OMG! This is like something out of Tolkien! Amazing!

[Floriano Verdante]

My name is Matt and in game I'm the ginger Elezen Floriano Verdante. I'm a 31 year old cosmetologist and I live in Iowa with my fiance, Doug. This is us on a recent trip to Colorado.

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My very first MMO was Ultima Online, you know, back in the day. Most of my time was spent convincing people I was a hot, redheaded woman so they would give me money and armor. Thus, my experience with UO was essentially a fashion show mixed with social elements. But then something amazing happened. Final Fantasy XI was released. I ran out and bought a graphics card that featured FFXI screenshots on the box. I was completely ignorant of the card's compatibility with my computer, I just wanted to play the damn game. As luck would have it, the card did work with my system. A guy from my church put the card in for me, and raped me with his service charge. Looking back I really should punch that guy in the face. Anyway, I cried the first time I logged into the game. That is to say, I cried after repeating several times, "I can't get my guy to move."

Vana'diel kind of ruined my life. I hate to blame it all on FFXI, but it did put the final nail into the coffin in regards to the tumultuous relationship I was in at the time. After that I became very sad and exiled myself from Vana'diel. As punishment I played WoW.

Fast forward a bit. Final Fantasy XIV was announced. More crying. Note to self, buy better computer. Computers are expensive. Learn to build computer. Slowly piece together the beast that purrs at my feet. Fall in love with my creation.

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So, I was able to get into FFXIV beta. Limsa Lominsa. First impression? "I can't move my guy!" Then the NPC to get into the city decides to take a vacation due to the influx of simultaneous log-ins in the area. Yay. Finally get into the city and spend most of my time walking around because I don't know what I'm suppose to be doing. I decided that things would be clearer at launch.

Skip to launch!

Day one: Um... what do I do when I'm done with leves?
Day two: Old habits start to reform due to lack of meaningful goals.
Day three: I would look hot in a subligar.
Day four: Look at my subligar!

I'm sure it all happened a lot like that. I think I lasted a month, tops. Squeenix still sent me emails, and I would read them to keep up on what was happening with the game. I really wanted it to work out, but it just wasn't fun for me. Then, for some reason or another, I jumped back in. I chose a low population server (bad idea, really) and just leveled. Things were a lot more enjoyable and I was able to make real progress without being distracted by what so-and-so was wearing or if this or that place had the prettiest view. I had a close-knit guild, but when it came down to end game content... nobody was really interested in it. The low server population made it hard to throw together a PUG. Plus there were a ton of French people on that server, and they really didn't like anybody but French people. I had to leave.

And so it begins anew...

In closing, I am sharing a picture of me with a Tonberry on my head because, as the old saying goes, "Let them go forth and wear Tonberry's on their heads."

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