[Kokonoe]

That's what I thought. Although honestly, the leveling method with Abyssea also sounds dull as hell. It doesn't make sense for me to reactivate with DQ10 so close, anyway. Sorry, pancakes.

Previous Method: Kill a monster at a time (or two), mages rest their MP after 1-3 mobs. One person pulls a mob all the way to the parties location and hopefully doesn't cause the party to whipe from bad pull. Finding a replacement if someone leaves can and will take a long time.

Also, you may not get invited if you are aren't the job they want you to be.

Abyssea: Kill as much as you want, healers aren't needed, no whipes, and exp is obtained at an increasingly alarming rate once it starts rolling in. Replacements are easy because almost all the time someone shows up with seek, and the party isn't tied down to just one member.

You can be whatever class you want while leveling.

[TAJ]

OK, reading about him now.
A bunch of people claim to solo him on NIN/DNC. Violent Flourish for his TP moves, (sushi to ensure they land recommended) full ninjutsu debuffs.

[Aeana]

Previous Method: Kill a monster at a time (or two), mages rest their MP after 1-3 mobs. One person pulls a mob all the way to the parties location and hopefully doesn't cause the party to whipe from bad pull. Finding a replacement if someone leaves can and will take a long time. Also, you may not get invited if you are aren't the job they want you to be. Abyssea: Kill as much as you want, healers aren't needed, no whipes, and exp is obtained at an increasingly alarming rate once it starts rolling in. Replacements are easy because almost all the time someone shows up with seek, and the party isn't tied down to just one member. You can be whatever class you want while leveling.

So you can see the problem when healer is the class I enjoy playing most in MMOs.
The current way people play sounds like a good way for people to be at max level without knowing how to even play their job.

[pancakesandsex]

healers aren't needed

Wrong. In fact once you are ready for Abyssea, it's much easier to get a party as a job with healing capability even if you are under leveled, since you can still perform a function in the group without the need to be able to hit things. As long as you have access to cure III and IV and some form of refresh atma (which you can easily get), you can perform decently as low as level 41 on a WHM.

[Kokonoe]

Wrong.

Read below. I'm not wrong.

So you can see the problem when healer is the class I enjoy playing most in MMOs. The current way people play sounds like a good way for people to be at max level without knowing how to even play their job.

Well one, needed doesn't mean they don't help. No one job is needed for EXP, although all jobs can be played there. People won't go "WHM? Nah, no way. I want a WAR." As a matter of fact, healers can enter Abyssea leveling at 60 where as other jobs can't do much until 70-75ish.

Two, it doesn't take that long to learn how to play a job in this game. And leveling up a character doesn't give you "skill", it just means you grinded for periods of time to gain EXP.

People aren't going to join end-game with 99 job level and 100 combat skill, nor are they going to join without proper gear. EXP and End-game are two different entities, where as before 90% of players were focusing on just trying grind their way out of lower levels, it's now about the activities you can experience at your character's strongest point.

I leveled up BST from 1 to 90 in a day, now that's dedication, but I'm bringing it up for another point. The same day I did that, the same day I already learned how to play BST, and soloed Cerberus in Mount Zhayolm.

[Aeana]

Read below. I'm not wrong. Well one, needed doesn't mean they don't help. No one job is needed for EXP, although all jobs can be played there. People won't go "WHM? Nah, no way. I want a WAR." As a matter of fact, healers can enter Abyssea leveling at 60 where as other jobs can't do much until 70-75ish. Two, it doesn't take that long to learn how to play a job in this game. And leveling up a character doesn't give you "skill", it just means you grinded for periods of time to gain EXP. People aren't going to join end-game with level 99 and 100 combat skill, nor are they going to join without proper gear. EXP and End-game are two different entities, where as before 90% of players were focusing on just trying grind their way out of lower levels, it's now about the activities you can experience at your character's strongest point. I leveled up BST from 1 to 90 in a day, now that's dedication, but I'm bringing it up for another point. The same day I did that, the same day I already learned how to play BST, and soloed Cerberus in Mount Zhayolm.

It doesn't give you "skill," it gives you "experience with a multitude of different situations." A particularly useful thing for someone charged with healing and supporting the group.

