[IfritnoItazura]

◀Looking for Members.▶
A Cookbook for /search and Auto-Translator invites

This mini-guide aims to teach players how to find party members to form a party with, and does so by examples.


References:
- FFXIclopedia's info on /search
- Auto-Translator & Auto-Translator in Depth
- The EXP Party Index


The Search function
The easiest way to use search for most people is to use the text command, and this mini-guide uses only the text command. The command is /search (abbreviated as /sea), and it returns a list of players according to the criteria the user specifies.

Usually, it's best to try to fill out the party with players actively looking for invites.

/search all 15-25 invite
/sea all 15-25 inv
The above looks for all players within the level range 15-25, who are seeking party.
"all" means look in all regions, and 15-25 denotes the level range.

/search region 12-20 invite
The above looks for all players Lv.12-20 in the current region looking for invites. "region" specifies the current region. Note that each region typically includes multiple zones/area. For example, the Zulkheim region includes the Gusgen Mines, Konschtat Highlands, La theine Plateau, Ordelle's Caves, Selbina, and Valkurm Dunes.

/search Valkurm 16-20 invite
This form is useful for searching in an area one is not currently in. In the above example, the area Valkurm (short for "Valkurm Dunes") is specified explicitly. List of area names can be found here; beware that searching in area the user has never been to will return no result.

/search all 25-35 WHM
Sometimes, players with needed jobs are not actively searching. Be extra polite when approaching those who are not searching, and do not become angry if they refuse. The above looks for all WHMs Lv.25-35, seeking or otherwise. Replace "WHM" with "RDM", "PLD", or whatever else needed; only one job can be specified at a time.


Party Formation

• When using Level Sync, search within 10, 15 levels. Read people's search comments, as some will only want to sync to certain level and above. At Lv.75 and close to it, many seekers will not want Level Sync at all.
  • Generally, sync to the lowest party member and the one with the largest TNL.
  • Sometimes, a party may be too low for a camp if synchronized to the lowest level member; in that case try to aim for no more than one or two level above the lowest.
• When not using Level Sync--which is rare--levels of the party members close. Generally, try to:
  • Lv.10's: Keep the difference at 1 level or less. (e.g. Lv.15-16 OK, Lv.15-17 not so OK.)
  • Lv.20's+: Keep the differences at 2 levels or less.
  • Lv.40's+: Keep the differences at 3 levels or less.
  • Lv.60's+: Keep the differences at 4 levels or less.
• Pay attention to potential members' TNL (how much experience points To Next Level).
  • If someone is one level too low, but very close to next level, it may be OK to invite.
  • if someone is at the upper range but close to next level, it may be best to pass.
• The core of most parties is: Tank, Healer, Support Role, Damage Dealer. At lower levels, can skip support for additional Healer, but generally a party is going nowhere without those four.
  • If /search doesn't turn up all needed roles, it may be better to hold off forming party and instead seek for possible replacement slot openings.

Sending Invites
In FFXI, the convention is to send a /tell for invite and wait for an affirmative reply before attempting to add the user to party. Failure to do so is considered to be a major etiquette breach.

Given that FFXI mix players from all over the world with different languages, it is a good idea to use the Auto-Translator phrases for communication with other players.

Basic invite:
◀Excuse me...▶ ◀Party▶ ◀Do you need it?▶

Informative invite:
◀Excuse me...▶ ◀Level Sync▶42 ◀Party▶ ◀Do you need it?▶
4/6 ◀Party▶ ◀Ninja▶ ◀Warrior▶ ◀Dragoon▶ ◀White Mage▶
That says the party currently has 4 members intending to sync to Lv.42, and list the members' jobs. Note that it's also OK to use three letter job abbreviations, e.g. NIN, WAR, DRG, WHM, etc. with foreign players.


Management and Communication

Gather together location:
◀Gather together.▶ ◀Jeuno▶ ◀please▶
Self-explanatory; gathering in Jeuno.

