The easy way out can be costly...

This was a bit troubling for me but I had do it because I needed the stuff to myself an Elite armor I bought (the recipe) for my Scout. Checking an ingredient called "Seeds of Rafflesia" was somewhat difficult to look for and I remembered it was a gem. I checked it's crafting recipe and I was shocked to find out what I needed:

Recipe - Seeds of Rafflesia
Number of Uses: 1
Level 100 - Karjalanien Exclusive
[Seeds of Rafflesia]
Rating: Ultimate Type: Others
[Material]
High Quality Sapphire x 3
Solvent x 50
Triumph Filler x 15
Elemental Jewel x 1

Holy moly! This is gonna cost me big time! I have the habit of crafting gems since better ones are rather hard to find. So, I made a few Sapphires from some crafting recipes and got some that I have some stock. With that said, I managed to make three High Quality Sapphires, enough for to make the Seeds of Rafflesia. When I gathered the materials for it, I couldn't produce it because I needed to have a Veteran Karjalanien! I contatced a friend and it was a thrill that he had bot just Karjalanien but Andre as well! I needed them both to make the Seeds of Rafflesia, then the elite armor. It was a good thing he cooperated and I finally got what I wanted: Elite Rescue Suit.

With this accomplishment, I have realized that it was really expensive doing the easy way out. Sure, I could have gotten the Seeds of Rafflesia as a rare drop but there was no way I had the ability to even go where I can get one from a drop. Also, a sense of urgency required me to do this as well. That is, getting that armor crafted because of the benefits it will provide.

I just needed to post this. I was beginning to refelct that it's not going to be easy when you want the best things in life. Looks like I have to take things slow and one at a time as well.

Biggest thanks to EldeonRose for his help to make this possible!

I'm back!!!

New Year, New Characters!

Just proof that I'm still here, despite being employed for one year at a call center with pretty big changes! Will blog soon so stay tuned!

New veteran: Samantha the Musketeer!

Inspired in getting the Outrage Shot stance, I am pleased to announce my new vet:

Samantha is now a Veteran!

Leveling characters from level 88 to 100 at the Skullic Dungeon was no easy task! I had to sacrifice sleep to make the most out of my Expert Combat Manual that gives me an additional 100% boost in level EXP. Looks like I can finally get a taste of having my Musketeer try out the Outrage Shot stance soon enough! Happy happy me!

Of course, here's a bonus pic that I took when I just slept for four hours!

So tired... Must rest... Zzzzz...

Yup. That's my leveling team, Catherine and Emilia the Sage. My ETS is actually level 100 but I didn't bother have her promoted to Veteran yet. Since she has only one Veteran Stance (which is an enhanced buffing stance), I felt it would be too early to have her promoted. So, I left to be a high level healer for the meantime.

On the next post, here's what you can expect:

Echo of Steels... O RLY?!?

Just wait for it!

A nifty tool to show off your level!

When I began to see pics of a forum member's family portraits and levels, I wanted one myself! Fortunately, a forum member did put the link to the "online service." I ended going to Another Lonely Soul.

With much excitement, I signed up and created an account. I happily created the portraits per barracks plus one to show my current team. It's really a nifty way to show off your family and their levels as well! You want to see mine? I'll post 'em right away (and check the bottom of my blog too!)!

Feast your eyes on my collection!

My current team is located on the upper left part of the blog, right above my twitter tool. However, this does not automatically sync with your game. Make sure you update it for any changes in levels and new members.

You should get yourself one too! Head over to Another Lonely Soul and sign up for an account! Oh yeah, DeSanggria also got into the trend as well!

P.S.
Will get to work on Vicente Rio's performance because I got myself the Bach Costume! Happy leveling! You still got until this Friday for that! :D

Leveling Rio is over. Now what?

Looks like I haven't gotten a goal to motivate me to play GE... Let me list down a possible set of goals I can accomplish:

• Level up my characters using firearms so I can AFK level in peace.
• Level up my construction workers for more power leveling options.
• Level up my main characters to progress forward.
• Level up the other characters to 72 at the Rion Dungeon Hollow.

I sure pretty need some advice at this point. I would to have a direction right now. What do you guys think?

What I've accomplished so far:

• Having a Veteran Catherine.
• Reaching Veteran for the main team.
• Having Rio reaching Veteran for the in-game event.

