Returning Player Seeking Knowledge

Hello all,

So I just recently started this game back up again, fresh and all.
I was just wondering if anyone could possibly enlighten me on how things are done nowadays. The last time I played this was right before Treasures of Aht Urgan came out so I'm assuming my knowledge of leveling, making gil etc is obsolete.

Also I am on Shiva which I assumed to be a good server though I'm not sure which is the most populated/buzzing nowadays.

If anyone could fill me in that'd be greatly appreciated :D

This post on other forums is a thread where returning players and others post questions discussing old vs. new, it can probably answer many of your questions about what's changed and bring you up to speed.

I'll give you the basics:

You'll be soloing the first 15 levels. Then you'll join 18 person book burn alliances. You might get sucked into Abyssea. Either way, you'll probably hit level 50 in like two days. After you manage to find someone helpful (read: bang your head against the wall after six hours of shouting) you can knock out your limit breaks. Maat fight is still rough, but at least the testys allow three attempts now. Then you'll be meriting and collecting seals up the ass before doing one last hurrah fight to break 99. All in all, this will take about a week unlike the old days when 75 took two years and felt like an accomplishment.

After that, you'll start another job, burn to 30, hop into Abyssea and walk out 66 levels higher in like ten hours. By week two, you'll realize the game is a joke, no one speaks, you're constantly bored and will go play Star Wars.

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Originally Posted by Rewyen

I'll give you the basics:

After that, you'll start another job, burn to 30, hop into Abyssea and walk out 66 levels higher in like ten hours. By week two, you'll realize the game is a joke, no one speaks, you're constantly bored and will go play Star Wars.

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I give it 2 months before he's bored.

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Originally Posted by Dazusu

This post on other forums is a thread where returning players and others post questions discussing old vs. new, it can probably answer many of your questions about what's changed and bring you up to speed.

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Awesome thank you!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rewyen

I'll give you the basics:

You'll be soloing the first 15 levels. Then you'll join 18 person book burn alliances. You might get sucked into Abyssea. Either way, you'll probably hit level 50 in like two days. After you manage to find someone helpful (read: bang your head against the wall after six hours of shouting) you can knock out your limit breaks. Maat fight is still rough, but at least the testys allow three attempts now. Then you'll be meriting and collecting seals up the ass before doing one last hurrah fight to break 99. All in all, this will take about a week unlike the old days when 75 took two years and felt like an accomplishment.

After that, you'll start another job, burn to 30, hop into Abyssea and walk out 66 levels higher in like ten hours. By week two, you'll realize the game is a joke, no one speaks, you're constantly bored and will go play Star Wars.

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Lol thank you xD

Rewyen is exaggerating slightly on the "by week two" part. :p

My quesiton though is why is every returning player these days starting over? It's not that hard these days to catch up, no, but still. Why redo all the stuff you already did?

Well, in my case it was a lot to do with being gone for 2 1/2 and wanting a fresh start. Another big part of it was that I sort of forfeit my account to my ex-wife because she played far more than I did on the character she created on it.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

Rewyen is exaggerating slightly on the "by week two" part. :p

My quesiton though is why is every returning player these days starting over? It's not that hard these days to catch up, no, but still. Why redo all the stuff you already did?

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My old account was completely wiped, all my characters included. I tried to reactivate it roughly a year after I first quit but they said it was permanently gone and not restorable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rewyen

Well, in my case it was a lot to do with being gone for 2 1/2 and wanting a fresh start. Another big part of it was that I sort of forfeit my account to my ex-wife because she played far more than I did on the character she created on it.

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xD

Question again, I read that guide, and am currently level 11. I have been told to go to Gusgen Mines? If that is accurate, how does one get there from San D Oria? I'll confess I have completely forgotten a majority of this game lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rewyen

I'll give you the basics:

You'll be soloing the first 15 levels. Then you'll join 18 person book burn alliances. You might get sucked into Abyssea. Either way, you'll probably hit level 50 in like two days. After you manage to find someone helpful (read: bang your head against the wall after six hours of shouting) you can knock out your limit breaks. Maat fight is still rough, but at least the testys allow three attempts now. Then you'll be meriting and collecting seals up the ass before doing one last hurrah fight to break 99. All in all, this will take about a week unlike the old days when 75 took two years and felt like an accomplishment.

After that, you'll start another job, burn to 30, hop into Abyssea and walk out 66 levels higher in like ten hours. By week two, you'll realize the game is a joke, no one speaks, you're constantly bored and will go play Star Wars.

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It's the same with Star Wars as well. The mmo genre hasn't really changed much in the last 7 years or so. Though if it makes a difference op, I've been playing since June of last year and I'm having a good time with FFXI so far. There's a ton of content for a new player to keep him/her busy for some time. Most of those posters are probably just burned out of the game since they're probably finished with most of the content this game has to offer, and want some more worthwhile content like they had during their earlier years. Don't let the posters here deter you from playing, go play and see for yourself.

You can go to Gusgen Mines at level 11, or solo to lvl 15 if you like, and stay at Gusgen till around lvl 35 and make the trip to Jeuno.

