Out of their way...Follow

Lately, I've been noticing more and more that some people go out of their way to do a good deed for someone like myself. Whether they're bored, feeling generous, or just simply see it as a polite thing to do, it makes no difference to me. Every time I recieve unexpected help from a total stranger, it really makes me feel more secure in the game, knowing that there are people who are willing to lend a hand for little in return.

Earnhardt saved me from the depths of Yuhtunga Jungle, when our party had been mauled by Goblin Smithys in Yhoatar Jungle. They'd disbanded the party totally, and I was hopelessly lost on my own. He rode by on chocobo and noticed me frantically trying to ashew the glares of Smithys. Leaping off his ride, he offered to escort me back to Kazham. So we partied up and he showed off his impressive PLD moves all the way back, even handing me Silent Oils and Prism Powders to conceal myself. When we finally emerged, I was so grateful. He'd gone out of his way to help me and didn't ask a thing in return, he'd even given me some handy tips on fighting.

It's not always rescuing a damsel in distress that catches my attention. Just today, I was finished with a Mission in Qufim, and was returning battle-scarred to Bastok for my next assignment. Bokeli, who I arranged a Teleport-Dem with from Lower Jeuno, met up with me. Before he'd even recieved my money for the teleport, he threw a Cure-III my way and healed me completely. It was this simple act of courtesy that appealed to me. He didn't have to heal me, but he did. ^_^

When I was waiting in Davoi for some help navigating through towards the well for my final PLD-flag quest, a PLD ran past me and, having noted my calls for help, stopped to talk to me. He apaologised that he was in a hurry with his party and couldn't take me, but the gave me excellent directions to the well, and even gave me 5 each Silent Oils and Prism Powders so I could get there on my own! (I'm ashamed to say I don't recall his name. -_- You know who you are and I thank you for it!)

There have been a lot of times when friends have helped me with entire quests out of the kindness of their hearts, and I'm grateful to them for each and every act of good faith they display. But it's when a complete stranger lends a hand out of the blue that I really feel like there are fantastic people playing alongside me. ^_^

Has everyone else had someone help them like this? Please share. ^_^

hmm.. story time, this happened.. sunday.

I had been online farming most of the day and finally found / scrapped up enough gil (or so I thought) for the ever elusive Teleport-Mea scroll.

so.. I hop a choco to jeuno.. and bid my 60k, (yes it's gone up) grrr.. no sale... 61k.....62k......63k....

well I only have 63k.. crap.

teleport-Dem to bastok... 50k, none in stock... crap.

Teleport-Holla to Sandy... 70k.... wonderful....

by this point I'm pretty frustrated with the current state of the player driven economy.. so I run to the mog house in sandy to log.. and i get a /tell for a teleport.

"which one do you need?"
"teleport-dem"

ok I have that one.. so I figure I can do this real quick then log.. helping people makes me feel better. So I run out and I notice the players name is Osaka.. so I asked her if she ever watched Azumanga Daioh.. which I absolutely love.. and she said yes and we had a great conversation about Azumanga while I was running where they were...

so I get there.. and she offers to trade...

I told her.. "don't worry about it.. that's for having a cool name and good anime taste.. ^_^"

and tele-dem'ed away to the Highlands... that took off all my aggrivation.. so I warped back to my HP in sandy and logged for the day. No Teleport-Mea, but I felt better cause I was able to be nice to someone.

I for one do not mind helping people when I can. Usually when I am on my way to my destination and I see someone low in health I throw out enough cures so they get by or the elusive dead body I always seem to come across while traveling through the dunes. I toss a Raise II and usually mid-raise I'm already running off to whatever plans I had before.

What does in fact bother me is also being a lvl 66 WHM I get hounded dozens of times daily to be powerleveled or to come across two zones to raise someone only to get there and they clicked the homepoint option. The real problem is the people that do not respect being answered back that you are either busy or not interested or even worse that you are in a party in the middle of a fight.

I do understand that you have a member of your party down and can't continue but do you also stop to think that I take away from my own party by stopping our fighting and making a 5 minute trip on a 50/50 chance the person will still need the raise, not to mention th time lost in gaining back that used MP.

Don't even get me started on the 500g per lvl offer to power level. I made 500g in my crafting sales at the AH before you even had the time to search my job. I just simply don't have the time to follow a person around for a couple hours when it takes me 35k+ exp just to level.

I'm sorry if this does sound harsh to a lot of you but the messages I get in response to my polite decline is something you don't get to deal with. Or have that person follow you around pestering you for 5 minutes and two zones to level them. Treat me with respect and you will always get the same in return and may even get surprised one day. I may "not" have the time at that moment to help you but I do have a very good memory of people that have treated me with respect and it comes back around sooner or later. On the same note if you are a jerk do not be surprised if I flat out ignore you in the future.

I have dealt with online games and communities longer than half of the server has been alive. I do not demand respect for this feat but I do have the experience in how to act and what is to be expected from others as well as myself. So please, if you see me ask what you need nicely once and accept my answer. If I do not answer that does not neccesarily mean that I am ignoring you, I may be very busy in the middle of a fight trying to save my parties backside. No need to start with the name calling or even worse, the immature shouts to the entire region about your complaint. Show respect, act mature and then see what and how far that gets you not only in the game but life as well.

Oh yeah, I heard about it, there is a life outside of the Final Fantasy.........I will never admit it!

Earnhardt is a good guy ^^, if I can I will help out anyone that's in need, and well if I can help.. I mean if they are running from a MOB 10 level's higher than me forget it... but if I have nothing to lose... I'd probably try to gain hate somehow and give them a larger gap away from it..

Exactly.. I remember being in the Dunes, and Qufim seeing all these nice people hanging around killing the trains to zone. I started doing this a while back as well with my Lv35WAR and Lv45BLM.. Once I get to 50 I can start Raising them as well. I remember as a 20-25 thinking.. when I get high enough I have to return the deed to the online society and come help with the Trains here. ^^ It's kinda fun :)