[reaver84]

I used to play FFXI back in the CoP days. I had a blast but work and school tied up too much so I had to quit.

Now, I decide to buy the 2008 Vanadiel collection and try out my luck again with a new character (WHM on Seraph). Sadly, it's far too difficult to find anyone to do the low level stuff. I've spent about the last 4 days asking people for help on Rank 1 missions! I stay flagged during every session I play and rarely find other players available to help. I've even gone so far as to message random people in other zones for help, I think I got support by 2 people that way but it wasn't for long.

I only got to level 13 before I realized that everyone else is too high level to help out a level 13. I don't expect people to go out of their way to help me but the already small community of veteran players leaves very little hope for new starters. Mind you, these 4 days spanned across 4th of July weekend and I still had trouble find a group. On top of that, I was laughed at for asking newbie questions in San Doria. Not that welcoming...

I've always loved the FF series and Final Fantasy XI seems like a superb game but it is no way newbie friendly. So, in my personal opinion, unless you have insane patience or friends in real life that play this, don't bother. Your experience may not be as bad as mine, but I guarantee it'll be somewhat similar.

[Feba]

Errrr... FFXI is now, with level sync, possibly more newbie-friendly than ever before.

The reason you're not getting anyone to help on Rank 1 missions is because they're so easy to do yourself by around level 10. And almost nobody uses the search system to find people for missions; it's almost exclusively used for EXP/Merit parties.

Most people in FFXI use guides to help. FFXIclopedia is a good starting place, as are many other sites that I'm sure other people will list. It's more important, in a lot of ways, to use what exists, instead of asking the same questions over and over again; FFXI's community largely takes the "read the FAQ, read the guide, and then if you still have trouble I'll help" approach.

Keep at it. It is worth it.

[reaver84]

Yeah I hate giving up so early. Especially since I just bought it again and haven't had a chance to get out of the newbie zones. I'll keep trucking for a while longer...I really hope it gets better.

[CroweMidgard]

Simply my preferences here, but I prefer to save Missions until I'm max level for them and play them all straight through. When I first started It took me over a year to level to 75. I did the Windhurst Missions distributed through that year, to be honest I forgot what the plot was from mission to mission and it became more of a chore than fun. Later (after hitting 75) I did the other missions all at once and really enjoyed it.

My suggestion would be to concentrate on things that optimize your time and enjoyment:
1. Getting as many of the teleport outposts as you can (if you havent already).
- I found that they are possibly the biggest time saver in the game.
2. Getting a link shell that is into leveling, or try to make a static party
- Again if you get a schedule going, you have alot less standing around time
- Nice thing about statics is if you spent last 30+ levels with them, they usually consider you a friend and have no problem helping with missions

Just my 2 cents

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Messaging random players and begging for help is quite possibly one of the best ways to building a bad reputation. Find low level EXP PTs, talk to people make friends and you're bound to find help a bit more naturally. Use forums to find other players with interests similar to your goals.

As a rule of thumb for the first seven rank levels, multiply them by ten and you're essentially the appropriate level for that set of missions, so by 2-3 you'd want to be in your mid-20s at least since it caps at 25 anyway. Its not a hard and fast rule, but for the sake of the soloable portions of such content, its much easier to apply the "Rank X 10 Levels" formula.

[reaver84]

Originally Posted by Omgwtfbbqkitten

Messaging random players and begging for help is quite possibly one of the best ways to building a bad reputation. Find low level EXP PTs, talk to people make friends and you're bound to find help a bit more naturally. Use forums to find other players with interests similar to your goals.

As a rule of thumb for the first seven rank levels, multiply them by ten and you're essentially the appropriate level for that set of missions, so by 2-3 you'd want to be in your mid-20s at least since it caps at 25 anyway. Its not a hard and fast rule, but for the sake of the soloable portions of such content, its much easier to apply the "Rank X 10 Levels" formula.

Interesting concept...I'll give that a whirl. Being a WHM is hard to solo though!

[Ziero]

Even in the CoP days, a lvl 13 player could, and should, solo their city missions up to rank 2-3. And even back then it was a pain to get help for that mission, especially if you don't have a good LS.

[Takelli]

revear84, It has gotten a bit harder to get a party in teh dunes as most people now solo until lvl 20, some times 25 as they don't want to go to qufim island. Just as said before, try to find a social LS, and try to form a static party with them if possible, or even ask them for help instead of random strangers.