That totals it to five Veteran Characters. Well, I hope I would get some feedback from you guys. Catch y'all later! :D

Dreamz and Fantazzies Fulfilled! (Part 1 of 2)

After 11 months of playing Granado Espda, it all came down to this...

I AM FINALLY A VETERAN!!!

Yes indeed. I have reached such a status and it is a FIRST FOR ME IN ANY MMORPG I HAVE EVER PLAYED! My biggest thanks to IAH Games, IMC Games, e-Games, Kim Hak Kyu, Takhisis Faction and my fellow bloggers for being with me during my whole journey in reaching level 100! Well, time for me to tell the tale on the day I have reached level 100/Veteran...

Right after I got home from work, I logged in and decided to AFK at Topolo Durga since I had a prior dental appointment to attend to. In the process, I decided to purchase a Pioneer's Level 80 Leather Armor for my Scout so she can live a little longer and the DEF rating was worth my money. After producing one of those armors, it'll be 12 High Grade Glaziums for the next one. I better watch what I make then... After the dental appointment, I had the chance to level up with Colbourn once again! As usual, we journeyed to the 1st Floor of the Skullic Dungeon. After time passed, I decided this would be a perfect opportunity to use my powerleveling kit! So, I bought 1 day Expert Manuals for both Combat and Tactics. I also bought my "1-day rental wing set."

Coming back at the site, Colbourn had teamed us up with a player from Malaysia by the name of gellardes. We had a good chat throughout the evening and he event commented that he liked the song "Anak" by Freddie Aguilar. Wow! It was really nice of him to appreciate that song because it reminds him of his childhood. Plus, he got to hear it in Malay! We chatted the night away while taking occasional AFK's and resurrections. What got me pumped is that by approximately 10PM, this is what happened:

Me? Veteran? Here's proof!

Yes. I can now wear that Le Blanc armor I won from the "Love, Me" contest, use them fancy equips I got from Adelina's Booty and I have the right to level past 100. Never in my life have I accomplished a long term goal in the world of online gaming. Once again, I thank IAH Games, IMC Games, e-Games, Kim Hak Kyu, Takhisis Faction and my fellow bloggers for being with me during my whole journey in reaching Veteran. I hope you guys are reading this and what I write is true.

However, I can't let my fighter be the only one reaching the top! My Elementalist and Scout are on the road to catching up! Watch out for part 2 to hear the rest of the story, okay?

And the barracks just keeps getting bigger and bigger...

Yup! I fully opened up the 3rd barracks allowing me have up to 27 characters! However, I officially added 8 since I was saving a spot for a future character. But anyhoo, let's get on with the introductions! :P

Samantha, Verena and Iqbal

As always, most of the names came from Behind The Name. It's a really good site if you want to find a good name or find out the meaning of existing real names. To start of, here's Verena (Female Auch Infrantry) and Iqbal (Najib Sharif). Since Auch is German-like, I had to look for a good feminine German name and I ended up with Verena. This name is possibly related to the Latin word "verus" meaning true. Najib's name existed in Behind The Name and it means "noble" or "intelligent" in Arabic. This game me a good hint that the name should be Arabic. After countless clicks in the random name generator, I ended up with Iqbal. That name means "fortunate" (in Arabic, of course). It suits my Najib as well because he should be fortunate I did his favors so he wouldn't lose his job (and credibility)!

Marvin, Reenan and Alphonse

Here's Alphonse (Panfilo de Narvaez), the chef in Cite de Reboldoeux. He sounds really funny since IAH wanted him to sound like a French chef. Alphonse happens to be a French variation of Alfonso. I couldn't have decided more because the other names were kinda common for me already and had no other choice since I wanted to put him in barracks.

Celso, Bernard and Cletus

Yes, I did get this big guy and I have yet to try him out. This is Claude Baudez, the weapon merchant (and leading expert) of Cite the Reboldoeux. This guy is a total weapon genius, from knowing about the Silver Baron to even knowing how to use them (especially against you!). Be careful though, this guy can have a nasty fit and will result into a violent confrontation (finish Idge's quest in finding her drawing and you'll know what I mean!). He comes from Illier, so I had to find a French name. I ended up choosing Bernard, which seems to be a combination of the Germanic words "bern" (bear) and "hard" (brave, hardy). Yeah, he is brave and big as bear! :P

