Downloading the Game

[Economizer]

Exactly how do groups work for those low levels? Do people still level in Valkurm, Qufim and then Khazam? I presume the quests are more or less the same, but I'm wondering what we'll be doing for leveling. What does a typical party look like, and what do you end up doing?

Since the other questions got answered, I'll skip to these.

Groups for low levels level sync then get as many people as they can, since experience comes from the page rather then the mobs. This means you can be much closer in level to the mobs, so finding a good tank isn't as important as before, however it still helps to have some healing. Generally you run around a wider area as a group, with no "camp" that you pull mobs to.

Basically, you still solo to level 10 (and it isn't terribly slow to even solo all the way to 20 if Gusgen is empty), but then you go to Gusgen Mines after this and level from ~10+ to somewhere around ~30+ if you can get enough level syncs. Upgrading your weapons and getting some skillups if there isn't a party going at that second or you took a break between would be a good idea. After this you go to Crawlers' Nest and stay there as long as possible, something like ideally to ~60 or even ~70 if you can get away with it (if it is your first time getting this high, you'll have to leave about every five levels for limit breaks).

Your gear will be pretty gimpy, and your skills will be atrocious, so you might want to upgrade both at 70. At this point you can either go to Bostaunieux Oubliette for page there or try your hand at Abyssea (~70 is about the minimum for legitimate alliance experience in Abyssea if you are a melee DD, but you'll be pretty much useless for damage for a few levels - if you got Cruor or Gil be sure to pick up the 76 Abyssea sets as well, since they're cheap and a bear minimum of competence for new players). Either will take you to level cap, although first timers will have a harder time leaving every five levels.

All of these definitely go faster with better players, but most players are willing to accommodate new players and eat slower experience. Most alliance parties could make do with one party if the members were a high enough level, but this is slower then having a full alliance as well.

At 70 and 95 cap there are fights for the next cap, so be sure to cap skills and invest in gear at these points. At level 30 or as soon as you have Abyssea, start the quest for Abyssea stone generation. As soon as you can for Voidwatch, do the same (And Meeble Burrows, and the Daily Tally Goblin).

Oh, and if you need gil that you didn't get by leveling or selling drops from when you leveled, farm some Hare Meat, Beehive Chips/Honey, or buy/farm Fire Crystals and make Copper Ingots, or carry some Dark Crystals, Distilled Water, and Windurstian Tea Leaves into the field and kill Sheep and make Sheep Leather, or find some other lucrative beginner farming spot or synthing. All of these things sell for quite a bit even when the market floods, although you should check your local AH for prices and compare them.

[Sines]

Unfortunately, this sounds like the game has veered away from what I liked about it. I've already paid, and my friend is still probably going to play, so I'll certainly give it a try, but I think I may end up leaving for good before I pay for my second month.

It's a change I can't begrudge, because I know I was pretty unusual in why I liked the game, it was probably a move that made it better for most players, I just happen to lose out by accident. I probably would still love the end game, though, as I'm pretty sure that would encompass much of what I loved about the rest of the game. I don't have the gil to get myself power leveled, so I may not feel the end will be worth the climb, especially since I liked being able to play different classes on a whim.

I'll still give it a fair try though. Hopefully I like the new style of grinding enough to get to the endgame. I don't doubt for a moment that I'll love that, but if I don't enjoy getting there, then I never will.

We'll see, I suppose. Thanks for all the help and info! Hopefully me and Serenade will stick around long enough to see level 99.

[Economizer]

If you really want to grind, you can always duo mobs somewhere with your friend. And it will still be effectively faster then the old experience parties because you won't have to wait for a Bard or Red Mage in order to get people together, even if your kill speed isn't ideal.

Really, if you liked the old way, either you played a job that was in high demand, you were in a static, or you have an acute case of Stockholm syndrome. The majority of experience grind in "the old days" was waiting for a party to gather, begging off a PL to help, or resting between mobs because your party makeup was sub-optimal. These days it is going to an area, and killing mobs to your hearts desire.

I don't have the gil to get myself power leveled, so I may not feel the end will be worth the climb, especially since I liked being able to play different classes on a whim.

Some players choose to pay others to grind for them. I'm not one of them, and it isn't necessary. There are plenty of ways to get experience for yourself, solo, duo, in a party, in a book burn alliance, in Abyssea, in Walk of Echos, in Campaign Battle, etc. If you can't level at a steady pace that is faster then "the old days" even if it is still slower then maybe going to Abyssea and leveling all in one day, then you really have nobody to blame but yourself. And you get to choose what path you take now no matter what job you are on rather then being forced to a party type dependent on what job you are on.

