NEW TO FFXI - LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE

Hey, I'm actually new to FFXI and will be playing on my 360. I was just wondering as far as servers were concerned which might be best for a newbie like myself. It seems like Bahamut is pretty popular. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

SOLID

Bahamut is going to be receiving an influx of players soon once the major version update hits. Wouldn't be a bad idea to start out in a highly populated server for a new player to the game.

cerebus seems to have a decent population 3200+ during JP prime times about 1800+ during NA time frames

keeping that in mind people seeking parties these days i did a search other day to doa level sync for a friend /sea all inv 10-80 and was only 14 people seeking it appears there are a lot of solo'rs until 30 then they break loose on abyssea with the weekend warriors on it gets a little more parties but still can be a hassle setting up old east ronf. birds parties or even ToAU parties are dead still with the new xp just lets people xp faster into abyssea.

Also keep in mind higher population is not exactly a good thing.

It causes a lot of congestion with claiming mobs, camps, mazes, etc.

id say if u like the game any server is good to play. as long as u know theres a wiki and ah websites ull be fine. just get a mithra ir ur rly cool, anything else than a mithra is meh.

Should you come to Asura, I'm sure you'll find yourself people willing to help you understand the game mechanics (that includes myself, of course :p) and what role each job typically fills. Since you're playing on the 360, I highly advise you to get a USB keyboard to make communication easier. And be sure to read up on setting macros!

Welcome to FFXI!

Well, I was on Sylph and let me tell you, it's majority JP based and I couldn't get into a Linkshell(guild) there.

I moved to Asura due to it being the most popular server.
And now, i'm in the best Linkshell i've ever been in.

I also enjoy all the people talking in English.
So, I suggest Asura.

I would check out to find what servers are being merged and pick avoid a server that is joining another, reason is you have the possibility to lose your name and if your new thats not something you want to have to face and you can find a shell that will not have to be remade in the process of world merge.. Cerberus isn't bad at all if you go there, look me up I'll get you a Linkshell and help you on your way

I would recomend you to stay away from Shiva >.< because the server is dead T_T

Unless the fuse it with another server =D

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Originally Posted by tenshinoneko

I would recomend you to stay away from Shiva >.< because the server is dead T_T

Unless the fuse it with another server =D

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They are.

Alexander -> Shiva

Quetzalcoatl, all the way XD hehehe, a lot of non jp players, so you´ll get more chance to progress :P

Don't lie.

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Originally Posted by Zenoxio

Also keep in mind higher population is not exactly a good thing.

It causes a lot of congestion with claiming mobs, camps, mazes, etc.

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Which is true, HOWEVER that comes later in the equation.

As a new player, especially with only about 1/3 or so of the players being below level cap, he probably DOES want a higher-population server to start with.

Ragnarok is a nice server to be on to we seem to have a mix of JP / EU / NA players :)

All servers are pretty much equal.

Well I cant really recommend a server but I am on Asura. Speaking of which, any of you out there who are on Asura, add me if you will. I am new myself and could use some help/advice/guidance :)

Id say come on Bahamut and i can help you out and give you linkshell and everything but game is kinda closed now ^^:

Best advice I can give is that it really doesn't matter what server you start out on but try to persuade a friend to join the game with you at the same time, if you don't already know someone that plays that is. This way you will have someone to do everything with as you get further into the game. Keep in mind that this game is an MMO so half the fun is playing with others. It probably wouldn't hurt to shout in your home nation asking for some help. Just don't ask for money or items because no one likes that. You might come across a vet that is willing to show you the ropes, or even a few other new players. You can pool your money together and start an ls for other new members to join. Post your new ls in the forums here or on ffxiah.com and start recruiting. Like yourself, there are still new people out there and are looking for others in the same situation. Another good thing to do when starting out is to /sea all 1-10 and send some /tells. You might find some new people starting out like yourself and you can work together.

Also, I know alot of people are a fan of wiki and google and I am too. But, to age myself, when I first started there was no wiki so I got that players guide from brady games. I found it to be extremely helpful with explaining the basics of each job, spells, gear and weapons. It gave a list of the missions up to rank 5 for each nation, as well as quests. I know it's very out of date now but I would still recommend that you pick it up if you can and use it to help you start your journey throughout vana'diel.

I remember when I first played FFXI back in the day, I didn't get a choice of worlds, I got bunged on Odin, I didn't realise how much this meant to me... When I re-created my char, I started On Odin.. remembering that I did have some help, when I first gave it a bash.

Odin.. for me.. is the best world, I have been on Fairy (when they closed Odin) which got merged to Sylph, I went back to Odin soon after the merge...

