What was your first day in Vana'diel like... [Archive]

Yopop

03-14-2011, 06:55 PM

This post (http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/1848-Reactions-of-FFXI-From-a-Brand-New-Player-%282.5-months%29) inspired me to make this thread.

Go there and read the new adventurers story.

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Now let us know how your first day in Vana'diel was. Do you remember who you met? What adventures did you get up to and what inspired you to keep playing for the time you've been active.

Try to stay positive :) but let us know what fun you had on that fate filled day.

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My very first day is a bit cloudy but I remember some things about when I first game to Vana'diel. I had been waiting and reading about Final Fantasy XI to be released and friends of mine had back ordered their copy. I was at college at the time and with rushing my fraternity I had forgotten all about the release of the game. It was December of 2003 when I returned home and on my desk was my copy of Final Fantasy XI.

I remember setting it up and it loaded really quick. Perk of not having a ton of downloads and addons to install :)

Now of course at the time we did not have all the resources as other games and my first task was to buy.... the Final Fantasy Online - Brady Guide *stop laughing*

I followed this thing as if it were the bible. The funniest part about it I remember meeting my first celebrity. Mangler, a TaruTaru, was featured in one of the stories in the Brady Guide and there she was on Bahamut (later transferred to Asura). She was the first person I had met in the game because she was standing near the gates where I was dropped off as a Tarutaru White Mage named Yopoompo.

I remember just standing in the same spot trying to figure out how to move, how to type, how to get used to using a keyboard for everything. I hated not being able to use my mouse so freely. Now I could never imagine being able to use anything but my keyboard.

It was a huge world. I had no idea where to begin so I opened the book and started from page one. I read about every job and every skill and I remember clicking on EVERY NPC in Windurst to see if they would give me a tip on what adventure I was about to take.

I spoke with an NPC that gave me my first mission. I grabbed my guide and off I went to do Windurst 1-1. As I was heading to the position the book was guiding me to I noticed a weird looking man ( hume I think ) with a Dragon flying by him. His name was Hiroshimi and a another player named Chow. They followed me around and was curious what I was up to and when they realized I was lost they kept poking me and trying to encourage me to follow.

They ended up guiding me to where i needed to go clearing my path and trying their best to guide me along my way. I ended up actually completing Windurst 1-1 and that's when i knew I was hooked.

I had so much fun seeing these two players who were "wow" at the time because they were 1 hitting mobs in the zone I started out in. I ended up realizing later that those mobs have like 60 hp lol

My first day was fun for me. I always loved and played every Final Fantasy title that's been created and Final Fantasy XI is truly one that I've enjoyed even through times I felt like i was bored out of my mind

Kjara

03-14-2011, 07:07 PM

lol I remember my first day very clearly, I started in 27th December 2006 and San d'Oria was all full of shiny Xmas decorations.
I was in Northern San d'Oria staring in awe at all the trees and enchanted by the awesome music... until I turned around and saw a HUGE WALKING TREE full of christmas decorations coming my way, followed by a bunch of players cheering it.
...I ran away and found repair in the church, thinking I had just escaped from certain death. It would be only three days later that a nice adventurer named Abinadi introduced me to the game mechanics (thanks a bunch Abi, I know it wasn't easy to deal with a non-English speaker!!) and invited me to his linkshell^^ I miss my first days so much, the emotion of seeing such a great world and interact with other players for the first time... I was never able to enjoy single-player games anymore the same way.

<.< Oh and when I saw the crag of Holla for the first time I thought it was a space ship.

NrvnqsrKhaos

03-14-2011, 07:20 PM

This is on Christmas of 2010.

So I wander about town, talking to things, generally being confused. I keep on switching to walk mode and I have no idea why, Windurst is a freaking maze, and I just begin to get annoyed. Then I finally make it to West Saruta, and lo and behold, a gigantic thing is punching some boxes.

I figured out it was a Galka, when I was like "Oh, that's that one race from the opening cinema." I hadn't actually scrolled through all the races, I just was like "Cat girl? Eh, Good Dex, why not?"

Anyway, I do the same. Punching boxes. And it takes forever! And I'm like "WHY AM I NOT GETTING EXP FOR THIS?" I was just really confused. Eventually someone told me to stop punching the boxes and start hitting creatures.

And then stuff started happening. I fooled around a bit, got scooped up by a random high-level person with a knack for helping noobs, and explored the small surrounding areas of Windy. All in all, a good day.

