A Newbie's Guide to FFXI 2014
Foreword: What We Say First!
In this guide I aim to take you from the first stages in character creation, allegiance selection, and all things necessary to get a good start in the game. This guide is not meant to be all-encompassing, but I have done my best in covering the most important things. Good luck adventurer, and Altana be with you!
Getting Started: The Essentials
So you've endured the 5 hour install time and now you're finally ready to embark into the wondrous world that is Vana'diel! At first look she may seem to be showing her age, but trust there is still an alluring majesty in this old cougar if you'll give her half a chance. Before we run away into the sunset with this perfect stranger, allow me introduce you to a few of her useful assets:
The Square-Enix Account Management System
From here you can edit and adjust various administrative options to your account, such as adding new character slots, updating payment details and changing passwords.
Square-Enix Support Center
Here you can contact Square-Enix directly through either chat, email or phone to get support with any problem you may have regarding FFXI Online.
Character Creation: Mithra Somersaults!
There are 5 races to choose from in Vana'diel, where each of them have their own native advantages and disadvantages, though none are so exemplary that they upset the balance of gameplay and any can be supplemented through equipment, food and even merit points.
For example, the Tarutaru race has the highest base Magic Points (MP) and INT where a Galka has the lowest, but also has the highest base Hit Points (HP) and STR, essentially being perfect compliments of one another. The same applies to the Mithra race who have the highest marks in AGI (Agility) and DEX (Dexterity) but the lowest CHR (Charisma), whereas the Elvaans have the greatest MND (Mind) and STR. The Hume race falls between them all, and does not suffer nor excel in any particular category, making them a perfect jack-of-all trades.
To further clarify, let's take a closer look at the 5 races, the stats and how they affect the particular jobs in FFXI:
HP : Total Hit Points - Galka (high); Tarutaru (low)
MP : Total Magic Points Tarutaru (high); Galka (low)
VIT : Directly affects player's defense against physical attack - Galka (high)
STR : Directly affects attack & ranged attack power - Elvaan (high); Tarutaru (low)
DEX : Directly affects attack accuracy and critical hit rate - Mithra (high)
AGI : Directly affects evasion and ranged attack accuracy - Mithra (high); Tarutaru (high)
MND : Directly affects effectiveness and resistance of all white-magic spells - Elvaan (high)
INT : Directly affects effectiveness and resistance of all black-magic spells - Tarutaru (high)
CHR : Directly affects effectiveness of a Bard's Songs, a Beastmaster's Charm, and a Dancer's Waltzes - Galka & Mithra (low)
(While I cannot go into full depth on exactly which races will naturally favor which jobs (as there are so many), the 6 basic jobs of Warrior, Monk, Thief, Black Mage, White Mage and Red Mage will do well to encompass the remainder. The following notations are to be considered in a descending order of general effectiveness, with excluded races being the relatively least effective.)
Warrior : Elvaan & Galka
Monk : Galka & Elvaan
Thief : Mithra & Tarutaru
Black Mage : Tarutaru & Hume
White Mage : Elvaan & Tarutaru
Red Mage : Hume & Tarutaru
OK! Now that you've reviewed all the pros and cons and have chosen your race, now it's time to choose your starting Nation. There are no inherent disadvantages to choosing one or the other, except the fact that Windurst and San d'Oria tend to beat out Bastok in Conquest. Many items sold from NPC's in shops are sold exclusively to players with allegiances to that particular nation, and whether the item is available for sale is dependent on the nation's rank in the conquest. Usually a minor setback as the items tend to be available elsewhere.
Next in order is choosing your name and then choosing your home server. Your name of course can be anything you like, barring it is not already in use, profane or vulgar, or any variation of the character Sephiroth. When choosing a server, you should definitely take into account the server's current population, especially today. Some of the more populated servers are: Asura, Bahamut, Odin and Phoenix.
Next Thing's Next: The Adventurer's Coupon!
After watching the introductory cutscene, you'll be left standing alone in the city with nothing in your inventory but your Lv1 RSE, an Onion weapon, and an adventurer's coupon. Oh, and a big shiny "?" above your head, which will wear off after 5 hours of gameplay or you can remove it from the main menu > Help Desk > Config > Cancel new adventurer status.