However Odin, is getting merged with Ifrit soon (Ifrit > Odin) which.. funilly enough, were both my fave summons in FF7

So in short.. I dont think it matters what world you are on, as long as you make the most of it, I have created chars on other worlds with additional content ID's and have found that, there are a LOT of friendly players out there... which is rare for MMO's

I like Duke am on Odin, i started the game and it took me a little bit to get into a good ls. Sadly now most of the people that were on said ls left or just don't play FFXI anymore so i just started my own ls. Right now it is really only me and a UK friend of mine.

If you come to Odin i am sure you will enjoy yourself as you would with any other server, I always say it is the people that make the server. Good luck in your choice, and welcome to a wonderful world . . welcome to FFXI ^^

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Originally Posted by ShadowHeart

cerebus seems to have a decent population 3200+ during JP prime times about 1800+ during NA time frames

keeping that in mind people seeking parties these days i did a search other day to doa level sync for a friend /sea all inv 10-80 and was only 14 people seeking it appears there are a lot of solo'rs until 30 then they break loose on abyssea with the weekend warriors on it gets a little more parties but still can be a hassle setting up old east ronf. birds parties or even ToAU parties are dead still with the new xp just lets people xp faster into abyssea.

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Well I am actually joining Cerberus and im dragging 3-4 of my WoW buddies with me (real life friends) who've played FFXI in the past and we have old accounts with at least 1 75 before the new level cap, and we kinda forgot our info (except one person but we apparently cant get into odin where his char is located) anyway we could use another person to grind with from 1-30 lol so if any new players joining Cerberus wants a leveling group feel free to pm me :)

Yes because the worlds that are ending and being shoved on to another have been shutdown for new people so that no one can high-jack peoples names. So at the moment there is a slight limit if servers to join. On the other hand it shouldn't matter which one you choose just use a shout in which ever starting city you choose. Normally stay away from shouting in the starter towns port sections as most people do not hang out there unless they are using the AH in port Sandy. Wish you could join Alexander, cause I would probably be able to help you out. A good way is to use the find a mentor search, hopefully there are enough people who still have that on. I used to on my main but not any more, got headaches from trying to help people who would try even Mother Theresa's patiences. When you get asked the same question you just answered multiple times within a 5-10minute time span you stop wanting to help new people.

lol i played on alexander too, wave to lithera, we met now and than^^.
when game is up i think it won´t last long till we get moved to shiva, so to anybody new and looking for help, when we are back just contact me ingame , wheather on alexander or shiva and i do what i can to help.
breau, alexander/bastok

If you want to come to cerberus someone posted that them and 2 other people will be starting on cerberus and also one of my friends and I will be helping them and leveling with them would be great if you could come ^^

by that i mean Nataskiller who just posted above :)

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Originally Posted by SP1CE

id say if u like the game any server is good to play. as long as u know theres a wiki and ah websites ull be fine. just get a mithra ir ur rly cool, anything else than a mithra is meh.

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I agree!!

I'd actually discourage a new player joining this game right now. Most of the missions you'll need to complete will be impossible to beat without help. While there are plenty of people willing to help a new player out, the sheer number of quests and missions that you'll need to complete just to be on par, is crazy! You'll need your nations nak 10, outpost supply quests, Zilart, CoP, WoTG, chocobo riding, airship pass, Genkai's (limit breaks), not to mention AF, Relic (if you decide to pursue), magian trials for those shiny weapons we've all spent the last 6 months of our lives to get, and a whole lot of grinding exp for your main and it's 3 or 4 required subs to make your job useful come lvl 90.

I love FFXI, and I plan to play it for as long as it's engaging and fresh, but this game is NOT for newcomers... not at this stage of the game. Nothing in the game explains itself, and even the simplest quests require you to look up a walkthrough on a website. When I have to play on XBOX 360 anc can't have my wife's laptop nearby, i find the game, even after 6 years of playing, damn near unplayable. Someone shouts for a NM run, and unless I lookup what the monster drops, I have no idea. New food recipes pop up with no in-game explanation as to what it does.

After 6 years, i'm pretty used to this game not explaining anything. But new-comers to this game, expecially those who have played games that don't require you to have your browser constantly pointed at the ffxi wiki page or the ffxiah.com site for the most basic of info, need not apply.

Sorry to jump on my soap box, and i hope I don't make any newcomers feel less inclined to join us in our Vanadiel Adventures, but truth is truth, and they don't pay me enough to lie around here! The game is fun, new comers can enjoy it, but be prepared to have this game explain absoultely nothing... and you WILL have to either keep your browser on those 2 websites, or be prepared to years of trial and error just trying to perform the simplest of missions and quests. SE wants your money, and they don't want you to complete any in-game task in a meaningful amount of time... it's like an MMO version of a quarter eater in the old school arcades. Just know what you are getting into.