Playing through Final Fantasy XI for the first time

[Synohan]

Final Fantasy XI is one of the only FFs I haven't experienced on my own. I used to go over to my Mother's friends house, who had a daughter who was into FFXI and would do story quests when I visited so she could read the text to me. I vividly remember a lot of it, so I thought i'd be familiar with much of XI's story. We had the chance to reminisce about those times three years ago, and come to find out that was only the base game, and she never made it far into Rise of Zilart. I was too far into XIV at the time to think about trying XI on my own, but lately I haven't been into FFXIV, and conveniently the Ultimate Seekers Edition for XI was on sale. So here I am getting ready to jump in.

I have a bit of an idea of what to expect. I know it's extremely different coming from XIV. My hope is to experience the story and do as much as possible with the Trust system. I know of Rhapsodies of Vana'diel and found a chart to use to still benefit from the rewards while attempting to keep things understandable storywise.

Not really a fan of how NPC text is displayed in XI. Luckily there is luckily there's a tool for that, which places NPC text into a box similar to several different FF styles. https://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/56227/balloon-story-addon/

There's a lot of classes to choose from. What seems interesting to me right off the bat are Summoner, Beastmaster, and Puppetmaster. Clearly really interested in the pet jobs. I'll be playing Thief until reaching either Summoner or Beastmaster.

I'll also be using a controller since that's my main form of play. XI has controller support, although i'm not sure how well it is. Has anyone played using controller?

Any other tips I should know before starting? Any other windower tools I should be using?

 

[MetalKhaos]

XI is certainly a product of it's time. IIRC there's at least some HD texture mod stuff from what I've seen on the XI subreddit, so that might be worth looking into.

Controller support is fine, that's how I've played the game and really, that style was carried over from XI to XIV so it's all natural.

I haven't really touched XI in ages, save for hopping on real quick during the free time, but from all I've read/seen, it's very much an easier solo experience now with the Trust system, so I don't think you'll have trouble going through all the story content. Which Chains of Promathia was excellent.

 

[Ashes of Dreams]

So, here's the thing. I strongly believe that the experience of XI is at it's best if you can convince other people who have never played it before to go in with you. While you definitely can just grab the Trusts and do the main story, that really isn't the bulk of XI. Unlike XIV, it's not a game that focuses on the main story over everything else and it's not a game that really shines unless you're seeing the discovery of it all with other people, grinding jobs together, exploring the world, figuring out quests together, etc.

I recognize that this isn't easy to do nowadays though. I've never been able to convince my friends to give it a try, anyway. And in that case, the trusts do at least allow you to see all the content. I would still suggest taking it slow, explore the areas, talk to NPCs, try out different jobs, do some grinding, do some quests, etc. I think the people who recommend you go grab all the exp boosts first and then power up to Level 99 and blitz all the "story" content are setting you up for failure. That's for people who have already done it before. You won't really understand what XI was like unless you stumble around a bit and just take it all in. Well, even without blitzing it, the game has changed a lot since it's original forms and you'll never TRULY experience it how it was back then, but you can at least get closer to it without blitzing.

As for controller support, it's fine. Unlike XIV, the combat here is slower and more menu based. You can set up some macros for easy access to abilities but you can honestly just navigate the menus if you're quick enough at it too. Game was designed with PS2 in mind so controller support is natural.

 

[jiggle]

Beast master is fun, once you get to lv70ish jar pets, and it can solo all the story contents. Although the last expansion boss and rhapsodies boss can be hard without some gear investments.

The skill cool down timer is a must for windower. Minimap is good too.

 

[ConfusedOwl]

I'm actually doing the same right now and mostly enjoying it. While soloable the game still likes to waste your time in a lot of ways so you need to have patience to have fun with it. It's really important to play with a guide open if you don't want to get lost.

I'm currently playing as a Red Mage with a controller and it works well so far. It's like a simpler version of FFXII's combat system when playing alone.

 

[Aeana]

The game is made for controller. Remember it came out on PS2. The macro setup is very different from the cross hotbar though.

 

[Pankratous]

XI until around the end of WOTG era back in the day is just absolute peak gaming experience of my life. Best game ever made.

I doubt it would be the same now, it's morphed into a different beast. Not played it in a long time so can't give tips as I'm not sure what's it's like really.

 

[Vault]

the game would a have lot more players if they removed the piece of shit that is PlayOnline

 

[Minthara]

Play through all the stories solo with trusts, it's great! Do be aware that certain jobs will struggle with some fights compared to others, but that is XI in a nutshell.

When I play through it yearly I almost always do Ninja.

 

[Malakym]

When you level PUP, try not to ignore your automaton skill levels or you'll be in for a bit of a boring grind later on to get them up to speed.

