[Icemage]

If you're seriously interested in playing the game long-term and want to tank, then from a performance standpoint, yes, you can't do much better than Galka. MP on Paladin can be acquired from gear and/or merits, so even Galka Paladins do just fine. Even so, as mentioned earlier, the difference in performance isn't that great, and a few hundred extra HP aren't going to save you in cases where you would likely die as a tank anyhow at endgame.

Of greater concern is whether you actually like your character though. Choose a race that you can stand to look at for hours on end - while I personally think Galkas look quite cool in heavy armor, not everyone does (and Galkas in dancer's garb are not to be contemplated! *shudder*).

For job selections, bear in mind that you only have access to the basic six jobs - warrior, monk, thief, white mage, black mage, red mage - until at least one job rises to level 30+, and you won't get the ability to do the quest for a subjob until one of your jobs reaches level 18+.

I recommend starting on either Warrior or Monk if you want to work on tanking. Monk is an excellent support job for low level melee jobs of all types, Warrior is a staple support job for many melee jobs - both damage dealing and tanking.


Icemage

[Dux]

Originally Posted by Wake N' Bake

This has helped a great deal indeed thank you very much, but after looking over some guide's I'm slightly worried because a lot of guides say you want to have enmity gear to macro on and than main items that focus more on there stats and crap, but my worry is I'm playing on an x box 360 and I think it'll be rather complicated to change items during battle on it.. Do you think that would cripple the PLD/NIN build? Because that what I've already basically decided on

I'm not sure if I misunderstand you or you are missing something very important, so I'll spell it out.

It is important to remember that when you are levelling up to 75 you will almost always be PLD/WAR (Paladin with Warrior subjob). The only times you won't be PLD/WAR is when you are not the "main tank", however there is a strong presence of thought that during EXP parties PLDs should be main tank. I won't go into the benefits and disadvantages of PLDs as a damage dealer in EXP parties (ignoring merit parties) but I recommend you set an expectation that you will spend 99% of your time as main tank and as such PLD/WAR.

Once you are at level 75 and are doing end game activities then PLD/NIN will be used much more for you however you will never be able to complete stop going as PLD/WAR to things in FFXI.

It would help avoid dissapointment in the future if you can get it out of your mind right now that you will "be a PLD/NIN" as the reality of the situation is that you just won't.

Coming back to your original question about equipment swapping, FFXI has a mechanism to allow you to change equipment easily via "Macro's". These are easily accesable via a control pad (the game was originally designed to be played on a PS2 controller) so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Elwynn]

Also, by going for PLD, you can also go for two of the most powerful solo combinations, PLD/DNC and PLD/RDM.

[Takelli]

Originally Posted by Wake N' Bake

Well after so many people said just pick the race you like the looks of most I had already chosen elvaan so its nice to hear people will accept pld elvaan's because that's what I've finally decided on, thanks for the adivce though. :D

You will be accepted as a Pld as any race in the game. Plds are ALWAYS in high demand during exp parties. Even end game as well for when things start to heat up.

(Quote selected button isn't working. gonna be a few posts in one...)

---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Wake N' Bake

This has helped a great deal indeed thank you very much, but after looking over some guide's I'm slightly worried because a lot of guides say you want to have enmity gear to macro on and than main items that focus more on there stats and crap, but my worry is I'm playing on an x box 360 and I think it'll be rather complicated to change items during battle on it.. Do you think that would cripple the PLD/NIN build? Because that what I've already basically decided on

Gear swapping ins't that bad if you have good macro set ups and such. You don't really need gear swapping macros until you are a higher level, or if you are a pure Defensive Pld, then you want to do gear swaps for weapon skills, other wise your weapon skills will be really pitiful.