Camp location:
◀Camp▶ ◀Qufim Island▶ I-8
Use ◀Camp▶ so members know the topic is about campsite; give the zone name, and the coordinates.

Need someone to use a specific support job:
◀Support Job▶ ◀White Mage▶ ◀Do you have it?▶
Let's be very clear here, "subjob" is not an official FFXI term, and using Auto-Translator to spell out ◀sub▶ ◀Job▶ makes no sense whatsoever in Japanese. Please use ◀Support Job▶ under [Game Terms] instead.

Specifying a Skillchain:
DRG ◀Double Thrust▶ >> THF ◀Viper Bite▶ >> ◀Distortion▶ (◀Water▶/◀Blizzard▶)
Or, just: ◀Double Thrust▶ >> ◀Viper Bite▶ >> ◀Distortion▶
The long form is for working with novice players who may not be very familiar with Weapon Skills, Skillchain and Magic Burst, and so lists everything clearly down to elements to MB with. The short form should sufficient for more experienced parties.


How to say...

• Tank = ◀Shield▶ ◀Job▶
• Refresher/Buffer/Debuffer = ◀Support role job▶
• Main Healer = ◀Cure▶ ◀Job▶
• Puller/Pulling = ◀Fisherman▶ / ◀Fishing▶
• "It was nice partying with you" = ... err... just say ◀Party▶ ◀Thank you.▶◀See you again!▶ instead.

What not to say...

• ◀Meat▶ ◀Shield▶: Just... Don't.
• ◀main▶ ◀Healing!▶: ◀main▶ is "main-weapon", ◀Healing!▶ means "I'm resting (usually for MP)". The combination makes no sense.
• ◀sub▶ ◀Job▶: ◀sub▶ is "sub-weapon"; use ◀Support Job▶ instead.
• ◀Take care.▶: It actually means "Be careful of danger (around)" and cannot be used as a proper farewell. Can use it if able to remember the correct meaning, but it's infrequently needed.
• ◀second▶ ◀Provoke▶: ◀second▶ is a unit of time, and cannot be used as "the second item/person", etc.
• ◀May▶ ◀Bee▶: It may look clever to some, but "5th month stinging insect" is incomprehensible on non-English clients. If unsure about something, use ◀I don't know.▶ instead
• ◀Fish▶: This is a noun, as in the collective of salmon, tuna, etc., and not a verb. If need someone to pull, use ◀Fishing▶ ◀Please▶.

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• ◀Front line job▶ = Melees, RNGs, tanks.
• ◀Support role job▶ = "Mid line", or BRDs, RDMs, CORs.
• ◀Back line job▶ = Most mages, such as WHMs, BLMs.
• Use ◀Nice to meet you.▶ as the first thing to say to new party/members. Europe is a few hours ahead of US time, and Japan quite a few more. Heck, different parts of USA are on different time zones. So, skip ◀Hello!▶, ◀Good morning!▶, and ◀Good evening!▶.
• Don't need to translate:
  • Job abbreviations (THF, NIN, WAR, etc. are fine).
  • "OK" (Universally understand to be an affirmative.)
  • Monster names (These are always in English alphabets on all clients.)

Version History
- 2009.02.26 (Itazura) Modified for Level Sync parties.
- 2007.09.20 (Itazura) Replaced FFXIclopedia links with ffxi.wikia.com/wiki.
- 2007.08.28 (Itazura) Added "Party Formation" section, how to specify SC, Fish, Puller/Pulling, "Don't need to translate" sub-section.
- 2007.08.28 (Itazura) Added ◀May▶◀Bee▶ to "What not to say..." Credit: Aksannyi @ Hades.
- 2007.08.27 (Itazura) Creation.

[Murphie]

This is really going to revolutionize the way I look for parties. Thanks!

[Silent Howler]

Originally Posted by IfritnoItazura

What not to say...