More generally, NextGames on YouTube has a playlist detailing a fresh run through the game if you wanna see an experienced person give some tips on getting through the story without just stomping over everything at 119 ilvl. He even makes some attempts at 75 cap content like sky gods before hitting 99.

 

[RagingAvatar]

When I play through it yearly I almost always do Ninja.

Click to shrink...

What. You are an awesome human being and I feel we should be friends.

 

[Minthara]

What. You are an awesome human being and I feel we should be friends.

Click to shrink...

It doesn't take me that long and I always have fun revisiting the game and the story!

 

[Kenai]

SMN you will need to unlock the non-Carbuncle avatars by beating them in the mini quests at level 20. It's a great way to learn how SMN (and BST) can kite mobs.

PUP you will need to get to Aht Urgan (sp), I'm not sure if the automaton parts are still as annoying to get as they used to be. Used to have to do a solo level 60 fight in Movapolis once a week for a chance for parts. Make sure you let your automation level up their weapon/spell skills as you go or they will be quite useless against higher level enemies. I think ranged attacks took the longest since only one combo got them.

BST used to go to BST specific spots to level but I know it's way easier in general to level now. Not sure how easy it is to acquire jug pets compared to before.

I'm not sure what the best subjobs are for each one but keep leveling those in mind too. There's probably a general leveling guide on YouTube to experience the story. There's also a lot of passive effects on some gear that you'll have to look up (Carbuncle Mitts, elemental staves ect) so a class guide for gear might help.

 

[RagingAvatar]

It doesn't take me that long and I always have fun revisiting the game and the story!

Click to shrink...

In my humble opinion, the greatest game of all time.

 

[Listai]

You're in for a treat OP

Make sure you install Windower which gives you an in-game mini map and a host of other great QoL options.

 

[Minthara]

SMN you will need to unlock the non-Carbuncle avatars by beating them in the mini quests at level 20. It's a great way to learn how SMN (and BST) can kite mobs.

PUP you will need to get to Aht Urgan (sp), I'm not sure if the automaton parts are still as annoying to get as they used to be. Used to have to do a solo level 60 fight in Movapolis once a week for a chance for parts. Make sure you let your automation level up their weapon/spell skills as you go or they will be quite useless against higher level enemies. I think ranged attacks took the longest since only one combo got them.

BST used to go to BST specific spots to level but I know it's way easier in general to level now. Not sure how easy it is to acquire jug pets compared to before.

I'm not sure what the best subjobs are for each one but keep leveling those in mind too. There's probably a general leveling guide on YouTube to experience the story. There's also a lot of passive effects on some gear that you'll have to look up (Carbuncle Mitts, elemental staves ect) so a class guide for gear might help.

Click to shrink...

Its usually between 5 and 10 million for all the PUP parts you need.

 

[Nose Master]

I love it, but it's not really what it used to be, for better or worse. You can get from 1-99 in like... a week of casual play. It used to take months.

 

[Minthara]

I love it, but it's not really what it used to be, for better or worse. You can get from 1-99 in like... a week of casual play. It used to take months.

Click to shrink...

If it's an original playthrough it might take a bit longer than that due to level caps and such, but yea, 1-99 in a day is totally a doable thing much issue if you know what camps you are going to.

The only annoying story progression blocker is Adoulin, so every time I play through I get going there early so my exploration things can accrue in the background.

Usually takes me about a month playing pretty casually to blaze through all the story content.

 

[Kenai]

Its usually between 5 and 10 million for all the PUP parts you need.

Click to shrink...

Ouch. I guess it's not any easier than it used to be.

 

[Synohan]

Glad to hear the controller support is good.

Installing the game has been a pain however. Trying to install through Steam gives me error after error. Apparently it's better it just download the files from the official game site, which turned out to be a bit smoother than Steam until I got to the PlayOnline wall. Got through it and I'm seemingly an hour off of finally launching the game at least.

So, here's the thing. I strongly believe that the experience of XI is at it's best if you can convince other people who have never played it before to go in with you. While you definitely can just grab the Trusts and do the main story, that really isn't the bulk of XI. Unlike XIV, it's not a game that focuses on the main story over everything else and it's not a game that really shines unless you're seeing the discovery of it all with other people, grinding jobs together, exploring the world, figuring out quests together, etc.

