Playing "catch-up"

Do any other new/returning players have issues with this?

Getting to 50 isn't so bad, especially with the leve bonus xp changes.

However, getting your character flagged for endgame content is almost impossible. In particular, clearing Into the Dark and the level 25 ifrit quest is especially problematic. Nobody is interested in doing these (and rightly so, it's dead content for the most part), even with the GC seal changes.
Not to mention people have even pretty much stopped running AF, since it was so quick and easy to get.

I know I know, people generally just respond with "join a linkshell!". But the truth is, the game's community is so small and established that this isn't as easy as you think. The linkshells with people who do endgame content are generally full/clique-y, so it's not particularly easy to get in. The remaining linkshells are generally casual players (nothing wrong with that!) who aren't interested in this content anyways.

I guess I could level other disciplines/crafts, but I feel that if I do that I'll just end up falling farther behind as even less people will want to do this content in a month.

Is there anyone who's been through this awkward phase that has any ideas?

Is SE planning on working on any of this? There will obviously be a new player infusion with 2.0, but that's only a temporary solution. The game will never be big like some of the popular MMOs, so this is just going to repeat itself 6 months after the PS3 release.
Edit: Oh, I'm on Figaro, one of the most popular servers. I can't imagine what this is like on a small one

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

Do any other new/returning players have issues with this? Getting to 50 isn't so bad, especially with the leve bonus xp changes.

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Why you cannot get anything done. Period.

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Originally Posted by Xoo

Why you cannot get anything done. Period.

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What? I am 50. Yeah, I don't have every discipline at 50 yet. I doubt this is related to issues like being unable to get people to do the LEVEL 25 Ifrit quest, buddy.

Everyone I talk to seems to be magnetically polarized against doing Kobold and the Beautiful

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

I know I know, people generally just respond with "join a linkshell!". But the truth is, the game's community is so small and established that this isn't as easy as you think. The linkshells with people who do endgame content are generally full/clique-y, so it's not particularly easy to get in. The remaining linkshells are generally casual players (nothing wrong with that!) who aren't interested in this content anyways.

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Have you actually tried, or are you assuming? I've joined god knows how many linkshells (i meet too many ppl) and every single one of them does content and helps at any level. No joke. Even social linkshells (4 out of my 5 ls's) do that. The solution really is to join a linkshell. Read the forums or shout in uldah and i guarantee you'll have 4 or 5 ls invites in a matter of minutes. An LS is the answer to your problem, always has been.

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Originally Posted by Lux_Rayna

Have you actually tried, or are you assuming? I've joined god knows how many linkshells (i meet too many ppl) and every single one of them does content and helps at any level. No joke. Even social linkshells (4 out of my 5 ls's) do that. The solution really is to join a linkshell. Read the forums or shout in uldah and i guarantee you'll have 4 or 5 ls invites in a matter of minutes. An LS is the answer to your problem, always has been.

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I've joined four Linkshells at this point, and I see the same things in each. You either have players who are just interested in farming/levelling, or players who have already done most of the content and aren't interested in helping.

Yeah, I'm sure somewhere there exists a linkshell that helps with this. However, meeting people new is incredibly difficult because people generally only group up to do content you won't have access to as a new player. I guess I could join some Cutter's runs, but I'd feel like a complete dick because my character is nowhere near geared up enough for that.

worry not, you can do cutters naked unless you're tankin ^^

I just don't understand the Ifrit thing. I can usually kill the Ifrit before the person gets out of their CS. No fuss no muss. As to Darkhold, my LS does it three to five times a week just to sell the gear for GC seals. Get a group that does something more than just the "newest" thing all the time, it makes it more fun to break the monotony anyway.

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Originally Posted by RolandDebreton

I just don't understand the Ifrit thing. I can usually kill the Ifrit before the person gets out of their CS. No fuss no muss. As to Darkhold, my LS does it three to five times a week just to sell the gear for GC seals. Get a group that does something more than just the "newest" thing all the time, it makes it more fun to break the monotony anyway.

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I'm baffled on the Ifrit thing as well. As the person organizing I'd obviously teleport the group, it's literally a 5 minute ordeal.

I'd love to find a group that does something other than the new thing. How do you even find a group of people in a game with such a small cliquey community? Maybe the server merges coming soon will help, but being on a high pop server already makes me skeptical of that

Your not done at level fifty.
You also need to maximize your potential in another class that supports your desired job.
Such as getting stoneskin, sacred prism, resonance, sanguine rite ect with bard.

Getting 50 to fast in this shouldn't be a big deal to everyone since you can change class
and there is quiet a variety to choose from.


Linkshells, not the easiest thing to get into one, but there's more than likely one willing to let you join, just keep trying. If not, then try making your own linkshell and invite people you begin to garner relationships with in game.

Content has been made for multiple revisits. Maybe theres just not enough people on your server yet.

I am on selbina though and we are currently highest pop.

but server merge soon yay! a whole new slew of people you can adventure with. isnt that neat?

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

What? I am 50. Yeah, I don't have every discipline at 50 yet. I doubt this is related to issues like being unable to get people to do the LEVEL 25 Ifrit quest, buddy.

