Affording gear?

[Ordun]

So is there some trick to being able to afford low level gear that i'm not seeing? So far ive been able to level lnc (12) and gld (11) and I can barely beat mobs around my lvl and i cant even attempt leves. I've tried fishing and mining but they don't seem to make money like they did in 11. I even tried raising my crafting jobs with leves to make my own gear but after I got armorer to 10 I saw you have to use gear from other crafts just to make armor and with limited play time I really don't want to craft for hours just to be able to level. Please I just want to be able to play the game, I don't want a hand out i just want to be able to afford basic gear. Can someone just tell me what I have to be missing?

[Aleczan]

Since the new patch, they added more merchandise to NPC vendor (or decrease the price of existing gear). I believe, if no one is selling low level gear in their retainer at reasonable price, you can look for your needed gear from NPC inside the Market Wards for the corresponding gear.

For example, at Battlecraft Row, in the middle of the ward, an NPC vendor (Reluctant Boar, for Ul'dah) will sell stuff like;
Bone Harpoon (LNC 5) for 4080 gil.
Iron Spear (LNC 16) for 13641 gil.

Though it is far cheaper to get materials and craft your own Spear, player (crafter) may sell Iron Spear for higher price (I saw 30k on my server), so I think NPC vendor is a good option for low level.

And NPC in Lower Tailers Row will sell, for example;
Sheepskin Leggings (shoes for DoW and DoM lv 8) for 3444 gil.
Hempen Kecks (pants which LNC can equip, lv 8) for 2611 gil.

There are, in total, 3 NPC vendors in Lower Tailers Row which sell gear for lower level range. Each one sells different type (slot) of gear.

They might not have all the gear available, but it's good and not too expensive if no players are selling the gear.

[Aleczan]

Also, for your question about crafting, usually we crafters (based on myself) group up with friends and specialize in different crafts, so that we can share or help making different kinds of materials. It is very difficult to level up all your craft classes alone if you have limited playtime per day. So you might want to focus on 1 or 2 crafts, then pair up with a real life friend or linkshell friends, or even make friends with other nice players and work together when needed.

Also, if your server has a lot of people selling materials for cheap, you might buy the materials from them and keep making only the gear that your craft can create, without having to level up other crafts to make the material itself.

Another option is, for example, if the armor you want to make is within your skill to craft, but you lack a piece of material, like, say, Dodo Leather, and there's none up for sale in Bazaar (Market Wards), you can either;
1) Shout asking for a crafter who has Dodo Leather to sell at reasonable price (you name your price, if the seller/crafter likes it, they might respond).
2) Get the ingredients to make the leather, then shout asking for help from any Leatherworker. Give them the ingredients and the shards needed for the recipe.

You may offer a small service fee if you like. But usually for small and low level craft like that, a crafter will much likely help for free.

[VydarrTyr]

So is there some trick to being able to afford low level gear that i'm not seeing? So far ive been able to level lnc (12) and gld (11) and I can barely beat mobs around my lvl and i cant even attempt leves.

Mobs at or just barely above your level are supposed to be the ones you solo. Unless you get into a party, you're not going to be able to beat mobs several levels above you.

Why can't you attempt leves? Leves at level 10 camps at 1 star will give you mobs that are level 10. Even with all weathered gear, you should be able to beat those. And if you can't, you can always go back to the starter camps and run through the mobs in those leves even at 3 stars, because the mobs will be level 9.

Your Lodestone page says that you've completed at least 20 regional leves. So I'm not sure what you're talking about here.

I've tried fishing and mining but they don't seem to make money like they did in 11.

Well, you're not going to get rich at level 10. Give it some time.

What are you trying to sell? How much are you selling it for? Where are you selling it? Sell stuff in the Uldah Market Wards. That's where most of the people are.

I even tried raising my crafting jobs with leves to make my own gear but after I got armorer to 10 I saw you have to use gear from other crafts just to make armor and with limited play time I really don't want to craft for hours just to be able to level.

What are you trying to make? Are you looking at old recipes? Here's the level 8 body piece: Hempen Acton. It's level 8, and works for all Disciples of War and Magic. The ingredients require only weaving. You weaving skill -- at level 5 -- is absolutely high enough to make one. (You can generally attempt something that's 10 levels higher than you, although your success rate won't be very good until about 5 levels higher than you.)

The recipes were changed in the last patch. They're much, much simpler now. Some outdated websites still have the old recipes. I'd suggest that you go to mooglebox.com, and check out the recipes there. Any recipe with "Dated" in front of it is an old recipe. It still works for the time being, but they're more complicated to make, require more items, and are generally not as good as the new recipes.

But you're correct that if you don't level all crafts, you won't be able to make all the gear in the game. You'll have to buy it, or get it as a reward. But that was true in FFXI, too.