I recognize that this isn't easy to do nowadays though. I've never been able to convince my friends to give it a try, anyway. And in that case, the trusts do at least allow you to see all the content. I would still suggest taking it slow, explore the areas, talk to NPCs, try out different jobs, do some grinding, do some quests, etc. I think the people who recommend you go grab all the exp boosts first and then power up to Level 99 and blitz all the "story" content are setting you up for failure. That's for people who have already done it before. You won't really understand what XI was like unless you stumble around a bit and just take it all in. Well, even without blitzing it, the game has changed a lot since it's original forms and you'll never TRULY experience it how it was back then, but you can at least get closer to it without blitzing.

As for controller support, it's fine. Unlike XIV, the combat here is slower and more menu based. You can set up some macros for easy access to abilities but you can honestly just navigate the menus if you're quick enough at it too. Game was designed with PS2 in mind so controller support is natural.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, hard enough trying to convince people I know to even try FFXIV. I plan to take it slow like I usually do with XIV, although this might be a different ballgame entirely. Probably won't be able to mimic how the game was in days prior, but I will try to be invested in the world and way the game works.

Play through all the stories solo with trusts, it's great! Do be aware that certain jobs will struggle with some fights compared to others, but that is XI in a nutshell.

When I play through it yearly I almost always do Ninja.

Click to shrink...

SMN you will need to unlock the non-Carbuncle avatars by beating them in the mini quests at level 20. It's a great way to learn how SMN (and BST) can kite mobs.

PUP you will need to get to Aht Urgan (sp), I'm not sure if the automaton parts are still as annoying to get as they used to be. Used to have to do a solo level 60 fight in Movapolis once a week for a chance for parts. Make sure you let your automation level up their weapon/spell skills as you go or they will be quite useless against higher level enemies. I think ranged attacks took the longest since only one combo got them.

BST used to go to BST specific spots to level but I know it's way easier in general to level now. Not sure how easy it is to acquire jug pets compared to before.

I'm not sure what the best subjobs are for each one but keep leveling those in mind too. There's probably a general leveling guide on YouTube to experience the story. There's also a lot of passive effects on some gear that you'll have to look up (Carbuncle Mitts, elemental staves ect) so a class guide for gear might help.

Click to shrink...

Ah, maybe I should have looked into the jobs a bit more, Puppetmaster seems like a pretty huge gil sink. I'll be trying out Summoner or Beastmaster first as they're both in base XI. Here's hoping I can make it through everything as one of the these jobs lol

 

[jiggle]

BST used to go to BST specific spots to level but I know it's way easier in general to level now. Not sure how easy it is to acquire jug pets compared to before.

Click to shrink...

Cheapish. The most often used panther can be bought from npc for cheap. But the aoe cricket,that's crafted,can be really expensive.

 

[Minthara]

Glad to hear the controller support is good.

Installing the game has been a pain however. Trying to install through Steam gives me error after error. Apparently it's better it just download the files from the official game site, which turned out to be a bit smoother than Steam until I got to the PlayOnline wall. Got through it and I'm seemingly an hour off of finally launching the game at least.


Yeah, hard enough trying to convince people I know to even try FFXIV. I plan to take it slow like I usually do with XIV, although this might be a different ballgame entirely. Probably won't be able to mimic how the game was in days prior, but I will try to be invested in the world and way the game works.



Ah, maybe I should have looked into the jobs a bit more, Puppetmaster seems like a pretty huge gil sink. I'll be trying out Summoner or Beastmaster first as they're both in base XI. Here's hoping I can make it through everything as one of the these jobs lol

Click to shrink...

Summoner is the best bet of those 3 jobs IMO. You'll have to unlock your summons either through mini-trials at 20 or much later.

Don't forget you can be 99 with two different jobs now, so you could take like something like Red Mage first, get all the Summoner stuff done, then be a SMN/RDM at 99. It's not ideal but it'll get what you need done.

 

[DimitriLH]

I started it last year and played for a month, it was very charming. I can't wait to go back to it with friends.

The only real struggle with starting FFXI is getting the PlayOnline thing sorted out, what a nightmare. Glad I figured it out and made my friends life easier.

 

[civet]

It's easy enough to solo most of the stories with trusts these days but it's rather tedious. The real fun in XI happens when you're playing in group!

Try to look for a friendly linkshell as soon as you have time. You'll find concierges in the starting cities that hand out pearls of LSs that welcome new members.

Also, depending on the server you start on, make sure to mute the Yells in the game settings as they're going on all day and just ruin the whole experience imo.

 

[YellowBara]

I did the same a few months ago and am currently taking a break after I went pretty hard into it since I had some time off over the summer

I played exclusively with controller and played a ton through remote play using Moonlight and had very few issues and a ton of fun.

It's definitely a product of its time and going into it with an expectation to have to be a bit patient is almost required, mods or not. That said, it's a really unique experience and the world is unlike anything I've really ever experienced before. It doesn't hold your hand whatsoever and I really dug it.

