How to grind like a pro

So, here's how one goes from level 37 to level 43 in the course of a single day:

I spent about 40 minuts LFP as SCH37, with FFXI minimized and several poker windows open in the foreground (thank goodness for the /tell detector windower plugin). Finally getting an invite, the party was a standard Crawler's Nest beetle party, level range of 39-41, that looked as follows:

SCH/WHM <--- Me, main healing
BRD/WHM <--- Good player, member of Tribe (a top endgame LS)
BLM/WHM <--- Party leader
WAR/THF <--- Good damage dealer, part time tank as a result
WAR/NIN <--- Passable tank, good damage dealer
MNK/WAR <--- Damage dealer

By far, I'm learning, the sexiest thing about SCH is the fact that we get Regen II at level 37 (WHM's don't get it until 44). By far the biggest flaw in most main healer's games is an underuse of Regen spells. Unless a party member is in potential danger of dying, there's no reason to spam them with the highest level cure spells. Regen II costs 36 mp, heals 12/tick for about 240 total hp gained, and generates basically no enmity. Compare that with Cure III, which costs 46mp, heals ~190hp, and generates enmity equal to its damage healed (same as, say, a 190hp weapon skill).

Anyway, between the main tank's shadows, Ballad + Sublimation, liberal usage of Regen II and aggressive use of Drain and Aspir, MP was never an issue and we were able to chain pull the beetles for a consistent Chain 5. Our only limiting factor was mob availability.

All the while the BRD was mentioning that we should really be at the Altepa outpost, fighting goblins. I didn't disagree, and between us, when we had a party member (one of the WARs) ding 41, we persuaded the group to move. We gathered together at Altepa and began chain pulling gobs like crazy. It was there that I dinged 40 and gained my oh-so-sexy AOE Stratagem. The BLM left and replaced himself with a BLU, giving the BRD party lead, the WAR/THF left, replacing himself with a SAM, and the WAR/NIN left, replacing himself with a JP PLD that really knew his business. Wonderful with Shield Bash and Flat Blade for stunning gobbiebombs.

Our PLD was a bit higher in level, and when he dinged 42 the xp from gobbies dried up a bit, so we decided to make another move over to the Western Altepa Desert beetles. There was a party there, but there are 2 good campsites there, so we took the second. Before we know it, xp is flowing like crazy again and we get quite a few dings.

The BRD left there, replacing himself with a DNC (and giving me pt lead), the SAM replaced himself with another SAM, and the BLU replaced himself with a RDM. We also had a bit of a dramabomb when the PLD had to go, and a 44 PLD showed up to replace him. 44 was a bit high for us, but I was prepared to let him in anyway, but when our PLD left, his replacement was just standing there with his LFP marker set. I invited him several times, to no result, while the party is just standing around wondering wtf is going on.

Eventually we notice there's a 43 PLD LFP and after 10 minutes of waiting or so, I go ahead and invite him. He's most of the way out to the desert when finally, the 44 PLD announces "I'm back!". We're all, um, wtf, where were you, he said I went AFK. I break the news that we already repped him because he was AFK with no explanation and he left. On his way out he sent me a few tells basically telling me "shame on you." I respond with, "Dude, you don't show up as a replacement and go afk for 10 minutes without saying a damn word. All it would have taken was a quick 'hey guys, gotta afk for 10min or so, sorry'." I have no regrets on repping him, though, which is no doubt helped out by the fact that his replacement PLD was very good and of a level more appropriate for our party.

Our replacement PLD dings 44 about the same time I ding 42, and most of the party is 43. By this time we're PLD, DNC, SAM, MNK, RDM, SCH and the exp has dried up substantially. We decide to move to Quicksand caves, but find the camp site occupied (I for one was not exactly heartbroken; I *hate* QSC), so instead I persuade the party to head out to Yhoator Jungle, the camp at the eastern Ifrit's Cauldron zone, to fight the gobbies there. That's like my favorite camp site in the game, probably because basically nobody has ever heard of it. Only one other person in my party even knew you could get exp at our level in Yhoator, and none had actually exp'd out there. I think I've now exp'd out there with 3 of my 4 jobs that have gotten to that level.

(Side-note: my second-favorite camp site in the game is Purgonogo Isle as the perfect remedy to late Yhoator Jungle / early East Altepa. Fighting the mandies there is an awesome alternative to the other common camps available at that level).

The party flowed smoothly from there and within an hour or so we'd gained some 7k xp. However, by then it was 4 in the morning and we had like three people that had to leave at the same time (including myself), so we decided to disband, to everyone's disappointment.

This still doesn't match the binge that saw me go from BLM72-BLM75 in a single night, though it gets special marks for being a party that survived no fewer than four separate campsites. Not many parties survive that many transitions. Was a hell of a night.

Final Party Distribution

BLM --> BLU --> RDM
WAR --> PLD --> PLD
WAR --> SAM --> SAM
BRD --> DNC --> DNC
MNK --> MNK
SCH!