FFXI: Return to Vana’diel – Remembering Missions
I return to Vana’diel after not having played FFXI for over a decade. Here are my adventures!
Once I became aware of the Quests button on the main menu, I also took notice of the Missions button just above it. I checked it out, and it seems my character must have accepted a mission (Bat Hunt) over a decade ago.
These missions are the only story content I remember from my time playing FFXI in 2004-2006. Basically, they’re a set of quest/missions that revolved around a storyline within your starting city. These missions are repeatable and they earn you rank with your city faction. These missions appear to go from level 1 to 70+, and are different for each of the cities.
Keep in mind that there are no quest markers to indicate a NPC has a quest to give you or a quest in progress in FFXI. So it took me a bit of time to shake the cobwebs out of my brain and remember that these missions are given from the gate guards in the city.
My old character had already completed the first mission, and this was the second. It sent me off into King Ranperre’s Tomb, which I remember spending quite a bit of time in back in the day. This area was for levels 1-10, so I was already over leved for the area by the time I got there. It got to a point where I stopped gaining experience from the monsters there. That’s what I get for forgetting this mission existed!
Anyhow, it was nothing to reach the tomb, where a cutscene launched – the only cutscenes I remember from the game. And then, one of the NPCs gave me a cryptic clue that I was supposed to understand: I’d find my answers from the bats.
It took a while for me to remember what that meant. When I did, it became crystal clear why I recall spending so much time in this area.
Basically, I needed to farm Ding Bats for a drop of Orcish Mail Scales. Looking at the Wiki, the drop rate for these are approximately 12.4%. Not to mention, the bats only spawn at night. Fun times!
Actually, it wasn’t that terrible. Since I was over leveled, none of the other creatures were attacking me. Plus, I now had a full party of alter-ego Trust-buddies with me, so battles were fast, and the drop came in the first night of farming.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, I also managed to level up to 17, which was high enough to get beyond wearing that awful harness armor. Hurrah for the Lizard Jerkin set, which I promptly purchased using Sparks.