I went baby-mode and played Monk -> Paladin with a Thief as a subjob. I highly recommend having a Thief as a sub when going solo early on to give you decent drop rates, there's a notable difference I found. Make sure to take advantage of when an event is going on, they sometimes have certain trusts that are extremely helpful that you can only get during those events.

I recommend the mini map and skill timer mods if you can add them, they make the game a lot more user friendly in general. Enjoy, it's very solo friendly and trusts really help with that, especially if you get the really strong ones available from events.

 

[Malakym]

Ah, maybe I should have looked into the jobs a bit more, Puppetmaster seems like a pretty huge gil sink. I'll be trying out Summoner or Beastmaster first as they're both in base XI. Here's hoping I can make it through everything as one of the these jobs lol

Click to shrink...

Yeah probably for the best. PUP is really fun, quite strong, and has an advantage over a lot of other jobs in situations where you can't summon trusts for instance - but that 5-10 mil assessment earlier is probably on the conservative side if you're only going for the absolute essential attachments. Obtaining them is much easier now since they can all be purchased from an NPC but the cost is ludicrous to fully kit yourself out.

 

[DarthKamen]

I really want to play XI one day. I don't have a way to do so right now, but whenever I get a good PC it will be one of the first games I try.

But I'm definitely using that NPC text box change. That looks so much nicer than the default IMO.

 

[Synohan]

Well, I think I've got everything going now. Fps uncap has an issue where it randomly decides to work. One startup it works, the next it doesn't and repeat.

The map is a little obnoxious and huge, but I'll get used to it. I talked to one NPC while testing, who gave me 7 people in need in my starting city. He marked them on my map but I can't see them after opening it myself. I'll look into it.

Excited to finally get moving today.

 

[KeRaSh]

Well, I think I've got everything going now. Fps uncap has an issue where it randomly decides to work. One startup it works, the next it doesn't and repeat.

The map is a little obnoxious and huge, but I'll get used to it. I talked to one NPC while testing, who gave me 7 people in need in my starting city. He marked them on my map but I can't see them after opening it myself. I'll look into it.

Excited to finally get moving today.

Click to shrink...

When you open the map you need to press another button to show markers.
These days it's probably easier to just look up the quest online and get the position of the NPCs.
Enjoy the game!
It's my personal GOAT.

 

[Scar]

DRG powah~

 

[Synohan]

About a week in, going pretty slow, but I think I've gotten the gist of most things at the moment.

Did the first three Nation Missions for Sand'oria. The tomb raid and rescuing the missing children. Both of which without the maps I didn't know you could buy in the city.

The Tomb was a bit strange compared to the Ghelsba area. I explored the area beyond the mission and began running into armoured Goblins that are way higher levels than everything else. Went even further and exited out into a clearing that had bat type enemy that almost wiped out the entire party on it's own. Gotta look into how to switch targets easier. There are times when I'm clearly being attacked by multiple enemies, but disengage after defeating the first without continuing to the next so the trust can gain aggro. There's a switch target command but it never does anything.

I think my biggest issue so far is inventory. It fills up after each outing, with stuff that I'm not sure if I should keep or not. Mainly the barrage of elemental crystal types the game throws at you.

Going to keep leveling until about 18 before doing the first few Rhapsodies quests as it recommends.

When you open the map you need to press another button to show markers.
These days it's probably easier to just look up the quest online and get the position of the NPCs.
Enjoy the game!
It's my personal GOAT.

Click to shrink...

Ohh, well that explains that. The NPCs show right up.

 

[Minthara]

About a week in, going pretty slow, but I think I've gotten the gist of most things at the moment.

Did the first three Nation Missions for Sand'oria. The tomb raid and rescuing the missing children. Both of which without the maps I didn't know you could buy in the city.

The Tomb was a bit strange compared to the Ghelsba area. I explored the area beyond the mission and began running into armoured Goblins that are way higher levels than everything else. Went even further and exited out into a clearing that had bat type enemy that almost wiped out the entire party on it's own. Gotta look into how to switch targets easier. There are times when I'm clearly being attacked by multiple enemies, but disengage after defeating the first without continuing to the next so the trust can gain aggro. There's a switch target command but it never does anything.

I think my biggest issue so far is inventory. It fills up after each outing, with stuff that I'm not sure if I should keep or not. Mainly the barrage of elemental crystal types the game throws at you.

Going to keep leveling until about 18 before doing the first few Rhapsodies quests as it recommends.


Ohh, well that explains that. The NPCs show right up.

Click to shrink...

If you trade stacks of crystals to gate guards after you rank up at a nation, you level your rank! This also means you can skip certain non-mandatory missions if you just give guards enough crystals.

