Boyahda Tree Steelshell skill up rules Updated 11 April 2006
1. Mages must assume that refresh from RDM or BRD will not be available. Please plan on bringing refresh drinks and/or ingredients to make them. Lilith's rod, energy drain, or Spirit Taker are acceptable alternatives, along with gear that gives refresh effect.
2. Melees must assume that a true tank is not always available. Ninja subjob is highly recommended. If a tank is present, melees must not go over the line on damage output, as it is the one thing mobs remember the most. Non-tanks that have +enmity gear should have it unequipped.
3. Unless you are working off latent effect on trial weapon, you may not use your primary weapons unless it is an emergency. Your best weaponskill shall not be used unless its the weaponskill that is part of the skillchain designed to remove latent effect. The skill level on your weapon you intend on skill up shall be 150 and higher.
4. If both people involved in the skillchain designed to remove latent effect on trial weapon have 100% or more TP, nobody else may use weaponskills until the skillchain goes off except for Moonlight, Spirit Taker, and Energy drain.
5. The primary focus will be Steelshell. From time to time, however, you may see Elder Goobbues/Korrigans/Water Elementals involved due to pops or a lack of crabs. It is strongly recommended for everyone to bring some Echo Drops and/or Antidotes.
6. You may call your NPC character through Signal Pearl use only. You may not use Tactics Pearl unless you got d/c, your npc dies, or you was forced to zone within 30 minutes of calling the NPC with Signal Pearl. You will only be allowed to use Tactics Pearl one time during the party. Players with NPC characters level 55 or higher will have first priority in calling their NPC characters, everyone else must wait their turn or consider going to another zone.
7. The camps we will use is the West Waterfall camp (little grassy spot with 2 darter pops), Tree camp (due north of Cloister of Storms zone), and Cloister of Storms camp.
8. White mages must keep reraise up if at all possible. It is strongly recommended for all other members to use some sort of Reraise device, even if it only gives RR1 effect. If no white mage is in a skillup party and you do not use reraise 2 device or hi-reraiser, expect to eat R1 if you die.
9. Mages, if possible, must keep stoneskin/barwatera effect up at all times. For Goobbues, it should be combination of Bararea/Barsilencrea/Barparalyze.
10. If Ancient Goobbue is floating around, melees that can use sword should switch to main hand sword and build TP for Spirits Within if possible. If AG health is 25% or below, and the alliance fighting it wipes, it may be necessary to claim it and spam that weaponskill on it in hopes of killing it fast.
11. Raise weakness will not cause downtime unless it is on our primary tank. If you are weakened, it is your responsibility to find a safe spot to maintain a low profile, even if it means using warp or zoning into Cloister of Storms.
12. If you d/c, try to get back online as soon as possible. Sometimes either the game or your ISP will not be your best friends that night. If the party had disbanded by the time you get back online, it is your responsibility in finding a safe way home.
13. If there is no BLM available, it is your responsibility in finding a safe way home. Warp cudgels, treat staff, warp scroll, etc. should be in your possession at all times. If the device is still in recast, try finding a safe spot to log out until the device is ready.
14. If you must go AFK for a long time, it is strongly recommended for you to disband. Real life stuff does come up, if it will pull you away from computer for a long time you are better off warping or logging out.
15. Mages that are /whm or WHM/??? are expected to keep party members HP up at all times, especially the tank. Even if you are the only mage in the party, it is no excuse to refuse to heal party members. Keeping them healed is crucial for the success of the skill up party.
Examples of Rules Violations
Example 1: Melee not controlling damage output and constantly yanking hate right off the tank.
Even if they're using trial weapon, melee should try to control their damage output by any means possible (using Defender, removing attack+ gear, etc). If they still deal damage to the point the mob is dying too fast (usually they will pull hate while doing so on a constant basis), this puts too much strain on our healers and very often we could lack healers.
Example 2: White mages not keeping up reraise and/or stoneskin
White mage job is to stay alive. If stuff goes wrong, they should be the last party member to die. If a white mage gets lazy about buffs Reraise and stoneskin, this will cause unnecessary downtime when things go wrong. If they are weakened, the first buffs should be Reraise, and if they have the mp they shall be putting up Stoneskin and Sneak and finding a safe spot to maintain a low profile.
Example 3: Tanks not using hate-gaining methods
This goes for Paladin and Ninjas that have warrior subbed, and Great Axe/Axe/Sword using 74+ Warrior/Ninja only. It is in the best interest to use some hate-gain methods if possible (spells/warcry/provoke). Failure to do so causes hate to go to the wrong people, and can cause fights to go downhill in a hurry. You are the only ones allowed to use any +enmity gear and the mob bouncing around even with that gear is unacceptable. In the case there are multiple ones, try to set up primary tank and backup tank.
Example 4: Mages constantly yanking hate
Just like Example 1, this causes strain not only on mages, but on tanks. Avoid spells that gain major hate unless it is necessary to use it. If it is necessary to use it, it needs to be used in situations where either the mob must die fast, or when the mob is low on health, or the party is low on health.
Example 5: Melee attacking while under raise weakness.
Crabs got bubble shower AOE that can do some damage. Due to the October 2005 update, melee that die while weakened that take another raise will have 0 accuracy and 0 attack while they are weakened. Put sneak up and find a safe spot to maintain a low profile if you are weakened.
Example 6: Refusing R1 if we do not have white mage in skill up party
White mages in other parties (even in the same zone) have zero obligation to give R2/R3 requests to people not in their party. If no white mage is in the skill up party, all members are expected to use Reraise Hairpins/Gorgets and if they don't do so, they are expected to absorb the XP hit that comes with death. (At level 68+, it is 1800 xp loss on R1, 2400 xp loss on home point.) If you die and don't use a RR2 device or Hi-Reraiser, your only acceptable options are R1 and Home Point. If you refuse either option, it is an violation of the rule and proper consequences will be taken.
Example 7: Mages refusing to heal
If they refuse to heal, deaths will happen (primarily the tanks and the strongest damage dealers) and result in unnecessary downtime that could been prevented. There is no excuse in refusing to do your healing duties. Some melee will have NPC characters set to healing duty to help the mages out but those NPC will only heal that player and will run out of mp too fast. We try to make every effort to have multiple healers, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. The better job you keep HP up on party/alliance members, the longer the skillup party tends to last.
Consequences of rules violations
If you commit a rules violation, these actions will be taken.
First offense: you will be issued an warning. If you die as an result of the violation, you will be allowed to take R2/R3 if an white mage is present.
Second offense: booted from the alliance and banned from taking part in future skillup parties until the next conquest update (or the following one if the offense happens after midnight JP time on Saturday). If you die as an result of the violation you will be issued R1.
Third offense: booted from the alliance and permanently banned from taking part in future skillup parties. If you die as an result of the violation, you will not given an raise.