Cylla

03-14-2011, 07:40 PM

My very first day...I thought I would be a mithra monk. I was confused and in awe over everything. I was killing bunnies in west ron when all of a sudden I saw this hume chick running up and right behind her was this sooooooooo omg cute little blue/greenish pet that had a slight glow to him and a big red ruby on his head.

I asked my friend what that was and he told me it was a summoner. I quickly ran back to town, logged off and deleted my mithra and made a hume (I'm not sure why I changed race, but eh lol I'm more happy with being a hume). I started out as a white mage and worked my way up to open SMN and from there I went.

Can't say I had to much confusion or anything. I kinda of just blended in and learned things as I went.

Tezz

03-14-2011, 08:13 PM

Pandemonium. November 2003.

1st day i chose Black Mage (i think), and after the opening CS i was confused and didn't know how to move. I could talk but couldn't move (i think i didn't have numpad at that moment). Later i realized i needed it and got a new keyboard.

Then i came back and wondered around forever and eventually found Zeruhn Mines. I saw a bat and engaged. Unfortunately, i kept hitting attack/disengage and not knowing wtf was going on, i died.

Feeling stupid i went outside and found a worm. Then i realized you can't run around the monster to avoid anything. You just hit attack & watch it die.

So i was running towards Leaping Lizzy direction when a group of 2 French players ran by and i saw them being Lv.10 and told them "WoW, you're high level" or something. Afterwards we departed with some cheesy french comments.

Moments later i kept running in the direction i was going and came across players Lv 8-10~. Silverfangs, Tohru, Muugi and Oxking! Muugi told me to be her Knight in shining armor and pick Paladin, but eventually she convinced me to become Red Mage. So i changed to RDM(my first 75).
They gave me a Linkshell and told me they would take me to the dunes (to this day, we occasionally still keep in touch on a Forum).
So i followed them all to the Dunes in awe at how large the world actually was. Avoiding the Tremor Ram and making it to the Dunes. As we walked for Selbina we approached a cave and i was like "WTF, why is there Snow in a Cave" to which they replied: "It's Sand!, We're in a Desert" we all had a good laugh and continued onward.

Eventually, they showed me how to party & we farted around before parting for the day. It was in these few moments that i became deeply connected with this game & the players in it.
It was a different & simple time(lol) where the small inconveniences weren't made out to be such a big deal as they are these days. Everyone just played, maybe said a few things they didn't like about something, accepted it, and moved on with their playing.

This was a time when it felt that everyone appreciated alot more than they do today. These days it's mostly about endgame & moving on. Ah, to be young again!

Eiyoko

03-14-2011, 08:20 PM

I have an odd habit of restarting a new game when I'm only partially into it before I end up going all the way. I'm also one of those people that bought the brady guide, l-lol

My first try, I was a Mithra WAR in Windy. First thing I did was die right outside in saruta XD deleted my character and immediately remade. Shortly after, I made a Taru WHM (again in windy) and managed to get to level...8? Before again, I decided to start over. Then I made an Elvaan WAR in Sandy, on Cait Sith, and stuck with it. Oh MAN I was such a noob XD I envied every chocobo rider that passed me, and made an enormous train of damselflies in the dunes ("I wonder if they link? Let's find out 8D") which I somehow didn't die from, lmao.

It took me several tries to get to Jeuno, and when I did I thought it was the coolest thing ever. In Qufim, many of us noticed a light elemental nearby the delkfutt's tower camp one day, and we ALL went chasing after it basically going "it's so pretty~"

I'm still wondering how none of us got swatted by gigas or wights. O.o

as WAR, I worked my way up to DRG, then changed my mind afterwards and leveled WHM so I could play SMN. (And yes, any dragoon or summoner I saw, I ENVIED soooo much. XD) Ultimately I kept hopping from job to job after I unlocked them all, but eventually I stuck with my mains, DRG and SMN. ^^

Krystal

03-14-2011, 09:40 PM

Lets see..my first days in FFXI..who-boy! lol i was just starting out as a tarutaru whm. i picked up fairly quickly on the controls,battle system, and navigation fairly quickly enough having played many FF games before. however i was still lost on what to actually do in this game for all i knew at the time was how to play whm. it was then i ran into a player..i can't recall his name off the top of my head but i know he was a elven male. he asked me if i was new and i told him i was. he handed me 10,000 gil which at the time i thought was A TON of gil at the time and was so happy to get that much...boy was i a noob....lmao anyways he handed me a linkpearl which had to walk me through on how to equip. the Linkshell was called WarriorsnWizards. it was there i met the LS leader who's name was Talna whom was a mithra. she helped me through my first few missions with bastok and many others to come till i could finally stand on my own two feet so-to-speak. i was a hopeless cause though at that time..lol i asked for help regularly having no idea what to do in a certain area of asking for people to raise me. i soon became able to handle my own though once i unlocked a few new jobs. one of which was smn. however it wasn't until i had unlocked blue mage i could truly stand on my own and not need to ask for help every time i turned around..lol nearly 4 years later i'm a freaking pro and know how to play this game in and out.:)