◀Meat▶ ◀Shield▶: Just... Don't.

lol..I've seen that used before. It really didn't feel like the best way to say "tank." ◀Shield▶ ◀Job▶ sounds much better.

[Armando]

You get bonus points for the colored arrows.

[Aksannyi]

Another you should add to "What not to say": {May} {bee}. It does not make sense in any possible way to the JP players, don't confuse them. I think it's better to use {I don't know.}

Great guide otherwise, that just popped into my head as it is a personal pet peeve of mine.

With any luck some of the blind inviters that I've dealt with lately will read this and learn.

[Eohmer]

What not to say...

• ◀Take care.▶: It actually means something more like "Be careful of danger." than a proper farewell. Use it if able to remember the correct meaning, but it's infrequently needed.

Wouldn't that also apply to real life? I don't know... just a thought.

Otherwise, great guide!

[Aeni]

Originally Posted by IfritnoItazura

What not to say...

• ◀Meat▶ ◀Shield▶: Just... Don't.

Maybe it's just your server ... but just about every JP on my server knows what that means and several times, I've had JP players use that in party chat. Some of them using it & various other auto-translates for great humor...

[Hitokami]

Some of this stuff is common knowledge (I hope) but the auto-translate helps immensely thank you very much for this guide. Everything you have written proves to be invaluable, keep it up!

[Evion]

I think you just like to get tons of "thanks" for your posts... Anyway, another great guide and thank you for posting them.

[Ellipses]

Originally Posted by IfritnoItazura

Use ◀Nice to meet you.▶ as the first thing to say to new party/members. Europe is a few hours ahead of US time, and Japan quite a few more. Heck, different parts of USA are on different time zones. So, skip ◀Hello!▶

Why avoid "Hello!"? I get the other two (although, seriously, anybody who can't cope with the time-specific greetings being off for their time zone isn't someone I wanna party with anyway), but does "Hello!" contain some context of time in the translation?

[IfritnoItazura]

It's just for time zone differences; ◀Hello!▶ is ◀こんにちは▶ (kon'nichiha), which isn't used in (early?) morning, and cannot be used in evening or night time, to my knowledge.

Also, I've noticed ◀Nice to meet you.▶ being the greeting of choice from JP players to NA players upon forming party--it's almost universal among JP players who would use Auto-Translators. JP players frequently use よろしく〜 and よろ〜 and よろしくです in my experience, which are somewhat related to 初めまして(◀Nice to meet you.▶), as both are used upon first meeting. (Not correct to use it when you party with same person again, but the translator doesn't have the proper phrase. =/ )

No one would be terribly offended if you use ◀Hello!▶; it's just a matter of acknowledge JP players' preferences. (Any little edge to help me get more invites--I like JP parties. XD )

[Feba]

You'd probably get the point across just fine if you just said "Hello!" or "Hi" without the translator.

I never understood why こんいちは is so widely translated as Hello, when it's only really used as Good Afternoon, though.

[Feenicks]

Originally Posted by Feba

You'd probably get the point across just fine if you just said "Hello!" or "Hi" without the translator.
I never understood why こんいちは is so widely translated as Hello, when it's only really used as Good Afternoon, though.

It's because there's no direct single-phrase translation for 'Hello' which captures the same meanings as the way we use it in English. In Japanese you greet someone with either おはよう, こんにちは or こんばんは depending on the time of day, and since こんにちは is the least specific of the three, that gets used as a general translation for 'Hello'.

[Feba]

which is what I'm saying. I don't understand why people feel the need to translate something that can't really be translated directly.

[Chett]

Those are some nice tips, and this may be a bit off subject but Take Care is a proper closing for goodbye. I do agree its telling them to be careful, but because of that its a much more sympathetic goodbye. Someone is already leaving they say goodbye which is flat out see ya. Take care says be safe on your travels. Your just wishing them well.

Any how thats my rant. "Take Care user since FOREVER"