I want to jump in to PvP as quickly as I can after hitting 60...

[zipzo]

Hey guys, I plan to PvP as soon as I hit 60, but I had a few questions.

1. Will I be just utter crap until I acquire some kind of PvP gear from doing tons of matches or is gear uniform for within PvP areas?

2. I have 2 classes close to 60 and I'm curious about their general performance in PvP...Dark Knight and Ninja. I'm more inclined to go Ninja (as someone very experience in "rogue-like" PvP characters), but I'm just curious how Dark Knight's fill their role.

3. What should I be expecting as a brand new player in FFXIV PvP given I am extremely experienced in TERA, WoW, Aion, and GW2 PvP?

Thanks so much, dude bros.

[Elfidan]

1.) You need to read up on objectives for whichever pvp you are looking to play. People get super offended if you go into the feast without knowing what to do. Feast 8v8 is viable for training however.

2.) Go ninja if you can DRK is extremely under powered at item 150 where the match is synced to. At best you would be mediocre as a DRK since we cannot deal decent burst , and are not good at harassing healers , or other caster at the moment.

3.) Expect fast paced action. Short match lengths , and the occasional cheater , or people arguing for no good reason. So comparing to WOW ... the usual.

Hope this helped you, good luck.

[Titor]

Do not start with rated 4v4 feast.
Do not start with rated 4v4 feast.
Do not start with rated 4v4 feast.

The PvP community thanks you for understanding.

Starting with some frontline roulettes (Seal rock is the best to learn 60 pvp without much pressure), then move to some feast 8v8's. Then when you feel confident in your burst/cc, then try 4v4 rated when you are ready to be serious. Do not destroy someone's rating to just learn from.

[Februs]

1. Will I be just utter crap until I acquire some kind of PvP gear from doing tons of matches or is gear uniform for within PvP areas?

Not necessarily. All current PvP content is level sync'd to item level 150, so it is fairly easy to meet the stat caps, even if you're not using PvP gear. It only requires an average item level of roughly 190 (varying slightly depending on secondary stat allotment) to be competitively geared for PvP. You'll be slightly outclassed if you're not somewhere in that ballpark.

That said, it's worth remembering that a large portion of the PvP gear is still best in slot for your secondary stat allotments. If you want to get the most bang for your buck (Det, Crit, and Skill Speed) you should eventually invest in the necessary PvP gear, focusing on what stats you want to emphasize.

2. I have 2 classes close to 60 and I'm curious about their general performance in PvP...Dark Knight and Ninja. I'm more inclined to go Ninja (as someone very experience in "rogue-like" PvP characters), but I'm just curious how Dark Knight's fill their role.

This depends on which type of PvP you're playing, but, in Feast, the Dark Knight isn't all that useful.

Tank's have one of the hardest jobs in PvP because they have to fill multiple support roles which divide their attention during the match. They run interference on the enemy healer, defend their own healer, or support the Dps. At the moment, out of the 3 tanks the Dark Knight is the most difficult to use because it has the most complicated burst rotation and simply lacks the tools to do each job efficiently. By comparison, they are frequently out-shined by War's and Pld's. That's not to say that they cannot be used, but if you have a stronger grasp of Ninja's skill set, then I would recommend sticking with Ninja. Using a Drk in Feast would be a pretty steep learning curve because you'd be doing a very difficult role with a job that is the hardest to use.

3. What should I be expecting as a brand new player in FFXIV PvP given I am extremely experienced in TERA, WoW, Aion, and GW2 PvP?

An extremely hostile learning environment.

FFXIV's PvP is far from a polished gem. It's still growing and evolving, and suffers from serous drawbacks and limitations. It's also radically different from the PvE in the game. Your rotations and priorities are change completely when you enter the arena, and it takes a lot of practice to get familiar with what is expected of your job as well as the best ways to complete your tasks. You'll be learning as you go, and you won't be learning in a friendly place where people will hold your hand or be at all understanding of your position. To that end, I would recommend avoiding 4v4 ranked matches until you at least get a little experience under your belt. The players in ranked matches are by far the most hostile, as they have the most riding on the line (especially if they're in a qualifying match). It wouldn't be the best way to introduce yourself to the game mode.

I also recommend learning your burst rotation and available utility (including your PvP moves!). I can't emphasize this enough, but PvP is not the same as PvE in this game. The goal is no longer to do the most damage possible over the entire length of the match. The goal is to do the highest spike of dmg possible in the shortest amount of time. You can use the training dummies in Wolves Den Pier (on top of the ship. Take the stairs on the left) to practice using all your PvP moves. Consider setting up PvP specific hotbars so that you have the moves you actually need ready and available at a moments notice.

Keep in mind that it's also not all about damage. Utility is important, and each job has their own set. Knowing what you can do and when it's the best time to do it can make or break a match, but that knowledge also comes with experience. You can read your tool kits in advance and theory craft for which situations each move might be best suited, but you're gonna want to jump in to get as much first hand exp as you can.

Otherwise, keep a tough skin and just have fun. There's a lot of salt in the PvP community right now for a variety of different reasons (not all of which are objectively fair or justified). Try not to get caught up in it or let it get to you. Don't let the politics cloud your experience. If you're not there to have fun, then you probably aren't there for the right reasons.