New player getting overwhelmed - what do I do?

[Crevox]

This game seems to go out of its way to make things as confusing and complicated as possible. I'm not an MMO newbie; I can figure things out. I played old, difficult MMOs in the past. But sometimes it feels like they purposely TRIED to make things really secretive or overly complicated.

I'm leveling up my SMN. It's going well. The game doesn't direct me where to go to level, but it's okay, I am resourceful. I look up monster levels, I go and kill stuff, and do the book missions and records of eminence. Goes pretty fast, I'm content.

The problem is there is a bajillion different types of content to do and the game offers little to no explanation as to what any of them are, why they're there, what they're for, or anything. The game offers little to no explanation on like, anything. Majority of the time, you aren't even told it exists, but you have to do it. Here's some random examples:

-Walk into Jeuno. I get a very long cutscene for CRYSTALLINE PROPHECY. I guess this is one of the addon scenarios, but I have no idea when I would do this, if I'm high enough level, if the reward is worth it at all... like, what.
-Walk into Windurst... A SHANTOTTO ASCENSION. Again, same as above. Also, I get told about some place called Adoulin. I have no idea how to get there or what level I should be or what it's for, but okay, it's telling me it exists.
-Walk into another place in Jeuno, the sky goes purple. Some guy tells me I should follow him to see the truth. Once again, game does not tell me AT ALL what that was about, what it's for, or anything. I guess it's for Abyssea? Again, game does not tell me what level I should be to persue this, and looking it up, it appears as though I am nowhere near ready.
-I found some random stones called Evoliths. There is no description as to what these are for. I look it up, it's for something called Synergy I guess? I have no idea what this is for, it looks complicated.
-Trust magic. If I had not looked this up, I would've never known it existed. There is no hint to go to this random NPC in each town, you just have to look it up and know it exists.

Looking into the future, I see all these types of content (off the top of my head): salvage, dynamis, aht-urhgan, chains of promathia, abyssea, adoulin, goblin mazes, conquest, campaign, besieged, wings of the goddess, BCNMs, nation missions... the game offers no explanation as to when you should do these, how you would do these, why you should do these, and in what order you should do these. I'm basically just winging it at this point and doing the content as I think I need to. I decided to pick one and tried to go into Wings of the Goddess (I walked into a maw thing) and was immediately killed by tons of extremely high level monsters. I guess I wasn't supposed to go in there yet? I guess? At least the cutscene was nice.

All I know is a basic idea of what things I should be aiming for... and that's all the things I've figured out personally. Like, I know I want the rest of the avatars... so let's see. Alexander, Odin, and Diabolos take ridiculously long questchains I don't even know where to start, and if I look it up, I have no idea what level I should be, how many people I need, how much money I will need; it seems like everything in this game makes it as difficult as possible to do. I also need to fight the avatars later (75 I assume) to get Fenrir, but it looks like I need a ton more rep with every city... and some other stuff? I don't even know anymore... even something as simple as getting some more inventory space costed me all my savings of gil, which was 30k. One of the items wasn't even up on the AH, a Peridot... I had to shout for it and someone was nice enough to give it to me. I didn't even know about /sack or /satchel, the game doesn't tell you, I just randomly found out that you could open it anywhere on the wiki page. I also think I need to get artifact armor soon? I wonder if that's difficult or what level I should be.

All I can say is this game gets exhausting and painful. Nothing is simple. I don't mind taking effort to get things or unlock things; I had no issue getting the reputation and fighting all the trial-size avatars. That's a done deal, no problem. The problem is just the overload of content and no direction of where to go, at all. All that stuff I listed above is all its own, complicated system with words that only make sense there and guuuuh just thinking about it makes my brain melt... like I can trade in my copper vouchers for a ton of different stuff at the eminence NPC. I don't even know what the majority of the stuff is, it's a bunch of currencies I've never even heard of... how am I supposed to even know if I want it or it's useful? One random example is something called Cruor, which, looking it up, it seems it's for Abyssea... how would I know that? Do I want that? How should I spend my sparks? The same goes for the login campaign, I don't know what the majority (like 75%) of the stuff on there even is. The chocobo mask looks nice, though, I guess.

Am I missing something? Can someone just, give me a clear cut explanation on some of these things? What level should I be for all these contents? Should I bother with them? When should I do my rank up missions to do the "story?" What is my goal, should I just keep leveling up? What is the progression system here?

Just... need... help... please...

