Tips and Advice for the Early Levels (1-20ish)Follow

So, this will keep getting updated when I think of new things to add...it'll be a bit out of order, but generally worth reading everything. Ok, here we go!

Quests/Fame
• Keep Bat Wings for Sandy Fame and decent gil.

• Wild Onions for Windy quest for Blaze Spikes.

• Spend less than 200gil on the Mog House Exit Upgrade quest wherever you are...Lilac for Windy, Amarylis for Bastok, Marguerite for Sandy (all found in Alchemy under Materials).

• Here are some links to good equipment you can obtain through fairly easy quests: Wing Pendant, Friar's Rope, Blaze Spikes, Justice Badge, Spatha, Monk's Headgear, Scale Mail, Sitabaki, Traveler's Hat, Linen Robe, Gloves, Legionnaire's Mittens. Some of these require fame level 2 to get, but that's generally not a problem.

• Repeatable quests are usually quick and easy, here's a few I'm fond of or that're just off the top of my head and simple (not all are repeatable, but easy ones are listed as well): Flint Stones, Bronze Subligar and Robe, Copper Ring (buy at Jewel Shop for profit), Stamp Hunt, Bone Chip, Quus (one of the quickest with Warp involved), Quadav Backplate, Zinc Ore, Shell Shield, Bomb Ash, Shell Bugs x 3, Don't read the note, Quick trip to North Gustaburg, Slime Oil, yes these are all Bastok for now...I need sleep, will continue later...

• More Fame means cheaper prices @ Vendors and better sellback prices. Plus fame unlocks new quests.

Job Advice
• Warriors use an Axe + Shield or Great Axe. Have both with you just in case. Axe is your A- Weapon and Great Axe is your A+ Weapon. More Weapon Skill equals more Accuracy and more Attack.

• Red Mages use a Sword. Dagger selection sucks until level 20 (Decurion's Dagger) unless you can obtain a Dagger +1 @ level 12. Even then, Swords and Fast Blade (if you're meleeing) will generally out-damage a Dagger. But remember, Red Mages are MAGES first, which means you need appropriate gear (+MND, INT, MP) for casting your spells. In Dunes though, RDM melee isn't too bad (especially with Meat) and most parties won't yell at you if you have an up-to-level sword and decent attack power.

• Thiefs focus on +1 Daggers. They'll outparse H2H (especially w/o a MNK sub). Brass Dagger +1 and Dagger +1 especially. Beestinger is also good @ level 7.

• WHMs, BLMs and RDMs get a Willow Wand +1, it'll help Nukes, Heals and Enfeebles more than you can imagine, and it's generally fairly cheap (~4k)

• No one cares that you're going to be "such and such job" when you reach level 30. RIGHT NOW you are the job that you're currently playing, so show it some respect. Use the weapon that's appropriate for THAT job, and NOT the one you're going to take to 75. Trust me, keeping the weapon for that 75 job capped won't be very hard at all.

• Cure, Paralyze, Dia, Banish and Slow are MND based. When casting these spells, make sure to have as much +MND gear equipped as possible. (Justice Badge, Willow wand +1, Saintly Rings, etc...)

• Bio, Blind, Poison, Bind, Elemental spells (anything who's spells Icon is an Eye [or swirling vortex as some see it]) are INT based. Equip as much +INT gear as you can to land these well. (Hermit's/Eremite's Rings, Willow Wand +1, Pies[cheap])

• +1 Weapons will make things go faster, but aren't always necessary. If they're 4k or under, go for it, if not, the regular weapons are fine.

• Warriors, Monks, Thiefs and Red Mages try to keep your gear up to date as much as possible. This means Leather gear at 7 (MNK gear @ 8) and then whatever your job can wear @ 10/11...Brass Gear or Scale gear). Warriors especially need to have as much Def as possible, cause they're tanking.

• MNKs don't really need H2H weapons until Dunes, when +Acc really helps. Stick with no-weapons H2H for less delay and faster DMG.