Open the main menu and check your map which will direct you to an NPC nearby to which you should trade the coupon for a whopping 50g! From here, take your meager means around the city, touching each of the large blue crystals (Home Points) you see, learn its shops and points of interest until you reach the gates to the outside world. Here, there are two NPC's you should get familiar with:
San d'Oria : Mission Guard & Conquest Overseer
Bastok : Mission Guard & Conquest Overseer
Windurst : Mission Guard & Conquest Overseer
The Conquest Overseer will grant you Signet, which has multiple benefits while it is active. As it is worn, you will accumulate Conquest Points each time you defeat an enemy that gives you experience points (given that the monster is not in Aht Urghan or Abyssea areas). It grants you a small EXP bonus as well as the ability to retain accumulated Tactical Points (TP) while resting, and also the effect of Treasure Hunter.
Completing new missions (not quests) will increase your Rank level, and with each level acquired the duration of time your Signet remains active will also increase. The CO will also offer you Supply Quests that, when completed, allow you permanent teleports to and from the Outpost in that particular region.
Recently there have been added Records of Eminence NPC's in each city who will exchange accumulated Sparks for equipment and various other items. Visit the links to learn more as it is well to your benefit. Now, well-informed virtuous adventurer, you're ready to breach the gates and brave the many perils that lie just beyond them! Not so fast...
Choosing Your First Job: This Ain't McDonald's.
While in character creation you thought you wanted to be a Warrior, but after just 5 minutes in-game you saw the most amazing Galka Red Mage and were awe-struck at the sight of him. You knew then and there that Warrior would have to come later, and that you too would one day become as great as he is! Venture off to your Mog House and speak with the Moogle inside to change your job, collect items through the Delivery Box, and various other utilities. You had a good guess at what the role of a Warrior might be, and the 'mage' in Red Mage had you speculating that it was some type of magician. Right you would be, so let's have a closer eye at what sets these 6 basic jobs apart from one another:
Warrior (WAR) : Melee class that specializes in wielding Great Axes. The job ability Provoke, an instant taunt, is learned at Lv5 and is the only ability or spell capable of spiking Enmity this early in the game. Warrior comes with an array of useful offensive and defensive abilities, many of them learned by Lv35, and almost all would be useful when used as a sub job to another Lv99 job. Level it as a main job or only a sub to Lv49, either would be a sound choice.
Monk (MNK) : Utilizing Hand-to-Hand weapons, Monk is a straight melee damage dealer. This job offers little support when used a sub job, and only in certain situations would it be useful. Warrior is most often used as its sub. Currently, it is a sought-after end-game job.
Thief (THF) : The game's dagger-wielding evasion specialist, Thief is mostly coveted due to its inherent Job Trait, Treasure Hunter. This trait maximizes the drop rate of most all items from monsters, obviously making it the go-to job for farming purposes.
White Mage (WHM) : All things healing and regenerating, White Mage will have you out of the fray while focusing on keeping your group alive. Spells exclusive to WHM, like teleports, are reason enough to level this job to 49 at least. Useful in end-game and as a sub job.
Black Mage (BLM) : Offsetting its ability to hit very hard with powerful Elemental magic spells, Black Mage is highly dependent on its MP to survive. An extensive spell list contains exclusives such as Warp and Warp II (D2) set it apart. Beware, as beginning the game with a mage job such as BLM can be quite costly to a new player. Useful at end-game and as a sub job.
Red Mage (RDM) : Ah, the everlasting know-it-all. Red Mage combines the skills of melee, healing, elemental, enhancing and its strongest forte of enfeebling magic into one nice little package. Unfortunately, it can do only a few of these exceptionally, save enhancing and enfeebling. Exclusive enfeebling magic such as Paralyze II and Bio III can be acquired at Lv75 with merit points. The remainder of its mile-long spell list must be bought or farmed. Save your gil!
Some Forethought to Advanced Jobs: Dancing Ninjas!
As you consider your current job options until you reach Lv30, (the minimum required level to begin unlocking any of the game's advanced jobs), there are two of these that are most commonly used as sub jobs to many mains. Not so popular today as it once was, Ninja's spell, Utsusemi, granted 3-4 'shadows' every 30 seconds making the caster impervious to attack while the spell was active, granted the main job the Dual-wield job trait at Lv20, and also gave a nice boost to evasion. However, the difficulty in obtaining the Utsusemi scroll and the cost of the 'Ninja tools' required for each cast of the spell have made it second-rate to the newer job, Dancer.
Dancer can do everything Ninja can do, bar Utsusemi, but it can also heal and enfeeble the target whilst it uses accumulated TP as a resource of power. It has comparable evasion with Ninja, but in almost all other areas it trumps Utsusemi simply because it can cure, heal, and debuff as well - and for free, save the TP cost of each ability.
All right then! Now you have a good idea of where you are going before you get there, but there are no yellow brick roads in San d'Oria! Let's take a walk on the wild side...
Level Up! So Begins the Journey...