Skyrant_Kangaroomouse

03-14-2011, 09:46 PM

Pandy 2003 starting in Windurst. Checking NPC shops for weapons and armors realizing that i am extremely poor and need to somehow make money. No idea what to do or where to go. Finally found the exit and killed rabbits and bees, throwing away every beastman seal because i could not sell them.

Eventually found a player to help me out and explain things to me. From there on and after joining the first LS it went uphill until i had to go to the Dunes. We all remember that hellhole and how hard it was to get the damselfly worm (and the magicked skull).

Zoning from Dunes to La Theine on a daily basis and running into Rampaging Rams. Dead Adventurers everywhere, those where the days.

I vividly remember my first run to Jeuno for the Chocobo Quest. Dying about 3 times trying.

Good times indeed.

Greatguardian

03-14-2011, 09:47 PM

October 2003. I ran up to a bee, killed it, then got killed by a goblin.

Yeah. That's all I remember. Took me like half an hour to figure out how to change targets with the tab key. Instruction manuals are for wimps etc.

Fun times.

Kjara

03-14-2011, 09:53 PM

he handed me 10,000 gil which at the time i thought was A TON of gil at the time and was so happy to get that much...boy was i a noob....

lol the first time I was given gil it was 2000 and I thanked them multiple times saying I would "use it wisely"! XD

PandyTwi

03-14-2011, 09:58 PM

This is on Christmas of 2010.

got scooped up by a random high-level person with a knack for helping noobs, and explored the small surrounding areas of Windy. All in all, a good day.

<--- random high-level person, lol

Hi, I'm Twilightshadow from Asura. My first day was a bit rough. I didn't get a chatpad for my xbox controller until after a week of getting the game. so I was basically mute for the most part (the horror of using the on-screen keyboard). spent the first 30 mins lost in port sandy, confused as to why I couldn't find the exit.

When I finally found it, my friend that convinced me to buy the game finally got home from work and hopped on to help me. My first linkshell was TheComplex on Pandemonium. it was a huge linkshell that had like 30+ people in it at all times, so was a bit overwhelming. I remember my very first question about the game was "where do I get some real cloths?, these rags don't sit well with me." I never actually got an answer =/. A few minutes of assistance getting used to battling outside, I was finally getting the hang of things.

After they left, I eventually got murdered by an orc, which seems to be a ritual for newcomers in sandy. So I ran around north sandy messing with the /emote's a bit. stopped and decided to practice using all of them on a nearby NPC. (the one that takes 2 bat wings for 200 gil) Pretty sure passing players were looking at me like I was crazy. Later on, my friend switched to his lower level job and we tried to take on a bunny in the plateau, a decision that ended in death for the both of us.

Rambus

03-14-2011, 10:00 PM

I never herd of FFXI comming out. I picked it up at a store one day by mistake. I was trying to buy a keyboard or something but I bought FFXI insted because I like FF games, did not even know it was online at first till i read the box.

I started in port bastok running out and killing bees. I kept trying to kill bees intil i died because I did not know about /heal. as time went on I would run into my mog house in port bastok to heal. I had someone try to give me something but I did not know about how to accept trades. I do remember seeing dia in my invetory after trading him though so i went back out with my new spell.

I then ran into someone telling me to "dance" i told him i was confused and I did not know what that ment. He then said type /panic so i did and he thought it was funny. something about tarutaru and panic i dont know and i just went on my way thinking "ooooooooooooooooooook that was strange"

Imakun

03-14-2011, 10:15 PM

I remember I ordered it in December 2004 and I began playing it on January 1st, 2005. I also remember I was ill, flu and everything lol
I created my first character on a random server, can't remember witch one, just so I could try it out. I started as a Hume in San d'Oria and god I fell in love with the game from the very first cutscene.
I started out as a WHM (yea.. not good lol) and went out to kill bunnies. I knew I could /heal, but I just used /sit for good while until I figured it out lol
Couldn't do much more because my head was like.. exploding but I did saw a Summoner running into San d'Oria with Fenrir out. Classic, I was sold on Summoner ahah
A few days after that I started again from scratch on Ragnarok with the same character I'm still using today.