Guiomar, Benedito and Seward

Next up, here's Guiomar (Jose Cortasar) and Seward (Lorch Furholden). Using Jose was really tricky because he's totally dependent on his skills! Firing the canon was really fun and all. The name I gave him, Guiomar, probably came from a Germanic name meaning "famous in battle." Well, Jose is famous for (the only one) using cannons in this game. Plus, it seems that he's Spanish as well! For my Lorch, Seward sounded really nice when I came across it, although the meaning came from an Old English definition of "victory guard." His quests were a mix of tedious tasks and dramatic situations. Go read my entries on my experiences with his quests! :P

Reynard and Cristobal

Finally, here's the two kids (more like nuisances to me! :P). That's Reynard (Tiburon) and Ramiro (Cristobal). They are identical in stats and skills, save for the different looks though. Fighting Ramiro for his card was surprising but easy. Tiburon was such a pain since he had two allies to alongside him and run away every after attack (not to mention I must defeat him and his cronies to finish his quest!). For names , Reynard suits Tiburon because it is the name of a medieval fable character who is a sly fox. I gotta agree to this one, for he is sly and cunning! Ramiro ended up to be named as Cristobal, a Spanish form of Christopher.

That's all the new additions now! I better get more cards and barracks expansion in the future soon! :D Check my multiply site for new pics of Granado Espada! :D

Time for some pics!

I have some new shots of my family at Auch. Of course, my latest addition would be Catherine!

Go ahead and click on the picture to access the album at my Multiply site. These were taken from my cousin's PC!

Well, I'm back here at my home. Looks like I got a lot of catching up to now. For an update, my main team are now at the level cap of 61. I'm also trying to level up my Catherine (Alana) in order to use her as the "powerleveling trainer" for my characters below 48. That means my Catherine should reach level 48 sooner or later.

Remember about the proposed stance I made for the next "Melee Elemental?" Here's a (poorly done) stance window I made with some photo engineering...

Image of proposed stance for the next "Melee Elemental"

Don't use this as proof of an upcoming or existing character, please. I don't like to start wild speculations.

This is all I have to say for now. Quest updates next time (I promise!). One more pic:

Don't you just miss the Escudo Pecher?

Family Update!

ファミリウプダテ! Don't worry! The Japanese fan in me is saying the title a la Japanese! :D Anyhoo, let me introduce to you my ever-growing family!

The main team: Sabrina (Scout), Marvin (Fighter) and Stephanie (Elementalist)

From here on (actually, days ago!), I'll be using them to progress to higher levels and new worlds. I want to thank my faction mate for making me consider to have a main team if I ever want to catch up on level progression and to properly participate in the Colony Wars (believe me, I never survived a battle at the Colony Wars). Marvin (my real name as well!) here is currently using Epee Garde, switching from High-Guard (and learned the last skill for Plow Guard). Stephanie continues to practice her Evocation Fire stance, although she used Evocation Lightning against the monsters of the Desolate Cliff of Porto Bello. Sabrina has finally mastered the First Aid stance (which Fortitudo was her first mastery) and continues to use it, although she misses using daggers and trying out the Install Trap stance.

Joanne (Emilia), Refilwe (M'Boma) and Sandra (Wizard)

However, let's not forget the other members! Here is Joanne, Refilwe and Sandra. Joanne still serves as a medic but occasionally getting a hand on a magic rod when she feels bored in helping the new members get stronger. Refilwe still focuses in practicing his Evocation Fire stance from the last time he ever went to the battlefield. Sandra just recently learned (and immediately mastered) Invisible Stalker. Sandra's last field experience was hunting down Steel Armed Tortoises for Lorch (in favor of Marvin, of course!).

Syeri (Idge), Miriam (Lisa) and Jacki (Adelina)

Surely, I had Lisa during the Pre-Open Beta test (named her Miriam) and she was really good in handling knives. She just learned Doblada Corte through a stance book and her last known field exposure was at Thueringenwald. For our first-timers, she's the owner of the Sea Elephant Cafe located at Coimbra. Now, I introduce to you Syeri (as Idge) and Jacki (as Adelina). As always, I always give an explanation on where I got the names for my character. For my Idge, I named her after Syeri Lee Baet, known for her "Carpool" comic works. Plus, she's a friend of mine as well. Idge really reminds me of Syeri, so that's why I named my Idge after her! :D As for my Adelina, I decided on using a random pirate name generator. After a few clicks, I ended with Jacki. Adelina's quest involved revenge and I can't believe she'd go through with it all the way! I finished it and it was really enjoyable.

