New Player - Best Leveling Strategy?

[Swiftly]

New player here. I am thinking I would like to main Bard, Monk, Ninja if that is possible? I am just curious if that is something that would be recommended? Or should I level a tank type and healer type?

If so, what is the best leveling strategy. Should I work all of them up at the same time switching between jobs etc or should I get one to 50 or so before focusing on the others.

My thought is to level:

Pugilist 15
Lancer 15
Archer 15
Rogue 15

And then take Pugilist, Archer, and Rogue to 30. But I am just not sure that is the best strategy.

Thanks in advance.

[HiroKirito]

Hey there ^^

So imo it\\\\'s very difficult to "main" more than one job, that\\\\'s kind of the point in a main, it\\\\'s singular. Problems you\\\\'ll encounter especially as they are all DD jobs are things such as constant long queue times for duties (DD has the longest wait as there are just more DD in game). At end game the top tier gear is limited in terms of weekly currency caps and drop rates, a full set would take well over a month probably closer to 2 months by the time you\\\\'ve done that for all 3 jobs the next patch would already be out, you\\\\'d just constantly be playing catch up. Also learning rotations and how to be effective as your job won\\\\'t be easy if you\\\\'re trying to play 3 jobs instead of one.

[HiroKirito]

By all means level multiple jobs, cross class abilities are important and it's fun mixing it up. I would recommend leveling both a tank and healer, first of all you'll better understand the roles your teammates play even if you just DD most of the time, but also you'll have the flexibility for duties, long queues for DD then go as your tank or healer, need to complete a certain duty or want to help friends but all DD party slots are taken, then you have the flexibility to switch roles.

Try them all out, level them for the cross class abilities and see which one you enjoy and are most effective as, but realistically you'll only have one "main" when you reach endgame, as said before the gear investment and also you don't want to become a Jack of all trades but a master of none, as you may struggle at end game.

Hope this helps

PS. End game is the best part of this game imo so getting there asap was my objective when I started and what I'd recommend.

[Swiftly]

Hmm I see... Well of those 3 which is more needed in groups etc, for shorter Que times?

[HiroKirito]

Damage dealers are grouped as one so you queue won't be shorter for one DD over another. Tanks are usually in demand for duties.

If you're set on DD they all have thier own strengths and weaknesses. Just try the out and see which one suits you most.

[Urthdigger]

While it is certainly possible to main all three of those, I wouldn't really call it effective. You can generally swap out any one DPS for another without affecting much, so having multiple different mains of the same role doesn't increase your versatility by squat. It just means you have a little more choice in how to play. Ideally, having a DPS, a tank, and a healer as mains is nice, as you can join any party (Minus very particular ones that want exacting setups)

As far as leveling strategy goes, I feel you should start off with ONE main job. Healers and tanks get better queue times for the duty finder, but you can certainly do this with a DPS as well. When you hit level 30, level up whatever sub class you need to 15 in order to unlock your job quest, and you may wish to do a little research into what cross-class abilities are considered vital for your job and level up other classes to get those as well. Other than that, press onward to 60 with your chosen job. The reason for this is to unlock more things to do. Glamours, events, travel options, gilmaking opportunities, having a level 60 class opens up a lot of doors for you that will make leveling subsequent things easier.

Now, that said, once you decide to level up other things, it generally doesn't matter if you level them up to 60 one by one, or level them up at the same time, with a few minor exceptions. The first is if you level two classes that are in the same category: Fending (Gladiator, Marauder, Dark Knight), Healing (Conjurer, Scholar, Astrologian) Casting (Thaumaturge, Arcanist), or Aiming (Archer, Machinist). These classes share almost all their gear, minus their weapon and certain job-specific armor sets. Leveling these up at the same time means you can share gear between them, potentially lessening the cost to level. The other reason to level things up in tandem is if you're also leveling gathering and crafting classes: Outside of a few hiccups early on, generally the system is designed such that a level 20 gatherer and level 20 combat class can get materials that a level 20 crafter can use to make level 20 gear. Be warned though, making all your own stuff can be time consuming!

[Swiftly]

I actually enjoy tanking...but in almost all games I have played the tanks seem to be the party leaders, and I don't think I would feel confident leading dungeons I have never been in. So I thought I might start with DPS to get the lay of the land so to speak before diving into tanking...

[Urthdigger]

I actually enjoy tanking...but in almost all games I have played the tanks seem to be the party leaders, and I don't think I would feel confident leading dungeons I have never been in. So I thought I might start with DPS to get the lay of the land so to speak before diving into tanking...

I wouldn't worry about it. Just tell the party that you're new to the dungeon, and most will be happy to let you know about mechanics and where to go

[Frizze]

And one specific fact that no one else highlighted. Leveling a 2nd(3rd, etc) class is quicker then leveling a first, because you get an exp bonus for having a higher level class. So pushing one class ahead a little ways usually ends up speeding up the process as a whole(for the bonus exp and all the bonus leveling options that Urth hints at).

As for tanking in a dungeon you dont know... dont worry about it. If you feel self conscious, just tell the group youre new up front. The people who dont want to deal with a new player will leave(good riddance), the rest will cut you plenty of slack(and maybe offer tips and pointers). Most of the dungeons are laid out in a fairly straightforward way, so getting lost isnt typically an issue. And every major patch new dungeons are added, so every few months every tank(and healer and DPS) is put back into the situation of running a few dungeons they dont already know. So essentially, we're all used to it happening from time to time. But if you want to try something different first, by all means have fun with it.

[Asheilin]

If you enjoy tanking, I'd risk doing a tank first with a dps at the side that you enjoy.

New player Important Tips

When you pick a class/job, find out what Cross-Class skills you can have. ex. Archer and Rogue uses Lancer (leveled to 34 for Blood for Blood--this is an important DPS increase skill) and Puglist (15 to unlock Bard and Ninja, can get Mantra at 42 (a good support skill that increases healing on all party members in 20y for duration--its good to have, but alot of bards do seem to skip it.)
Galdiator uses Marauder (26 for Mercy Stroke) and Conjurer (15 to unlock paladin and 34 for Stoneskin)

Tips for a New Tank:
Put a Mark 1 on your bars and use it to help your party know where to focus thier damage. It might not always be listened to, but it does help. I cycle 1 on each target as the last one dies, instead of marking 1-2-3-etc.

Flash after every rotation, minimum, until higher levels (after 40 when you get your Emnity/Argo Up stance for Gladiator/Paladin)
Marauders/Warriors get overpower early, but might still want flash (its a Gladiator Cross-Class skill) to help since overpower spam is resource intensive.