Open Beta has arrived!

Yes! After failing multiple times signing up for the closed beta (both NA and JP ones mind you), a chance at open beta has arrived! I guess it was 2 years or so? that I semi-retired from FFXI, hearing that the Online 14 was coming out 'soon'. Apparently it wasn't soon enough and I had immersed myself in another F2P (free to play) game called Perfect World International. Unlike FFXI where gil buying was *gasp* a sin, these F2P games have cash shops so its 1) EXTREMELY convenient if you have the money to buy these bonus items, and 2)If you know how to use the market and merchant, its actually possible to make a CRAP load of coins. I had been cash shopping at first but my friends showed me how wonderful (and free) merchanting was. Needless to say I've started that method too. Compared to my FFXI times, I am hoping my (still novice) merchant skills I've learned from PWI will help me in FFXIV. I remember how these crafters were doing so well in sales and boy was I envious of them!

Anyways, as most beta testers have experienced for themselves, as have I, the download time is hell. I understand FFXIV has been long awaited but WTF? O_O The torrent (last 4 gigs) shows a whopping 3 days time of DL while the direct upload shows 10+hrs atm. I actually had to take down my windows firewall to speed it up and its still a good 10hrs. WOW to the pple who actually are playing the game at this very moment. You guys are super lucky. I shall probably have to, and most likely will leave my main PC online to finish this DL process and hope that the PC itself doesnt catch on fire like it did this afternoon.

I turned on the PC when I came home from work today and *sniff sniff* wouldn't you know it, something smells like its burning... I look to my left and lo and behold I see a tiny flame burning happily INSIDE. The connector to the diskdrive has caught on fire! LUCKILY. I always keep my PC fully open on the side since its a screw on type, and with half my fan broken I cant afford to let air boil inside. Its scary to imagine if I had it screwed on shut.... Thankfully the damage is minimal with a soft charred spot on the disk drive and the next door cable still seems alive.... My guess is that some dust must have sparked and caught on fire??? I still need to get a replacement for this before the official FFXIV game gets mailed to me. =/ Countdown to my DL currently @ 10:49:xx hrs, oh boy.