Several questions from a newbie

[kacone96]

Hi everyone,

First of all, thank you for being such a supportive and kind community I have some questions regarding different topics, maybe you could help me:

1- Im not an MMO lover but I am playing this game because I am a big FF fan and I have read several times that it has the best story in the whole saga, but I have also read that it gets interesting in the first or second exp, is it right? So far, the missions are "chat with this person", "get 3 flowers in that garden", "slay that easy monster"...also there are missions where it seems that they make you move from one point to another just to spend time. When does it get better? I just want an amazing story

2-Regarding difficult, so far all misions and raids are really easy, when do it get difficult? I have seen dungeons in the map but when I get there, I cannot enter.

3-Regarding autoatacks: I have first to click on an enemie so my pj starts atacking him. Is it possible that my pj atacks automatically to the closest enemy? Because some times there are several allies and enemies so if I misclick, my character do no action nor atack

4-I purchased the basic edition, ARR, but I have seen that they will reactivate the free trial, with has the first exp. Is it possible to continue playing the free trial with my actual character?

5-I selected the monk but later I read that its considerent within the worst jobs. Which are the most popular or fun to play jobs? If I play DK, it starts with level 30, but the missions would be level 50 right?

6-Sometimes while I am fighthing, some of my atack skills (such as the one with aoe) are unable to use, with a lock icon. WHy is that? Is not regarding the level sync, since some times it happens also to skills that I learnt in the first levels

thanks in advance for all your help

regards

[Isutowaru]

1. ARR is understandably the weakest part of FFXIV, however all the expansions make up for it, 2.1 to 2.5 handles the quests better, but its still a grind. You're in for a really long story so there's no rush, but try to avoid burning yourself out.

2. Difficulty more or less scales with the story. As you continue your journey through the expansions, the normal content starts throwing different mechanics at you that throw you off guard. When you hit level 50 through 90, you can already try out some "Extreme trials" that can throw you straight into this difficulty curve, and at level 60/70/80/90, you can attempt savage level content.

3. Can you clarify what you mean? You can use Tab on the keyboard to quick-select enemies, and in the options, there is an option to adjust how Tab quick-targets an enemy. I believe Left-Right on the D-pad is similar?

4. If you purchased and activated ARR, you're locked into it and need to continue the subscription to keep playing.

5. You can play whatever job you choose! If you want to play Dark Knight, you need to get to Heavensward first! I'm not a fan of Monk, sure, but there are many people who are fond of Monk, so don't let "Monk bad" throw you off, play whatever you find fun!

6. With the case of Monk/Pugilist, this is probably due to your forms. Executing your actions unlocks forms, and these forms lock you into certain actions. Opo-opo form, Courel form and Raptor form. Learn what actions fall into which forms!

[Fayt1203]

It would also be good to equip the job stone unless the site has not been updated its says that u are still Pugilist

Arm of the Destroyer need no form but if u are in sync under level 26 it will be lock
Rockbreaker Can only be executed when in coeurl form and of will not work if sync under level 30

[KageTokage]

1. The actual quest gameplay in the MSQ don't really change/improve much going into the future, but you're on the verge of where most people would agree ARR gets interesting.

2. IMO, instanced content doesn't really start pick up until the latter portion of the ARR MSQ (That is, after the first credits roll and hitting the level cap).

3. Not that I'm aware of.

4. If you've already registered the standard edition, then no, you can't go back to the free trial.

5. All of the jobs are balanced enough that choice of job is largely not relevant even in difficult endgame content...and MNK is actually one of the best endgame DPS from a meta perspective so someone doesn't know what they're talking about. It is significantly more involved then a lot of other DPS at the lower levels ever since its rework, though, which can be a mixed bag.

6. Most of monk's abilities are tied to being in a certain stance and cannot be used at all if not in that stance (Which makes it distinct from the other melee that can use skills out of order to little benefit). Until it gets Form Shift at 50+ you will always be forced to start off a combo string with bootshine or dragon kick.

