe nerfs. I did it before 3.0 and I think I showed you it upon completion in New Gridania so I have to ask - where did you go?
The Last Part
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This image is taken in Coerthas, I remember that spot as being one of the places you'd go to progress in the main story. I specifically remember doing this quest while being in your FC. |
I don't think you said anything before you left in the way of "I think I'm going to quit the game" at least nothing to that effect. You might've considered taking a break only to realize you weren't as interested in the game after your break. Maybe you quit for financial reasons, I don't know. I do remember being in your FC in 2.4 perhaps all the way up to 3.0. Between 2.5 and 3.0 there was a 5 months pause in content if I recall correctly. I think in this period I eventually left your FC and joined some other FC. People were dropping all over, not from your FC, but from the game.
Based on your lodestone profile you appear to be a very typical 2.55 character in that you have your Zeta relic, you are full i130 and you were ready for HW. I remember spending time in your FC discussing the upcoming expansion. It's not a full 1,400 days+ since I added you (12.01.2018), essentially we'll soon have been friends for 4 years. But we've only been friends for 1.5-2 years, I have seen several patches come and go, hundreds of people and 2 expansions come and go with no knowledge of where you went.
You talked about your MMORPG extensively from the time I first got to know you till the last time we spoke, it was just a dream at first but eventually you talked about how many sprites you had already made. I really hope that it worked out for you, and if not that you found something else that worked out for you.
07.04.2019 EDIT: Miscellaneous
I remember so many moments spent with you. We were never really great friends, and I don't mean that in a rude way, but like. We never actually talked to each other, for the first few months you dealt with a person who could barely string together a few words due to me not having a keyboard. But you were great, you had character, you were quite fantastic and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to get to know you, although very limited. I did google you a while back and found out that you had, in fact, gone on to play other games with Greyartis. I also noticed something sad, not sad in a sad-sad way but rather sad in the "damn, I missed out on this"-way.
I found a forum post on the official forums for people meeting up during the 2014 fanfest in Europe, and... You were all there. The whole FC, everyone I had known, including you. I don't know if you ever went, but it made me reconsider a lot of what I'd personally done, and it filled me with regret. I believe that if I had talked to you, as in all of you, I might've been included on it. Maybe I would've remained in the FC, but I was a coward. I had some anxiety, I was scared. And, I regret that. Might seem strange to talk about it like it happened last week when in reality it happened years ago, but still - it's true.
I remember getting some study tips from Visca Barre, getting some general gameplay advice and class advice from Darkness Requiem, talking about the upcoming expansion with Cassandra Lockhart. And I remember specifically us all doing Leviathan Ex, though I think that was before I officially joined your FC. I miss you all, even if I only got to share a tiny moment with all of you (mostly due to my own stupidity and deteriorating mental health). Most of all I think of you all fondly for being friendly, for being great. I appreciate you, Rylumin, for being so welcoming and I wish I had joined you guys when you initially started the FC. There are so many other people I could include here but I just simply can't remember exactly what their names were. Himmelgrisen and Greyartis. I'm awful, I'm sorry, but you're all cherished.
Wherever you are in the world and whatever you're currently doing I do hope you're ok. I think I've sent you a few letters in-game, perhaps a few times during 3.x, and a few times during 4.x.
09.06.2020 EDIT:
So, you did return to the game but at a time when I was severely burned out and unable to really appreciate that. I took this down, but I still believe a lot of what I wrote here is valid even if some of it is now unfounded speculation! Hope you're ok, tell me if you want this removed, or anyone if y'all find it. Thank you!
07.04.2019 EDIT: Miscellaneous
I remember so many moments spent with you. We were never really great friends, and I don't mean that in a rude way, but like. We never actually talked to each other, for the first few months you dealt with a person who could barely string together a few words due to me not having a keyboard. But you were great, you had character, you were quite fantastic and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to get to know you, although very limited. I did google you a while back and found out that you had, in fact, gone on to play other games with Greyartis. I also noticed something sad, not sad in a sad-sad way but rather sad in the "damn, I missed out on this"-way.
I found a forum post on the official forums for people meeting up during the 2014 fanfest in Europe, and... You were all there. The whole FC, everyone I had known, including you. I don't know if you ever went, but it made me reconsider a lot of what I'd personally done, and it filled me with regret. I believe that if I had talked to you, as in all of you, I might've been included on it. Maybe I would've remained in the FC, but I was a coward. I had some anxiety, I was scared. And, I regret that. Might seem strange to talk about it like it happened last week when in reality it happened years ago, but still - it's true.
I remember getting some study tips from Visca Barre, getting some general gameplay advice and class advice from Darkness Requiem, talking about the upcoming expansion with Cassandra Lockhart. And I remember specifically us all doing Leviathan Ex, though I think that was before I officially joined your FC. I miss you all, even if I only got to share a tiny moment with all of you (mostly due to my own stupidity and deteriorating mental health). Most of all I think of you all fondly for being friendly, for being great. I appreciate you, Rylumin, for being so welcoming and I wish I had joined you guys when you initially started the FC. There are so many other people I could include here but I just simply can't remember exactly what their names were. Himmelgrisen and Greyartis. I'm awful, I'm sorry, but you're all cherished.
Wherever you are in the world and whatever you're currently doing I do hope you're ok. I think I've sent you a few letters in-game, perhaps a few times during 3.x, and a few times during 4.x.
09.06.2020 EDIT:
So, you did return to the game but at a time when I was severely burned out and unable to really appreciate that. I took this down, but I still believe a lot of what I wrote here is valid even if some of it is now unfounded speculation! Hope you're ok, tell me if you want this removed, or anyone if y'all find it. Thank you!
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