• Warriors and Thiefs might want to invest in a Ranged Weapon early on (Boomerang is suggested, though not cheap). You'll be pulling a lot and later on there's some benefits to having Marksmanship leveled (Acid Bolts, Sleep Bolts for THF solo [Sleep Bolt Mob + Disengage = Sneak Attack during middle of battle])

• Mages keep your spells up to date. Some of them aren't so useful, others are necessary. Cure II is decent in a pinch when the tank is in Orange/Red HP, but is very inefficient. Best to grab it @ 11 but don't use it unless it's necessary. BLMs always have Up-to-Date Nukes. Learn mob weaknesses and strengths for better nuke accuracy (Quick guide: Lizards are weak to Wind/Ice, Gobs are weak to Light, Crabs are weak to Ice/Thunder, Flies are weak to Ice[/Piercing], Pugils are weak to Ice/Thunder, Worms are weak to Wind/Light). WHMs learn how to cure quickly (i.e. watching Cure recast timer and figuring out exactly when you can cast the next one...learn F1-F6 targeting). Red Mages ALWAYS cast all your enfeebles at the start of fights (in parties).

• Warriors learn how hate works. Provoke every 30 seconds, not just when the mob leaves you for someone else. Constant Provoking builds hate and keeps the mob on you.

• Melees (generally WAR, MNK, THF...RDM at early levels) buy some +Atk Food. Grilled Hare and Meat Jerky are recommended for Dunes levels, move on to Mutton for 20+...visit FFXIWiki or Allakhazam for food caps.

• BLMs and RDMs invest in Pies (WHMs can too, but generally Mushrooms are better...Pies are still very acceptable...Cookies that give +HMP are too).

• WAR, MNK, THF, RDM, WHM...it's easier and quicker to kill EPs and DCs quickly than to go for big kills. Sometimes the right Foods will help kill EMs occasionally, but they still hit hard and will make you /heal more often.

• BLMs with Pies and INT Rings can take on EMs with better efficiency, due to low melee skills leading to slower kills on DC and EP. EP are still doable, and could possibly cost very little MP (just a Poison here or there)...find what suits you. EMs aren't recommended until BIND is learned.

• For ALL jobs, +Atk Foods (Meats) are recommended for making early leveling quick and relatively easy. Grilled Hare lasts about 3 hours and is all you'll need for a solid 4-5 levels (2-3 once you hit 6ish).

• IF you are invited to a party to deal damage via a melee weapon, for the love of all that is holy, have an UP TO DATE weapon. Qufim with a level 8 GAX or level 9 Sword is NOT okay. If you don't have the appropriate weapon for your level, use your lower level weapon to farm lower level mobs that drop items which you can then sell, gain Gil, and BUY the appropriate level weapon.

• If you are the Tank, PROVOKE every 30 seconds. I don't care if the mob is still hitting you, there will come a time when it won't. But IF you've been provoking every 30 seconds, you've been building hate beyond which your other party members can accumulate.

Money
• Keep and Sell everything! Every bit of Gil counts. Sell Insect Wings, Lizard Tails, Treant Bulbs to Vendors for quick cash (depending on your server, it may be wiser to save Treant Bulbs until you have a stack and then sell them on AH...check prices). They don't sell quickly or for very good gil on AH, and take awhile to accumulate a stack. Sell Crystals in stacks on AH. Beehive Chips sell for a lot in any nation, and are fairly easy to farm. Moat Carp do well also if you'd like to level fishing. There are guides everywhere for that.

• Items may occasionally sell for more on AH, but will sell slowly...sometimes it's better to just "vendor" an item and get quick gil than wait forever for your treant bulb to sell on AH.

• Goblin items sell really well in any nation. Yagudo Bead Necklaces sell well in Windy. Quadav items vary in how well they sell in Bastok, but are usually decent...not too familiar with Orc items...

• Yes, new equipment costs gil...sometimes what seems like a lot too. But the bright side is you can sell that gear to someone else when you're done with it, and it never loses value (depending on your economy). So that 4k for a new weapon isn't so bad when you can get it back in 2 levels.





General
• Always, always, always get signet before going out.



• Do a Supply Run each time you go running a long distance. If your nation controls Zulkheim, definately do a run to Valkurm Dunes because you can now Outpost Warp to Dunes from your Home Nation @ level 10 (for a small fee, and only if you've done a supply run to the area). This makes traveling to Dunes to level much easier than it previously was.