Freyja (Brunie), Samantha (Musketeer) and Lauryn (Grace)

When I bought my first four barrack expansions, Lauryn (as Grace) is one of my first new characters. Surely, Grace is a former Intelligence Officer of Brestia and she's investigating on how Vespanola won against Brestia's Invincible Fleet during the Three Year War. While doing her quest, her suspicions rose when she accompanied with me the Tetra Catacombs and discovered a mechanical creature known as the "Treasure Golem" with a Vespanolan Noble named "Cherlyn." It seems Vespanola is plotting something and this strengthened my cause for the Republicans. Of course, who could not forget my sister Samantha the Musketeer! She accompanied Sandra is hunting down Steel Armed Tortoises for Lorch's quest. She has completely mastered her Double Gun stance and now focusing on the Aimed Shot stance for pistols. Freyja here (as Brunie) is also a new addition to my family of pioneers. If you're familiar with Norse Mythology, Freya (Freyja is an older form) is the Norse goddess of love and beauty. Brings back memories of Valkyrie Profile... I actually wanted some sort of European name and I ended up with Freyja. Forgot which category I picked to get it...

Reenan (Reboldoeux Soldier), Benedito (Soho) and Celso (Gracielo)

Reenan (as Reboldoeux Solider) was added after three characters (Soho, Grace and Jack). I named him after my friend, Reenan M. Ferrer, a cadet of the Philippine Military Academy of Class 2008 Baghawi (Bagong Halaw ng Lahi, translates to "New Generation"). It's so sad though, because he died of illness before he could graduate PMA. I prepared two eulogies in honor of Reenan. He now lives on as a member of my family. I added Benedito (as Soho) because I needed another medic for some variety. However, he does better with Escrima. Looks like he can't heal well but can buff (which is dependent on the skill's effectiveness). Benedito is a Portuguese form of Benedict. Celso was my 9th character to be added during the Open Beta period. I was able to do his quest and it really changed him (not fully). If you ask me, he sounds like a "punked Mario" to me and is he ever so noisy (not to mention cocky)!

Cletus (Diego the Carpenter) and Clint (Jack the Engineer)

Clint (as Jack) was my first character to step into the second barracks. I really wanted to try out his construction skill and I find it really good, for a short time. I don't get to do much action after I wipe out a room or area full of monsters with the cannons he provide. Maybe I'll use it in the Forgotten Territories (if I can afford one!)... Cletus (as Diego) was my recent addition to the family, since Diego's "rotating blade" skill is a need for colony sieging/claiming thanks to "Hrin's Blender" technique. Since I was able to "peek" at the voice files of sGE, Jack sounded like a cowboy and Diego sounded like a redneck. This was a good reference in deciding names for these two. Although I tried to use a random cowboy name generator, I ended up with Clint from Clint Eastwood ("Feeling lucky, punk?"). As for Cletus, I ended up using a random country star generator (as it claims you can use it as your redneck name). I typed in Diego and I got "Cletus Brooks."

Yes, this means I bought more Barrack Slots and I achieved a maximum total of 18 slots! I didn't make an eighteenth character yet! I'm planning to save it for... Catherine the Summoner!

Wow! That's one heck of an update! I have to make another post because I'm planning a welcoming celebration of new members for the RedSign Faction!

Upcoming site!

I've been busy brushing up my skills in PHP and MySQL since I got a job offer of being a PHP Programmer. Why does this have to do with Granado Espada? Look at the partially updated "The Mena Family" section in my blog. The ones with bigger pictures have profiles! I'll work on the others once I have some free time. At least you'll have some history for the main members of my family!

Things to consider when viewing the pages:

• All the info are purely fiction. Some info are based on real-life experiences while others are not and maybe purely coincidental. Read at your own discretion.
  
• A new browser window will open if you click the portrait.
• If you click on a small portrait, you might get nothing for I haven't given that character a page of their own (or in technical terms, there's no data in the database yet).
• The background images will require some loading time because they're at least 500KB and below. Sorry! I wanted quality since those are PNG images!

Maybe I'll also use my recently acquired webspace as a new home for my flash comics... *cooks up an idea!*