FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

[Kaliet]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

I have... 3 copies of the guide I recieved for free for attending FFXI events and have never used or found a use for them other then scribbling notes on 'em. Any questions you have can be easily answered on web forums such as this and by visiting some of the other sites out there.

I *highly* recomend http://www.ffxi-atlas.com/ over the printed atlas as well

[MisterCookie]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Aside from the terrible BST misinformation, the Brady Guide wasn't that bad. It gave me, at least, vital information about pulling, chaining, and the like before I knew about sites like somepage.

And besides, at the very least, it could be used as an effective toilet paper ^^

[ClydeArrowny]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

As has been said, if you want a "strategy guide," go visit well-known and trusted ffxi sites on the net and print out whatever you want. It'll be cheaper than any guide you can buy and have much better info. If you do buy the strategy guide, keep in mind most of the information in it is wrong. I've had many problems convincing people drg/mnk isnt a good DD, etc, due to guides and the such.

[Taskmage]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Oh that's true. The basics of the basics stuff like how a standard party works and stuff that a newbie to MMOs wouldn't know is helpful.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

As has been said, if you want a "strategy guide," go visit well-known and trusted ffxi sites on the net and print out whatever you want. It'll be cheaper than any guide you can buy and have much better info. If you do buy the strategy guide, keep in mind most of the information in it is wrong. I've had many problems convincing people drg/mnk isnt a good DD, etc, due to guides and the such.

Ok you print out all the info/pictures that is in the guide on a color printer that the average consumer uses and then tell me about how much "cheaper" it will be. It won't. As I said before, not everyone has access to a printer nor do they have the money for ink/paper to print out all that info........not to mention time. The guide is great for beginners but by the time you're lvl 30 you will probably have grown out of it. Also check some of the used game stores that buy guides, you could get it really cheap there.

[Keitre]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Your average user, especially bst's, will object to Brady guides because of how their information affected the mindless masses in a negative way. Some of its "advice" was horrible and accepted by hordes of people without question, which made the lives of anyone Brady said wasn't cool a little more difficult. In the case of bst's, a lot more difficult.

Personally, I read it, I laughed. Personally I find it a source of humor, but I'd advise keeping where you get your info under your hat if you want to be taken seriously on a regular basis. That is if you do decide to get the guide.

[ClydeArrowny]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Ehh you dont need a color printer. Personally, if I buy a guide I buy it for the information, not the artwork. You can even write down relevant information using pencil and paper if you do not have a printer, which is much like what I do since my printer broke. I personally started playing the game, as my first mmorpg, in Japanese, without knowing a single Japanese word besides "Hai" nor an English/Japanese dictionary. The basics are simple enough to get down with a little bit of trial and error. Also, from interacting with friends who started out the game using the Bradygames guide, I personally feel it does more harm than good. Many people I've met felt that just because a profesional guide says something, it must be better than what an experienced player says.

[Arajaden]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

i have the brady and in all honesty its not great but its not bad either. It has a lot of basic quest info for every town which is good for when your trying to build fame and rank. Yes this guide is outdated but for starting out it does help out a little bit and if you ever get a day where your like i don't feel like partying what should i do you can pick it up and find a small quest to do. The job info is outdated but the job quests are not and that makes life reall easy to just pick up a book and be able to find all the info at your finger tips. All be it it won't have the three new jobs. But like already stated it is outdated.