• From friedfunk: Consider buying stacks of Selbina Milk. They heal 40 HP over time and will reduce downtime to practically nothing while you're soloing EPs and DCs. They also combine with more long-term foods, like meats or treats. Can be bought in Selbina, or from the Cooking Guild in Windurst, or from the Vendor in whatever nation controls Zulkeim. Selbina Milk

• FFXIclopedia, FFXI Atlas. USE THEM. They are invaluable sources of information about just about anything.





Parties
• KEEP YOUR SUBJOB LEVELED. Every bit of stats help, and no one likes inviting a "gimp" (what you're called with an under-leveled subjob or very poor gear) to their party only to have them slow down XP gain. Take some pride in the job you are, and make sure you have all the tools necessary to play it right (including an appropriately leveled Subjob). Have a plan for it...for example: My plan was BLM to 18, WHM/BLM to 37, and then WHM is a great sub for BRD and SMN, both of which I plan on being later, so having WHM @ 37 means my sub will be appropriately leveled for ANY level my main gets to.

• RDMs...please don't Nuke too much...you'll skill up your Elemental magic as much as you'll ever need as BLM (which you'll NEED for a sub later as RDM) and your RDM nukes are generally <Too Weak to be Worthwhile> and waste MP that could be used for Curing or Enfeebling. If you have MP just sitting around in parties, not being used, GOOD, keep it for an emergency. Also, your Nukes that hit for ~4 damage just gave the mob 10% TP, and we all know how fun Goblin Bombs, Fireball and Cursed Sphere are.

• Slow, Blind and Paralyze are ESSENTIAL on every mob you fight, as they mean less Curing is necessary on the Tank, which means less MP cost for healers, which means less downtime, which means faster XP.

• When in a party, Toughs and Very Toughs are where it's at. Sure, an IT mob gives a lot of XP at once, but they take a long time to kill generally. Only take on Mobs which check IT + (which means Incredibly Tough with High Defense). A mob that checks IT ++ (Incredibly Tough with High Defense and High Evasion) is generally too tough to fight.

• A good party generally has all Damage Dealers and Tank at higher levels than the Healer(s) and Support Members. You want those people doing damage to have the mob check the lowest to them...having a level 14 WHM with lvl 12-13 meleers and tank means less XP per kill and tougher monsters to make them check IT or VT to your highest member...and since the melees are lower than the highest member, it means longer fights.

Concerning Cures


Feel free to add your own tips and advice to new players and I'll put it up here. Maybe if this is a good enough thread we'll get it stickied and it'll help the "newbs" become players we'd all love to group with :)

Edit1: Added spaces for readability.
Edit2: Added sections and more info. Links as well. Links to easy/repeatable quests to come.

Edited, Sep 18th 2008 9:35am by Roller

I noticed that and was doing so as you were posting. Thanks :)

Instant rate-downs ftw!

Also, I would believe H2H would actually still do better. I didn't try it though, I went with sword. Of course, for a new player it might still be better to use dagger to keep it skilled up.



Yes? Go ahead...

Edited, Aug 11th 2008 8:57am by VawnLakshmi

THF use sword till 32, at 33 Viper Bite comes along. Before that, Fast Blade will be your best friend.

heres one for the general tips part.

Never ever ever throw away beastmen seals.

Daggers don't hit for zero with food, unless the mob uses a Def+ move, at which point most 1H weapons don't hit for much.

Combo hurts, yes, but your DoT will be crappy due to your terrible Accuracy...

I already changed the info about Cure II. I call it necessary to learn, though only to be used in emergencies.

I've got one thing to add to this.

* Learn to farm. There will never be a time in this game when you have enough money. Even 75's with what people consider the best weapon and armor will sit at the Auction House, drooling over a item and thinking, "I'll never be able to afford this..."

And for the new players, since the Auction house has been mentioned.

* Learn to use the Auction House ASAP. Go into town, look at your map, go to the auction house, figure it out, start selling those crystals.

Done, Thank you :)

Not much to add apart from, as you meet people along your way:

- Ignore people who are rude to you.
- Listen to people who are nice to you.

The rude ones sometimes don't know what they're talking about, and you don't want to get to know people like that anyway. And the advice might not even be right, they could be ******** with you (I've seen it happen).

The nicer ones tend to give more reliable advice, and will be more willing to help you out.

