New player

[nfect]

Hi I brought FFXIV when it first came out but haven't had a chance to play until now. I find it some what lonely. Im confused in what to do because the quests isn't like other mmos. But I love the game and trying out GLAD class...anyone has any pointer to make this game easier...and crafting....I don't understand the actions I had to do like example....mining the depth and strength in which I have to hit...

any tip would help!

[REDace0]

I'll explain mining, but for the rest and many other questions you're sure to have, try finding a newbie-friendly linkshell. There is one on Aegis I know run by members of the FFXIV subreddit. You might also try your world forums. (I got here from New Posts and just realized where I was. >_<')

For mining (and this goes for logging as well; fishing is a little different), you have two phases. The selection of depth on the slider determines your chances of receiving different items. You obtain the best chance for a particular item by aiming for its sweet spot. Each time you successfully gather an item, it will tell you if the sweet spot is lower, higher, or right there. The sweet spot is always the same for every item.

The second action is a game of hot-and-cold. There is an area somewhere in the range that will give you the item. If your stats (STR or VIT for mining, I think) are high enough, it's always in the same place for a given item, e.g. for getting Mahogany Logs at Iron Lake, it's about 1/4 of the way down from maximum, otherwise it's random. The size of this region is determined by your Gathering stat. If you hit it precisely, you get the item. If you're close, you'll see a shiny animation, and you'll have to hit the same spot again to get the item. If you're not close, you'll lose some of your Remainder gauge and get to try again. However, on your second and later strikes, you'll be informed that you're getting either closer ("warmer") or farther away ("colder"), which can help you find the right location. If you use up your remainder bar, you do not get the item.