Jamesruglia

03-15-2011, 12:12 AM

On my first day... I killed worms and bees. I skipped karate for that day just to play, which was inconsequential in the long run, but I regret doing that nonetheless-not that FF11 wasn't great(or isn't still), just, you know, priorities and all that.

Laniff(Keitaro), Starfury, Meiron, Okaminozan, Nialya, Qoogirl, and Qoopingu are all names I remember from that time.

Haldarn

03-15-2011, 12:44 AM

January 2006 - Hydra Server.

I'd picked up the demo CD off the front of an Xbox Magazine and decided to give FFXI a go. Although a big fan of the Final Fantasy series, I had avoided FFXI (and all MMOs for that matter) due to the monthly fee, but this trial was free so I figured what the hey.

I started as a Hume in Bastok. Straight away I was overwhelmed. As I had no real goal, I set about exploring the city and talking to every NPC I saw. I got about as far as Bastok Markets before I had to log off.

A couple of weeks later, after being badgered by a friend, I tried again - this time as an Elvaan in San d'Oria. It seemed Sandy held the magic for me and I was hooked. There were hundreds of low-level players at this point, as it was a new server population, so getting parties was easy enough. I actually remember it being hard to find enough mobs to xp on and ended up teaming up with a random chap. Of course, when I asked him what "xxx lot for the xxx: 612 points" meant everytime we killed a mob, he told me not to worry about it...

The main aim of the game for me was to get to level 10-12 and find a place in a Dunes party. It was chaos there - White Mages running about the place shouting that they would Raise for 1-2k gil, parties camping on top of each other for xp, fierce competition for subjob items and the obligatory MPKs at the entrance to Selbina from ppl zoning trying to escape mobs. After this, I discovered ffxi.somepage (oh for a sortable/filterable item database!) and ffxiclopedia and the world opened up.

April came, with the release of ToAU and everyone dispersed to separate servers. I started paying the monthly fee without batting an eyelid.

Ryce

03-15-2011, 12:49 AM

I started FFXI on opening day (in US, anyway). I had been following news of the game, being a huge fan of the series, and had pre-ordered the Windows version for my custom-built PC. My first memory of the game was being very disturbed that my 5 friends who had also purchased the game could not choose a starting server. WTF SE?!

I was more into the game out of the gate than any of them, however, and was able to obtain a world pass within a few days. I remember the frustration of being MURDERED by a rabbit which looked exactly like the rabbit I just defeated with ease... (Wild Rabbit vs Forest Hare). I faced my fair share of face plants at the hands of wondering Oricish Grapplers. All in all though, it was love at first sight.

A buddy of mine was intrigued and would watch me play. He asked all the questions I didn't know the answers to. This resulted in us taking turns - one would play while the other studied the Brady Games guide :P I eventually bought a PS2 HDD and copy of the game so we could play side by side. A couple of my other good friends would bring their PCs over and we would start a party to tackle the dunes. Funny how hard it was to get an effect group of 6 with 3-4 members sitting in the same room...

I really miss the sense of adventure that came with the new game. I've tried other games hoping to recapture that feeling... but none compare to FFXI. For all of it's shortcomings, this game has something intangible that makes it my favorite.

Trendkiller

03-15-2011, 12:58 AM

I watched my RL friend play on his computer for like two days and I couldn't stop laughing at him because he always locked himself in the house when new games came out. Then I heard it was coming to the PS2 for some reason I went and bought it. I set it all up and logged in I was beyond helpless. My RL friend tells me do this and that and doesn't really show me anything. I get level 2 then 3 then 4 and I think i'm like the man because I did this with like no help. So one day my friend logs on and he calls me on the phone and is like i'm gonna help you today becuase you got the basics down now. Well about 5 minutes after he logged on he says I got a party invite in the dunes. So your on your own. So here I am level 4 and I have no clue wtf to do or go so I ran all the way to the dunes from Bastok. I sat next to the hp npc as you zone in from the highlands for like 2 hours just waiting for an invite to party as a lvl 4 Elvaan THF rank 1. The next day the brady guide came out and it became my bible. I figured out what to do and where to go. I got my sub job and decided i would go to Sandy to pick my new sub job. Thats where I met Fallenkinght and really learned how fun this game could be. We did some stupid stuff and lol'd the whole time. I went back to the dunes to level up my new sub job and I met Bippo/Tivadar who gave me my first Linkshell. That opened up a whole another level of XI. Jben was the leader and he was a lvl 50 RDM. he was like a god to me and Bippo he helped us do everything including getting our "Advanced Jobs" lvl 30 jobs. Jben gave everyone a Pearlsack so they could pearl everyone they wanted. I was now lvl 40 THF/MNK and helping another RL friend who started the game get his sub job when we went to the mines to get his magicked skull. That when my friend was like I gotta log which was his thing ask for help then log when u got there to help. This day it really annoyed me but only for a short bit because I was about to meet one of my best friends in XI and go on aventures I never dreamed of. Memnoch was a lvl 30orsomething RDM and he was killing something I didn't have a clue about NMs. Memnoch and a few friends all shared 1 ps2 and 1 xi account so they all played Memnoch so at any point in the day somebody was on Memnoch and ready to do anything and everything. The more insane it sounded the more we wanted to go do it. Once we got to 75 A whole nother story began. Some of our friends have left the world of XI. Some stayed and went their own ways. But then you have the ones who started this adventure together and still stand side by side in battle with you til this day.