 

[Synohan]

If you trade stacks of crystals to gate guards after you rank up at a nation, you level your rank! This also means you can skip certain non-mandatory missions if you just give guards enough crystals.

Click to shrink...

Well that's great to know. Helps with most of my inventory issues as it's just mainly the crystals. I assume the non mandatory quests are the ones that are repeatable? That'll speed up the process a bit.

 

[Minthara]

Well that's great to know. Helps with most of my inventory issues as it's just mainly the crystals. I assume the non mandatory quests are the ones that are repeatable? That'll speed up the process a bit.

Click to shrink...

Generally yes, you can either repeat quests to level up or just donate crystals.

 

[Alpheus]

About a week in, going pretty slow, but I think I've gotten the gist of most things at the moment.

Did the first three Nation Missions for Sand'oria. The tomb raid and rescuing the missing children. Both of which without the maps I didn't know you could buy in the city.

The Tomb was a bit strange compared to the Ghelsba area. I explored the area beyond the mission and began running into armoured Goblins that are way higher levels than everything else. Went even further and exited out into a clearing that had bat type enemy that almost wiped out the entire party on it's own. Gotta look into how to switch targets easier. There are times when I'm clearly being attacked by multiple enemies, but disengage after defeating the first without continuing to the next so the trust can gain aggro. There's a switch target command but it never does anything.

I think my biggest issue so far is inventory. It fills up after each outing, with stuff that I'm not sure if I should keep or not. Mainly the barrage of elemental crystal types the game throws at you.

Going to keep leveling until about 18 before doing the first few Rhapsodies quests as it recommends.


Ohh, well that explains that. The NPCs show right up.

Click to shrink...

For the target switching, you kinda have to position your character so that you have an untargeted enemy in front of you as you're killing your current one.

Kinda like how WARs would have to angle themselves in XIV with old conal Overpower. Not that exact same positioning but similar to that. It isn't reliable. The only reliable way I've been able to seamlessly go target to target is to manually switch as the deathblow goes out against the current target.

If you want a pet class that doesn't require a ton of maintenance you can try going DRG with subjob RDM. As the Wyvern Pet's behavior is influenced by your actions and chosen subjob.

On a melee sub job the Wyvern will ready it's breath weapon after you weaponskill (and should a skillchain result from your weaponskill it will deal increased damage as a magic burst).

But if your subjob is a mage then it will behave differently if you cast a nuke/debuffs or a heal/buff. Where you can get your wyvern to heal you whenever you cast a heal or buff. Which is where RDM comes in because they have self target elemental resistance spells that are near instant (and thus nearly impossible for enemies to interrupt) and cost like literally 3 MP.

And RDM's spell book has the limited/exclusive buff spell refresh at lvl 49 (which is where most subjobs end up capped as subjobs can only ever be half your main job's level provided the subjob was leveled that high on its own). Which means you essentially have a really cozy fall back should your Trust healer take an unseemly dirtnap while still being a frontline fighter. If you wanted to be more offense oriented you can subjob Samurai who's job traits and abilities are tailor made for 2H Jobs like DRG. Or subjob DNC so you can turn your TP into a healing resource (this is mostly only useful so that you have access to a non magic equivalent to Esuna and Erase via Healing Waltz for debuff heavy fights should a Trust of yours get shut down reliably by an enemy.

I recently helped a friend playthrough XI (they took a break mid CoP but will be heading back to finish up due to the M:tG Collab) and they had a lot of success going THF > DNC > RUN (Rune Fencer) but mained DNC and subbing THF and RUN when necessary as subjob Rune Fencer has some handy traits and abilities that any Job can make use of to become more resistant to NM Mage bosses.

Best of luck on your journey and glad to see other giving ya some tips already. And I hope you do try out the pet jobs even if you don't stick with them. There's a lot of depth to them that can be rather intimidating especially the PUP price tag but thankfully the pet classes are in a spot nowadays where they are all satisfying to get into as opposed to just constantly being memed on while they'd solo the hell out of everything on the fringes.

Just remember if you decline to start an expansion cutscene (such cutscenes playing is necessary for the Questline to start) make sure you look up how to re-trigger the cutscene. I'm not sure when it was added but that option was available for my buddy when helping them through XI not too long ago.

 

[KeRaSh]

King Ranperre's Tomb was a fun area to get lost in.
It's very close to San'doria and easily accessible for low level players, but it also had enemies that were close to the old level cap (75) and they even added a HNM dragon to the area at some point I think.
Fun times!

