WARNING - New Players or Players thinking of coming back - Consider this first.

[Patrik]

i have my Mentor icon always up because i WANT new players to ask me questions and for help... sadly most new players have no idea what that M next to our name means... and even worse, most people with the M just get it as some kinda fashion thing. then when a new player asks them something they just go "lolwut? goaway" unfortunately the couple people talking in here for help are not on my server, but any new players reading this on bismarck, please if you have any questions send me a /tell when i'm on. and i wont always have time to do things, feel free to also ask me to help out, i'll do my best to make time.

since most of the game now is infact abyssea, i really enjoy doing old content with new players, even if thats exping in the dunes, or fighting the 2-3 dragon

[Patrik]

In my experience this is what a lot of new players do and when they get rejected they say how bad FFXI is and how unfriendly the community is. FFXI players make up a community, treat people as you would treat people irl and be nice. Nobody has to help you and you don't deserve help just cause you are paying the monthly sub. If someone is busy and can't help you when you ask don't get annoyed just stick with it and keep asking other people, and as I said keep your tone nice, remember you are asking people to help you.

I've played this game for nearly 7 years now and I've never had serious issues getting help with anything, players are generally really nice but the way you talk to people is very important. If you're an ass people will treat you like one.

Oh and if you want help, read up on what you need help with before you ask. Don't ask people for help and expect them to know all about whatever you want help with.

wiki.ffxiclopedia.org

also i second this post, i've also been around for 7 years and have seen how the way you ask things really affects the outcome (just like rl). i've had noobs come up to me, stare for a few minutes, i move they follow. so i think, maybe they don't know how to use chat? but then i get a tell saying "help me now". so i go "ok... what do you need?". and many times i get this blunt reply "i need gil, trade me 100000gil" or "i like your gear, give it to me." it sounds so outrageous it would seem like a joke but... that's just the farther side of the spectrum, ask nicely, don't talk to people like it is their duty to help you, and say thank you... again just like real life XD it is a game, but we're all real people

[Meyi]

-gasp- So many gil farmers in a game where gil is no longer relevant! Oh no!

I have a better list suggestion:

1. /shout "I'm new to the game, may I have a linkpearl with some awesome people?" in your beginning zone. Do a /sea region to find out where the majority of the traffic is and shout in that specific zone. Or hey, /yell it now instead!
2. Most advanced jobs can be soloed. The ones that can't can be asked for help by a linkshell or a higher level friend made along your adventure.
3. Learn about GoV and level sync.
4. Learn about Abyssea.
5. Try to get to know people in the game. Make friends. Chat in parties and talk in /tells to people you find interesting.

Believe it or not I know a lot of very friendly people who are willing to help new and returning players, myself included. It's not as if we owe any of you a thing; you've never helped us achieve a single thing in this game, but the idea is that it's fun to make new friends and hopefully one day the favor will be returned.

I don't appreciate beginners who refuse to learn anything for themselves though. A lot of silly questions could be answered if the person took three minutes to look it up on wiki.

The game's lifespan is really not in as bad of shape as you think it is and we really don't need beginners to enjoy the game. Almost all of the fun is at the final level (currently 90) and it's not as if we get anything out of helping people below us.

Such a pessimistic personality is one way to dissuade higher levels from helping you achieve your goals.

[Rafien]

All you new players, switch to Bahamut, and look me up. I'll be more then happy to help you guys along.

[Inafking]

I completly support the TC. This is a legit problem that the Devs won't adress and players flame you for talking about. But I do have an idea to fix it.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...Bulliten-Board

[vyhakeyo]

Tunechi, I know your pain. I was on Odin, and a month ago, I jumped servers to Lakshmi. Odin is very cut throat after the merger with Ifrit, and that is why I decided to bail on Odin. Dont get me wrong, I'm a long time gamer and have been on the game since it went live with the 360. Ifrit was a very old server, and when 14 came out, all that was left as long time end game people. When we merged we saw the same thing with Odin and it became cut throat between ifrit and odin. I'm personally very happy on Lakshmi, surrounded by so many different experience people. Matter of fact I'm in a social LS that has people that are working on CoP missions (Which blew my mind after being on Ifrit and all endgamers), and people that actually level their jobs. So my suggestion to you Tunchi is if you have not invested a lot of time on your account is delete it, and pick a different server. There is several people here suggesting you to try theirs, so give them a try....Or pay the 25 bucks for the server hop.....Though I do recommend the deletion over the 25 dollars since your only level 20.