It just sounds like you're cheapening lots of the experience by skipping so much. The old leveling model isn't optimal, and is certainly extremely time-consuming, but cutting it out completely doesn't sound appealing to me at all, either. You're skipping lots of unique content to hurry and do the same content over and over again at max level.

Honestly, the more you talk about this, the more it sounds like FF11 has morphed into a game that isn't for me anymore. End-game FF11 never sounded appealing to me, and end-game in other MMOs never was either. I enjoy the leveling part, always have, and it's why FF11 was my favorite MMO for years.

[Kokonoe]

It doesn't give you "skill," it gives you "experience with a multitude of different situations." A particularly useful thing for someone charged with healing and supporting the group. It just sounds like you're cheapening lots of the experience by skipping so much. The old leveling model isn't optimal, and is certainly extremely time-consuming, but cutting it out completely doesn't sound appealing to me at all, either. You're skipping lots of unique content to hurry and do the same content over and over again at max level. Honestly, the more you talk about this, the more it sounds like FF11 has morphed into a game that isn't for me anymore. End-game FF11 never sounded appealing to me, and end-game in other MMOs never was either. I enjoy the leveling part, always have, and it's why FF11 was my favorite MMO for years.

There is nothing specific at all that gives you a certain experience in the old party system that will otherwise gimp you if you didn't experience it. All that can be learned is the same way as before, but instead of waiting for hundreds of hours to just get the chance to experience something, you can experience it in reasonable amount of time.

You are also not skipping anything, and there isn't any unique content (which is usually regarded as end-game) for levels below 70-75 in FFXI, and there never really has been. You could say Moblin Maze Monger, but that was just another way to level up. And even that didn't give you any experience you couldn't experience elsewhere.

FFXI has definitely changed, and for the better in my opinion, but as for the majority of opinions as well. I don't like waiting for hours to days just to get into a party to experience something new, nor do I like waiting that same amount of time just to level up once.

Anything you could experience before, you can experience now, faster, and much better. You want to do a story mode? Instead of requiring a ton of people, you can just ask one of your friends to tag a long and you could essentially duo must of all stories battle modes.

If you like grinding, then I don't see how much that is different from Abyssea leveling other than the speed of it, and that you can do it on your own time and not others.

You also don't even have to do end-game, there are is like 5 (or more) story modes, all types of things you can do in FFXI that you aren't limited to because of the old leveling.

You may not like, but I don't think grinding is fun myself.

[pancakesandsex]

Read below. I'm not wrong. Well one, needed doesn't mean they don't help. No one job is needed for EXP, although all jobs can be played there. People won't go "WHM? Nah, no way. I want a WAR." As a matter of fact, healers can enter Abyssea leveling at 60 where as other jobs can't do much until 70-75ish. Two, it doesn't take that long to learn how to play a job in this game. And leveling up a character doesn't give you "skill", it just means you grinded for periods of time to gain EXP. People aren't going to join end-game with 99 job level and 100 combat skill, nor are they going to join without proper gear. EXP and End-game are two different entities, where as before 90% of players were focusing on just trying grind their way out of lower levels, it's now about the activities you can experience at your character's strongest point. I leveled up BST from 1 to 90 in a day, now that's dedication, but I'm bringing it up for another point. The same day I did that, the same day I already learned how to play BST, and soloed Cerberus in Mount Zhayolm.

Party setups have relaxed significantly, that doesn't mean you should build an all DD alliance for XP. "Healers are not necessary" is completely false.

People can and will join your shouts if they are completely willfully gimp. I made the mistake of inviting a rdm to a gaunab shout who decided it would be a good idea to melee it using a joytoy and +mp gear. Needless to say that didn't go very well.

Nobody is going to gear check you for an XP party anymore though or anything like that. Those days are over.

[Kokonoe]

Party setups have relaxed significantly, that doesn't mean you should build an all DD alliance for XP. "Healers are not necessary" is completely false. People can and will join your shouts if they are completely willfully gimp. I made the mistake of inviting a rdm to a gaunab shout who decided it would be a good idea to melee it using a joytoy and +mp gear. Needless to say that didn't go very well. Nobody is going to gear check you for an XP party anymore though or anything like that. Those days are over.

Wanted and needed are two different things. I've been in many Abyssea parties, and a lot of them were void of a healer for long periods of time. They help a lot, but they aren't "needed". You get temps from the boxes, and depending on your subjob, you can essentially heal yourself.