Also another vote for DRG.
I was a DRG main back in the days and before Trusts were a thing, DRG/WHM was the most fun I had in the game because it enabled me to do so much shit solo that wasn't otherwise possible for a melee DD class.
Those Wyverns kick ass and the Jump abilities are so handy and just plain fun.

 

[Synohan]

For the target switching, you kinda have to position your character so that you have an untargeted enemy in front of you as you're killing your current one.

Kinda like how WARs would have to angle themselves in XIV with old conal Overpower. Not that exact same positioning but similar to that. It isn't reliable. The only reliable way I've been able to seamlessly go target to target is to manually switch as the deathblow goes out against the current target.

If you want a pet class that doesn't require a ton of maintenance you can try going DRG with subjob RDM. As the Wyvern Pet's behavior is influenced by your actions and chosen subjob.

On a melee sub job the Wyvern will ready it's breath weapon after you weaponskill (and should a skillchain result from your weaponskill it will deal increased damage as a magic burst).

But if your subjob is a mage then it will behave differently if you cast a nuke/debuffs or a heal/buff. Where you can get your wyvern to heal you whenever you cast a heal or buff. Which is where RDM comes in because they have self target elemental resistance spells that are near instant (and thus nearly impossible for enemies to interrupt) and cost like literally 3 MP.

And RDM's spell book has the limited/exclusive buff spell refresh at lvl 49 (which is where most subjobs end up capped as subjobs can only ever be half your main job's level provided the subjob was leveled that high on its own). Which means you essentially have a really cozy fall back should your Trust healer take an unseemly dirtnap while still being a frontline fighter. If you wanted to be more offense oriented you can subjob Samurai who's job traits and abilities are tailor made for 2H Jobs like DRG. Or subjobs DNC so you can turn your TP into a healing resource (this is mostly only useful so that you have access to a non magic equivalent to Esuna and Erase via Healing Waltz for debuff heavy fights should a Trust of yours get shut down reliably by an enemy.

I recently helped a friend playthrough XI (they took a break mid CoP but will be heading back to finish up due to the M:tG Collab) and they had a lot of success going THF > DNC > RUN (Rune Fencer) but mained DNC and subbing THF and RUN when necessary as subjob Rune Fencer has some handy traits and abilities that any Job can make use of to become more resistant to NM Mage bosses.

Best of luck on your journey and glad to see other giving ya some tips already. And I hope you do try out the pet jobs even if you don't stick with them. There's a lot of depth to them that can be rather intimidating especially the PUP price tag but thankfully the pet classes are in a spot nowadays where they are all satisfying to get into as opposed to just constantly being memed on while they'd solo the hell out of everything on the fringes.

Just remember if you decline to start an expansion cutscene (which is necessary for the Questline to start) make sure you look up how to re-trigger the cutscene. I'm not sure when it was added but that option was available for my buddy when helping them through XI not too long ago.

Click to shrink...

King Ranperre's Tomb was a fun area to get lost in.
It's very close to San'doria and easily accessible for low level players, but it also had enemies that were close to the old level cap (75) and they even added a HNM dragon to the area at some point I think.
Fun times!

Also another vote for DRG.
I was a DRG main back in the days and before Trusts were a thing, DRG/WHM was the most fun I had in the game because it enabled me to do so much shit solo that wasn't otherwise possible for a melee DD class.
Those Wyverns kick ass and the Jump abilities are so handy and just plain fun.

Click to shrink...

Huh, I had no clue that DRG had its own pet. Looking into it, i've changed my mind over to Summoner, Beastmaster or Dragoon for jobs i'd like to try. Dragoon seems pretty versatile, which sounds helpful if i'm going to attempt to clear as much as possible with Trusts. A lot to think and decide on for down the line.

 

[Alpheus]

Huh, I had no clue that DRG had its own pet. Looking into it, i've changed my mind over to Summoner, Beastmaster or Dragoon for jobs i'd like to try. Dragoon seems pretty versatile, which sounds helpful if i'm going to attempt to clear as much as possible with Trusts. A lot to think and decide on for down the line.

Click to shrink...

You may need to shout for help on unlocking DRG, its starter quest asks you to procure a NQ Gold Hairpin. And there may not be any on the market board or it may be too pricey (though as it is a Job unlock its usually stocked and not marked up much). But honestly the toughest part about that is that it might HQ accidentally (as there is no way to gurantee a NQ result in XI crafting) as there are some (if not most) established crafters who will have no qualms helping a newcomer get what they need for an unlock like that, particularly as it is a sub lvl 40 craft recipie. So its not difficult but its not super low lvl either so not just anyone can make it. Just maybe look up the recipe and have the mats on hand same as one would in XIV. A buddy of mine a year and a half ago had to shout for exactly that and they were able to get a few offers relatively quickly.