Kindra

03-15-2011, 01:50 AM

I started just before CoP came out. Taru BLM on Alexander. I have Twilights 30 mins beat though lol, I was lost for the first 2 days in sandy!! Finally a hume PLD found me asking in say how to get out so i could play lol. He took me out side and said ok kill the bunny. I started attacking and he cured me through it. I was so proud of myself when it died. Then he looked at me and said "Equip your staff and learn your spell." I went huh???? I didn't realize I even had them lmao. My first LS was with RL friends, but none of them were in Sandy at the time.... they had gone to Windy lmao. After i learned my spell and had staff on i was golden the PLD told me to have fun and left. The next day i met a JP player and he duoed with me. I didn't know how to use the auto translate at the time though and kept trying to talk to him in english. He just kept going after telling me hi didn't speak english. He lvled with me for 2 days lol. Day 4 i might a guy from LV and we learned that JEJ was mean at lvl 6 lol. Any way those were my first few days :).

Sinthetic

03-15-2011, 02:06 AM

Man My first Day Was very Frustrating LMAO
By the time i figured out how to set up the Resolutions and all the stuff took me a good 3 hours lmao !

I Started WAR!!!! I log on there i am in Sandy im so lost it took me like 20min to figured out how to leave the City LMAO
so there i am outside Sandy Ready to take on the world with my lvl 1 War and a Onion Sword lmao My first target was a Rabbit lol took me a good while To figure out i dont have to keep hitting enter to keep doing melee attacks LMAO auto-Attack what is that !!!! lol lmao i was such a Noob-Cake soooo after many many MANY deaths i was like i need something to cure my self.... Off to the AH i said ! First thing i bought was a Scroll of Cure for my lvl3 WAR after many times trying to use it i figure out i cant lmao Well there goes all my gill Awesome !! XD

Good times tho i wont change em for the world !!!

Andevom

03-15-2011, 02:09 AM

Andyee on Seraph 2003:

I start the game as an Elvaan THF in Bastok, which clearly shows I had no idea what I was doing. I figured "THF is probably underplayed because people love Warriors and Mages, and the Elvaan guy in the opening Cutscene used a bow and arrow like thieves do!" but I soon realize that leveling THF as your first job is awful for the first few levels, especially playing as a race with low DEX. I went on a bee and worm slaughterfest and soon wished for those lovely potions I was used to in previous Final Fantasy games.

"Hey, those are always cheap, and a great way to heal yourself!" Much to my dismay, potions may as well be solid gold corn dogs to a new adventurer. The price was too high for me, and I would settle for no less than 50 of them due to my desire to keep pressing on without stopping to heal. I was also perplexed as to why thieves start out with a knife despite a sword doing so much more damage. So I run to get myself a trusty Onion Sword and gleefully "cuts me way through" more bees and worms. Of course, I was completely obvious to the fact that this would make my dagger skill suffer in the future.

Upon reaching Lv. 5 and getting the "Steal" ability, I felt like I was going to be raking in the big bucks. "Bwaahaha, so maybe playing as a THF is rough on doing damage, but I'll be able to get some big money items now. Those potion stacks will be mine for practically pennies!"

Moments later:

"What's a beastcoin? Is it valuable? ....Wait...five minute cooldown!? Double wait, that's all the gil I'm going to get from a goblin!?" It was at this point that I feared my THF profiting skills were going to fall short of expectations. Then I started to feel tension from the baddies around me. I wasn't the fearsome force I was to bees and worms against the Lizards, Quadavs and Goblins. Shortly after trying my luck with a Rock Lizard, I learned what being KOed was like.