[Bilix]

I want to start forming Abyssea parties soon to get atmas and armor seals. I just need to kill a couple Caturae and Shinryu so I can start finding procs. If anyone is interested, let me know.

[pancakesandsex]

I want to start forming Abyssea parties soon to get atmas and armor seals. I just need to kill a couple Caturae and Shinryu so I can start finding procs. If anyone is interested, let me know.

I will help whenever I can.

[Velion]

I'd so come back to FFXI if I wasn't poor.

[ZetaEpyon]

I want to start forming Abyssea parties soon to get atmas and armor seals. I just need to kill a couple Caturae and Shinryu so I can start finding procs. If anyone is interested, let me know.

If you do anything this week, I'm game. Beyond that, I'll be gone for the rest of July...

[Leunam]

Thinking about starting woodworking to make money. Anyone have advice? Is that still a viable route to making money? I think I read somewhere that making money had shifted more to farming.

[pancakesandsex]

Thinking about starting woodworking to make money. Anyone have advice? Is that still a viable route to making money? I think I read somewhere that making money had shifted more to farming.

It's not easy making money with woodworking. I'm 94 and it's not really super profitable. I save a lot of cash making items I'll use anyway? But it's not really profitable.

Most crafting is a money sink until you get it to near cap and can make desirable equipment.

Cooking and fishing can be profitable. Cooking can also be a pain in the ass to get ingredients.

[Kokonoe]

Thinking about starting woodworking to make money. Anyone have advice? Is that still a viable route to making money? I think I read somewhere that making money had shifted more to farming.

Well, if you want fast cash, you buy cruor items in Abyssea and sell them to NPCs which net an instant 100k if you buy them all.

As for a solid source of income, my suggestion would be to farm Dynamis as BST/DNC or DNC. (much easier as BST) Depending on how much work you put in, you can make about 300k-500k or much more depending on it via selling currency in one run.

[Leunam]

Dang, I just want to be able to make money so I could buy some Monk equipment and such. Must have been an older guide that I read that said woodworking is at least slightly profitable until 60. Thanks though, I'm in the fishing guild thanks to a short detour to Windurst so I may pop on again to join up in the cooking guild.

Thanks for the info.

[Kokonoe]

Dang, I just want to be able to make money so I could buy some Monk equipment and such. Must have been an older guide that I read that said woodworking is at least slightly profitable until 60. Thanks though, I'm in the fishing guild thanks to a short detour to Windurst so I may pop on again to join up in the cooking guild. Thanks for the info.

Yeah, a lot of those guides on the money aspect are outdated. Once you reach Abyssea money making starts becoming a lot easier. (if you haven't made it there yet)

I remember I use to fish up stacks of Moat Carp for 4-5k a long time ago.

[B.K.]

I need to run through the past and unlock all the Maws. There was a group last night doing Tier 1-4 VW for Bastok. I joined the group, but then dropped out when I realized how many fights were in the past.

[Leunam]

So did I when the sold for 10k on Siren. They sell for that much on Sylph right now but my single stack in the AH hasn't sold yet.

How can I contribute as a level 30 MNK to Abbyssea?

[Kokonoe]

So did I when the sold for 10k on Siren. They sell for that much on Sylph right now but my single stack in the AH hasn't sold yet. How can I contribute as a level 30 MNK to Abbyssea?

If you don't have cruor already, you would essentially be a waste of a slot.(they won't invite you) The "leeching" thing for jobs below 70ish (or 60 if you're a healer), is by buying Forbidden Keys with Cruor and opening all the chests to extend the time and increasing the experience points and etc.

Chests keep the party rolling and that's how low levels can get in, but it requires cruor initially.

[Leunam]

Cool, I'll start researching this a little more. Thanks.

[Bilix]

I'd so come back to FFXI if I wasn't poor.

Make some money and come back!!

[pancakesandsex]

Dang, I just want to be able to make money so I could buy some Monk equipment and such. Must have been an older guide that I read that said woodworking is at least slightly profitable until 60. Thanks though, I'm in the fishing guild thanks to a short detour to Windurst so I may pop on again to join up in the cooking guild. Thanks for the info.