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Sorry, I was a bit cryptic and vague. The statement was not a shot at you at all. What I meant to imply was that, yes, it is easy to get to 50 - Which everyone has, on everything. Many people have completed much of the content thus far, so they don't play as much, and a good reason why you can't get anyone to help you.

Anyhow, good luck!

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Originally Posted by AceofRains

Your not done at level fifty.
You also need to maximize your potential in another class that supports your desired job.
Such as getting stoneskin, sacred prism, resonance, sanguine rite ect with bard.

Getting 50 to fast in this shouldn't be a big deal to everyone since you can change class
and there is quiet a variety to choose from.


Linkshells, not the easiest thing to get into one, but there's more than likely one willing to let you join, just keep trying. If not, then try making your own linkshell and invite people you begin to garner relationships with in game.

Content has been made for multiple revisits. Maybe theres just not enough people on your server yet.

I am on selbina though and we are currently highest pop.

but server merge soon yay! a whole new slew of people you can adventure with. isnt that neat?

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I'm aware that I'm not done at 50, and am working on other disciplines. However, I'm incredibly reluctant to devote time to grinding out CNJ/ARC etc, as I cant even seem to pull 4 people together for 5 minutes to run a level 25 ifrit. Adding those classes to my repetoire means another series of AF quests and such that I'll have to pray for help on. It was ridiculous getting some of the BLM quests done without being able to pull people in.

Also, I'm on Figaro which is one of the highest pop servers.

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Originally Posted by Xoo

Sorry, I was a bit cryptic and vague. The statement was not a shot at you at all. What I meant to imply was that, yes, it is easy to get to 50 - Which everyone has, on everything. Many people have completed much of the content thus far, so they don't play as much, and a good reason why you can't get anyone to help you.

Anyhow, good luck!

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Isn't that a huge problem with the game? How does it plan to maintain it's player base?

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

Isn't that a huge problem with the game? How does it plan to maintain it's player base?

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You know, I've been asking myself this question for quite a long-- wait, no, it got answered in January with the onset of billing. People were fine to hang about the world with not much to do before, but far more than a handful disappeared that month.

I don't know what SE's plan for success is, but I would like some of whatever it is they're smoking.

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

I'm aware that I'm not done at 50, and am working on other disciplines. However, I'm incredibly reluctant to devote time to grinding out CNJ/ARC etc, as I cant even seem to pull 4 people together for 5 minutes to run a level 25 ifrit. Adding those classes to my repetoire means another series of AF quests and such that I'll have to pray for help on. It was ridiculous getting some of the BLM quests done without being able to pull people in.

Also, I'm on Figaro which is one of the highest pop servers.

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All of the secondary transferable skills are with in the levels where AF quests are soloable as a 50

As for getting some people together for ifrit, well maybe today isnt your lucky day
Maybe tomorrow isn't either.
Just keep on keepin on. Sign up on ffxiv pads they have a great content tracker.
See what you can do to keep yourself occupied, while things are slow.
I sometimes just go off and do some sidequests if I'm bored.
or try to unlock achievements.

I like this game so much because if plan A doesn't work out I can easily drop everything and go with my plan B.

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Originally Posted by AceofRains

All of the secondary transferable skills are with in the levels where AF quests are soloable as a 50

As for getting some people together for ifrit, well maybe today isnt your lucky day
Maybe tomorrow isn't either.
Just keep on keepin on. Sign up on ffxiv pads they have a great content tracker.
See what you can do to keep yourself occupied, while things are slow.
I sometimes just go off and do some sidequests if I'm bored.
or try to unlock achievements.

I like this game so much because if plan A doesn't work out I can easily drop everything and go with my plan B.

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This has been going on for days. I honestly suspect the game has no real entry point for new players unless you got lucky and found a solid group of people willing to jump back and do some of the older content.

The worst thing is that I'm not even coming close to filling groups out. It's not like we got to 3/4 on Ifrit and couldn't find a fourth. Not a single person is interested anymore.

You're gonna have to hope and pray that you find a nice person or two, doing this isn't even a time sink for the people who sit around town all day, it wouldn't even take five of their minutes as stated before. The downside is, this is the player base for XIV as it stands now. So many people can't be bothered to help anyone. Those same people would rather sit in town and do nothing. I'd offer to help but we're different servers, but i'll wish you the best of luck in finding help.

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

This has been going on for days. I honestly suspect the game has no real entry point for new players unless you got lucky and found a solid group of people willing to jump back and do some of the older content.

The worst thing is that I'm not even coming close to filling groups out. It's not like we got to 3/4 on Ifrit and couldn't find a fourth. Not a single person is interested anymore.

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Listen, I REALLY don't know what to tell you. If your that fed up then quit.
Entry point? Go level, meet people along your first few steps.
I find its great to meet new people by bringing up a new class in thanalan
If I see someone leveling I add them to party right away. Mingle
You are much more efficient at exping with even just ONE more party member.
Friendship Communication is a FREE skill. Establish this.
Everyone body in this game wants to just grab someone off the streets of Ul'dah and use them like some kind of...

