Why I refused to vial to ______

I remember when I got to TBS level (well, technically, you’re able to do TBS at 50, but I didn’t start until I was 100, and even so, it was a once-in-a-while thing), I was expressing my frustrations doing TBS as an instrument main.  At the time, my gear sucked, at least the gear of my TBS mercs were, my witch’s (henceforth known as Destini) Meteor Strike was merely level 40, and I didn’t know that trap maps existed.

Okay, so I rarely use trap maps to this day to its fullest potential, but that’s because tabbing in and out while doing a TIMED mission isn’t really reasonable.

But anyways, I got bombarded by guildies at the time to vial (price at that time:400 mil, Yvitini’s net worth per week: 70 mil assuming all silver coins) to staff or cannon main.

Why the hell would I want to do that?  Yes, instrument mains don’t have it as easy as a staff (can TBS with craptastic gear) or cannon (range advantage and Devastation Shell), but let’s look at why I chose to be an instrument main in the first place.

It wasn’t because of TBS.

Back when I started this game thanks to my fiance (henceforth known as Esco), I was overwhelmed by the choices I had.  You see, in the last MMO I played, we had 6 classes (now it has 10), but it wasn’t set up like Atlantica is.  There were some mains that were clear-cut (sword uses…swords, staffs are healers), and there was the classic bow class.  And the not-so-classic gunner and cannon.   But I have never seen a game where the weapon was an instrument; a guitar to be precise.  The choice was clear–I knew I wouldn’t enjoy melee classes, I am not a supporter (more on my fail as a staff main in another post), and the idea of putting arrows to the knee (sorry, couldn’t resist) just didn’t appeal to me (and Esco is a bow main himself).

Instrument it was.

Once I understood the mechanics of how certain skills worked, I was loving it.  I didn’t really start enjoying the game until I was about 85-90, but it was because I still had to get used to some things.  When I came back to the game last August, then I learned a bit more about TBS, but was told that it was something reserved for level 100+.  But when I was struggling between IM charges (yes, I IM, what’s it to you?), I had to find something to supplement my income, and that’s when I found videos of Fritz.

I learned a couple of things while watching those videos: the usage of Destini (and the awesomeness that is Meteor Strike) at lower level TBS misions, why my jani and, later sheriff (henceforth known as Achmed and Rydia) would soon replace her, and why an instrument main, while not as easy as a staff main or a cannon in regards of TBS, can fuck shit up just as well.

That, and I’m too stubborn (and I guess you can say cheap) to vial otherwise.

Now, just out of curiosity, I did make both a staff main and a cannon main to see what the hell was so special about them. Both aren’t at TBS level yet (my cannon main is closer), so I dunno yet, but with the alts,  I can see if I want to invest more on either char, but my heart will always be with my first love.  Besides, Ravaging Melody makes shit die faster with a 2-gun TBS set up.  I’m just saying.