As you walk outside, the first thing you need to do is visit the Fields of Valor book just to the left or right of the gate. This manual contains training regimes exclusive to this particular zone, and most zones contain their own book near the entrance of each. Completing a training regime grants you an EXP bonus, gil, and another form of currency known as 'Tabs'. Tabs can be exchanged at the book for perks like Repatriation (returns you to your home nation), Refresh, Regen and Re-raise. Choose your regime, set it to automatically repeat and off you go!
Depending where you are, your first enemy will most likely be a rabbit, a bee, or a crawler. Target it by clicking, using the Tab key, or pressing left or right on the D-Pad and press Attack on the menu. As you battle the helpless little creature, you'll notice many things happening at once: Your HP is going down, your TP bar is going up, and your chat log is being spammed with sword and evasion skill-ups. Soon, the TP bar will reach 100% and this is your cue to select Abilities from the menu, then Weapon skills, and find the magic that is Fast Blade. Use this ability on the target and watch its HP drop dramatically. Sweet.
Before you know it, you're Lv2, and your HP has not only been re-filled but has increased by a few points. With each level, of course, almost all attributes increase, including the maximum level allowed for each skill category. Check your skill levels in the main menu, under Status > Combat Skill. Once the mob is defeated, you'll receive various rewards which may include an earth crystal, a beastmen's seal, a chunk of hare meat, spool of silk thread or a beehive chip.
Crystals are the most common item found on monsters while your Signet is active and the enemy gives EXP when defeated. Which type of crystal you receive depends on the enemy's elemental orientation. They are a common thread of crafting, as 1 is needed for each synthesis, and also have the highest rate of sale at the Auction House compared to any other item.
Opening the main menu and selecting Items will show the earth crystal and the number 1 to its right. This number denotes that the item will "stack" to a maximum of 12 in your inventory before a new stack will begin. Items sold at the AH are sold in either singles or stacks. However, not all items, such as Sheepskin, will stack in your inventory and can quickly become problematic in your limited inventory space. You will have to decide what is worth keeping or discarding, but as a complete newbie it is advisable that you return to the city and visit a shop NPC and/or the AH to sell the items.
At the AH, select the bidding window and choose Bid, then Crystals. Find earth crystals in the selection, stacks denoted by '12', and select accordingly. From the new menu on the right, select 'Sort'. This will arrange the items alphabetically, and in other cases by Level, etc. Now choose Sales History. This will show you the last 10 sales for the item you've chosen. Exit this menu and select Sell and price your item(s) competitively.
Take this opportunity to browse the many sub-sections of the Auction House; Take a look at the weapons and armor you might like in your upcoming levels. Much of the equipment needed for levels 1-15 can be bought from an NPC in the weapon and armor shops of each city. You may also visit your Records of Eminence NPC and exchange the sparks you have for equipment. Beyond that, you're at the mercies of what has now become rare low and mid-range gear and consequently high prices. Now comes the biggest question all newcomers will ask...
There's No Time!! How Do I Make a Macro?
You've attacked and killed close to far too many easy prey mobs by this point and selecting Attack then casting Stone for the umpteenth time has gotten a bit monotonous. No fear, weary bunny slayer! With macros you can automate many of the game's commands with one button!
Given the previous scenario, we'll open Macros from the main menu. Select which Book you'd like to place this macro into and then select which number (1-0) to assign it. Obviously, they are controlled by pressing either ALT+"number" or CTRL+"number". Set this macro to ALT+1.
The very top line is a title and can be anything you like. The remaining 6 lines are for commands. Write this macro to read exactly this:
Line 1: /attack <t>
Line 2: /wait 1
Line 3: /magic "Dia" <t>
Line 4: /wait 3
Line 5: /magic "Stone" <t>
As a Red Mage, given you've learned Dia and Stone, this single macro will almost completely automate the battle with a target you've selected. They can also be used to swap gear to enhance effectiveness, (given the equipment is currently in your inventory and meet the job/level requirements):
Line 1: /equip Main "Yew Wand"
Line 2: /magic "Stone" <t>
Line 3: /wait 3
Line 4: /equip Main "Onion Sword"
Here, the INT boost of the Yew Wand will make your Stone spell more potent, as would any other equipment with INT you may have to swap. Note that the macro lines are read top to bottom, so always change equipment before performing the action. Note also that changing your Main item will reduce your TP to 0, as it does.
Now comes the real question all newcomers would like to know...
How Do I Make Money? Stack It and Sell It!
Everywhere you go there is money. As an accomplished farmer myself, I can tell you that even in the lowly bees and crawlers you kill at Lv1 I still have good use for at Lv99 when used in conjunction with my multiple craft skills. Without giving away anyone's trade secrets, the best advice I can give is to maximize your inventory via Gobbiebag Quests, acquiring a Mog Case and Mog Sack, and keeping as many drops as possible - selling the stacks as you build them.
