New player questions.

Hello, i just purchased FF14 off of amazon. And have a few questions.
#1- Server. I am EST, so as long as i choose NA does it matter which server i am on? Doesn't really specify itself.
#2- When does crafting come into play? Can i make good of myself end game without doing it?
#3- Graphics settings. The graphics settings are very complicated and complex, but the game seems to put stress on my computer (By listening to the fans). Got an i7 930, 14GB of ram and a radeon 7850. Any recommended settings from experienced players?

#1 Just pick an NA server that says Excellent for connection. If you scroll down the list, at the bottom you'll find the newest servers. They tend to be the least populated which means the fewest login or character creation restrictions.

#2 Crafting I would not start until around level 20. You could take up Mining and Botany earlier, but your bag will fill up fast. Around level 20 you get retainers, on which you can store items. That's when you want to start crafting. If you take up Mining or Botany, you can't go wrong with ores and lumber as a rule. As well as shards, though the exp for shards will be bad. However, you'll need a lot of them.

Once you unlock other crafts, you'll see recipes. You can then check your logs and other craft recipes to see how to get materials you need. You'll often be able to farm/craft the items you need. But you will always need shards and storage space.

#3 I'm afraid I can't help you. I'm on PS3.

It doesnt matter in my opinion... I play on Coeurl as EST, and even though server time is WAY different (its like a 5 hour difference), the server doesnt really die down until about 4-5AM EST.

Crafting is a good way to make gil in my opinion, but it is not needed. You will require other people to put materia into your gear (like socketing gems), but they dont charge much. I didnt pick up crafting/gathering until after my third 50.

FFXIV murders computers sometimes. Radeon released a BETA driver recently that states specifically:
"Final Fantasy XIV: Improves single GPU and CrossFire performance"

Look into that driver and see if it is appropiate for the hardware that you currently have. Personally, I play with my settings on Standard (Laptop) even though I have an i7 extreme, 16GB RAM, and a GTX 470 overclocked simply because the game still looks fine to me. I only put the settings as high as I need them to not bother me.

If the game is stressing your computer, I would recommend turning off Anti-aliasing as it seems to be the largest factor in performance. Picking from the presets and then fine tuning stuff to your liking would be best.

Idk what it is about this game. But i am so glad i bought it. Set my settings to labtop high, not going below 50. But the game's combat and story feels so captivating. Like i just did my first duty, my heart was racing to kill those crab monsters. I thought the combat would be sluggish because of the 2 second GCD, but it's not like that at all=P