Wanting to start ex/savage

[Xaruko_Nexume]

So Ive finally found a max level job I really want to progress beyond what I can do in normal content. My greatest barrier to entry ( I think ) is the anxiety of messing up as a new person and wasting 7 other peoples times.

TLDR Where should I start? Doing some older ex synced? Does party finder have a way to find groups for new raiders who are happy and willing to wipe over and over to learn and not expect completion? Or should I watch how to videos on current Pandemonium stuff and focus on that instead? What is expected of me to have before I even start? Raid consumables of some kind? Potions? Certain materia's or item levels? (side note, I still dont understand materia...at all)

I really dont know how the social structure of raiding in this game but want to learn so any advice or direction to helpful websites for noobies is appreciated.

I really love this game but I want to do more than level jobs to 90 only to stop and level another. That isn't going to keep me engaged forever no matter how much I enjoy the game.

[NegativeS]

This is what I did:

Step 1. Decide what content you're doing.
Step 2. Look up it up on google, click the first FFXIV consolegameswiki link you see.
Step 3. Read the guide.
Step 4. Queue for the content.

Having a basic understanding of what you're going to be doing is leagues better than most people, and outside of that, the main variable is practice.

People who choose to play with randoms sign the social contract stating that they acknowledge and accept that there is going to be at least one person who knows less than everyone else. People who dump on newbies tend to get mass reported or vote dismissed.

Trust me, I have some pretty bad anxiety when it comes to stuff like that. I almost quit the game when I got to Sastasha in the MSQ because I was so worried about messing up group content.

You'll be fine, and you'll do great.

[Zomkei]

The best thing you can do for yourself is make sure you understand your chosen job. The balance (https://www.thebalanceffxiv.com) is a good resource for guides and information relating to your job, including what to slot for materia. For consumables, food is usually expected in both savage and EX, and potions are expected for savages once youre close to clear or actually doing your weekly clears.

I know its easier said than done, but don't be anxious. Join practice parties up to your level. If you're uncertain about mechanics, join parties at that or slightly before that mechanic and keep going until you are sure. Ask questions, read guides, and just be open to criticism. Ignoring people who are trying to help you will only hurt you in the end.

I recommend strongly to join the balance discord. It's a great place to learn many things.

[xxmiamorecadenza]

This is how I did it.

I legit started by mount collecting and working my way up.

50 - then 60 - then 70 - then 80.

This lets you both collect mounts and learn how the scene may look like as you progress. Additionally, play the job you intend to stick with.

Afterwards just jump into PF and join a prog group. A fresh group, actually. And you should be fine! Or you can immediately hop into fresh groups. It'll work either way.

[Xaruko_Nexume]

Thank you all for the responses so far. I am completely open to criticism. I welcome it. I WANT to be told when im doing something wrong, so I know to fix it. I still seem to have a lot of old habits in playstyle and thought process from previous games that I need to let go of it seems. That said, I am generally a non-confrontational person. It makes me very uncomfortable and tends to initiate a flight response from me. The main reason I stopped raiding in WoW years ago. We will see how it goes I guess.

[Azuri]

Read/watch a guide (or not, if you are interested in blind progression) and join a [Practice] Party Finder group that fits your criteria (i.e. "practice from start" or "blind"). There is also "beginner-friendly" symbol some groups may use. Most importantly, read the party description and don't join parties that don't suit you.

Once in the fight, just do your best. The average player in PF is pretty bad so you are very unlikely to waste 7 other players time.

Don't bother with old content as a first timer, it's entirely irrelevant and doesn't offer any sensible learning curve.

[Xaruko_Nexume]

Read/watch a guide (or not, if you are interested in blind progression) and join a [Practice] Party Finder group that fits your criteria (i.e. "practice from start" or "blind"). There is also "beginner-friendly" symbol some groups may use. Most importantly, read the party description and don't join parties that don't suit you.

Once in the fight, just do your best. The average player in PF is pretty bad so you are very unlikely to waste 7 other players time.

Don't bother with old content as a first timer, it's entirely irrelevant and doesn't offer any sensible learning curve.

Thats especially reassuring. I had no idea PF had beginner friendly symbols. That is wonderful. I will look for that. 6 months in, this game continues to still amaze me around every corner in what a contrast it is to other games out there.

[Risvertasashi]

You'll find there's a bunch of other people that are very new, anxious, and so forth - especially while content is new. As long as you're careful to not jump into something like "enrage to clear" before you're ready, you'll be fine.

[Endariel]

Meld 8th grade materia Crit >= DH > Det. Can 10th, but 8 is already great.
Buy some food (optinal), read the guide, create party “from beginning” or something, go in ex.
Both extremes are super easy (as with every expansion start) so it's a pretty good entry point

[hfang]

So Ive finally found a max level job I really want to progress beyond what I can do in normal content. My greatest barrier to entry ( I think ) is the anxiety of messing up as a new person and wasting 7 other peoples times.

TLDR Where should I start? Doing some older ex synced? Does party finder have a way to find groups for new raiders who are happy and willing to wipe over and over to learn and not expect completion? Or should I watch how to videos on current Pandemonium stuff and focus on that instead? What is expected of me to have before I even start? Raid consumables of some kind? Potions? Certain materia's or item levels? (side note, I still dont understand materia...at all)

First of all, absolutely get rid of this idea that you're "wasting 7 other people's times" immediately. It is a videogame, and especially if you're going into fresh/learning parties, you should never be ashamed of learning. Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take (valid) criticism, either. Listen to the people around you. The only thing i'd recommend is try to at least clear the current EX fights before going into savage, as it's a whole new level of difficulty. Get some raid food, the highest ilvl with the stats your job wants that you can afford, and don't worry about pots and such right now. Materia are just items that give you small boosts in certain stats. You'll want to check out The Balance or other places like that to check what's the BiS (Best in Slot, i.e., the best equipment + materia currently available for your job) to see what exactly you need. Party finder has a few tags and make sure you join parties marked as [Practice] and "fresh prog" in the description since those are parties for people who never even started the fight, then you can move on to [mechanic] prog and so on.

TL;DR: don't worry about wasting people's times, it's a videogame and savage raids/ex trials aren't some godlike content that only the top tier of the game can clear. you can do it as well as long as you want to keep learning and you give it a fair shot. good luck and have fun!