And that's all I can remember from my first night in Vana'diel. But the days that followed were filled with enlightenment, embarrassment, and amusing stories.

arlais

03-15-2011, 02:31 AM

I remember starting with a hume F warrior named Elenya. I watched the opening cutscene with a wide jaw, and selected Bastok to start with, since I was under the impression that the Bastokan ring was a bit lame, but in true FF tradition would somehow become absolutely essential. Wrong. (And I got made fun of because Bastok always came last in conquest for years.)

Then I spent around three hours wandering around Port Bastok, wondering what was an NPC and what was a player. Finally, I managed to get out there (or rather, in there regarding the mines...) and attempted to do a low-level nation mission without a map. I got lost. Really lost. Eventually, a white mage came by and I asked for her help, becoming pretty close to her. She gave me a pearl for her linkshell, and I really started loving the game.

I remember treating a sapara she gave me as a gift from god; because I had 500 gil to my name and couldn't fathom why the drops I was selling from bees and sheep were going for practically nothing. I remember getting oneshotted by goblins in dangruf wadi with her, provoking mobs in a d00ns pt and not doing anything whatsoever until asked (thinking that was what a warrior did) and reraising immediately after a goblin killed me in the dunes.

...I was a real handful back then. Sadly, the white mage was actually a guy which wanted an online relationship in return for showing me the ropes, and I changed server. I believe he's quit the game now.

Birdkiller

03-15-2011, 04:04 AM

A hume male in Sandoria named Diomedes, THF was my starting job. Talked to the NPC's in the intro cutscene when I found out I could type during it. Didnt know how to move and was stuck in place along with 2 other new people asking everyone nearby how to move. Finally started moving, went outside, fought monsters, found an orc, had no concept of agro and upon inspecting it out of curiosity, it ran to me and lopped off my head. Found a quest to do, got a subligar in return....

Yopop

03-15-2011, 06:52 AM

I think when you start out in this game everything is kind of exciting i remember my first NM

Spiny Spipi :)

I killed it on accident because I had no idea what a NM was and i still was iffy on remember to check a mob to see if its skill was too high. I remember I killed it and then a little brd ran up to me and started cursing at me for killing it lol

He said he'd been there for hours and it was his :)

I told him I had no idea and said sorry and he told me he was going to report me next time lol I just thought what a dbag and ran away

Samunai

03-15-2011, 06:54 AM

it made me realise i had SOOO much to learn and i ended up a month later for the 2nd time online lol. since then i got online almost every day ;)

but yea... it was so damn new to me. i hated the keyboard walkign =( so now i have a gamepad /rubs gamepad

Samunai

03-15-2011, 06:55 AM

Registeel

03-15-2011, 07:15 AM

After days of waiting, my copy of FFXI Ultimate Collection arrived in the mail and I started 'er up. I chose Hume male face 8A because he reminded me of Samurai Jack. Picked Warrior to begin with (seemed straightforward and simple to start with), and emerged in the streets of Bastok.

I had already been arranged to join a linkshell (they had recruited me to play by advertising their group on an imageboard), and the leader met up with me and gave me a pearl after I completed mission 1-1 (the 360 version conveniently came with a mini-guide on how to do mission 1-1 for each nation). And thus I ran off and began killing bees and worms. I recall laughing at Quadavs' appearance, then learning they aggro+link, and got put in my place plenty...

I also fought my first NM, Tococo. I had heeded my shell's warning to wait until I was level 8 to fight it, and I won. I even got the Armiger's Lace drop! Unfortunately, Tococo's poison beak effect KO'd me right after I said "Hooray I got the treasure!".

Fast forward almost 4 months and now I am a level 90 Paladin (proud to say I got to 73 without having to touch abyssea, though I should've tried to get higher without aby), and am leveling an alt character to boot. Not to mention, I'm now co-leading that linkshell due to the previous leader leaving the game. Funny how things work out.

Babyj

03-15-2011, 10:59 AM

Experiencing ^_^d

JagerForrester

03-15-2011, 02:19 PM

I remember waiting forever for the game to download and update so I can play. When I finally finished my character creation, I found myself in Port Bastok with my mom saying, "Time to turn it off." NOOOOO!!! So I turned it off and went to bed.

I'd tell you more, but the OP asked what my first day was like. Unfair.

Fayez

03-16-2011, 05:21 AM

My first day was around a week ago. Bought the game in around 2004 but I never got round to installing it and it got packed away in a box, and when I finally found it again I didn't know if i should get 14, but XI is where I ended up.