If you're on your first job (as in you haven't done limit breaks to 99 yet), don't worry too much about buying gear too often.

Look into quests for RSE (Race Specific Equipment, very useful to have access to for leveling additional jobs) and eventually (when you hit 50-60) artifact equipment (some of which have neat storylines attached to the quests). There are a lot of decent questable pieces out there for every job, many of which are still situationaly useful. Since you're a monk, you'll want to start looking into the quests for your brown belt as soon as possible if you haven't already. Don't blow all your gil on gear you'll never use again after a few levels.

I would recommend all first timers stop listening to anyone telling you to do everything in abyssea, stop worrying about getting to cap as fast as possible, and look at the things currently available for you to do. Most of the people burning their jobs up in abyssea already have all this stuff done. It's easy to forget that when talking to new players. Abyssea is great for taking the grind out above level 75, making xp loss from events (many of which now give xp themselves) a non issue, and making merits easy to obtain. It is not an ideal way to level your first job from 30 to 99.

[Leunam]

I figured as much, because everything in Abbyssea is over 70 and there doesn't look like there's any way for me to get any initial capital to be of much use to a group.

Where do I level after Gusgen and at what range? Will it really take me to level 50 just bashing skeletons?

[Kokonoe]

Gusgen Mines 12-30
Crawlers Nest 30-52
Bostaunieux Oubliette 52-70

[Leunam]

Awesome, thanks. I may end up taking WAR to 50 or 60 first.

[pancakesandsex]

I figured as much, because everything in Abbyssea is over 70 and there doesn't look like there's any way for me to get any initial capital to be of much use to a group. Where do I level after Gusgen and at what range? Will it really take me to level 50 just bashing skeletons?

Is it possible? Yes. With level sync you could level all the way to 99 in Gusgen if you really wanted to. Is it advisable? No. Gusgen and Crawler's Nest are the 2 popular low level xp areas for grounds of valor in an alliance. Besides that you'll want to start asking people to duo and trio XP with you in unfamiliar areas, skill up by fighting decent challenge monsters uncapped by level sync (you're going to need your skill ups for fighting maat). Go hunt for maps, learn your way around, do some quests, get some fame so you have access to more important quests, unlock outpost warps and work on other "quality of life" things that everyone will expect you to have at higher levels. Start work on your storyline missions so you can have access to all the zones, and get the rather unique (and still very very relevant) reward equipment that each expansion offers upon completion.

Also look into what subjobs you should be leveling (DNC is very advisable to have to 50 or so for the solo potential it brings as a sub on most jobs)

[Leunam]

I haven't even gotten to Jeuno yet so yeah I may be getting ahead of myself.

[SpiderJerusalem]

It doesn't give you "skill," it gives you "experience with a multitude of different situations." A particularly useful thing for someone charged with healing and supporting the group.

I sort of feel that way too
I liked the old way more also..I think you'd have to find more wierdos like me/us and do a static xp party. those were really fun to be in

[pancakesandsex]

I haven't even gotten to Jeuno yet so yeah I may be getting ahead of myself.

WAY ahead of yourself. And I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that anyone JUST starting a 10 year old game can't expect to catch up and be ready for endgame in a month or 2, regardless of whether or not you can level to 99 rapidly.

I sort of feel that way too I liked the old way more also..I think you'd have to find more wierdos like me/us and do a static xp party. those were really fun to be in

Once you have appropriate levels and a modicum of decent gear, abyssea is actually very good for exposure to monsters and such that you don't see very often outside. Lots of HNM class mobs which behave similar to their outside counterparts, gives you a better idea what to expect, without the larger investment required to actually attempt the fight. In addition to that, the rewards for fighting them are plentiful and useful.

This is a double edged sword though, since the buffs you have access too called "atma" allow for a very different style of play than how things used to work, so while you may know what to expect, actually having the ability to deal with it when you don't have that crutch is another thing altogether.

[Leunam]

Yeah it's going to be a while. Not the same game I left years ago. :)

[TAJ]

Pan, I have 3 stones. What's the best way to expand stone potential fast?

[pancakesandsex]

Pan, I have 3 stones. What's the best way to expand stone potential fast?