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Originally Posted by Andreja

It's the same with Star Wars as well. The mmo genre hasn't really changed much in the last 7 years or so. Though if it makes a difference op, I've been playing since June of last year and I'm having a good time with FFXI so far. There's a ton of content for a new player to keep him/her busy for some time. Most of those posters are probably just burned out of the game since they're probably finished with most of the content this game has to offer, and want some more worthwhile content like they had during their earlier years. Don't let the posters here deter you from playing, go play and see for yourself.

You can go to Gusgen Mines at level 11, or solo to lvl 15 if you like, and stay at Gusgen till around lvl 35 and make the trip to Jeuno.

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How do I get to Gusgen? I know it's in Bastok's area, but don't have an airship pass and literally forgot how I obtain one. Been looking it up but to no avail xD

Konchtat Highlands, west (I believe) of the Crag of Dem. On the map, it looks like a short indent going into the mountains.

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Originally Posted by Rewyen

Konchtat Highlands, west (I believe) of the Crag of Dem. On the map, it looks like a short indent going into the mountains.

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Awesome, thank you very much for your help :D



EDIT 2: So I'm in Gusgen Mines. I'm assuming I have to LFG to get anything done in there. What's with the orange/yellow and green arrow symbols next to peoples names? Seeing like 11 people with that.

Level sync if you haven't already found out.

Hello,
I'm returning as well. But lucky I have a good memory for gaming.

First off Gusgen mines is to the EAST of the crag of dem.
They upped the exp on mobs, so leveling is way faster.
pretty much exo is up 100% of its former range. Like VT (very tough) can net you 400 exp with out an exp ring.
Highly suggest doing the tutorial quest like for free exp ring, free raise earing 1.8K exp and 1K gil. I think are the rewards. If you can afford it, buy the digital download for the destriers hat. It helps with leveling.

Also exp lost happens at 31 one. Also (and this is your choice), do not buy into the new "pro" leeching mentality. Getting 99 and having no idea how to play is getting rediculous to see. I've been running into level 40-99 blue mages with ZERO spells. I've ran into beastmaster who at 50 ask what the jug pets do. Where before that was basic understandings.

Anyway I hope these help you out. If Your on Odin thank Orrick, he's been helping me with the game since coming back.

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Getting 99 and having no idea how to play is getting rediculous to see.

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Please don't start that up. For one, it really doesn't happen much (people not knowing how to play because they leveled up fast). For two, it's already been beaten to death countless times. Powering a job to 99 in abyssea does not automatically make that person a clueless moron. No job in this game is rocket science to figure out.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

Powering a job to 99 in abyssea does not automatically make that person a clueless moron.

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Prove otherwise.

Konschtat Highlands, L-7 > gusgen mines

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Originally Posted by Dazusu

Prove otherwise.

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I leveled 1-50 (cap) in Star Trek online in about a week. I'm the second highest DPS in my 30+ person guild and always place first in pickup raids.

I should be a clueless moron because I burned up so fast. Obviously I'm not. Maybe the fact that I know how to shot web and read forums/wikis when I want to learn new things has something to do with it. Nah. Obviously people need extensive training in a hyperbolic time chamber in order to play video games with a modicum of skill.

I don't know how far you have leveled but these days the leveling seems to work like this.

1. Get to about level 10-12 solo.
2. Go to Gusgen mines and seek eventually someone will invite you to a party for GoV book exp. Get to lv30
3. Pay someone (usually run you 200-500k depending on how much the person is charging) or get a friend to leech for about 5-6 hours of FC in abyssea and get from 30 to about 80 or so
4. At that point you don't have to pay for exp anymore and can just seek or show up at abyssea Lathine worm camp someone will invite you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dazusu

Prove otherwise.

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No YOU prove it... /sigh see how logic like yours fails?

My girlfriend started playing 3 weeks ago; has 2 99s, rank 10, full af3+2, toau + CoP + ZM + Abyssea win, and is on Buhkis for her empy. She COULDN'T have, you know, read the 900 FFXI forums or 3 full time Wikis, nah that's impossible, she had to play her jobs for 300+ hours before she learns how to cure and weapon skill!

Edit: I suppose I should stay on topic;
Things you dont have to do anymore;
1) city rank passed 6
2) the majority of fame
3) most/all gear below level 50 (in all honestly below lvl ~80, i leveled DNC naked with daggers from 0-85)
4) Gil is almost a worthless currency now. I would go as far to say if you shout saying you are a new player, someone will give you a few million to get started.
5) AF or Relic (a few situational pieces may still be viable)
6) Besieged, Conquest, Einherjar, Limbus (people still do conquest when they do Voidwatches, but that's a different story)
7) No more need to ever level PLD (lol)
8) Some sub jobs have completely been outdated and others have become viable, so make sure you level the right ones to not waste time
9) Running, i'm exhaggerating here but there have become an extreamly large number of ways to teleport around the world instantly. Abyssea maws, synergy earrings, voidwatch warps, and they even added an NPC to instantly teleport you to BCNM arenas.
10) You definately will have a much easier time finding help for things like your limit break and stuff. Everyone is a LOT nicer now than they used to be, like how my friends who just started have all been helped extensively without even having to shout more than once.