After choosing my race and my class as a thief I ended up outside a big gate in Bastok, It was pretty cloudy if i recall and was really confused on how to move, so i was pressing every button on my keyboard trying to get my person to move. I started talking to every NPC I could find and ended up in my moghouse, which really shocked me because I wasn't expecting to have a little house with my own moggle (but I was so happy about the fact I found a moggle, almost felt like i was 15 again when I found them on FFIX).

Anyway I work out how to get the map up and found my way to Bastok Markets and explored a bit and found the Goldsmiths and AH. I talked to everyone in the Goldsmith, but I was totally confused on how to craft anything so I went to look for someone who could help, but I ended up finding the NPC who explains parts of game to you and sends you out to start leveling up.

I started them and pretty much got hooked, I saw a few people but didn't talk to them, but it's coz I'm never sure what to say. After 3 or 4 days though I finally talked to someone and learnt how to make copper ingots and after I made one i was so chuffed. I will say its hard getting Gil and improving equipment, but i find it adds to the fun :)

Macrom

03-16-2011, 05:29 AM

Started my first character "Snoogins" on Alexander 2004, A Taru warrior in bastok, had no idea what i was doing. Started killing worms in Z. Mines getting lost cause no map lol. Miss the good old days.

rog

03-16-2011, 05:31 AM

I logged in, spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to move, then killed a few rabbits, and logged out.

GERM

03-16-2011, 05:57 AM

LOL.. Job picked, RDM ran around san d for a bit figured out how to get outside.. saw an enemy started attacking it and wondered by I was punching the darn thing.. after that inital problem my first day was spent killing enemies, dieing.. after level 7 imagine my suprise when I realize there were more zones to go to..
I through away a lot of crystals and flint stones.. didn't realize there was an AH let alone what it was used for.. I discovered how to creat stone arrow heads by accident that day and that began my crafting experience (turned out I wouldnt level goldsmithing) had some nice people teach me about the bazaar and I had a pretty bare MH that day.. the 2nd day I got my first party invite lvl 9 in the dunes where we got pwnded by bunnies, and had someone walk me to Bostok for the first time shortly after that.. wow the game was so awsome when ignorance is bliss.. each zone was like a new adventure.. Found out about subjobs that day (remember folks this was before FFXI had wiki and all these wonderful resources that are around now) .. I remember being in bostok and you had to set your MH to that zone if you wanted to get into your locker.. Spent my first week just learning how to begin playing an MMO and not even beginning to realize what a vast world it was.. hitting level 20 and finding out there was a town called jueno.. and walking there for the first time.. these were adventures.. I miss that kind of excitement of not knowing where your going that there are larger journeys that await... These were some great times

Meyi

03-16-2011, 06:10 AM

Strange.

I had never played a 3D MMO prior to FFXI. I was struggling to figure out how to move, in a city I had never been in before.

But it was fun! I wouldn't have stayed with FFXI if I hadn't enjoyed myself.

Cylock

03-16-2011, 07:27 AM

Harpalina

03-16-2011, 07:47 AM

My first day was bitter sweet. I chose to be a Warrior and was smashing on Worms in West Ronfaure. I thought I was hot shit killing those worms so I decided to take on an Orc at level 3....BIG MISTAKY? Yeah needless to say I got spanked like a little girl on my heart shaped hiney. While laying dead for the first time and not knowing what to do a 75 whm passer by saw me there on the ground. He did a chuckle emote and in /say chat he said "New to the game are we?" He ran off with out a raise or even a shout(which would be retarded since he was a freaking WHM.)

What a douchebag of a WHM lol. But, to play devil's advocate, you *were* only LV 3...no exp loss when you HP lol.

My first day in FFXI was a little bit of a haze. I remember I choose a hume female red mage. I ran outside and killed things in Sarutabaruta. I remember being attracted to Windurst because their nation flag was green...and that's my favorite color. Haha. I was trying to figure out the controls and remembering that I would never ever use macros because it looked so damn confusing lol. I also recall just running around Windurst and being like, "My GOD this place is HUGE..." lol. I had never played an MMORPG before prior to FFXI and I had no idea what to expect and I wondered why there were so many areas that were so honking huge. lol...

