Runescape: 99 Fishing? Check!

Well, that turned out to be easy.  Finally got my 99 Fishing.  Started with 157k left to go in the afternoon.  I've been fishing Rocktail, it's decent experience and a good profit.  Getting from 97 to 99 has actually built my bankroll back up enough to start flipping small items again.  After buying Bandos armor, and getting Herblore high enough to make Overloads, I needed to work on a money MAKING skill for a change.

When I first logged in, Monique and I took a few minutes to do the Thanksgiving 2011 bonus content.  It was nice-ish, though one of the simplest holiday bonuses I can remember.  Talk to the turkey, talk to the king.  Run 3 very simple and close-by errands, all done.  Okay, getting a new pet, the Turkey, was kind of sort of neat.  Well done graphics, and a nice final cutscene.  Still, nothing at all as complex as the Halloween content.

I can't say I disliked it, but I wasn't really impressed, either.  I'm glad I did it, because I like to complete all quests and events as they come out.  But I dismissed my pet turkey.  I'll let Diango store him for me.  I need my bank space.  To be fair, this is probably very cool content if you're fairly new at Runescape.  But for experienced players, it's nothing more than another box to check off in the list of things to do.

So back to the fishing.  It's been a long time since I've looked at all the skillcape emotes.  I nearly didn't get a fishing skillcape, because it's such an easy skill to 99 in.  Just a matter of taking your time and not being  in a hurry.  It's a great skill to work on while watching a movie, reading a book, or eating lunch...

Anyway, I don't remember the Fishing Skillcape Emote being this nice.  Now I'm glad I bought the cape.  :^)

So, as usual, after finishing a goal, the big question is... what next?

I haven't decided yet.  I'll probably goof around for a while before setting a new 'big' goal.  I've been chopping ivy behind Castle Varrock, while flipping at the Grand Exchange.  For me, flipping is a lot slower now than it used to be.  But it still works.  And it's a great thing to train hand in hand with slower skills.  Woodcutting, mining, I've got a long way to go on both of those, they should see me through while I build my bank back up.

Runescape: Fishing for a 99

It's been a while since my last post.  So, okay, here's a quick synopsis of what I've been doing:

Bored.

Bored, Bored, Bored…

 Okay, a little more detail-   After all the excitement of learning how to kill Jad (it's been a long time in the works, and more than a little drama involved), I wasn't sure what to do with myself.  A little here, a little there.  A bit of Barrows.  Some flipping at the GE.  A quest or some new content as it's available.  Penguin hunting.  But mainly, going for my fishing 99. 

I know, right?  Boring.  But I was pretty close to 98 just kind of by accident.  For lack of anything else really appealing, I figured it couldn't be that hard to get the 99.  It was pretty easy to get 98.  But I keep forgetting how much raw experience it takes to get a 99. 

Finally, it's getting pretty close.  Baby Jad's been down in the Living Rock Caverns with me, catching Rocktail.  It's a shame he can't learn some tricks.  That would be kind of fun.  But anyway, at the moment I'm about 212k away.  Not getting there tonight, it's almost 1am.  But soon. 

Really, now, what's the point?  It's not like fishing is a cool skill.  Certainly not that interesting.  Though it does make a good skill to work on while I build and paint a model at my desk.  Or write this blog…

And it's not a rare skill.  No excitement on any front whatsoever.

At this point, you've got to be wondering why the heck I'm writing this?  I know I'd be asking that question right about now. 

Which brings me back to my initial point… Bored.  Bored, bored, bored.

Yeah, writing this is helping to pass the time.  But also, it's been a while since I wrote a new blog.  I don't like to go too long without a new one.  Got to keep up the habit.

Anybody else working on a boring skill for the 99?  We can compare boredom together  :^)

Runescape Fight Cave: Waves 1 - 61 Guide

 Runescape Fight Cave: No Shortcuts to Winning- Jad Takes Practice

It's all over.  I finally learned how to beat Jad, in a normal, average, repeatable way.  Posted the video on Youtube, linked to it in my blog.  For fun, I even took a knockout aura with me, and it worked.  Jad got owned by the Blue Light Special!
Now, I've decided to post the video guide to the 'other' part of the Fight Cave.  The part where you fight wave after endless wave of monsters just for the privilege of facing TzTok-Jad. 

I had worked on technique for a long time.  Finally found a hybrid style that works well for me.  Given how sloppy I am at combat, that's saying a lot.  But like I said, it works.  I get to Jad with plenty of supplies left, and in very good shape.  It actually uses melee, ranging, and magic. 

To begin with, my style was pure ranging.  Worked, but I got there after more than 2 hours.  Needless to say, I really hated spending 2 hours just to get killed by Jad within seconds.  Then I found a guide in youtube that recommended a pure melee approach.  Tried it.  Wow, really fast.  Got there in around 40 minutes... if I got there at all.  Yes, I found out that if my attention wandered even a little bit, they tended to kill me.  Tried a mixed melee/ranged method.  Better, but slow.  And I couldn't always arrange things to use Soul Split and heal.  Gave me some real trouble.

Then I saw a video of someone Blood Barraging Jad.  It really struck a chord with me.  Heal, attack with magic, pray against those pesky 360s...all at the same time!  Now I was cooking with gas! 