Do you mean 3 stones total on the npc, or you can hold 3 at a time?

http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Abyssea...rtant_Abyssite

This entire guide is a great resource, but I linked you the specific part that pertains to your question. Look up and chase after the abyssite mentioned there as your one of your first orders of business in abyssea.

The other abyssite you'll want to chase to actually expand the amount of stones you can carry (up to 6) are the abyssites of avarice.
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Ivory_abyssite_of_avarice
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Vermill...ite_of_avarice
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Viridia...ite_of_avarice

The first is purchasable, the second is quested, and the last can be obtained by killing specific monsters in certain zones (you must be the puller)

The reason the others are more important is that they give you stones quicker, and more time per stone, so you wind up wasting less. Eventually you'll barely use stones at all due to having time from time extensions and what not, so you'll build up a thousand of them in no time.

[Lateraleye]

Also look into what subjobs you should be leveling (DNC is very advisable to have to 50 or so for the solo potential it brings as a sub on most jobs)

I was hoping it wasn't true, that having a DNC subjob was just a fashion statement. The quest to unlock it looks like a giant pain in the arse. But I plan to spend most of my time soloing a melee job of some sort so I guess I should just grit my teeth and do the quest. How about for mage jobs, best solo sub? Same?

[pancakesandsex]

I was hoping it wasn't true, that having a DNC subjob was just a fashion statement. The quest to unlock it looks like a giant pain in the arse. But I plan to spend most of my time soloing a melee job of some sort so I guess I should just grit my teeth and do the quest. How about for mage jobs, best solo sub? Same?

For subs in general RDM is a good mage sub at high levels for access to refresh. SCH is also very desirable. I'm not so sure about solo specific. Ninja I guess.

The DNC quest really isn't that bad at all. It's a little bit of a runaround, but it's not particularly hard or anything.

[TAJ]

I have three stones on me now of a possible three. The NPC has none ready atm.
I should probably go into Abyssea for the first time now.

[Leunam]

I remember doing the NIN and SAM quests long ago. Didn't like traveling to Norg at that level. Had some old friends help us out back then since our LS was a mix of high and low level players, where half of us were new.

[Seigyoku]

WAY ahead of yourself. And I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that anyone JUST starting a 10 year old game can't expect to catch up and be ready for endgame in a month or 2, regardless of whether or not you can level to 99 rapidly.

Took me about 10 months :D

But seriously, I started January 1, 2011. My first capped job was THF - I got to 90 (cap at the time I think?) in like seven months. CLEARLY I WAS DOING IT WRONG. (Not really.)

I didn't step FOOT into Abyssea till I was in my 80s and actually I'd wanted to finish another LB before going but someone I knew had space and... Do you want to get to Jeuno and start collecting stones fast - YES. Actually doing stuff in there on your first job... errr not so much.

The LBs are all basically soloable now, but still need to be done every five levels past 50, so much of the benefits of quick Aby EXP would be killed by having to do them. Now, once you get to 75-80 - oh, you want to level in Abyssea. Heck, that's clearly what SE intended at that point though they've added alternatives outside.

Gusgen is marvelous and you can stay there forever, but I'd recommend leaving in the 30s - around 35 or so. That puts you in a better range for a CN party and doesn't leave your skills completely in the dust. And I can tell you from experience, don't stay in CN much past 60. The exp slows down, you won't be skilling up and you will get mind-numbingly bored.

And I will admit right out, the slog from 60 to 75 isn't the funnest. But there is so much stuff you can do while getting those levels! Aur and I were doing missions (ALL KINDS) as a lot of that content was geared to under 75 anyway. We unlocked EVERY job. We got so so so many maps. We did Besieged like crazy - and then they UPPED the rewards and it was even better! (Note, also a good place for skill-ups, just expect to die a lot as a DD.) Campaign once you get to 75 - no skill-ups (BOO) but they also upped the exp/AN rewards, and I did a lot of my post 75 leveling there. (And got a Medal of Altana to boot.)

So basically - don't worry about low level gear save quested stuff, do your missions to unlock areas and Dynamis, start getting stones, and level your first job as you go along.

Then LATER you can burn 10 jobs to 99 lol. (Disclaimer - I have not burned 10 jobs to 99). (Double disclaimer - when I do, WHM will be one of them.)

[Seigyoku]

The DNC quest really isn't that bad at all. It's a little bit of a runaround, but it's not particularly hard or anything.