[Shibi]

1- Im not an MMO lover but I am playing this game because I am a big FF fan and I have read several times that it has the best story in the whole saga, but I have also read that it gets interesting in the first or second exp, is it right? So far, the missions are "chat with this person", "get 3 flowers in that garden", "slay that easy monster"...also there are missions where it seems that they make you move from one point to another just to spend time. When does it get better? I just want an amazing story

Watch for this head icon (looks like a meteor) as they are the Main Story Quests (MSQ)and do these quests only. Ignore the ones that are like as they are side quests, for your second run through.

If you do this you will only have about 150 medium-boring quests to get through to get to the meat of the story. These 150 or so are laying a foundation for the story, so while you will feel like an intern being given a menial task, that sets the scene for the later story.

2-Regarding difficult, so far all misions and raids are really easy, when do it get difficult? I have seen dungeons in the map but when I get there, I cannot enter.

The game is teaching you basics in the lower levels, so yes, it's simple. If you follow the MSQ meteor icons you unlock your first dungeon around level 15.

3-Regarding autoatacks: I have first to click on an enemie so my pj starts atacking him. Is it possible that my pj atacks automatically to the closest enemy? Because some times there are several allies and enemies so if I misclick, my character do no action nor atack

Not sure what a PJ is... sorry. Most people target with the <TAB> key to select the enemy they wish to attack, then fire off the spells in a set sequence.

5-I selected the monk but later I read that its considerent within the worst jobs. Which are the most popular or fun to play jobs? If I play DK, it starts with level 30, but the missions would be level 50 right?

I like sage and reaper, which are jobs unlocked at level 70, and Gun Breaker, which is unlocked at level 60. Maurauder is pretty fun too if you like big axes and slower gameplay - but as it's a tank you will be leading other people through dungeons.

[Iscah]

Watch for this head icon (looks like a meteor) as they are the Main Story Quests (MSQ)and do these quests only. Ignore the ones that are like as they are side quests, for your second run through.

There is also a third type of icon with a blue (+) in the bubble, which indicates that it unlocks some kind of game feature.

[StriderShinryu]

Welcome!
1.) Like it or not, you do kind of have to separate Story and Quest Design a little. The story itself does start out slowly with a lot of world and character building but it does get more engaging and interesting as you reach the end of the ARR section. But the Quest Design itself doesn't really ever change all that much. Eventually they do introduce some different wrinkles and ideas but it's still largely MMO Quest based even into End Walker (the current expansion). Just walking around, fighting the odd monster and talking to people is sort of "The MMO Way."

2.) Difficulty in FF14 often comes way more in the optional side content than in MSQ related content as the MSQ is balanced towards something everyone can enjoy, even those who don't play MMOs (or many games in general). So, yeah, don't really expect the MSQ to ever get particularly difficult unless you're doing group content things on day 1 of release and everyone is literally seeing everything for the very first time.

3.) Auto Attacking is essentially always on as long as you're in range of an enemy that you're actively fighting. Even if you can't see the attacks because of other skills/abilities you're using, you're always considered to be "Auto Attacking" so don't worry about it too much

4.) No. Once you have purchased the game your account can not and will not be reverted to a "Trial" state. On the upside, there are many limitations to a Trial account that you won't have to worry about (like a Gil cap, communication restrictions, party making restrictions, etc.)

5.) Monk is actually considered one of the strongest jobs in the game right now, but the game is tuned such that every job can complete every single bit of content. A "weak" job in FF14 just generally means that it does a handful of % damage less than other jobs in it's basic type. Noticeable if you really pay attention but not a true wall to completing anything. Play what you like. Monk did just receive a rework and some new mechanics though, so many people who say "Monk is bad now" really just mean they don't like "new" Monk and preferred the older version(s). DK does start at level 30 but to unlock it you need to be in the main city of the Heavensward expansion, so it's not just level gated but also MSQ progress gated. DK is also a completely different job/role than Monk as DK is a tank and Monk is a melee DPS.

6.) I can't recall early level Monk specifically but it's likely the skill has a prerequisite like a required stance if you can't use it (since you're saying it's not related to level sync, which would have been my first thought). You may also want to ensure it's not a Monk specific skill and you don't have your Job stone equipped as a Pugilist can't use Monk specific skills. Once you have your job stone, it should ALWAYS be equipped but if you're using a gear set from before you got the stone you'll have to equip the stone and re-register that gear set with the Stone included

[Jeeqbit]

I have read several times that it has the best story in the whole saga, but I have also read that it gets interesting in the first or second exp, is it right? So far, the missions are "chat with this person", "get 3 flowers in that garden", "slay that easy monster"

1. You might be doing the wrong quests. The one in the Scenario Guide (with a fireball icon) is the story and the rest are sidequests, which just help you get to know the residents of each area and what troubles they face.