Leveling THF to 49 at least is also a good idea, and to 99 even better. Get involved in Crafting - even at very low levels of Fishing, Alchemy, Leathercraft, Clothcraft and Goldsmithing there is good money. Make at least 1 mule character to allow you 7 more sales slots on the AH and to hold miscellaneous items for you. I once browsed every single item on the AH, making notes of what sold high and fast, while cross-referencing ffxiclopedia.com to see if attaining the item was feasible for me.
A little research and a little effort will take you a very long way. Never throw away items without checking value first - either with an NPC or the AH. For the longest time I was throwing away bottles of blood thinking they were worthless because they were such a common drop, only to find out that each one sold to an NPC for 3,600g each.
Your First Conquest: The Path to Jeuno and Level 30!
Actually, the first thing new players usually want to do is reach Lv20 and begin the Chocobo's Wounds quest which grants you a permanent licence to rent from stables and NPC's across the world. At today's EXP rate you could potentially kill mobs in the starting areas until Lv20, but what fun would that be? There's a whole world to explore!
No matter where you begin the game there is a natural ascension to monster levels the farther you venture from your home nation. Once enemies become too weak to bother with, you'll want to move forward. But beware! - even in nearby zones there are very high level mobs, though many of them will not aggro unless provoked. To give you an idea of where you should be training, take a gander at this World Map.
Here you can see the three nations, The Duchy of Jeuno, and every area between. Find your respective path toward Jeuno, grinding as you make your way, and by the time you reach it you will surely be at least Lv30. Before you stray too far from home, you'll want to purchase all the maps you possibly can. This link will show you a compiled list of all maps in the game and how they are obtained.
Residents of Windurst are in luck, as your path to Jeuno takes you directly through swarms of Crane Flies who drop the 4 gausebit grasses you'll need to acquire your chocobo licence. Residents of Bastok as well, the Wadi Hares in the Dangruf Wadi area drop them also! San d'Orians, you're stuck paying 3,000g each or traveling to Meriphataud Mountains; But it's not too much trouble as Meriphataud is only 1 zone away from Jeuno, and the crane flies are near the entrance.
Along your way, you will likely encounter a large white structure in the middle of the map. These are called Crags, and are gateways in the Chains of Promathia story line. Each one also serves as a point of teleportation, given you have the crag's telepoint key item. Circle around the crag until you find the crystal and touch it. You'll now be able to teleport and be teleported to this point from anywhere in the game.
Jeuno! Chocobos and Sweet Civilization.
There are 4 main areas of this city: Port, Lower, Upper and Ru'Lude Gardens. In each there is an AH counter and in all but Ru'Lude there is a chocobo stable. What are you waiting for?! Hurry off to the Upper Jeuno stable and begin your chocobo quest! (Note: Zoning into Lower Jeuno the first time will trigger the opening cut-scene for A Crystalline Prophecy).
Once that's done, head down to Port Jeuno and speak with Joachim about obtaining a traverser stone. These stones are free, and at least one is required to enter and stay in Abyssea via multiple Cavernous Maws scattered across the maps. Speaking with Joachim also begins The Truth Beckons quest. Done? Done!
As you wait the 5 grueling game days in anticipation of your chocobo, take this time to get to know others on your server. Introduce yourself by standing anywhere in the city and shouting or yelling with the /shout or /yell commands. Shout will make your text readable by almost anyone in your current area, and Yell will make it readable by anyone in Jeuno, Whitegate, and Adoulin. Say something to the effect of: /yell Hello! I'm new here and am looking for an active social Linkshell to make friends!". Having friends and a good LS will make your life much easier and a lot less lonely.
If someone takes you up and offers to be your friend or even a Linkshell, they'll likely send you a /tell. Respond directly to this person with CTRL+R or by simply typing: /tell "player name". Add this person to your Friend List by typing: /befriend "player name". If for some reason a player is harassing you, you can permanently block all communications from that player with /blist. Simply type: /blist add "player name". You can review or edit your Blacklist by typing /blacklist.
In Conclusion: The Tiger that Does Not Quit...
Congratulations valiant Red Mage! You have now officially begun a life in Final Fantasy XI Online. Where you go now and what you do there is completely up to you, and that is the wonder of the game. This game is so massive, so deep and enthralling that in 9 years I still have not seen all the old areas and witnessed everything it has to offer. Take your time and enjoy yourself - there is much to learn, many friends to make and innumerable adventures to be had.
THE END.