[Valarr]

Actually the things you said is the reason why I prefer FFXI over FFXIV. I love that the game doesn't tell you a thing. It makes the world feel more real

[Demonjustin]

I can tell you what content to do but be warned, I will be skipping everything in the game practically that you do before level 75~99 because it all gets outdated and no one does it anymore. The only content pre-99 worth doing are the things in Treasures of Aht and the Expansion Missions themselves, hardly anything else thats old, which is around half or more of what you mentioned, isn't worth doing in the long run besides the experience of doing it, and a lot of it will need other people unless you do it at level 99, but finding other people will not be easy for content like that since it gives so little benefit

If ya want I can give ya a run down, just let me know, will probably be a long post and I rather not type it all out just to have you say you don't wanna skip things and not end up using it anyways. @_@;

[Crevox]

If ya want I can give ya a run down, just let me know, will probably be a long post and I rather not type it all out just to have you say you don't wanna skip things and not end up using it anyways. @_@;

I don't mind skipping things as long as I'm not missing out on something I need. I can always go back and do things for the lulz/story. But, things like Diabolos and Fenrir... I need those things. I just don't know when I can do it (if it's 99, so be it, I just don't know).

[Zeargi]

My suggestion is go for mission stories of your starting nation, level up and work towards getting to 75 with SMN. Leveling SCH or RDM for a Sub (I prefer SCH for Reraise). People will tell you mixed things and to do the level 20 Avatar fights, but I wish I hadn't so I could still warp to the Crystals directly, because at 75 a SMN can start soloing the Avatars (with the except of Fenrir) which can be done to get your Evokers Ring from Norg. But at 75x2 or x3 SMN can kill Fenrir, and at 90 you can solo him, but if you wait for 96 you can spam BP with the New 1hr ability. Diabolos most likely can be soloed at 99, I haven't tried, but As long as you stay out of Nightmare's range and don't fall, you'll be OK. You can't get Odin or Alexander without first beating ToAU and being level 75 to use them, so don't rush for them. Also, if you haven't gotten the spirit pacts, I suggest to also hunt them down. the Earth Spirit can be bought from an NPC in Norg, but Elemental Syphon is a great ability, and now that the spirits are free to use they can be a great distraction when you need to run from things. SMN is my pride and joy. I can't help with things directly because you're on a different server, but if you need help focusing on a goal. Let me know.

Also don't worry about the Add-On scenarios til much later, you'll need a party for some of it later on.

[Edyth]

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/20...ide_by_Korvana

*Legend of Zelda "Found Item" jingle*

Things I recommend (out of order):
1. Your nation missions (start at 1+)
2. Rise of the Zilart missions (start 75+)
3. Chains of Promathia missions (start 40~50+ if you want to solo)
4. Aht Urhgan, Kazham, Adoulin unlocks (start now)
5. Aht Urhgan missions (the first missions are cutscenes, so you can start whenever; fights will need level 75+)
6. Wings of the Goddess (unlock at 30 or so, do missions/quests at 75+)
7. Adoulin missions/quests (99)
8. Abyssea (quests start at 75+, but you can unlock some stuff now at 30+)
9. Get your adventuring felllow (start now)

Safe to skip unless for fun:
1. A Crystalline Prophecy
2. A Moogle Kupo De'tat
3. A Shantotto Ascension
4. Meeble Burrows
5. Moblin Maze Mongers

Don't worry about at all for now:
1. Salvage
2. Einherjar
3. Adoulin content that involes battles
4. Assault missions

Completely avoid:
1. Ballista
2. Brenner
3. Pankration
4. Expeditionary Force/Garrison

Start whenever for solo fun:
1. Monstrosity

[Lexin]

I will be back in the game tomorrow and can help you if you need.

[Draylo]

That is why you get a linkshell with people in it that can help direct you. That was their intention in the first place unlike other modern MMO's. You don't have to do everything all at once, this wasn't meant to be rushed.

[Afania]

This game seems to go out of its way to make things as confusing and complicated as possible. I'm not an MMO newbie; I can figure things out. I played old, difficult MMOs in the past.

Which? Plenty of old MMO doesn't tell you a thing back in the past too.

When I started I just kept asking questions, tons of questions. I check wiki, visit forum, and kept asking more questions. My ls mate told me about CoP and took me to promy runs when I was lv 35ish. I think I did Zilart after I beat rank missions. I ran to Whitegate to unlock BLU after lv 30, a ls mate guided me through the quest. I rely on lsmate/friend all the way for every info

Ppl who plays FFXI are kinda used to not having a big ! on every NPC and every quest tell you where to go next on the map. So we just do tons of research and ask friends.

This game isn't as linear as many other current-gen MMO titles. You're just in a world with plenty of things to do, and you can choose to do them in any order. There are no clear progression system too. Some items you can get in pre-2008 content is still useful now.

[Economizer]

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/20...ide_by_Korvana

*Legend of Zelda "Found Item" jingle*

Things I recommend (out of order):

Things I would recommend to a new player in order would be this:

0. BGWiki and FFXIAH are your friends.
1. Records of Eminence NPC, and always doing Records of Eminence, because it will help a lot later as well as now.
2. Tutorial NPC, because why not?
3. Get Signet.

After they did a little bit I'd recomment this:
4. Mog Sack
5. Trust NPCs
6. Mog Garden for stuff to sell.

Two of the six things in this list came out in a recent update though.