[Inafking]

pick a different server

Ragnarok and Titan were the same as Phoenix. Does not help as far as I can see.

[Glamdring]

Oh and if you want help, read up on what you need help with before you ask. Don't ask people for help and expect them to know all about whatever you want help with.

Agreed, the info is out there. And for god's sake, get your preliminary cut-scenes and the like out of the way BEFORE you ask for my help. I'm willing to give you a little time, I don't usually want to make a day of it (outside XP or gil farming or something).

[Winrie]

I have come to find out that the community in-game is not helpful or friendly one bit. They seem to be very clique oriented and will IGNORE you because you do not have 7 jobs to 90 or have not been playing for 8 years like them. Not to mention the language barrier cuts the already dwindling population of people online even further (The other half are gil farmers.)

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF STARTING BACK I RECOMMEND YOU CONSIDER THIS:

You will need to solo the majority of a game NOT MEANT for soloing. You will not be able to do missions, get a subjob before level 30+ (normally lvl18), level at any respectable rate, and forget about unlocking jobs because it more than likely will not happen without paying people in-game HUGE amounts of gil (YOU WILL BE DIRT POOR) or unless you have been lucky enough to get into a linkshell but even then that promises nothing.

Its funny how a dying games community can be so shallow and cold towards new players. You would think that they would appreciate new players more since it keeps all their level 90 jobs somewhat relevant and keeps THEIR game populated. Instead its just the opposite its about who you know rather than what you know or do that makes or breaks you in this game currently and it will only get worse by the day.

If soloing a un-soloable game is your thing, play this game. If being ignored by other players because they do not know you is your thing, play this game. If playing a game where you can not unlock anything solo but a chocobo at the appropriate level is your thing, play this game. If not, I suggest you play WoW (a game you can solo if needed and can actually find a party) or even... FFXIV, which I have not played yet and with this SE game experience will more than likely not.

You have a clique style playerbase because of abyssea which destroyed the needs of recruitment due to lowman capabilities for the game after so many years. Also, most new players who shout for help get help, im unsure the direction this post is suppose to take, All it sounds like to me is that you are angry at a bad experience youve had with a random person, and you are expressing it as an entire playerbase. The lack of help has to do also with the server you are on, also the fact of if you have a linkshell or not. Most solo players who just begin this game at this point and time struggle only slightly, this game is too easy to not hit 90 and come running through the door, soloing to 30 is a simple task, all the tools have been laid to new players feet to solo if they have to, unlimited fov, grounds, double exp. Getting boss clears for abyssea is a simple task, make shout groups, join them even. On my server there a tons of new people and none of them seem to struggle whatsoever with getting past content as most all of it is soloable or there is shout groups doing it. The next point gil farmers? are you insane? With how easy gil is to get, and how crashed the market is on most servers due to this fact, how can you even point out a gil farmer as a serious part of the playerbase anymore? your ranting a 2004 sob story that no one is going to bite onto, unless they are new as well and havent grasped how easy gil is to obtain, and have grasped on how MEANINGLESS gil is now, every worth a damn piece of gear is rare/ex. A linkshell isnt the ticket to gil making, it never has been, unless you are a leader of a HNMLS back pre abyssea and you robbed your members. And seriously, drop the unsoloable game thing, this game is soloable now, it has been since the 1st lvl cap, oh a year ago? Find better friends, reach out and find a LS, and quit being an antisocial player, youll find more success i promise you.

[Inafking]

I completly support the TC. This is a legit problem that the Devs won't adress and players flame you for talking about.

And seriously, drop the unsoloable game thing, this game is soloable now, it has been since the 1st lvl cap, oh a year ago? Find better friends, reach out and find a LS, and quit being an antisocial player, youll find more success i promise you.

Thank you for proving my point.