And players will say what they will, but for the vast majority of things, there is a lot of room for whatever job you feel like playing this week. Certain content will definitely optimize towards certain classes (with different classes depending on the content), but you can still work through things going your own way.

Also, as a side note, what of doing storyline? I don't really think you can say you've truly played FFXI if you've never been to Sky for your first time, or never seen the craziness of a Walk of Echoes battlefield, or never challenged a Voidwalker and lived to tell the tale, or never stepped forth in An Explorers Footsteps, or never climbed Parradamo Tor before sunset, or never seen Riverne, never challenged the Dark Rider or the King of Dragons, or never saved the world a few times, or never even broke the chains. You don't have to be a 99 to do all these things, but you don't have to grind your soul away either.

[Sines]

Bear in mind that any analysis I offer here is from someone who hasn't actually had a chance to turn on the game yet.

And my 'longing for the good old days'. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot bad about the game that has no doubt been improved, and some other things that I'm sure haven't. It wasn't the slow crawl of XP that I liked, but more the challenge of it. It was a heavily flawed game, but there was a core to it, that simple grinding in one spot, that for whatever reason never got tiring. Sure, I hated waiting for parties. I played a freakin' Puppetmaster. I had to make most of my parties, because no-one would invite me.

That wasn't what I liked though. What I liked was that grinding always felt like a challenge. In most MMOs (heck, most RPGs) grinding is something safe and boring. In FFXI, grinding was always risky, and difficult. Dying and ending up with a net loss of XP was a legitimate risk. But the rewards for good play were nice too. Getting that perfect party together so we never really had to stop playing, and gaining XP like crazy (relatively speaking, of course ) felt really nice.

Grinding makes up a large portion of all MMOs. The story events in FFXI are great. The first time I entered a Promyvion? Holy shit. It was awesome. I felt so badass going into this ethereal realm and having to sit down to discuss strategy with my party. The major events in other MMOs can be great too. But grinding is always such a large portion of the genre that I have to like that for me to play it for more than a month. Back when I played before, grinding was fun and challenging, it rewarded good play and punished bad play. It didn't feel like "As long as you try, you'll do well enough". Yes, I loved the story events, but I liked the grinding too. If I just want to play story events, I'll play a regular RPG.

That's kind of what I'm worried about. If grinding isn't fun anymore, then why play an MMO? Sure, the Promyvions were great. Getting my summons was awesome. But then, the Opera scene, and obtaining the Falcon in FF6 are also great. If I don't want to grind, I don't have to grind, I can just play some other game that only has the stories. For me, what makes an MMO worth playing for a long time is if the grind is fun. If the basic, repeatable objectives are enjoyable enough to play again and again.

Yes, I hated waiting forever to get a party. I hated running into bad groups where I came out with less XP than I went into it. But when I got a good party, I had a lot of fun. And when I got a great party, it was a blast. All the shit I had to put up with back in those days was worth it.

I'm not saying the game has been ruined, just that I'm worried I won't find something to my taste. But again, this worry is from a position of severe ignorance. The game sounds to have changed a lot. I'll see whats available, and what I can do, if I can find something that captures that same sense of challenge and reward that kept me playing for so long. If not, well, I won't leave feeling bitter towards Square. The game is no doubt better, in many ways, than it was. I can think of a lot of games I stopped playing because the developers screw up, somehow. That wouldn't be the case here.

[Sarick]

You want the main expansions PLUS all the codes for extra expansions and the special hat? The link below is for the download and codes for everything. You an use the code to unlock all current expansions. It will be on sale real cheap this Friday.

Check HERE

As of this edit it is 4.99!!

This is simply the best option IMHO. Cheap right now for about $5 with everything but the media. I told you it'd be on sale. The other news is it comes with about $5-$15 worth of extra codes downloaded games. You could be getting it almost free if you use the codes for more downloaded games. I never used the $5 off codes on the FFXI purchases because then it'd be totally free.

I bought a few extra copies myself anyway.

[SE_Chris]

I love all the feedback, dialog and perspective in this thread way to go everyone, I liked quite a few of these posts. Specifically on XBOX 360, PlayStation 2 and PC you will need to have an installation of WOtG, TAUG, ROZ, and WoTG in either a physical format or a purchased download. Once you have at least those installed you can then get the rest of the add-on scenarios and battle add-ons via update on the game (Provided registration codes have been added to the account for the rest of the add-on scenarios and battle add-ons). So, if you're looking for some hard copy of the game that you can keep around (again provided that all of the expansion are registered to the account) you'll just need the first 4 available for re-installation.