Most importantly though you'll most likely be playing other jobs and leveling them purely as a subjob. Take those opportunities to try and vibe with them, because I did not expect to end up as a WHM or SCH enjoyer or playing a Buff job like Corsair being my favorite thing to do in XI when I'm not on BLU, especially since I started as a THF. But ya never know where you might end up enjoying the flow of things, and Trusts definitely allow for those experiences, literally giving you a captive audience if you wanted to try being buffbot BRD that stabs things for instance lol.

I'd still say depending if you might check the game out long term to still check out PUP, because it really is glorious having a pet sized character sheet that is so customizable. And the fact its in addition to all the other Jobs XI has to offer. Similar to BLU [XI] who's design can similarly carry a whole game on its own.

 

[Minthara]

You may need to shout for help on unlocking DRG, its starter quest asks you to procure a NQ Gold Hairpin. And there may not be any on the market board or it may be too pricey (though as it is a Job unlock its usually stocked and not marked up much). But honestly the toughest part about that is that it might HQ accidentally (as there is no way to gurantee a NQ result in XI crafting) as there are some (if not most) established crafters who will have no qualms helping a newcomer get what they need for an unlock like that, particularly as it is a sub lvl 40 craft recipie. So its not difficult but its not super low lvl either so not just anyone can make it. Just maybe look up the recipe and have the mats on hand same as one would in XIV. A buddy of mine a year and a half ago had to shout for exactly that and they were able to get a few offers relatively quickly.

Most importantly though you'll most likely be playing other jobs and leveling them purely as a subjob. Take those opportunities to try and vibe with them, because I did not expect to end up as a WHM or SCH enjoyer or playing a Buff job like Corsair being my favorite thing to do in XI when I'm not on BLU, especially since I started as a THF. But ya never know where you might end up enjoying the flow of things, and Trusts definitely allow for those experiences, literally giving you a captive audience if you wanted to try being buffbot BRD that stabs things for instance lol.

I'd still say depending if you might check the game out long term to still check out PUP, because it really is glorious having a pet sized character sheet that is so customizable. And the fact its in addition to all the other Jobs XI has to offer. Similar to BLU [XI] who's design can similarly carry a whole game on its own.

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You mean the Dragoon AF1? Because the initial Dragoon quest doesn't require a hairpin, just pixeaxes.

PUP is my favorite job and by far the most fun, but the millions of gil investment makes it unwelcoming for many.

I'd also encourage any new player not to overlook Ninja and Dancer, their versatility and their ability to sneak and invis on demand in a game that asks you to sneak and invis a lot is very valuable.

Ninja is also the easiest job I've found that's able to solo the last story boss (prior to Voracious) with the least amount of gear.

 

[Alpheus]

You mean the Dragoon AF1? Because the initial Dragoon quest doesn't require a hairpin, just pixeaxes.

PUP is my favorite job and by far the most fun, but the millions of gil investment makes it unwelcoming for many.

I'd also encourage any new player not to overlook Ninja and Dancer, their versatility and their ability to sneak and invis on demand in a game that asks you to sneak and invis a lot is very valuable.

Ninja is also the easiest job I've found that's able to solo the last story boss (prior to Voracious) with the least amount of gear.

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You're right I got the quests mixed up lmao. But still, in my defense the AF1 is a early Breath set piece and the AF itself looks sick and can be upgraded to meta ilvls its definitely one of those optional but mandatory things imo, and mostly for the glam. Though don't quote me on the breath set part I might be confusing it with Relic or Empy helms lmao.

And I will echo your NIN and DNC recommendations, feeling like a cool Ninja is very fun, as is self skillchaining as a DNC like you're a SAM but dual daggers, on top of having an answer to nearly any situation when on NIN or DNC, they even subjob insanely well together.

 

[Wrexis]

This is a rather fun thread Op. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Don't forget to get Trusts ASAP.

 

[KeRaSh]

 

[Musubi]

I really want to play XI one day. I don't have a way to do so right now, but whenever I get a good PC it will be one of the first games I try.

But I'm definitely using that NPC text box change. That looks so much nicer than the default IMO.

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Honestly a toaster these days could probably run FFXI. Remember this game ran on a PS2. If you have access to any desktop from even the last 10 years it should be good enough to play XI.

 

[DarthKamen]

Honestly a toaster these days could probably run FFXI. Remember this game ran on a PS2. If you have access to any desktop from even the last 10 years it should be good enough to play XI.

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I've actually been hassling with the installer and Play Online the past few days trying to get the trial up and running. I feel like this is going to be harder than the game itself.

