Ok...I give up.


I have dug in pretty much every zone you can dig in. I've spent zillions on chocobo greens. But I just cannot figure out this test system. We've all seen the one where supposedly there are "levels" that start at 0 and go up through 9, each with their own "time between digs" and "time to dig after zoning".


Supposedly:


Test 1: bone chip (to advance from level 0)

Test 2: rattan lumber

Test 3: cinnamon stick

Test 4: danceshroom

Test 5: rosewood log

Test 6: puffball

Test 7: petrified log

Test 8: "KINGUITORI?--FU"

Test 9: "SPIRIT LAWN"


According to this, I should be at level 7. I have dug everything up to and including the petrified log. However, I'm still stuck on the second level, level 1; 11 seconds dig time and 60 seconds zone time.


I thought maybe that you have to dig up the test item in quantity, but I've dug up about 2 stacks of rattan lumber, and no level jump.


Anyone have any ideas on this?

i would assume that it would be just like crafting, u have to lvl up ur skill to 8 before u take the test. Like crafting i can make rabbit mantles at lvl 5 but gotta wait till 8-10 to turn it in. I really have no clue, but i would assume u cant just jump rank by digging up the next lvl item, i would think that u would have to spend several hours digging per lvl

That's why I thought at first perhaps you had to dig up the "test item" in quantity. But like I said, I've dug up almost 2 stacks of rattan lumber, and no level.


Grrrr.

You need to be digging up bone chips to advance to level two. I recently finally hit level 2 (FINALLY!!!) and I was pretty damn amazed. There was no indication or notification that I had become the next level other than the fact that my time between digs decreased by 5 seconds.


I started a thread on 1/21 with the same name as this one, hoping to find info on this. I have been digging somewhat regularly since then and only finally have I hit level 2. Here is the one link in the whole web that I have found to be worthwhile:


http://www.hzascension.com/ff11/chocobos.html


I leveled in West Altepa. This link suggests to do most of your leveling in the elshimo region. Just keep digging. Focus on the fun/adventure aspect of it and you won't get frustrated. My current digging partner has used up over 100 stacks of greens and still hasn't hit level 2. It just takes a longggggggg time.


Edit: btw, I was counting the first level as 1, rather than 0, as the URL above describes it. I count from 0 at work, so I prefer to be slightly less geeky when gaming.

those "tests" are totally bogus. Basically if you dig a lot, you start to get decreased time. And i know the skill is real because i've seen people digging with like 3 seconds of wait time.

Well, I've already passed the bone chip test. That's why I'm trying for rattan lumber. (I counted 0 as the first level.) I mean it's not going to stop me from Chocobo Digging, because I have a lot of fun doing it, but I would like to see some sort of logic behind when I advance in "levels".


Oh, and thanks for confirmation that there ARE more levels. I was about to say, has anyone even seen people digging that quickly? I mean, I've been actively Chocobo Digging since at least late December, when I started to get interested in it. Every time I go out I take at LEAST 6 stacks of Chocobo Greens, and I usually make a trip JUST for Chocobo Digging 4x a week. (More before I got my airship pass.)


12 weeks (minimum) x 4 times a week x 72 Chocobo Greens = 3,456 Chocobo Greens. Though I'm guessing it's closer to double if not triple that.


I'm been working on a Chocobo Page for my friend's website (http://somepage.com/ffxi/), so if anyone has any info they think would be good there, holler at me.

I have seen the diggers with the zero delay between digging and I've also seen the diggers who have incredibly low zone delay.


I was leveling in yhoatar once and a bird rider zoned in. We were camped in the tunnel just after the zone. Before his bird made it out, he was already digging. Given that 10 seconds is supposedly the lowest zone wait, that'd make him at least level 8 or 9 (counting from 0).


I didn't realize you had already made level one. Since you have, I don't really understand your question. Or perhaps you just got incredibly lucky and hit level 1 fast? If it took you since december to get to level 1, then why would you expect level 2 to come anymore quickly? (except the fact that you can dig faster, of course!)


btw, what's the most valuable item that you've dug? I haven't been lucky on this front and the best I've gotten are some rosewood logs in yuhtunga. But I have a friend who got a philosopher stone in east altepa which he then sold for 24k. He is level 0.


Also, do you bother camping diggers? I do this if I see one, but I usually lose patience since the items you get aren't really worth all that much. I sold a goblin cup for 2k, but that was to the AH. I haven't bothered to save them up for the antique quest yet. I just try to find favorable weather conditions and then dig dig dig. I've lately been fishing in altepa, so if my inventory is sufficiently empty and I see a Fire weather I head on out and see what comes up. My digging partner and I have had very poor results digging on double Earth weather. Still not really sure about Fire (does altepa have double Fire?).


Anyway, I'd love to hear what others are doing with digging... I enjoy digging though and having actually leveled, it renewed my interest. I was beginning to lose hope.

My first level came fairly quickly, I guess that's why I've been disappointed it's taken so long to level after that.


As far as valuable, I don't usually get items worth more than 5-7k. There's always the logs in Yuhtunga, I always manage a couple of Rosewood and Ebony, and sometimes a Petrified Log, per dig.


I get Mythril beastcoins a lot in N/S Gusta and Highlands. Not valuable alone, but when you can get a stack in a day or two, it's nice. I get darksteel ore there, too. I got a red jar for my MogHouse in Rolanberry Fields, not valuable but I was happy! Got some gold beastcoins in Meriphataud Mountains.


I have lists of translated Japanese items you can get from each zone versus my own data of what you can dig up. I plan on putting it up.


I like digging up clusters on double element days, since I'm a crafter. I need to dig more in Altepa, I've been neglecting that area a lot. Maybe I'll do that this weekend.

wow, it sounds like your digging has been a hell of a lot more profitable than mine. I generally get crap. Are you using any strategy to choose where to dig, or are you just digging around randomly? Also, are you paying attention to the weather/weekday very much? If so, would you mind sharing any findings?

I don't follow goblin diggers. I'm too impatient, and I never seem to see them bury anything.


As to weather - I do pay attention. I had a theory for awhile that whatever elementals you can find in a zone (i.e. Yuhtunga is water), you should dig on the day that element is strong to. So, I dig on Firesday in Yuhtunga. Watersday in Konschtant Highlands, Earthdday in Tahrongi Canyon, etc. I don't know if this is a good rule, though. I mean, I just spent about 20 minutes digging in Meriphataud Mountains on Lightningday, and I didn't get much at all. Although as soon as the Earth element came out, it got better. Who knows? And then again, what about zones that have 2 elementals, like Valkurm?


You are NOT alone in getting crap. LOTS and LOTS of pebbles and insect wings. My ratio of crap to decent stuff seems to be about 3 or 4:1. And it took me a lot of digging before I even began to see any proportion of decent stuff.


I don't follow a specific path, I just run around. Sometimes I follow the path through the zone, sometimes I just wander aimlessly.