DNC quest does not involve Caederva Mire therefore is automatically made of win.

(SCREW YOU TOAU UNLOCK QUESTS!)

[TAJ]

I hated wandering around those Undead Horde caves alone a lot more.
I forget what the zone is called... the one with all the shipwrecks.

[TAJ]

Then LATER you can burn 10 jobs to 99 lol. (Disclaimer - I have not burned 10 jobs to 99). (Double disclaimer - when I do, WHM will be one of them.)

I want RDM as a sub, but that's the only way I could bear to level it.
Mage jobs :(

[pancakesandsex]

I hated wandering around those Undead Horde caves alone a lot more. I forget what the zone is called... the one with all the shipwrecks.

Arrapago Reef

[Big Papa Husker]

If you have the original registration codes, you're pretty much guaranteed to get it back. :P

I just called them and they said there was no way to restore deleted characters in FFXI. He said to wait for a Welcome Back event. Should I have just asked to reactivate a content ID since I have all my registration codes?

[Kokonoe]

I just called them and they said there was no way to restore deleted characters in FFXI. He said to wait for a Welcome Back event. Should I have just asked to reactivate a content ID since I have all my registration codes?

It's called the "Character Reactivation Service" and it should be there. I know of someone who did it just a few months ago when they brought it back on the SE site. You have to send a ticket I believe.

[Big Papa Husker]

It's called the "Character Reactivation Service" and it should be there. I know of someone who did it just a few months ago when they brought it back on the SE site. You have to send a ticket I believe.

I tried that and it said the character couldn't be found. I didn't see a place to enter the original FFXI and Zilart registration codes, it just had a POL ID.

[Clipse]

Does anyone want a Destrier Beret code? First PM gets it!

Decided I just don't have the time or patience to start from scratch and I'm not willing to pay for the transfer of my old character.

**edit: Code is gone**

[Joei]

I just called them and they said there was no way to restore deleted characters in FFXI. He said to wait for a Welcome Back event. Should I have just asked to reactivate a content ID since I have all my registration codes?

I don't know about that. I deleted my character over 5 years ago and they were able to get it back no problem at all. When I say I deleted it I mean I deleted the character, then went and deleted or canceled the Content ID. I thought that thing was gone forever. When I called all they asked was for some verification material and my old registration code that was in the manual.

[vivin]

so, im thinking about jumping back in. Long time FFXI player from day1(highest job lvl is 70 tho)

I have quit a few times before, but the combo of the new expansion announcement and me foolishly buying the vana'diel 10 year memorial book has got me in the mood.

I bought the ultimate collection off steam, but of course, things are never that smooth. My s-e account complains about "You cannot add expanded services because either the maximum number of service accounts have been added/registered or there are no service accounts to which the expanded services can be added/registered" when I try to add the cd-key.

I assume its something to do with NA and EU having different cd keys or something. I need to wait and talk to s-e support and see what they say, but I hope to see some of you online very soon.

I also managed to entice a friend of mine to try the 14day trial, so i'll be helping her out with the newbie stuff :)

[Velocity]

Been playing FFXIV with the NeoGAF Dotties in prep for 2.0. Awesome time there, but looking at this thread and seeing how much the game has changed, along with a wave of nostalgia, has me wanting to play again. Haha, don't know if I could handle playing two MMOs at the same time, though.

FFXI was my first MMO, and the one I seem to go back to the most. I love endgame content, but I'd need to level a bit and re-gear for all of that now, it seems.

Just a few questions, though:

1st.: Money. It was the single biggest hurdle for me in FFXI and I never seemed to be able to have enough when it mattered most. I never leveled a craft, so that's part of the downfall. How easy is it to actually make money in this game now? Is it the same, with only "human"-like mobs dropping pittance amounts, or is it something that I can just play the game and not have to worry too much?

2nd.: I see there have been some keyboard and mouse control improvements. Can they actually be called an alternative control scheme, or is controller still the best, and only real way, to play?

3rd.: Anyone here formerly from Kujata(now Valefor)? If I do start up again, which probably won't be until August(maybe), I'd like to get into a decent LS right away. Of course, I'm always up for transferring to Sylph if FFXI GAF is alive and looking for fresh blood.