I don't like being asked for help by random people, unless I am actually sitting there bored, and actually wanting to help people who just started. Hell, I go about and heal people randomly (Mainly beast masters as they are the hardest job for most peopel to level, as most peopel think that they want to solo 99% of the time.) Just keep at it, and you will start being able to get a party. By lvl 15, you should be able to solo mission 1-1 to 1-3 easily. The missions 2-3, is the harder one to solo, but by then, you will have a linkshell.

As for the level sync, it has made is MUCH easier to find a party. When the game first came out, you'd sit there for three hours waiting for a party to leave a camp in the dunes so you can go and level, then It became you waited three hours because you couldn't find a party. Now, with level sync, it is easier.

[Elwynn]

With the various changes from the past year, and with an XP ring, it's not too hard to solo to level 10. Absolutely you should look for Field Manuals so you can start getting tabs so you can get buffs (and warps home) from them later on. The 300+xp an hour definitely makes up for not being able to solo against Even Match. That combined with the increased XP for Easy Prey (30 minimum instead of 15) makes it a lot easier to solo WHM than it was for me just before the changes. (I turned 30 right before the EP XP change, and had soloed all but 2 of those levels.)

If you can keep soloing for a few more levels, you should be able to get into a Valkurm Dunes party, especially as a WHM. However, level sync means they might not want you until 12 or 13 or so. (Before sync, a WHM being 2 levels below the party was just fine.) But after that you can be useful to help sync a group down, no matter what job you are.

...and is it even realistically possible to solo 2-3? I've done it duo before, but you need the right jobs. That's the point where you really should have found a linkshell already anyhow.

EDIT: Duh, they don't have to sync to the lowest level member. The WHM can still be two levels below.

[Nuriko]

I soloed 2-3 as BLU/NIN, so it's possible ... but it's not exactly easy in most cases. I could see MNK having a chance at it with 2-hour, and BLU can do it with sleeps (light-based), but other than that...

[Feba]

2-3 is soloable, but it's far from something a newbie can just walk into by themselves and beat. Takes a deal of preparation, and generally cost for the items to do it.

You're better off getting a couple of bored people to show up and join you. 2-3 is much easier with a naked trio group than soloing.

[Ryoii/Nonomii]

There are LS out there with Lv75 players who want to do missions, quests, and level sync parties with their newer members. This is your best bet for finding assistance. Honestly CoP is a major pain without a LS who wants to help.

An old LS of mine had a whole family who played, and the parents were very loving and helpful people. I wish you luck in finding a similar environment. Hopefully you run across some good people in the 20s.

[Ameroth]

Don't let people's lack of assistance on the lowbie missions turn you off too much. In that aspect, you are right: most players have long since finished those missions so finding random pickup groups will be more difficult. I'd suggest you find a good LS and try to be as active as you can in it. Once you have established some friends, getting not just missions done, but pretty much everything you need (pre-endgame) is a far simpler task.

For now, maybe just level some jobs. If you're leveling WHM, you know already you will be leveling BLM, and most likely RDM, so don't hesitate to pick those up soon.

[TheGrandMom]

Fyi, 4th of July weekend doesn't mean there will be MORE people on, it means there will be LESS people on. Lot's of people have parties to go to, family get togethers, and vacations planned...especially with the 4th falling on a Saturday. I'm not saying its going to miraculously improve after the 4th but it sounded like you expected a lot of people to be in game during that weekend.

[Karinya]

Originally Posted by Feba

2-3 is soloable, but it's far from something a newbie can just walk into by themselves and beat. Takes a deal of preparation, and generally cost for the items to do it.

You're better off getting a couple of bored people to show up and join you. 2-3 is much easier with a naked trio group than soloing.

With the way level caps and gear work now, there's no reason they would have to be naked. The fact that people can just show up and help with level capped whatever is another way this game is more newbie friendly than before.

When you get to (the relevant part of) 2-3, you could also try /sea all rank 2 and see who else might be on it. Those people would be more likely to join you, and less likely to be annoyed that you asked (because there was a good reason).

Of course not everyone rank 2 is on 2-3, but since 2-1 and 2-2 are generally so easy, most of them probably are.