And you will need to listen. A lot. It's intimidating at first but once you've played a few jobs and a few roles you'll begin to grasp how it all works, and it's not as complex as it might first appear.

Also, FFXIClopedia is your friend. You get stuck, unsure on anything, or just want to see what you can do at your level/in your area, use this incredible Wikipedia-esque database.

Oh, and save Grain Seeds. Other seeds aren't worth much and very few people garden with them. You can either garden yourself for a little bit of profit (but this requires an investment to get your gardening table set up in your mog house), or sell them quickly on the a/h once you get a stack.

Before you buy any low level spell or armor, check the NPCs in town to see if you can get it cheaper there. Often it's much cheaper.

Do the same when you sell stuff that drops. Check to see if an NPC will give you more than the Auction House, or if it can be used in a quest that pays.

Do easy quests. The higher your fame in the city, the more NPCs will tilt the prices in your favor -- cheaper to buy from them, more to sell to them.

Since provoke hate decays in full within exactly 30 seconds with no enmity modification, it's advisable to NOT do this. Open with provoke as normal, but then don't voke again until the instant you lose hate, as that moment is exactly when you need a new big spike.

True - but, if you're a new player, particularly on PC, make sure your PC is safe as these sites have BOTH had malicious iframes in the past . Get a good antivirus and adblocker at the very least, and if using firefox, noscript is also nice .

No good getting a great new game if you lose your account a week later :P

I hope my use of arbitrary numbers doesn't subtract from the overall idea of this post:
Givens (using a WAR/MNK with Axe + Shield)
Provoke is a Hate Spike ability. All hate is gone after 30 seconds.
Boost adds hate to a target that already has hate on the mob.
Every time you hit with your weapon, you gain hate.
Every time you take damage, you lose hate.
Most mobs attack @ 240 delay (I think). So between Boosts you'll be hit about 3-4 times, we'll say 3.5 for the sake of it. And you'll probably swing 3 times.

So lets make up a few numbers and do this the fun way.

Provoke = 30 Hate Units (HU), Boost = 10 HU (it's proven that Boost is 1/3 the hate of provoke), Getting hit = -3 HU, Hitting = 2 HU.

In a given battle using PROVOKE every 30 seconds, Boost every 15, and meleeing and tanking. In the ()s is total hate so far (including hate degredation from Provoke). We're also assuming conditions where you hit with every strike, and get hit on every strike.

Provoke(30), Boost(40), Take DMG 3.5 times(29.5), Hit 3 times(35.5), 1/2 Hate lost from Provoke(20.5), Boost(30.5), Take DMG 3.5 times(20), Hit 3 times(26), Rest of Hate from Provoke Gone(11),** Provoke(41), Boost(51), Take DMG 3.5 Times(40.5), Hit 3 times(46.5), 1/2 Hate from Provoke Gone(31.5), Boost(41.5), Take DMG 3.5 Times(31), Hit 3 Times(37), All Hate from Provoke Gone(22)... and so on.
** = where they'll differ

Now, Assuming you Voke at the beginning, and just use Boost + Melee to keep hate:

Provoke(30), Boost(40), Take DMG 3.5 times(29.5), Hit 3 times(35.5), 1/2 Hate lost from Provoke(20.5), Boost(30.5), Take DMG 3.5 times(20), Hit 3 times(26), Rest of Hate from Provoke Gone(11),** Boost(21), Take DMG 3.5 times(10.5), Hit 3 times(16.5), Boost(26.5), Take DMG 3.5 times(16), Hit 3 times(22)

So, yes, you end up with the same amount of hate at the end of the cycles, but during the intermediate times you have MORE hate, meaning LESS chance for the mob to run after someone else.

On a different note, if you wait for the mob to run after someone else before provoking again, bad things happen:
1) You're too slow so a squishy gets hit. Mages need to use more MP. Downtime increased.
2) The mob moves away so a WS or Blood Pact misses. Loss of DMG, loss of TP, more time taken to kill.
3) Sneak Attack unable to be used because no one knows if the mob will be in the same place at such a time.
4) Whenever the mob is running around, melees aren't hitting. Loss of damage, more kill time, slower kills.

In conclusion, use Provoke every 30 seconds.