Whats in it for me? Why do I have to join the 3 of you when I already did this?
I would do it out of the kindness of my heart but I cant speak for other players.

Once you make friends, a linkshell is almost guaranteed.

Invest in new players. They might not be anything now, but bring them up and they will appreciate it.
Got a 50? PL them on a low level, they'll be greatful.

Often times I think people forget what it truely means to play an MMO.

In closing. The only entry point you have into any MMO is the people you connect with.
Either that or its a straight bland quest/exp/whatever grind to the top with nothing for you to enjoy.

The game in it's current state isn't made for new players at all. SE is just trying to keep it's current playerbase happy to get a small amount of money. They made exp fast assuming that any new players would probably be joining only because their friends were already playing and SE wanted them to be able to play together as fast as possible. These players would have their friends to help them out with those quests so the requirements were left as is, so a new player who joined out of curiosity with no friends starting out is going to have to make friends. It's hard, but it's either that or quit until 2.0

I helped someone with that quest yesterday. I find it isn't too difficult to find help on Selbina. That may be server thing.

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

Isn't that a huge problem with the game? How does it plan to maintain it's player base?

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No, because level sync is coming. And as other have mention, most linkshells are very helpful, AND the server merge is happening in a couple days, FEAR NOT!

Everything will be okay.

You could always get into crafting.
I"M SERIOUS.

I've got one job at level 32, and my next highest is 20.
I don't really see the big grab at getting all battle classes to 50 anyways before 2.0
one, two, yeah, maybe, but i'd like to save the journey. That's me.

Crafting is a valid use of time if you're planning on staying on through 2.0
Attach your own materia, repair your own stuff, attach and repair other peoples stuff.
Craft all the fine things that people buy for materia and whatever else they eventually do with it,
oh yes, and the gil... Gil buys things.
Gil even bought you a relic weapon in FFXI if you had enough.
I've got 36 Million and counting. *_*

I'm not understanding this problem people keep having not being able to get things done. The only explanation I have is that you need a better linkshell.

I've taken my fair share of breaks from the game for various reasons. Each time I come back, the rest of the player base is far ahead of me. But I have shellmates that are willing to bring me up to speed each time.

I just came back a few days ago, and in the first night I was back, my shell helped me unlock PLD, finish all the quests, including Into the Dark, and we still had enough time to help someone to help with 2 WHM quests, the BLM final quest, beat the level 25 Ifrit, farm tapers and beat the Hard Mode Ifrit. In the time that nobody was available, I ranked up in my GC and caught myself up on storyline quests.

It all comes down to finding a reliable group of friends and/or a linkshell with people who are willing to help.

Yesterday we did a Bowl of Embers (Easy) run with L30-35 people. It was fun! That's because I kept some of my classes to L30~ so I could help newbies.
But don't follow my example, I'm too kind =)

Understand how you feel, OP. I took a four week break starting just before patch 1.20 and completely missed out on the initial Moogle rush. I've spent the last month and a half trying to get people to help me do a feast of fools. Feels like XI all over again.

For the GC quests:

I wonder if it would help if the GC quests were altered to award seals to everyone in the party at the time the player with the quest flagged completes the objective.

This is a problem carried over from 11. If you didnt subscribe at the time of an update, it was hell finding a party to do quests/missions for example.


I also wonder if a better solution would be to place certain quests on their own questlines outside of main storylines, flaggable with no or few prerequisites. So even if the higher up people cant be bothered to help, at least the lowbies could offer to help (as there would be no pre-req quests, you would literrally just have to be a certain level). That way you can continuously shuffle people into new areas/new content hassle free and then the main storyline can be experienced leisurely as the sugar coating on the top.

For the AF quests:
Hmm, similar, maybe function it like a leve quest with item/xp/gil/seal rewards. ;/

As you stated, the easiest way to get stuff done is with an LS though I still see pickups shouting for AF and Darkhold (on Trabia)
For the level 25 Ifrit however you'll most likely need 3 friends to help you out. If you were on Trabia I'd offer to help seeing as I've already done that fight so many times for others.
I've honestly never had a problem getting people together for level 25 Ifrit.

I am always happy to help people with baby Ifrit and DH, too bad your not on my server :(

If you can't get a small handfull of people to join you for the 15 seconds it takes to accomplish the level 25 quest with ifrit, you need to dump those LS. Poke around a bit further untill you find LS's that actually care to aid there brotheren and not just pad there LS population. Thats what sounds to be the problem to me. You don't just want any clown that will toss you a pearl. You need to find that shell that doesn't mond helping the new guy, knowing you will help others in the LS to return the favor later, thus building good comrodery. If they are not doing that, they are just a glorified in game chat group.

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Originally Posted by GlickWick

I'm baffled on the Ifrit thing as well. As the person organizing I'd obviously teleport the group, it's literally a 5 minute ordeal.

I'd love to find a group that does something other than the new thing. How do you even find a group of people in a game with such a small cliquey community? Maybe the server merges coming soon will help, but being on a high pop server already makes me skeptical of that

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I try and help any new people, come join our server, you will ahve a home!~