I finally got out of the babby tutorial in FFXIV: I hit 30 on my main job, so I got to go to the summer event. This was my immediate main goal for the game (I wanted my happi, and I got it), so good for me. Wasn’t really prepared for the summer event, even though I was the correct level: two of the events were for cooking and fishing jobs, which I haven’t even started.

Luckily for me, the obstacle course gives out rewards too (including what you need for the happi). Was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Fell off the first part a dozen times; switching to a controller for these parts wasn’t helpful. Eventually I figured out that the jump is fixed; once I got that down, the jumping portions were simple (not running off a platform after I landed…that’s another story).

Getting to 30 also meant (for me at least) joining one of the great companies; basically joining a faction. Funny how all these militias are courting the great hero (You), but once you actually join, it’s bottom rank, just like every other recruit. My character happened to join the Immortal Flames (I think that’s what they’re called; definitely something about Flame in there); considering how she started out in that city, and became a hero for some reason, you’d think the sultana (or the general) would fast-track my character’s rank a few levels; at least start as an officer, for heaven’s sake! But no, Private, Third Class Toubii it is.

In ESO, I also made some progress. Not nearly as much, though. There, my character (also Toubii, I think; I was going for Tobi, but that was taken, as was Tobii; Tobiii seemed a bit much) is still just some nameless scrub, out making a name for herself. Or at least money, and something to stave off boredom. Anyone asks her to do any little thing, she does it. Find your kid? Sure. Kill a high-ranking official in her office? Why not? It’s all the same to her. Doesn’t seem to level very fast, though. I’m only at lvl 14 I think, with 4’s in all the main armory professions.

Speaking of crafting, those buggers did it: they got me to sub. I needed that crafting bag. Money doesn’t come fast, at least at the babby levels I’m at, and you need a lot to expand your bank and inventory. And crafting materials are what take up most your space. But the crafting bag, which you can only get by subbing, fits everything you could want to craft with. So nice to not have to play the inventory management game, when I’m still trying to find out what’s actually worth anything.

And, I’m still in Vvardenfel. Haven’t even gone very far up the west coast (went all the way up the east side though. Turns out I did finish the Telvani questline. That was actually really compelling, though I don’t think it really fits the setting (letting an Argonian rise up in rank from slave to an actual member of the House? Really?).

One problem I really have with the game is stealth. There have already been several stealth areas, but the game does stealth poorly. It looks like objects don’t actually conceal you like you’d think; there are only a few objects that you can hide in, not behind. That makes sneaking around very difficult. Also, it seems the NPC line of sight is funky, if not broken; you don’t know when they’re going to detect you. And, as far as I can tell, you get no backstab/stealth crit bonus, so no assassinations. It’s an MMO, so I’m not expecting it to behave like an action game (like, say, Morrowind…), but when the game tries to play like it is, but doesn’t allow it, that’s a bit discouraging.