[little ninja]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

I think the reason most people hate it with such a passion is it gives advice on subjob combinations that are fanciful at best, and lead people to warped conclusions about what works with their job and how it should be played.

yeah i wish this guide never came out. an for that simple fact. tarus were over looked if they were DD, elvaan were overlooked if they were mage, an about 9 mil mithra's spawned because they were deamed "WELL BALANCED"

[anewenemy_7]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

So in all reality... you are all saying they want 20 bucks for a book thats gives crap info, and spell lists and stuff like that? aw wow good thing i didnt buy it the other day... thx this helps alot... save my money for the monthly fee, lol

[Theyaden]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

In all honesty the Brady Guide is useful for the quest information imparted within it. Along with some of it's other content. It makes it easy for me to keep track of quests (especially when I was getting the crawlers nest map). While I realize I can get quest information from websites it is nice to have a writen source I can flip through and make notes on that isn't looseleaf paper. I'm not likely to misplace the entire guide having to logout rechecking the web. I also use it to sketch FFXI notes regarding jobs, abilities, and equipment. Initial learning from the skillchain chart along with elemental weakness listings when playing blackmage were invaluable to me. This book is quite dated which is not surprising considering how fast MORP's adapt to their player base developing different playing styles and this it is a spring 2004 version of the Brady Guide. I would not be picking up the guide as an experienced player, but I found it nothing but useful when I was first starting FFXI.

When it comes to taking advise from both the guide or a forum always let comon sense be your best guide. Try a combo then try another to compare them it's usually fun to see what comes out. There are critisms of the guide that are acurate. For example The Guide has no clue the ninja is a tank class and does have other issues due to being dated although I see no mention of it recomending monk as a sub for Dragoon as I saw posted previously, but that may have been a earlier version of the guide. (War, Sam, Whm) is what mine sugests (I've never played dragoon, but can't imagine personally using whm sub for it in a pt while being a damage dealer... farming I suppose?).
If your getting a good price for the guide and your new by all means pick it up for the skillchain charts, missions, and elemental weaknesses. Just remember there is newer information on the crafting, additional missions, and uses of job combinations.

Sorry for being so long winded bad habit of us White Mages we like keep things alive while we're on duty :+D

[NixNot]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Just remember these two things if you do buy and read the guide.

WAR/WHM should not be used under penalty of ridicule...

BST charmed pets do NOT gimp party exp, only the BST's.

[Theyaden]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

lol the above post I must agree with. Damage dealers with a whm sub had better be farming rather than in the xp party on penalty of pt /laugh emotes.
It's too bad there are still people on the server that think the pet costs the pt xp even though it is strickly the beastmaster that pays (I'm glad Jug pets no longer kill the bst's xp even if they do add one more expense). Although charm does have an amusing effect of binding goblins when used on them. Not to mention the hate spike if you need to pull hate off a partner. Wonder if that will make it into the next guide :+>

[Neomage]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Pros:

I.It's fun to pick up and laugh at 1 year later and think "why did I ever buy this thing?!?"

II.It's useful for the Area Connection Chart.

III.The non-Area Connection Chart is useful for toilet paper.

IV.Some good information, in an easy-to acess guide if you don't use windower/have a second computer.

Cons:

I.Lots of false information.

II.The information that is true is limited.

III.The crafting guild only lists ranks, not levels(wtf???) I lost ~800,000 gil by mis-informed crafting.

IV.Even with the atlas version, ffxi-atlas's printer maps > all(thats where they got the maps
from in the first place, and some of the areas have changed.)

V.Most of the information is outdated.

VI. Though it details what levels monsters in most areas are, it fails to say where they are(any site liek this one can help you with it.)

VII. Much much more. I'm just tired of typing.

In short, no it's not worth it. But if you are descriminant, an have lots of money to burn(even though it would be more productive to buy gil... reguardless that it's aganst the ToS and could get you banned if found out.) then yes, why not get it?

[fastcart]

Re: FFXI strategy guide? yes or no???

Just remember these two things if you do buy and read the guide.

WAR/WHM should not be used under penalty of ridicule...

Imho, it's acceptable (barely) for war 1-30 who are looking to become pld. Kinda like all those 1-30 war who weild polearms in preparation to become drg. Actually, I guess 1-20. 21-30 war really need mnk sub.

But, if they are just starting out, I'd cut them some slack. If they've been playing awhile and should know better, then that' another issue. d:

Then again, I turned down a pt invite from a war25/thf6 because of his underlevelled sub. I despise underlevelled sub people. d: