Advice for starting out.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

The game is on sale right now on sale, and I'm thinking about picking it up. I ended up playing a BLM in XI, and I wanted to play that in this. What race is good for that, and are the jobs basically the same? Any other advice would be appreciated.

[The Stig]

Race does not matter, it's insignificant at best. Choose something that looks sexy for you and stick with that.

Nope the jobs are not the same. Have you played any other MMORPGs besides FFXI?

In FFXI you can basically:

Do nothing/wait for hate to build up
Drop a big nuke
Do nothing/touch yourself
Kite a bit/drop a big nuke
Rest MP/do nothing

In FFXIV you're constantly pushing buttons. In early levels you basically apply a DoT or 2, and hammer the following buttons:

Blizzard (basic damage, gives buff to recover MP at a massive rate, lets call it "Ice Mode")
Blizzard 2 for AoE (gives Ice Mode)
Use an ability unique to BLM, switch to "Fire Mode" which increases power of fire spells, but stops MP regen completely
Spam Fire until no MP
Switch to Ice Mode, recover MP/use Blizzard while recovering MP
Switch, Spam Fire

Recommend you snoop around http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/120...r-a-new-player where Kalmado basically asks similar questions. However I'm happy to fill you in on anything I might not have covered in this thread.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

I've played XI, WoW, Rift, Tera, Eve, DDO, LoTRO, Pirates of the Burning Sea and KoTOR, to name a few. Can you switch jobs like in XI?

Also, that sounds like super fun.

[The Stig]

In that case you're basically playing (I think, not that I've played it before) a caster from WoW, constantly smashing buttons.

Yes, you can switch jobs in FFXI by changing your main hand weapon. Each job/class as a specific weapon they would use, and swapping to it, if the level requirement is met.

Changing job can only be done when out of battle and outside of instances.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

In that case you're basically playing (I think, not that I've played it before) a caster from WoW, constantly smashing buttons.

Yes, you can switch jobs in FFXI by changing your main hand weapon. Each job/class as a specific weapon they would use, and swapping to it, if the level requirement is met.

Changing job can only be done when out of battle and outside of instances.

So race really doesn't matter? Are you sure? I don't want to get laughed at for being a galka caster again....

[Seravi Edalborez]

The maximum difference between racial stats is like 6 points. At level 50 with even the "baseline" gear (Darklight, item level 70) you're going to have 400-500 in your primary stat. Drop in the bucket.

[Komm Suesser Tod]

The maximum difference between racial stats is like 6 points. At level 50 with even the "baseline" gear (Darklight, item level 70) you're going to have 400-500 in your primary stat. Drop in the bucket.

Absolutely awesome. My forum title will stay true!

[Eldelphia]

Race really doesn't matter. There are very, very small differences but they have almost no impact. There is definitely no 'lolgalka mage' etc. Lalafells tank, roegadyn cast and everyone gets to play a race they enjoy. Oh one thing to note, if you're not 100% sold on some of the hairstyles for a race you like, more are coming.

You can't change classes until you hit level 10 in your first class. You have to do your class quests (at 1, 5, 10 and then every 5 levels) to unlock it. Do those as soon as you can because you get extra abilities. I think you unlock Hunting Logs at level 5, they're a great xp source.

At level 10 you can hire a normal chocobo and you can use chocobo porters (which are like taxis/cabs). As you run around the place you will see weird looking choco NPCs at the various camps etc. Once you've visited them at a camp you can get a porter from there or to there.

You will get an airship pass as part of your main story plot at level 15.

Dungeons start at level 15 and are great xp

NPC vendors sell a lot of armour. It's worth considering taking the gil (allagan pieces) from quests on the way because gear is fairly easy to come by.

[Berabouman]

FF14 BLM is not THAT different from FF11 BLM. Besides being a lot faster, you do basically the same things (sleep, nuke, cast misc helpful spells)

[Komm Suesser Tod]

Race really doesn't matter. There are very, very small differences but they have almost no impact. There is definitely no 'lolgalka mage' etc. Lalafells tank, roegadyn cast and everyone gets to play a race they enjoy. Oh one thing to note, if you're not 100% sold on some of the hairstyles for a race you like, more are coming.

You can't change classes until you hit level 10 in your first class. You have to do your class quests (at 1, 5, 10 and then every 5 levels) to unlock it. Do those as soon as you can because you get extra abilities. I think you unlock Hunting Logs at level 5, they're a great xp source.

At level 10 you can hire a normal chocobo and you can use chocobo porters (which are like taxis/cabs). As you run around the place you will see weird looking choco NPCs at the various camps etc. Once you've visited them at a camp you can get a porter from there or to there.

You will get an airship pass as part of your main story plot at level 15.

Dungeons start at level 15 and are great xp

NPC vendors sell a lot of armour. It's worth considering taking the gil (allagan pieces) from quests on the way because gear is fairly easy to come by.

That's awesome, I'm downloading it now. Going to freaking galka smash cast on some bastards!

[Skai]

I would like to point out that there are classes and jobs. The comparison I always like to make for those who played WoW is jobs are like specs. For example, THM (thaumaturge) is the class and BLM (black mage) is the job. When you level THM to 30 and ARC (archer) to 15, you get a quest where you get a stone you can equip to become BLM. A class and its job's level is connected so as you level BLM, you are also leveling the base class of BLM, THM.

BLM is to THM as arcane mage is to mage.

[Omniyoji]

FF14 BLM is not THAT different from FF11 BLM. Besides being a lot faster, you do basically the same things (sleep, nuke, cast misc helpful spells)

but but but there's no epic soloing, situational gear, or macros....

[Sigmakan]

Galkas have no tails. You've been warned.

[Deadgye]

All you need to know is that at 50 you get an ability that lets you move through the fucking space-aetheryte-time continuum and teleport to another party member within 25(?) yalms. You have to be careful though, who knows what would happen if two black mages tried to teleport to each other at the same time. They could end up stuck in the aether network for an indeterminate period of time!

[Komm Suesser Tod]

I started on Gilgamesh. It's been a lot of fun so far. I've been taking the currency rewards like people suggested. Is the BG fc open to forum members?

[The Stig]

Yep. You can use the apply feature http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...91ba3f787720f1 (scroll down to submitting an application) in case no one is on that can invite.

FC = guild, unique 1 only
LS = chatroom, can have 8

[Komm Suesser Tod]

Yep. You can use the apply feature http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...91ba3f787720f1 (scroll down to submitting an application) in case no one is on that can invite.

FC = guild, unique 1 only
LS = chatroom, can have 8

Is it just called BG?

[Komm Suesser Tod]

Yep. You can use the apply feature http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...91ba3f787720f1 (scroll down to submitting an application) in case no one is on that can invite.

FC = guild, unique 1 only
LS = chatroom, can have 8

BG isn't accepting applications.

[The Stig]

My profile is blocked at work but if you click on my char name under my avatar it'll take you to my page with the FC name attached lol

I thought the application thing was an open feature, guess not, so an admin must enable it. Anyways in this case try to find Septimus, he's around most of the time

[Komm Suesser Tod]

So, I just sell the Alagan pieces, yeah?