annewandering

03-16-2011, 07:49 AM

My first day on game was around thanksgiving six years ago. I had never played any game like FFXI and had never had ANY desire to play one. My son came to visit from Army in Alaska and wanted to install the game on my computer so he could say hi in game and not have to bother calling. lol.
He installed the game and had me pick a race. I had no clue so he made a mithra for me to show me how then turned it over to me to make a character. Well I wanted a little old lady taru which he tried to talk me out of. But I am a little old lady so that was what I wanted. Of course I wanted to be whm which he also tried to talk me out of. Shaking his head he watched me go ahead then went to start his game up. He came on game and gave me 1k and a launa shield and showed me how to run around and select targets. Then he did a horrible thing. He went off to play with his friends on the game. He was a lordly 50+ Pld at the time having played from NA game start.
Well I really had no idea what to do so went around talking to NPCs. After a bit I wandered outside and started fighting. I met Bessie and Lildefina and became good friends with both. Bessie had started same time I did so we were all learning how to play the game. Her daughters played so she did have help although she played on one of their accounts. We had an incredible fun time and it didnt take long before I was hooked. Hooked and terrified of everything out there that killed me. lol.
Ironically I am still on game and my son has quit to finish up his schooling.
I fought hard to not play but I will never regret the time I have spend mostly because of the good friends I have made. FFXI is a great game and a good part of it is that because it is so interactive with other people.

chubrocka

03-16-2011, 07:49 AM

Remora 2005 and my first day was spent being "LOST"!

annewandering

03-16-2011, 07:52 AM

lol werent we all LOST! by the way I do love that show too. :D

Miera

03-16-2011, 07:55 AM

A few friends from an old game I used to play wanted me to come join them in FFXI. They were all either Bastok or Sandorians. I chose Windurst for my Home nation because it was so pretty but when I got to explore it I got lost and had a friend come out and show me how to get around That maze of a Nation. I was given a Linkshell and shown how the Fields of Valor worked. It also took me a some time to understand what a Macro was and how it was used. =\

I also wondered into Buburimu as a level 10 RDM and got mauled by a gobblin. Such fun. ;D

Kilcullen

03-16-2011, 08:15 AM

June 2005..Asura, Mithra with pigtails , picked it cause it reminded me of me at that time, lol. I remember killing stuff outside sandy and i ended up dying and went afk for a few mins came back and someone had casted raise on me so i accepted and i noticed my hp was lower than before i didn't know it was just the weak from the raise and that it lasted 5mins so i killed myself again just to HomePoint and have my proper hp back, lol, i felt so stupid after finding out what that really was, i ended up meeting someone who would follow me and heal me and did that everyday for around 2 weeks, everyone was so helpful to me and i got use to the game quicker than i thought. Right now i'm not on Asura, i moved server when the server transfer first came out because i wasn't too fond of asura and i'm now currently on Phoenix, lol.

I do remember a few ppl from back then and LS's too some i remember are Avalon(the leaders were boyfriend/girlfriend Percival? and i forget the girls name), Tribe, there are some others that are on the tip of my tongue but i cannot remember them at this moment.

Kyrial

03-16-2011, 08:34 AM

October 29th, 2003. I only remember the exact date because it was also my 18th birthday. I got started pretty late at night (had to go out to Gamestop and get the game when my parents got home from work, then install, get account set up, and download updates), so I didn't get to do much (since I had school the next day). I spent about an hour just learning the controls and how to do basic things. I specifically remember being frustrated at not knowing how to open doors; it took quite awhile for it occur to me to target them and click on them. In my defense, at the time I don't think I had discovered that you could scroll through targets with tab or 0 on the number pad; I think I was just running around hitting enter, which of course just targets the first thing that tab would have.

Anyway, the most memorable part was my first time leaving town. I zoned out, and immediately got killed by a Goblin Thug who someone had just zoned (yes, back in the day, mobs didn't just depop when zoned :p), before I could even do anything. I was more amused than angry. Then a level 70 SMN/WHM (level 70 being the cap at that time) happened to zone out just as I died, and he raised me. That was pretty cool.

Seeing as I started in the middle of the Halloween event, I remember being confused when NPCs were suddenly normal people again, rather than being in Shadow and Skeleton costumes and such. I also remember the point when, probably at least a month and a half, if not two months or more after I started, the Valeriano troupe disappeared from Windurst Woods. I thought they just weren't loading for me, and zoned and came back and they were still gone. I eventually learned they move to whatever nation is in 1st: Windurst had just been in 1st place for months straight. XD I definitely had (and still have, to an extent) a lot of Windurstian pride. :3

I was also around level 9 or so when I remembered (or was reminded; I had read about it but forgotten) there was an Auction House, and decided to check it out. Boy, I felt stupid for trying to make money by selling things to NPC. ("Wow, Silk Thread sells for 200 gil/piece! That's way better than all this other stuff!")

It took me forever to figure out how to craft, too. It never occured to me to use the crystal as an item. XD I remember getting so frustrated before finally just asking someone who I saw crafting stuff.