 

[Alpheus]

I've actually been hassling with the installer and Play Online the past few days trying to get the trial up and running. I feel like this is going to be harder than the game itself.

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Make sure you download from SE directly, for me I had to do that rather than relying on Steam install, for some DirectX stuff the game needs to run (as my steam install would not load me into the game proper beyond the PlayOnline launcher). Might have been a me thing but it was a speed bump I ran into when reinstalling.

Also bear in mind your POL password is one you set up on XI's proto Mogstation. Which you can access via the Mogstation by going to Add Crysta (as this takes you into SE's backend and from there they have big buttons for XI or XIV account management) though you only need to follow the Add. Crysta link. You don't need to add any crysta during your free month.

 

[logash]

I used to dream about playing this game on my PS2 or 360 when I was a kid with no credit card or internet. I tried to play it a couple of years ago and set up was rough.

 

[Synohan]

Continuing on. Made it to the Nation Quest asking me to go to Windurst and Bastok as an envoy, similar to what FFXIV does. Seems like the real adventuring begins here, so I want to make sure i'm ready for whatever is on the field. Most of my gear has been updated a bit through quest rewards and drops, definitely need a better main hand as I still have the default Onion Knife. Weapons are a bit pricey though. To build up the gil, i've just been doing as many side quests as I can before buying a better weapon and leaving. That'll be a good point to continue RoV. Travel to Selbina, then whichever of the closer nations. Will probably stop by the Jungle near the Plateau first to complete an objective for a quest and hand it in once I round back to Sand'oria.

So far so good. Although, some of these quests I've accepted will have to wait. One is for a specific type of Rock Salt that River Crabs drop, but the drop rate is really low. Also some of the enemies likes Hares and Rabbits have different drops in West and East Ronafure.

 

[Ovvv]

Continuing on. Made it to the Nation Quest asking me to go to Windurst and Bastok as an envoy, similar to what FFXIV does. Seems like the real adventuring begins here, so I want to make sure i'm ready for whatever is on the field. Most of my gear has been updated a bit through quest rewards and drops, definitely need a better main hand as I still have the default Onion Knife. Weapons are a bit pricey though. To build up the gil, i've just been doing as many side quests as I can before buying a better weapon and leaving. That'll be a good point to continue RoV. Travel to Selbina, then whichever of the closer nations. Will probably stop by the Jungle near the Plateau first to complete an objective for a quest and hand it in once I round back to Sand'oria.

So far so good. Although, some of these quests I've accepted will have to wait. One is for a specific type of Rock Salt that River Crabs drop, but the drop rate is really low. Also some of the enemies likes Hares and Rabbits have different drops in West and East Ronafure.

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Been awhile since I played but I'm pretty sure you get a special currency (maybe it's from nation quests?) that you can use to buy level appropriate gear

 

[Synohan]

Been awhile since I played but I'm pretty sure you get a special currency (maybe it's from nation quests?) that you can use to buy level appropriate gear

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You're right. RoE sparks. I thought it was just different key items in there, but there's gear in here. The exact same as the shops as well lol

Well, onto Selbina.

 

[Alpheus]

You're right. RoE sparks. I thought it was just different key items in there, but there's gear in here. The exact same as the shops as well lol

Well, onto Selbina.

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Glad to se you making progress! Below is some stuff I detailed to keep in mind as you go about adventuring. Though I might be repeating stuff the guides might mention so apologies for that =X

Spoiler: Gearing Ramble

Definitely keep earning sparks as you go about your business. You're limited to spending 100k sparks per weekly reset but there's a lvl 70-ish shield you can NPC and print money for whatever expenses you may have. Devs left it in on purpose but tacked on the weekly limit after a bit lol.

Don't forget if u need consumables to check in with your vendor Moogle in the Port areas of the 3 city states. Their wares expand as you progress through Rhapsodies of Vanadiel (by obtaining "Rhapsody in "insert color here*" key items).

Between Sparks Vendor and Moogle vendor you shouldn't need to rely on Auction House items unless you want to buy a required quest item outright or for specific items like that gold hairpin for DRG AF quest progression.

You should also be earning copper vouchers, trade them to the Sparks Vendor and they can hold onto them for you, which can free up your space. You'll want to save up like 13 vouchers. As vouchers can be exchanged for the various currencies in the game, including the Adoulin content monopoly money.

I point out the Adoulin one (Bayld) because once you're 99 you can buy the equivalent of XIV style starter tomestone gear which gets ya comfortably to ilvl117 (out of 119). There is still better and easy to acquire gear of higher ilvls should one choose, but the Bayld gear from Adoulin is more than sufficient if you just want to see the MSQ side of things and explore the zone maps and whatnot.