Barrage really worked in getting me to Jad.  I made a few attempts to beat Jad with Barrage, but that wasn't so effective.  Still, it got me to Jad, and in just over an hour.  Seemed a fair enough compromise between speed and safety. 

Once I nailed the technique down, I recorded it and posted an entire trip on Youtube.  But I didn't just upload the video.  I edited the heck out of it.  Put my equipment and inventory at the beginning.  Annotated comments all over the video, and included clickable links to go directly to any wave.

  It was a lot of work, and took several days.  Now it's done.  I hope you like it!

Runescape: Fight Caves- Finally learned how to beat Jad with Ranged

 Runescape Fight Cave: No Shortcuts to Winning- Jad Takes Practice

It's been a long time coming.  From earlier this year, when I learned to beat Jad in the Fight Caves, using Ancient Curses/Deflect Prayers... to the day I found out they nerfed the Ancient Curses method... to last week.  Last week, I finally decided to get serious about Jad.  I've beaten him in the past, have earned 2 baby Jads as pets, and it just doesn't feel right that I can't beat him any more.
I've wanted to mess with him for months, but there's always something else to work on.  Those other goals kept getting in the way.  But about a week ago, the mood descended upon me, and it was time to learn the Zen of Jad.  Again.
For nearly a week, I tried different things, kept going back, got stomped on by Jad.  Over and over.  But that's okay now.  Way back when, I learned how to beat Jad just because I wanted the Taskmaster emote, which required all the elite tasks to be accomplished.  One of those requirements was to own a Fire Cape, which of course means I had to defeat Jad.
Basically, I didn't want to fight Jad, but had to in order to get another goal.  So I really hated it.  This time, my motivation was unclouded by hidden agendas.  I just wanted to learn how to beat the Fight Cave.
Many players just sail through the cave, making it look easy.  "Look, I beat Jad with a spoon!"... "Look, I beat Jad with 1 prayer point!"... tons of creative players showing off how good they are.
Not me.  My combat skills are atrocious.  I survive most fights because I've got maxed combat stats.  If it requires real skill, I'm sunk.  Nomad took me over a week to beat.  Jad just seemed way beyond my abilities.

This time, though... it was different.  I kept going back, persistently.  Once or twice a day.  Each time I'd try something different, learn a little more.  Without realizing, I was actually practising.  A lot.

Last night, I finally took him on, using the traditional ranged approach.  It was a thing of beauty.  I was in the zone.  No panic, no fear, no mistakes.  Once Jad and I squared off, every step went perfectly.  For my first time ever, I ranged Jad to halfway, popped the each of the healers with a bolt, got them lined up, and finished Jad.  Finishing him off with the Knockout Aura was just icing on the cake.

I know, probably not a big deal to most players.  But for me, it's huge.  Now I feel like I can beat Jad (nearly) every time I go.

I got good at Jad by accidentally practicing too much...How cool is that?

Runescape: You Can have 2 Baby Jads!

 

2 Baby Jads!

Runescape: How To Get Baby TzRek-Jad: And Yes, You Can have 2 Baby Jads!

TzRek-Jad.  Baby Jad.  By now, if you've read nearly ANY of my posts since the original announcement of baby Jad, you know I'm sort of attached to him.  Strike that... better description... I'm sort of obsessed with him.  Long story, been told multiple times, but the short of it is, I really have an odd obsession about TzRek-Jad.

That said, went through some crazy effort, wound up getting him about 3 weeks after his release.

Okay, so all's cool, I'm pleased as punch with him, and life is good.  But, I've had the intent of someday going back to Soul Wars, and getting 100 more Zeal.. for a Baby Jad in the house menagerie.  Yes, I know that's a bit crazy.  Like I said...

Up until Thursday, I had no intention of pursuing it any time soon.  I really hated Soul Wars.  But this week was Jagex's vaunted Bot-Nuking Extravaganza.  Aside from dealing the bots a crippling blow, they released several bonus events in celebration.  One of those events... triple experience for a full day in Soul Wars.

 Knowing this in advance, I figured to do what I could Thursday evening.  However much it turned into would be that much closer to Jad number 2.  About 9:30 in the evening my time, after the daily update, Monique and I both sat down to score some Zeal.  Triple points?  Usually you get 1 point for losing, 2 for a draw, and 3 to win.  With the bonus, it's 3 points to lose, 6 for a draw, and 9 to win.  This adds up amazingly fast.

As much as I really hate playing Soul Wars, I got wrapped up in the intensity, and watching those points add up.  Friday was already booked solid, so I knew this was my only chance to take advantage of the triple Zeal points.  At some time early in the morning hours, I decided I was still wired, and had amazingly garnered 70 points already... so pushed until it was done.  By 6:00 this morning, I had Baby Jad number 2!!

That gives about an hour and a half to sleep before work.  But I don't regret it.  Drank some extra coffee, plowed through work, I can sleep some other time.

 Now Jad Junior's in the house.  And in the bank.  One for the menagerie, and one to hang out with me while I play.  I know.  Strange goal, insane effort, but it meant something to me, and I'm very very satisfied to have 2 baby TzRek-Jads.  I've done some Google and Youtube searches, and as far as I can tell, I'm the only one so far to have 2 of them.

Who knew?  Jad's a Dad... and it's twins!