New player observations/questions

[GuyArcher]

well helpful for the most part.

Mhurron, it only makes sense to help the new players. Ultimately, if the game is no longer attracting new players, it can spell the long term doom of the game. Plus more incoming money should help keep new content coming in.

[Murphie]

Well, FFXI really has no trouble getting new players. Either they like the game and stay, or don't and leave. The community is honestly better off for losing those players who aren't a good fit.

I didn't have any trouble figuring out FFXI either. But it was my first MMO. I suspect that if I'd had experience with another way of doing things, I might have had a tougher time, because I wouldn't have felt that I had to really do a lot of work to find answers.

You still haven't said what server you're on.

[Murphie]

I've known many FFXI players to leave for WoW purely because they "can't be asked" and they prefer it because it's simpler and they don't have to work as hard to get somewhere in the game. That is why I think of it as a "slackers way out".

So, choosing to spend their time differently and reaping subjectively better rewards for themselves is being a slacker? That's a really stupid analogy.

[GuyArcher]

I think I am on fairy.

[Murphie]

I know we used to have a few posters from there, but most of the people I know on Fairy don't post here. Maybe someone from Fairy will pop out of the woodwork though.

[fallenintoshadows]

So, choosing to spend their time differently and reaping subjectively better rewards for themselves is being a slacker? That's a really stupid analogy.

Actually it's a group of friend's and they openly suggested they are being slackers by playing WoW instead of FFXI. (I meant it more as a joke than a insult.)

Guy: it should say what server you are on when you log on.

[GuyArcher]

I am posting from work on my iPhone so can't login to check. Pretty sure its fairy though

[Ellipses]

With two groups of people sitting on their asses pressing buttons for hours on end, I don't think it matters too much whether one is slacking more than the other. Are we the nicest of the damned?

You could always try /shouting for advice and general guidance. Quite a few of the people who play this game enjoy helping newbies. You should at least get an answer to most questions you /shout, unless there's just no one around (which is often the case; not very many people hang out in the starting cities anymore).

Read the stickies, of course. And here is the obligatory link to FFXIClopedia in case you want to look quests, items, etc. up. And if you have specific questions about anything, fire away (after searching).

[GuyArcher]

I am going to try to look up a mentor also tonight. Thanks again!

[kai_samoht]

Also, as a redmage don't be discouraged, because imo redmage is one of the harder mage jobs to start as due to all that it can do. Between healing, enfeebling, and nuking you have a hard time keeping them straight.

Then there is the added fact of getting gil for armor, weapons and scrolls. Figuring out whether to go with mage gear early on to gain more mp, or melee gear for def and things like that. Also, you race comes into to play and how you like to play also comes into effect. Like me, a tarutaru, I went with melee gear for more defense, cuz I like to get into the fray and fight. Seriously though just starting out check these references.

FFXIclopedia

Limit Break Radio - Home check their gigantous beginners guide.

and www.playonline.com/ff11us/index for their new players guide, which shows videos on all jobs and how to get started well into the game.

Sorry for the long post and hope that helped.

[GuyArcher]

So just a few more questions.

I listened to the limit break radio beginner guide which had some great info in it. So feeling a bit refreshed, I recreated a white Mage. I figured that it would be a good way to meet people. Who doesn't need a healer!

I got my signet (which I learned about on limitbreak.) and almost got up to level 3. Now I have hides, crystals and some meat. Sice this is my first character and i need to build up gil for spells, i am not really sure what to do with the stuff. With first character and no gil to my name, should i just auction all the stuff or craft or what?

I will say that i did have a more pleasant experience this time. I really like the fact that i dont have to create alts to try out other jobs. The limitbreak guide suggested using grilled hare as food to level with at start. Does that hold true for white mages also since it raises attack?

Thanks!

[Mhurron]

Now I have hides, crystals and some meat. Sice this is my first character and i need to build up gil for spells, i am not really sure what to do with the stuff. With first character and no gil to my name, should i just auction all the stuff or craft or what?

Sell on AH or to NPC's if you can't even cover the tax.

The limitbreak guide suggested using grilled hare as food to level with at start. Does that hold true for white mages also since it raises attack?

If you can afford to use food now, yes, you'll use Attack food (meat). Leveling up to around 10, even for mage jobs, is all about hitting things.

I don't see how leveling WHM is any easier then leveling RDM. Any soloing is a hell of a lot easer on RDM.

[GuyArcher]

Well I didnt change to whm because of ease but I figured it'd be a good way to meet players and build some connections. Seems that this game is very social in nature.

Once I veered away from poison mobs, I did a lot better.

Thanks Mhurron.

[Ellipses]

Everybody loves a red mage, too. At least, once you get into the partying levels.

With the odd drops you get, I'd say check the vendor price and the AH price (and speed of sale). The AH will generally get you more money, but sometimes it doesn't get you enough to bother paying the tax and waiting for the sale.

Crafting takes a lot of research to get right. Most of the stuff you get off mobs is going to be stuff you can't do anything with until you've leveled your crafts, which takes time and gil. I wouldn't bother until you're further in.

[Alinys]

You have to accept that this game isn't an oridinary MMO. It's not as easy to pick up as perhaps WoW is, but I find it ten times more rewarding. I only started on 1st January this year, and I haven't had half the problems you have. I have yet to play a game where there was a newbie/tutorial zone, particularly if it was a multiplayer game.

Soloing as a mage is difficult, but RDM should be less so. Resting is something you need to incorporate into your schedule a lot when you're alone, but it'll get easier if you hit level 3 and can cast Cure on yourself. Did you use Dia on your mobs as well? This will help a lot at early levels as it lowers DEF and adds a small amount of DoT.

Also, yes, you do have to talk to a lot of NPCs as I gather, but the quests aren't as big as they might be in other games, as they don't give EXP, only item or gil rewards. For this matter you don't need to focus on them as much.

Try partying with people. I started my first character as a WAR and was forced to solo. It got a bit lonely and boring. I restarted a WAR with my boyfriend and found it hugely entertaining, and by level 18 we were partying with a mutual friend of ours and having a lot of fun.