Hey!

I was going to post this in the DPS forum but then I realized I couldn't because I'm too low of a level, so I thought I'd ask here instead. This isn't my first MMO so I'm familiar with the "holy trinity" and that certain classes are best suited for certain jobs in a group; I have experience as a tank and DPS from other games. But while I've played several Final Fantasy games I am new to FFXIV and never played FFXI to any great depth; and as I understand it there's really no comparing them anyway.

I like archery in general and a friend of mine said our Free Company didn't have any Bards so I opted to start out as an Archer with my first character. I'd love to get some advice from the community so I can build good habits while leveling as opposed to having to learn to correct mistakes in my playstyle later on down the line at end game. I had scanned the forums for an Archer/Bard guide but I didn't see one. (Not sure if I missed it or just didn't look far enough maybe?) I'd rather have an idea of what I should be doing before I start doing group content so I don't waste anyone's time.

One thing I have noticed is that I seem to pull aggro pretty easily over any other DPS class I've ever played. I always thought I had pretty good aggro management in other games but here? It feels like I sneeze and go red with threat. I've done a couple of FATEs and seem to pull the mobs pretty quickly. When it's just me or one other person my instinct is to kite in that situation.. but kiting has gotten me chewed out at least once in tells. (In my defense I honestly didn't know he was trying to heal me, and if that was you and you're reading this I really AM sorry. ) But during situations with tanks and other melee classes my instinct is to pull the offending mob toward the group and stop attacking. The thing is.. when I read the class quests it seems like they kind of instruct you to kite as opposed to standing still.

I've never used macros, I kind of prefer getting a good ability rotation down. Any tips, tricks, and constructive feedback are welcome. Thanks in advance!