2-Regarding difficult, so far all misions and raids are really easy, when do it get difficult? I have seen dungeons in the map but when I get there, I cannot enter.

2. It doesn't get difficult. Difficult content is optional, unlocked through sidequests once you have completed the easy versions. You will know if it's the difficult version if it has the names "Minstrel's Ballad", "Coil", (Extreme) or (Unreal), (Savage) or (Ultimate).

When you do old challenging content, it will sync you to the maximum item level of the expansion and give you a buff called The Echo which increases your stats when you die, so it can be a lot easier than when it came out. If you have 7 friends you can enable the settings "Minimum IL" and "Silence Echo" to make it more like how it was when it came out. Queuing directly for most of these won't work because of them not being in any roulettes, so to get a party for them you can recruit in Party Finder. You most likely won't be doing any of these things until you finish the first level 50 story quest.

3. Auto-attacks begin automatically once you use an action or ability on your hotbar, so you don't ever need to think about them. If you are a melee class you should stay within 3y of your enemy otherwise you don't need to do anything special. Most people use tab to target the next enemy, but there are lots of different target binds you can find in Keybinds, including one to target the closest enemy. There is a setting in Character Configuration to restrict the tab targeting to a conal area in front of you.

4. Once you purchased the game and registered it, you have to pay a monthly subscription in order to play. There is no going back to it being free. The free trial is just there to convince you it's worth paying for. The game is not meant to be free-to-play.

5. There are no "worst jobs". They are all viable in all content, so play what you personally enjoy.

6-Sometimes while I am fighthing, some of my atack skills (such as the one with aoe) are unable to use, with a lock icon. WHy is that? Is not regarding the level sync, since some times it happens also to skills that I learnt in the first levels

6. There are combos in the game so some attacks are meant to be used only after the first one. It may be level sync or being out of range. A monk needs to be within 3y.

[Snowdove]

1- Im not an MMO lover but I am playing this game because I am a big FF fan and I have read several times that it has the best story in the whole saga, but I have also read that it gets interesting in the first or second exp, is it right? So far, the missions are "chat with this person", "get 3 flowers in that garden", "slay that easy monster"...also there are missions where it seems that they make you move from one point to another just to spend time. When does it get better? I just want an amazing story

I just finished the main part of Stormblood.


No, it doesn't get better. There are some story parts that are really interesting, and some that make you wonder why you are even bothering when there are much bigger problems that you should be dealing with. And there are those quests that send you across the map back and forth for no reason other than to irritate you, apparently.


Some of the stories are really padded.

[Zaniel]

Hi everyone,

First of all, thank you for being such a supportive and kind community I have some questions regarding different topics, maybe you could help me:

2-Regarding difficult, so far all misions and raids are really easy, when do it get difficult? I have seen dungeons in the map but when I get there, I cannot enter.

Difficult depends on you, so it is hard to tell what you mean by difficult. If you are basically competent at video games the first dozen or so dungeons will be EXTREMELY easy but after that it varies a lot, for later fights (raids and trials) there are additional higher difficulty modes for those fights. Interesting mechanics and fights in normal MSQ dungeons and trials starts to become more consistent in the Stormblood expansion (after L60) and onwards.

5-I selected the monk but later I read that its considerent within the worst jobs. Which are the most popular or fun to play jobs? If I play DK, it starts with level 30, but the missions would be level 50 right?

Class balance is so close in this game you just play whichever feels the best, this isn't WoW, the differences are tiny and monk is pretty good at the moment

6-Sometimes while I am fighthing, some of my atack skills (such as the one with aoe) are unable to use, with a lock icon. WHy is that? Is not regarding the level sync, since some times it happens also to skills that I learnt in the first levels

Sometimes skills can be locked because you are out of range for that skill (eg 0m or 3m etc) or it can require a resource to build up before you can use it, or it can only be used after another skill in a chain as part of a combo