[MrMadison]

Hey all, I just bought FFXI for the XBox360 earlier today, and I'm patching right now. I'm a veteran of MMORPGs in general(i've played everything from EQ1 to WoW to EVE to Anarchy Online, and then some), but a genuine nooblet to this particular one.

I'm just wondering if this game's Community is Newbie-friendly(as in are they helpful and friendly, not as in will they give me stuff).? how hard will it be for me to find low-level groups? will i be solo for a long time starting out?

this game is kinda far along in its lifespan, so I'm not sure how tough it will be for me jumping in brand new, right now. can anyone give me some insight into this?

also, can anyone school me on the server placement? as in which ones are for which regions, and which servers are designated for PVP, RP, etc. etc.? and which servers are more/less populous and more/less stable economy-wise? and how do the Servers for each Platform(PS2, 360, PC) interact? and how can one tell the difference between a 360 player, and PS2 player, or a PC player?

also, this is an invitation for anyone who hasn't gotten the Beret from the "Newbie Recruitment" program. send me a PM, and I'll give you my PlayOnline mail, so you can send me the Gold Pass thingy, so I can use it, and so that once the 40 days are up you can get your Beret. I think that's how it works, right?

also, i only need a USB keyboard for Chat, right? I can PLAY (fight, cast, etc.) just fine with my 360 Controller, yes?

my main goal, is to try and decide which game to stick with for my MMO fix. This one, or Phantasy Star Universe. (my current PC is crappy, and can't handle any gaming, so i do all my gaming on the 360).

[DakAttack]

The community is pretty friendly. The game has age, but it's not a problem just yet. WoW's age is actually more of a problem for them than FFXI's is for us. Server placement doesn't matter unless you're trying to join a friend. Everybody on every platform from every region interacts with each other; there are no seperations. You can use the control the fight, but you'll want to communicate as well. It's a bitch manually typing in everything with the controller.

[MrMadison]

I see, thanks for the response.

now another question.

I am a admitted Lore Whore. and always have been. I love reading the backstories of the game world I am playing in, and visiting the corresponding sites, and exploring the far off places of the World, and things like that. does this game contain lots of Ingame Lore, like Books and Scrolls and things like that that I can find and read? and how interesting is the history of the game world, and the stories that lie within?

just biding time while the patching gets done, is all.

[Minimee]

missions and quests will give you a history of vandiel. i think you will find you wont be solo long because its almost imposssible to solo. i think most communities are noob friendly so long as you make an effort to learn and not just rely on everyone else to push you thru. there is so much to do in this game and your so free to do as you wish it never gets old or dated. i think your in for a shock as far as game play and player interaction. this game is so different from all the games you mentioned. your not guided along even though most people take similiar paths. you can exp. you can craft. you can do quests and missions and just explore all you wish. if you find you dont like the job you start with you can change to another job without penalty. most people change jobs regularly until they find their niche. good luck and welcome to ffxionline.
ps im kind of partial to midgardsormr.

[MrMadison]

thanks for responses. I made my first character on Bahamut, but I may try to switch to Midgardsormr, as I hear that's one of the more populous servers. and there aren't many people around here where I am (Bastok, on Bahamut). granted it is 3am here, but still. i've seen maybe 2 other human players so far. heh.

and I'm lost. trying to find the lady to give the Adventure Coupon. haha.

[Kirsteena]

Lol Bahamut is one of the most populous servers. I think it is probably just your time, and everyone is hanging out in Aht Urghan.

[MrMadison]

i see. I found where all the people were....it got real laggy as soon as I got there, so I left as soon as I could. heh.

[Haggai]

Bastok Markets and Bastok Mines are where the people hang out usually. From the sounds of it, you started in Port Bastok. Nobody goes to Port except for quests and to ride the Airship. Port has no Auction House, so nobody cares.

All servers have JP/NA/EU players, so there isn't really a time when there is nobody on. There are no specified RP or PvP servers. PvP in Final Fantasy is weak at best. It can only be done in specific areas during specific times. Ballista and Brenner, they are games and its more about the scoring than the killing. RP exists, but you generally need to find a Linkshell that actively does it. If you are interested, check the server forums here and on other sites for people who do it.

You CAN get along fine using the keyboard for only chat, but try it out, you may like it. As for being able to get parties at lower levels, people are always picking up new jobs and needing to level their subjobs, so there's always others around.

[MrMadison]

i noticed that every time I come around a group of people (like in Bastok Market), the game gets really really laggy. I mean unplayably laggy. is it always like this (keep in mind I am playing on the 360), or perhaps I need to switch to a less-populated server?

[Raydeus]

It sounds more like you are having problems with your conection to the server, only in events such as Besieged in Al Zhabi you (used to) get enough connection lag to make the game kinda unplayable.

But those were 700+ people (plus a ton of enemies) in the same area and all of them using spells and abilities every second.

[Wise Donkey]

Originally Posted by MrMadison

i noticed that every time I come around a group of people (like in Bastok Market), the game gets really really laggy. I mean unplayably laggy. is it always like this (keep in mind I am playing on the 360), or perhaps I need to switch to a less-populated server?

Any time you come across a spot where there are a ton of players gathered you will get lag. As a newbie, you will see it mainly around the Auction Houses - the reason you see it a lot in the Cities right now is the Easter Event. There are a TON of people gathered around those Moogles. don't get stressed about it, there are very few game situations where lag will be a problem, especially for a newbie.

[Spiritbear]

I play on 360 too, but I like Minimee and partial to Midgardsormr. That is mainly because I have alot of friends there. I don't get that much lag even when I standing there in the mix of all the Easter Event crowds. I'm from San'dOria in game and have been camping and selling the Easter Event Eggs and haven't really had that much of a lag issue. Maybe it's just your server has a bit of an overpopulous.

Welcome to Vana'diel and I hope you find a home here.

[Marlon]

i also play on 360 too. The Bismarck server is a nice1, and once you are in the game, it is very hard to stop playing! do not party in the dunes they are totally lame. You wanna party in korroloka tunnel when you hit 15, which is in bastok, so you dont have to worry about hanging out in the lame dunes.