Please I just want to be able to play the game, I don't want a hand out i just want to be able to afford basic gear. Can someone just tell me what I have to be missing?

Again, it's usually best to try to buy stuff from the Uldah Market Wards, since that's where most people sell stuff, so prices will usually be most competitive there.

To expand on what Aleczan said, NPCs sell low level gear. Again, check mooglebox. It lists the NPCs selling low level gear. As a general rule, there's an NPC selling low level gear in the middle of the Armorfitters Ward, the Lower Tailors Ward, the Spellcraft Ward, and the Battlecraft Ward. They might not be incredibly cheap (they're cheaper now than they were a few months ago), but at level 10, you probably don't need a whole new gear set. And depending on how much low level gear is being sold for by the players on your server, they may be cheaper.

And keep in mind that some leves will offer gear as a reward. Generally, leves in Limsa Lominsa will offer metal gear and food; leves in Gridania will offer leather and wooden gear; and leves in Uldah will offer cloth gear and gems.

Be patient. It can be difficult right now to level at lower levels. They're working to improve the rate of leveling for low level players. Try getting into a party and you'll have a much, much easier time.

[Betelgeuzah]

How did you level so far? Fighting low level critters outside the town?

If so, you have accummulated tons of shards and crystals. Employ a Retainer in the Adventurer's Guild, go to the Market Wards, check out what they go for and put them up.

Theres currently no better way to generate income from what I've seen. In a 30min leveling session getting 60k+ worth of shards is not an impossibility.

You'll have the best luck in Ul'dah. Also level 10 guildleves start to get more generous with its rewards so you can also get more money that way on the side.

Lastly, some items can be sold to NPC's for quite a large sum. I'd say that you may be able to sell 20k worth of gil if you happen to have some expensive ingredients in your backpack (such as blood from chigoes).

Honestly, that's all you need to do. No fancy crafting/gathering tactics. Kill mobs, gather mats and shards, sell them, ???, profit. I'm up to 300k now from scratch just doing that and completing leves.

[Aleczan]

<3 Vydarr.

Gotta love your informative reply every time I see one. You always spot and cover the issues or holes I (or others) overlook. Hehe! And yessss, MoogleBox.com is AWESOME!

[VydarrTyr]

<3 Vydarr.

Gotta love your informative reply every time I see one. You always spot and cover the issues or holes I (or others) overlook. Hehe! And yessss, MoogleBox.com is AWESOME!

Me? I love your tips! I almost didn't respond because you said pretty much everything that needed to be said, and much better than I could have.

And some great tips in there from Betelguzah, too. Shards are a great way to make money early in the game.

And I've said this before, but another way to make money is to kill those level 1-2 sheep outside of Limsa Lominsa and sell their skins. Those sell really well, and it's a great way to level a starter class.

And since Ordun is a miner, he can also do some quarrying around Camp Bearded Rock. You can pick up Red Dye there, which sells pretty well.

[Ordun]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I completely missed the npcs in the market ward, and I was looking at the dated gear so the crafting doesn't look quite so daunting anymore also thanks for the mooglebox site I had been looking for a good item database site and really hadn't found a good one yet.

[VydarrTyr]

Yeah, Ordun. It can be tricky. I used to use Yellow Gremlin, which was great, but they still haven't updated their recipes yet. And they don't give any indication that the recipes have all changed. So it can be kind of misleading, especially for new players. Personally, I much prefer the new crafting recipes. Stick with it, find yourself a linkshell, and I hope you'll get find yourself enjoying it enough to be around for the long haul. And if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

[Aleczan]

^^

But Vydarr, I totally forgot the possibility that Ordun might have been talking about dated recipe.

Anyway, yes there are many people who will be willing to answer your questions, Ordun.

I like when people ask. Or when people complain then ask, or the other way around. Love to see when people are not sure about something and take their time to ask. Not all information are obvious or presenting themselves or easy to find/comprehend.

Don't be afraid to ask.

I've seen so many people who just give up the idea/activity because they don't know what to do, yet are unwilling (or too shy?) to ask. I've even seen people shouting in the game "this game sucks! I can't do shit!" I wanted to ask them what shit are you trying to do? Maybe I can teach you to do some shit if you explain or clarify your shit. LOL. (But my BF was hearing me going crazy on my keyboard and screamed "Nooooooo no drama please!" So I had to not send my response.)

Show us your problem, and we shall try to solve it, or try with you to figure a way to solve it.

Oh, man, I was rambling again >< Sorry.

I wish you good luck and a lot of fun in the game. There is so much to explore and experiment. Please come back to ask more if you like.

By the way, the maker of MoogleBox.com is asking for help in gathering the info (about recipe's exact level) please check out the thread here:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...mall-prizes%29